MLB Player News

Espinal and the Blue Jays agreed on a one-year, $2.1 million contract Friday to avoid arbitration, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

The 28-year-old infielder busted onto the scene in 2022, batting .267 with seven homers, 51 RBI, 51 runs and six stolen bases over 135 games in a season during which he made his first All Star team. Espinal will likely operate as a utility option in 2023 with Whit Merrifield expected to be the Jays' primary second baseman, and he could start at multiple spots across the infield.

Lopez signed a one-year, $3.7 million contract with the Royals on Friday to avoid arbitration, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

A case could have been made for Lopez to be a non-tender candidate after he had one of the worst seasons at the plate as a regular in recent memory with a .227/.281/.273 batting line in 2022. However, he's still excellent defensively and the Royals will hope he can regain his form from 2021 when he slashed .300/.365/.378. Lopez is slated to compete with Michael Massey for playing time at second base and offers depth at third behind the perpetually injured Adalberto Mondesi (knee).

Ibanez cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Toledo on Friday.

Ibanez was claimed off waivers by Detroit in November but won't stick on the 40-man roster through the offseason. The 29-year-old appeared in 40 games for the Rangers last season and had a .218/.273/.277 slash line.

Drury agreed to a two-year, $17 million contract with the Angels on Tuesday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

The 30-year-old split the 2022 campaign between Cincinnati and San Diego, and he earned the inaugural Silver Slugger for a utility player with a .263/.320/.492 slash line, 28 home runs and 87 RBI in 138 games. Luis Rengifo enjoyed a mini breakout with a .723 OPS in 2022, but Drury could now be the favorite to start at second base. Drury should see action at both infield corners, especially given third baseman Anthony Rendon playing fewer than 60 games in each of the past two seasons.

The Orioles signed Frazier to a one-year, $8 million contract Thursday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Frazier's poor contract year with the Mariners, in which he posted a career-worst .612 OPS in 156 games, results in a modest free-agent deal. The 31-year-old figures to get regular playing time in Baltimore and plenty of opportunities to return to his 2021 form. In that season he slashed .305/.368/.411 with the Pirates and Padres. Frazier also provides a bit of value on the bases, as he's stolen 21 bases over the last two seasons.

Hernandez was designated for assignment by the Athletics, the team announced Tuesday.

Hernandez was claimed off waivers by the A's last month. The 24-year-old sports just a .521 OPS over 55 major league games.

Clement was designated for assignment by the Athletics, the team announced Tuesday.

The club needed to clear spots on the 40-man roster for Aledmys Diaz and Jace Peterson. Clement was a waiver claim by the A's in September and will now go through that process again.

The Astros claimed Bannon off waivers from the Cubs on Friday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Two weeks after being claimed by the Cubs from Atlanta, Bannon will now be on the move to Houston. Bannon did well during his time in Triple-A last season, though it's hard to imagine him getting consistent playing time in the Astros' star-studded infield. If anything, he'll compete with Mauricio Dubon and David Hensley for reps as a backup infielder.

White Sox assistant general manager Chris Getz said that Rodriguez (hand) is on track to be ready for spring training, James Fegan of The Athletic reports. "There certainly wasn't a hotter hitter in our system than Jose Rodriguez right before breaking his hamate bone [in an Aug. 20 game]," Getz said. "He's doing normal baseball activities right now, and he'll do that for a little bit longer. But he undoubtedly will be ready to go in spring training and show us what he's capable of doing."

Rodriguez was one of the more notable prospects that the White Sox added to their 40-man roster earlier this month. Before he was shut down for the season in late August after fracturing the hamate bone of his left hand on a home-run swing, Rodriguez produced a .280/.340/.430 slash line across 483 plate appearances at Double-A Birmingham. Though the second baseman looks like he'll get the opportunity to join big-league camp and theoretically compete for a spot on the White Sox's Opening Day roster, Rodriguez is more realistically headed for Triple-A Birmingham to begin the 2023 campaign.

Capra re-signed Sunday with the Blue Jays on a minor-league contract, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

Non-tendered by Toronto just a few days ago, Capra will rejoin the Blue Jays, albeit no longer as a member of the 40-man roster. His minor-league deal presumably includes an invitation to big-league spring training, where he'll be vying for a reserve spot in an outfield that no longer includes Teoscar Hernandez, Raimel Tapia or Bradley Zimmer. Capra appeared in eight games for the big club in 2022 but otherwise spent the majority of the campaign at Triple-A Buffalo, where he produced a .789 OPS over 225 plate appearances.