MLB Player News

Freeman underwent surgery on his right ankle Thursday that involved the removal of loose bodies from the area.

Ankle issues plagued Freeman throughout the Dodgers' postseason run, but the 35-year-old first baseman was able to play through the injury, winning World Series MVP honors in the process. He is still expected to participate in baseball activities during spring training, and his status for Opening Day shouldn't be affected.

France is willing to consider playing catcher, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

France has never caught an inning either at the major- or minor-league level, but he did get some reps behind the plate at the Padres' alternate site in 2020 and has been viewed as an emergency catcher at a couple stops. Realistically, it's difficult to envision the 30-year-old France seeing substantial time at catcher at this point in his career, especially since he's evidently drawn free-agent interest from 10-plus clubs, per Feinsand.

The Angels non-tendered Wagaman on Friday.

The 27-year-old was dropped from the Angels' 40-man roster Tuesday in order to protect Jack Dashwood from the Rule 5 Draft, and Wagaman will become a free agent after Los Angeles declined to offer him a contract ahead of Friday's deadline. He put up an .855 OPS in 107 Triple-A plate appearances last season, and he'll likely fill in as organizational depth wherever he lands.

Kurtz slashed .353/.450/.608 with two home runs and a 16:9 K:BB in 60 plate appearances in the Arizona Fall League.

He ended the regular season on the injured list at Double-A Midland due to a hamstring strain, but Kurtz was able to make up for lost time in the AFL and end his 2024 on a high note. Other than a general lack of athleticism and a bad body (listed at 6-foot-5, 240 pounds), Kurtz's only notable flaw is his injury history -- he missed time with random injuries at Wake Forest. However, after slashing .368/.520/.763 with four homers in 12 games split between Single-A and Double-A before dominating in the AFL, Kurtz's track record of hitting pro pitching is arguably tops in the 2024 draft class.

The Cubs designated Wisdom for assignment Wednesday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

The move clears a spot on the 40-man roster for the newly-acquired Eli Morgan. Wisdom, 33, fell off to a lowly .171/.237/.392 batting line this season for the Cubs. Rather than pay him a raise in arbitration, the team is removing him from the roster now. Wisdom slugged 76 homers from 2021-23 and still hits the ball very hard when he makes contact, so he should be able to find work with a club that's willing to deal with his strikeout problems.

Brooks signed a minor-league contract with the Padres on Wednesday.

Brooks struggled in his first 12 regular-season games as a big-leaguer, going just 3-for-25 with an RBI and six strikeouts with the Giants last year. However, he slashed .302/.410/.453 with 58 RBI over 407 plate appearance in the minors, which is good enough for the Padres to bring him in as organizational depth at first base.

The Angels designated Wagaman for assignment Tuesday.

Wagaman slashed .250/.270/.403 with 10 RBI across the first 74 plate appearances of his MLB career in 2024, but the Angels decided his 40-man spot would be better used on Jack Dashwood, who had been eligible for the Rule 5 Draft. However, Wagaman turned in an .808 OPS over 121 minor-league games, so another team may be willing to claim him off waivers.

Walker rejected the Diamondbacks' one-year, $21.05 million qualifying offer Tuesday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

If Walker departs via free agency, the Diamondbacks will be in line to receive a draft pick in return. The veteran first baseman slashed .251/.335/.468 with 26 home runs over 130 contests this season while winning a third straight Gold Glove.

Alonso rejected the Mets' one-year, $21.05 million qualifying offer Tuesday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Alonso's rejection of the offer was a formality, as he is in line for a big payday this winter. The Mets are interested in retaining the first baseman, but should he sign elsewhere, the club will receive a draft pick as compensation.

The Hiroshima Carp of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball have signed Montero to a one-year contract, Yahoo Japan reports.

Montero will give NPB a shot after slashing only .228/.277/.387 over parts of three major-league seasons with the Rockies. He will be paid a $400,000 signing bonus and earn a salary of $850,000.