MLB Player News

Motter was traded to Seattle on Friday night in a five-player deal, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

Motter doesn't bring much talent to Seattle as a hitter, but his defensive versatility could certainly find him a place in the majors if his bat can reach replacement level. The 27-year-old played every position except catcher and center field for the Rays in 2016, and yes, that includes one appearance as a pitcher.

Barreto was added to the A's 40-man roster Friday.

Barreto was one of five young players added to the 40-man ahead of next month's Rule 5 draft. The top prospect in the A's organization, Barreto finished with a .284/.342/.422 line, 11 homers and 30 steals between Double-A and Triple-A last year after a slow start. He doesn't turn 21 until late February.

Andrus underwent surgery for a sports hernia Tuesday, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

The timeframe for Andrus' recovery is expected to be approximately six weeks, so there's no reason to believe that he won't be ready once spring training rolls around. This comes as fantastic news due to the fact that Andrus had a standout 2016 season that culminated in a .302/.362/.439 line to go with a career-high 69 RBI.

Dubon is making his outfield debut in the Arizona Fall League, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

All of Dubon's 123 minor-league games this past year were at shortstop, but the Red Sox, understanding the infield logjam with Xander Bogaerts at that position in Boston, are looking for Dubon to learn a new position. He's considered one of Boston's top prospects after hitting a combined .323/.379/.461/.840 in stops at High-A Salem and Double-A Portland.

Merrifield is among the candidates being considered for the Royals' second base job in 2017, the Kansas City Star reports.

The Royals will likely face significant financial restrictions in their bid to upgrade the roster this winter, leaving second base as a position where internal options may have an open competition for the starting job in spring training. In addition to Merrifield, the Royals are considering Cheslor Cuthbert, Christian Colon, and Raul Mondesi for the job. Merrifield hit .283/.323/.392 with two homers and eight steals in 81 games, but he seems better suited for a part-time role as he'll turn 28 in January.

Franklin is out of the lineup Sunday against the Rangers.

The versatile Franklin has kept himself in the lineup for much of the final month of the season because of his ability to play multiple positions. However, he'll hit the bench in Game 162 after falling into a 3-for-20 slump at the plate dating back to Sept. 15.

Marte is not in Sunday's lineup against Oakland, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

Over the last two games, Marte has gone 0-for-6 with two strikeouts. Shawn O'Malley will start at shortstop for Seattle's final game of the season while Marte heads to the bench.

Andrus is out of the lineup Saturday against the Rays.

Andrus will be afforded a breather as Jurickson Profar steps in at short after the Rangers clinched home-field advantage throughout the playoffs with a win Friday. The 28-year-old finished September on a five-game hitting streak, pushing his average above .300 and his OPS above .800. He turned in just a .666 OPS last year and never posted a mark above .727 in any of his first seven major league seasons.

Forsythe is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Rangers, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.

Forsythe's batting average has fallen from .281 on Sept. 15 to .266 as of Friday, so manager Kevin Cash decided to hold him out Friday. Juniel Querecuto will get the start at second base in Forsythe's place.

Franklin (hamstring) is starting at DH and hitting sixth Wednesday against the White Sox, MLB.com's Bill Chastain reports.

Franklin wanted to make it back before the end of the season, and he will get his wish Wednesday. The fact that he is at DH and not in the field speaks to the fact that he's probably not at 100 percent health, but Franklin has hit well enough this season (.280/.341/.463) to justify a start at DH, especially relative to his teammates. He has started at six positions this year, with left field representing the only position he has logged double-digit starts (17).