MLB Player News

With January trade addition Michael Busch likely to play first base, per Jared Wyllys of AllCHGO.com, Mervis may have to settle for a bench role to begin the season.

Busch is not considered a great defender, but the team seems to want his slugging bat in the lineup, which could come at the expense of Mervis at first base. Mervis and Busch are young players with some upside, though both struggled during their respective MLB debuts last season, with strikeouts a key problem for each player. The situation at first appears to be fluid, but for now consider the outlook for Mervis to be somewhat dampened by the arrival of Busch.

Santana signed a one-year, $5.25 million contract with the Twins on Friday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Last season marked Santana's best year at the plate since 2019, as he slashed .240/.318/.429 with 23 homers and 86 RBI between the Pirates and Brewers. The 37-year-old gives the Twins an experienced option in the first base/DH mix alongside younger players Alex Kirilloff (shoulder), Trevor Larnach and Jose Miranda (shoulder).

Kirilloff (shoulder) is on track for live at-bats in February and hopes to be game-ready when the Twins' spring training schedule begins, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Kirilloff underwent surgery in October to repair the labrum in his right shoulder, but the operation wound up being less invasive than initially expected. He began hitting in January and has been ramping things up of late. Kirilloff projects as the starting first baseman assuming he's ready to roll Opening Day, but nothing is assured given his history of health issues.

The Cardinals claimed Rivas off waivers from the Angels on Monday.

Even though spring training games are still about three weeks away, Rivas has already been well traveled this offseason. After being booted off the Pirates' 40-man roster shortly following the regular season, Rivas has been claimed and waived by both the Guardians and Angels before catching on with St. Louis on Monday. The Cardinals cleared room on the 40-man roster for Rivas by designating outfielder Moises Gomez for assignment, but the 27-year-old first baseman could be at risk of being cut once again if St. Louis needs to open up another roster spot at any point in the near future. Even though he was frequently shielded against left-handed pitching this past season, the lefty-hitting Rivas still finished with an unremarkable .229/.303/.422 slash line over 123 big-league plate appearances between the Padres and Pirates.

Hoskins (knee) said Monday that he expects to be full-go at the beginning of spring training, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Hoskins missed the entire 2023 season after tearing his left ACL during spring training, but he was close to being cleared to return during the postseason for the Phillies and should head into his first camp with the Brewers with no lingering limitations. Slated to turn 31 in March, Hoskins is set to be Milwaukee's regular first baseman in 2024 but should also see ample time at designated hitter.

Padlo signed a minor-league contract with the Dodgers on Friday that includes an invitation to spring training, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Padlo was in the Angels organization in 2023, going 1-for-8 at the plate during his brief time with the big club and posting an .835 OPS with 13 homers at Triple-A Salt Lake. The 27-year-old is likely headed to Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he'll represent infield depth.

Walsh signed a minor-league contract with the Rangers on Thursday that includes an invitation to spring training.

Walsh had a breakout 2021 campaign when he slugged 29 home runs and made the All-Star team. Since then, though, he's managed a lowly .613 OPS and 32.1 percent strikeout rate across 572 plate appearances at the major-league level. The 30-year-old will compete for a reserve role with the Rangers but almost surely will report to Triple-A Round Rock to start 2024 as he looks to get his career back on track.

Hoskins (knee) signed a two-year, $34 million contract with the Brewers on Tuesday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Hoskins was forced to sit out all of 2023 after tearing his left ACL during a spring training game. Despite the slugger's injury history, Milwaukee will bring Hoskins in to take over as its everyday first baseman and fill one of the team's biggest offseason needs. Hoskins reached the 30-homer mark twice in six seasons with the Phillies, and playing his home games at American Family Field could help him get there again in 2024 if he stays healthy. Hoskins will be allowed to opt out of his new contract after the first season.

Rivas was designated for assignment by the Angels on Tuesday, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

The Halos needed to free up a spot on the 40-man roster for the addition of Robert Stephenson. Rivas was claimed off waivers a month ago by the Angels and will now go through the waiver process again. The 27-year-old has slashed .243/.324/.349 over parts of three big-league seasons.

Gallo signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the Nationals on Tuesday, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.

He'll have the opportunity to earn an additional $1 million in incentives. Gallo slashed just .177/.301/.440 last season with the Twins, although he did pop 21 home runs over 332 plate appearances. The 30-year-old would appear to be penciled in as the Nationals' regular left fielder, although he could see some action at first base, as well.