MLB Player News

Although the Mets are in the market for a shortstop, general manager Sandy Alderson said Wednesday he won't panic if Wilmer Flores is the opening day shortstop in 2015, according to The Star-Ledger.

While Flores hit .251 in 78 games, he actually hit well down the stretch. He batted .267 with a .489 slugging percentage, .791 OPS, one triple, four home runs, six doubles, 13 RBI and 15 runs over his final 23 games. He also had a .979 fielding percentage at shortstop in 2014.

While the Royals talked to the Phillies about first baseman Ryan Howard, Kansas City showed little interest in trading for the veteran slugger, according to CBSSports.com Baseball Insider Jon Heyman.

The Royals responded to Philadelphia's inquiry by saying, "We're concentrating on pitching."

The Royals are showing interest in acquiring Phillies veteran first baseman Ryan Howard, according to USA Today.

The Phillies are trying to trade Howard and the $60 million remaining on his contract. The Royals are unlikely to take on that much money, but if the Phillies will pay most of the contract, the Royals could be interested in trading for Howard, who turns 35 on Nov. 19.

The Royals have had internal discussions about acquiring Howard, according to the report. They believe Howard could replace Billy Butler as the team's DH and be the 20-homer, 75-RBI threat they need to get back to the World Series.

Although, a source told the Philadelphia Daily News that Howard isn't considered the top option for the Royals. Trading for Howard could be an option down the road, if the team's first few options don't pan out.

The Phillies met Monday with the agent for Cuban slugger Yasmany Tomas, according to CSNPhilly.com. The two sides have been in talks since Tomas worked out for the Phillies in September.

"There are several teams that I could say are frontrunners, but yes (the Phillies are one of them)," Jay Alou said at the general managers' meetings Monday. "We continue to speak. I know they have things in-house they want to take care of. We’ve been talking. I respect (general manager) Ruben (Amaro Jr.) a lot and he respects me."

The Phillies are expected to make an offer for Tomas, but no formal offer has been made yet, according to Alou. The Padres, Tigers, Mets and Giants are some of the other teams showing interest in Tomas.

Tomas is a power-hitting corner outfielder. Alou said his client has "a lot more" power than White Sox slugger Jose Abreu, who hit 36 home runs as a rookie in 2014.

"With the way home runs are going, this is a guy who can hit 40," Alou said. "He can miss balls and hit them out. Tomas is a very impressive hitter. I represent Jose Bautista and he hits a lot of home runs. I’ve never seen a guy hit them as far (as Tomas)."

Looking to rebuild their roster after a disappointing 2014 season, the Phillies have begun seeking trade partners for first baseman Ryan Howard, according to  ESPN senior writer Buster Olney.

Howard, 35, hit .223 with 23 home runs and 95 RBI in 2014, but his production has begun to dip below his salary, which stands at $25 million for 2015 and 2016.

Nationals second baseman and soon-to-be free agent Asdrubal Cabrera is hoping to stick around in the nation's capital.

"I really enjoy it to play with this team," he told the Washington Post. "Great guys. Good front office. I was really happy to be here and in this moment with the team."

Cabrera was traded from Cleveland to Washington with just two months remaining on his contract and was moved from shortstop to second. He could receive strong consideration in a thin free agent class for shortstops headlined by Hanley Ramirez and Jed Lowrie. He also proved steady at second base, though he has little range at either middle infield position. And the Yankees will be seeking a new shortstop to replace retired Derek Jeter.

The presence of Ian Desmond would prevent Cabrera from moving back to short if he remains with the Nationals.

Nationals manager Matt Williams and infielder Asdrubal Cabrera were both ejected in Game 2 of the NLDS against the Giants.

Cabrera got ejected for arguing a strike 3 call by home plate umpire Vic Carapazza in the 10th inning. Williams argued the call and was ejected immediately after. Cabrera doubled in the third inning and scored the only run of the night for the Nationals thus far. He has two hits in his first eight postseason at-bats.

Nationals infielder Asdrubal Cabrera went yard in the team's loss Friday.

Cabrera struck in the seventh inning. With the bases empty, he took a 97 mph fastball out to right field for the solo shot. Cabrera made it a one-run game for Washington, but they couldn't mount a full comeback. Cabrera finished 1 for 4, with one run scored and one RBI. 

Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman was great during clutch situations in 2013, finishing second in the majors with a .443 average with runners in scoring position. However, he wasn't nearly as productive in that area in 2014, batting .294 with runners in scoring position.

"I think the formula for Freddie is getting consistent chances," Braves hitting coach Greg Walker said, per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "The (No.) 1 and 2 hole was up and down this year. We couldn’t find consistent answers there. We needed Jason (Heyward) in both spots, in the middle and leading off. That was not what he wanted to do. Jason views himself as a middle-of-the-lineup hitter. He’s a team player and he’s going to do whatever the manager asks him to do, but that’s what he views himself as, a middle-of-the-order hitter.

"But if you give Freddie consistent chances and they pitch to him, that’s another big key. You’ve got to have somebody behind him, that’s part of the puzzle. Yeah, Justin (Upton) had a great year hitting behind him this year, but one reason (Upton) had a lot of RBI is that Freeman walked a lot."

For the first time since fracturing his left hand in early August, Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt took part in batting practice prior to Saturday's game against St. Louis, per MLB.com. Goldschmidt should be on track to be 100 percent healthy for spring training. He finished his 2014 campaign with a .300/.396/.542 slash line with 19 homers and 69 RBI over 406 at-bats.