MLB Player News

Solarte was traded to the Blue Jays on Saturday, Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports reports. According to Dennis Lin of The San Diego Union-Tribune, the Padres will receive Edward Olivares and Jared Carkuff in return.

The switch-hitter is coming off a bit of an underwhelming 2017 campaign, as he hit just .255/.314/.416, a sizable drop-off from his .286/.341/.467 slash line in 2016. Solarte did play all four infield positions for the Padres last season, so he should offer solid depth around the infield for Toronto, which is especially desirable given the injury history of the team's middle infielders, Troy Tulowitzki and Devon Travis. This hurts Solarte from a fantasy standpoint, however, as the 30-year-old should see fewer at-bats next season barring an injury to the infield or a Josh Donaldson trade.

Arroyo (hand) was traded from the Giants to the Rays on Wednesday along with Denard Span and Matt Krook in exchange for Evan Longoria, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reports.

The Rays wisely looked to shop Longoria this winter while he still had trade value, as their primary goal was to get out from under the $86 million remaining on his contract through the 2023 season. Arroyo was apparently the best prospect they could get back. He is a 22-year-old infielder who is probably best suited for second base or third base, although he may not hit enough to profile as a regular at anywhere other than shortstop. Some evaluators throw plus grades on his hit tool, but he has below-average raw power. He was extremely lucky last season at Triple-A (.427 BABIP) and extremely unlucky in the majors (.231 BABIP), but has the potential to hit a fairly empty .300 in his prime years. He is a below-average runner, so almost all of his value will have to come from his batting average, and potentially his runs scored if he is able to hit first or second for the Rays. Look for Arroyo to compete to be the Rays' starting second baseman this spring, as Adeiny Hechavarria and Willy Adames are ahead of him on the depth chart at shortstop. He suffered a hand injury in winter ball but will be ready for spring training.

Rodriguez signed a minor-league contract with the Tigers on Friday, Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com reports.

Rodriguez spent the past two seasons at Triple-A Columbus for the Indians, and he was able to put together his best minor-league campaign during 2017. The 25-year-old slashed .291/.324/.454 with 17 home runs and 64 RBI and has demonstrated the ability to play multiple positions, but he profiles best at the hot corner. He will likely begin next spring in Triple-A yet again, but he could earn a chance at the major-league level if he's able to prove that last year's performance at the plate wasn't a fluke.

Beckham agreed to a minor-league deal with the Mariners on Monday, SB Nation's Chris Cotillo reports.

The former top prospect continues to prolong his pro baseball career, although at this point he is very unlikely to ever regain a significant role on a big-league club. Last year he hit .262/.313/.393 with nine home runs in 83 games with Triple-A Tacoma. He figures to once again serve as organizational infield depth for the Mariners.

Petit signed a minor-league deal with the Twins on Thursday, MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger reports.

Petit didn't appear in the majors in 2017 after receiving time in 89 games a year prior with the Angels. He hit .253/.275/.370 with four home runs and 30 RBI during 73 games with Triple-A Buffalo in Toronto's system last season. Petit will provide organizational middle infield depth.

Torres (elbow) was added to the 40-man roster Monday.

Torres is heralded by some as the top prospect in the game, so it comes as no surprise that the Yankees will protect him in the Rule 5 draft. It's expected that Torres, who's recovering from Tommy John surgery, will compete for a starting spot in the infield during spring training.

Estrada was added to the 40-man roster Monday.

The Yankees' decision to add Estrada to the 40-man roster will protect him from the Rule 5 draft. Estrada played well at Double-A Trenton during the 2017 season. Over 122 games he hit .301 with a .745 OPS and scored 72 runs.

Ngoepe was traded to the Blue Jays on Monday in exchange for cash or a player to be named later.

The 27-year-old infielder made his big-league debut last season, hitting .222 with zero home runs and a 41.3 percent strikeout rate in 63 plate appearances. The Pirates get to clear a spot on the 40-man roster while the Blue Jays get some infield depth. It would not be surprising if the Blue Jays tried to designate Ngoepe for assignment to clear a 40-man roster spot later this offseason.

Altuve was named the American League's Most Valuable Player on Thursday.

Altuve's ascension to stardom took another major leap forward in 2017 as the 27-year-old became the first Astro to bring home MVP honors since Jeff Bagwell was crowned NL MVP in 1994. Altuve led the American League in hits (204) for the fourth consecutive season and won the league's batting title with a career-high .346 average. His 24 home runs were also a career high and the superstar second baseman is the consensus No. 2 player (after Mike Trout) heading into 2018 fantasy drafts. The man can do it all.

General manager Brian Cashman said Torres (elbow) could push for a starting spot as early as Opening Day, Brendan Kuty of NJ.com reports.

Cashman noted that the coaching staff thought Torres was ready for the majors on Opening Day last season, but ultimately decided to keep him in the minors for a little more seasoning. The 20-year-old flashed why he's seen as one of baseball's top prospects before undergoing season-ending Tommy John surgery in June, hitting .309/.406/.457 with seven homers and seven stolen bases in 23 games (96 plate appearances) for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after earning a promotion from Double-A Trenton. He's on track to be fully healthy by the start of spring training, where he'll compete with Starlin Castro and Chase Headley for the starting job at second and third base, respectively.