MLB Player News

Chavis went 2-for-3 with a three-run, opposite-field home run in Saturday's game against the Yankees.

Chavis started at third base Saturday after playing three innings at second base Friday against Northeastern University. It's been a slow journey for Chavis, a first-round draft pick in 2014, but his bat really picked up the last two seasons. That's put him atop Boston's list of prospects entering 2019. "Since Day 1 (this spring) you can see the mechanics, and he has a pretty good idea what he wants to do at the plate," Alex Cora told Tom Keegan of the Boston Herald. "Very smart, too. Takes notes and all that stuff. He understands what he wants to do. That's a pretty good sign right there." The Red Sox are having him play multiple infield positions, which will improve the 23-year-old's chances of reaching the majors in 2019. He's expected to start the year at Triple-A Pawtucket, while guys like Brock Holt and Eduardo Nunez are in line to be the utility infielders at the major-league level.

Altuve will make his spring training debut Monday against the Mets, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Altuve, who is coming back from offseason knee surgery, has not been limited since reporting to camp earlier this month. The plan calls for him to be the designated hitter Monday, per manager A.J. Hinch, who gradually will introduce his core regulars to game action during spring training.

Chavis played three innings at second base in Friday's exhibition against Northeastern University, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Chavis has made the infield circuit since being drafted in the first round of the 2014 draft. He initially played shortstop, then moved to third base before playing first base during winter ball this offseason. His three innings at second base Friday represented his first exposure to the position as a professional and it showed, as he failed to cover second base on a stolen base and made a throwing error. He also turned a 4-6-3 double play, an encouraging sign in this experiment. "It's good for him to go out there and get a few innings," manager Alex Cora said. "No pressure, no expectations. Just to get his feet wet." Chavis will play all over the infield during the spring, including a start at third base Saturday when Boston kicks off its spring training schedule against the Yankees.

Barreto's visa issues are settled and he is in camp Saturday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Barreto was expected to be delayed for a few more days by the same visa issues which have affected many other Venezuelan players, but the problem evidently got sorted out fairly quickly. He's ready to go for the team's first full-squad workout and shouldn't be meaningfully set back in his preseason preparation.

Polanco agreed to a five-year, $25.75 million extension with the Twins on Thursday that includes two option years, Jim Bowden of The Athletic reports.

The 25-year-old had a decent season after he served an 80-game suspension, slashing .288/.345/.427 with six homers and seven stolen bases. With youth on his side and good production at the plate, the Twins decided to lock Polanco up for all of his arbitration years and potentially his first three years of free agency. As if it wasn't clear before the extension, Polanco is being considered the Twins' shortstop of the future and will look to expand upon the production from his first full seasons in the majors.

General manager Ross Atkins said Drury will likely begin the season as the starter at third base, Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com reports.

All things considered, this isn't too surprising. The Blue Jays are fully expected to keep top prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the minors until they can get another year of control over him, meaning they need someone to man third base in the interim. Drury will assume those duties for the first few weeks of the season and then presumably move into a reserve infield role for the rest of the season. Drury put up respectable numbers in two seasons with the Diamondbacks in 2016 and 2017 (.275/.323/.453), but his playing time was limited in 2018 while with the Yankees and Blue Jays.

Chavis reported to spring training at 208 pounds, down 14 pounds from his listed weight in 2018, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports. "I feel faster. I feel more mobile," Chavis said Monday.

Chavis missed about half of the 2018 campaign while serving an 80-game suspension for testing positive for performance-enhancing substances, finishing with only 194 plate appearances between three minor-league stops. Despite the lost season, Chavis still enters 2019 as Boston's top prospect, though that might be more of an indictment of the organization's lack of high-end minor-league talent than anything else. The fact that the 23-year-old has spent the offseason reshaping his body speaks well to his dedication, but he'll still need to show some pop to go along with some improved bat-to-ball skills at Triple-A Pawtucket before getting an extended look at the big-league level.

Barreto will not report for spring training on time due to visa issues caused by the political unrest in Venezuela, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Barreto, a Venezuela native, is a victim of major visa delays as his home country works through a volatile political climate. Despite this development, the Athletics are still hopeful that the 22-year-old will be back with the team by Feb. 17. More information will likely become available once he's able to get stateside, but as things stand now, this doesn't seem like it will be a long-term issue.

Kemp enters the season with no minor-league options, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Kemp. who started each of the last three seasons in the minors, will be competing in a crowded outfield during spring training. In addition to Kemp, Jake Marisnick, Derek Fisher, Myles Straw and top position prospect Kyle Tucker are in the mix for two backup outfield spots. If the Astros attempt to designate Kemp for assignment in spring training, he'll most certainly be claimed by another team. He was valuable in 2018, having played all three outfield spots while seeing time at second base in 97 games. With super-utility player Marwin Gonzalez no longer around, Kemp's defensive versatility may give him an advantage in making a push for the initial 25-man roster.

The Athletics announced last week that they signed Joseph to a minor-league contract that includes an invitation to spring training, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Joseph saw his first MLB action since 2013 last season with the Orioles, appearing in 14 games and going 4-for-18 at the dish. The 30-year-old will compete for a bench gig with Oakland in spring training but will almost certainly open the campaign with Double-A Midland or Triple-A Las Vegas.