MLB Player News

Merrifield will likely take over as the Royals' primary center fielder in 2020, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

The Royals signed Maikel Franco on Thursday, so Hunter Dozier is likely to transition to a role in right field with Merrifield taking over the duties in center field. The 30-year-old's defensive versatility will also likely allow him to shift to different positions during the season if injuries should occur.

The Red Sox selected Arauz with the 10th pick of the Rule 5 draft.

Of all the prospects taken in the Rule 5 draft, Arauz has been on the prospect radar the longest. A 21-year-old infielder who saw time at shortstop, second base and third base last year in the Astros' organization, Arauz held his own in a repeat trip to High-A (107 wRC+), but he was less successful after getting the bump to Double-A (.241/.311/.389, 97 wRC+). His defensive versatility likely appealed to the Red Sox, but he will have to impress in spring training or he will probably be offered back to Houston.

Edwards was traded from the Padres to the Rays on Thursday along with Hunter Renfroe in exchange for Tommy Pham, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports. Prospect Jake Cronenworth was later reported to be included with Pham in the move to the Padres.

Edwards finished the 2019 season with High-A Lake Elsinore, slashing .301/.349/.367 with 13 RBI and 14 stolen bases over 46 contests. Though he's not a threat to leave the yard, his speed and ability to hit for average earned him the No. 5 spot in the Padres' farm system, according to MLB Pipeline. It wouldn't be a surprise to see Edwards begin the year at Double-A Montgomery.

Herrera signed a minor-league contract with the Orioles on Thursday, Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports reports.

Herrera spent 2019 with Triple-A Syracuse, but he opted out of his deal in September after recording a .831 OPS with 24 home runs over 117 games. The 25-year-old has appeared in the majors in three seasons, but he has failed to make much of an impact during his opportunities. If he has success in the Orioles' minor-league system, it wouldn't be surprising to see Herrera spend some time with the major-league club in 2020.

Polanco underwent surgery Nov. 22 to address a right ankle impingement and is expected to resume baseball activities in six weeks, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

The recovery timeline should allow Polanco to return to full health by the time spring training arrives. According to Brandon Warne of ZoneCoverage.com, Polanco will be confined to a walking boot for the next couple weeks before resuming strengthening work for the ankle, which had been a chronic concern for the 26-year-old. The ankle issue never forced Polanco to miss any action in 2019, as he suited up for a career-high 153 games and slashed an impressive .2925/.356/.485 en route to earning his first All-Star nod.

Brujan was added to the Rays' 40-man roster Wednesday.

This was a no-brainer for the Rays, as Brujan is one of their top prospects and this was the deadline to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. The 21-year-old switch hitter will either be assigned to Double-A or Triple-A, and may not reach the majors until 2021.

Jones was added to the Angels' 40-man roster Wednesday.

His stock is down compared to where it was a couple years ago, but Jones is close enough to the majors that the Angels opted to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. Jones, a second baseman who can also play the outfield, hit .234/.308/.324 with five home runs and nine steals in 544 plate appearances during a repeat of Double-A.

Espinal was added to the Blue Jays' 40-man roster Wednesday, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

The move prevents Espinal from being selected in the upcoming Rule 5 draft. The 25-year-old hit .287/.347/.393 across the two highest levels of the minors last season.

Andrus is not expected to opt out of the final three years and $43 million remaining on his contract with the Rangers, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

The 31-year-old was productive last season with the Rangers, recording a .706 OPS with 72 RBI and 31 stolen bases, though he was inconsistent at times and seemed to draw the ire of the coaching staff on occasion, to the point where he may have to earn his starting role in spring. Although he doesn't have elite power numbers, Andrus should still carry fantasy value in 2020 thanks to his speed and ability to produce runs.

Altuve went 3-for-5 with a double Wednesday in a 12-3 loss to Washington in Game 2 of the World Series.

That's six multi-hit games in these playoffs for Altuve, who has hit safely in 12 of his 13 postseason games so far. The 29-year-old second baseman is hitting .358 with four doubles and five home runs while sporting a robust 1.131 OPS. He and left fielder Michael Brantley (2-for-4) were the only Astros hitters with more than one hit in Wednesday's game.