MLB Player News

Sweeney signed a contract Wednesday with the Kansas City Monarchs of the independent American Association.

Sweeney will stick around with the Monarchs for a second straight season after he slashed .262/.354/.484 with 19 home runs and 22 stolen bases across 444 plate appearances in 2021. The 31-year-old switch-hitting utility man previously appeared in 39 games in the majors with the Phillies and Blue Jays, but he's been out of affiliated ball since 2019. He'll likely first need to earn a minor-league contract and prove his worth at the Triple-A level before getting another look in the majors.

The Phillies announced Tuesday that Elmore has joined the organization as a hitting coach for Double-A Clearwater, MLB.com reports.

Elmore spent the 2021 campaign at Triple-A Lehigh Valley and hit .225/.392/.275 in 51 plate appearances, and he'll remain in the Phillies organization to begin his coaching career. He appeared in 217 big-league games across six seasons for his career and finished with four home runs, 37 runs scored and 37 RBI.

Lux could be in line for more playing time next season after commissioner Rob Manfred announced Thursday that the owners had agreed to a universal designated hitter, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

Exactly who benefits most from the rule change on each National League team won't become fully clear until the lockout ends and the remaining free agents are signed, but Lux appears to be an obvious candidate for more at-bats. While he's a competent defender who's unlikely to spend much time at the spot himself, he's also the next man up at several positions around the diamond. Unless the Dodgers bring in a dedicated designated hitter once free agency resumes, their roster appears set up to rotate several veterans like Justin Turner, AJ Pollock and Max Muncy (elbow) through the position, with Lux covering for the resting player as needed or perhaps starting the majority of games at second base, freeing up Chris Taylor to bounce around the diamond.

Beckham announced Wednesday via his personal Twitter account that he has retired from professional baseball.

Beckham hasn't seen major-league action since the 2019 campaign and will now officially hang up his cleats. He spent most of his MLB career with the White Sox but also played for the Mariners, Angels, Giants, Tigers and Atlanta. Beckham hit .237/.300/.367 with 80 home runs, 187 doubles, 420 runs and 351 RBI in 1,069 games.

Rodriguez signed a contract with the Wei Chuan Dragons of the Chinese Professional Baseball League on Wednesday.

Rodriguez spent the 2021 campaign in Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan, and he'll remain overseas after hitting .197/.216/.426 for the Nippon Ham Fighters. He last saw big-league action with Detroit in 2019 and posted a .690 OPS in 84 games.

Kemp agreed to a one-year, $2.25 million deal with the A's on Monday, avoiding arbitration, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

Kemp had by far the best year of his career in 2021, hitting .279/.382/.418 with eight home runs and eight steals in 131 games. He was worth 2.7 fWAR and split time between second base and left field. Kemp should once again play quite a bit, especially against right-handed pitching, in 2022.

Semien is signing a seven-year, $175 million contract with the Rangers, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

In Semien's one year with Toronto, the 31-year-old hit 45 home runs with 102 RBI and 15 stolen bases. Over the past three seasons, including his poor 2020 campaign, Semien has averaged 37 home runs and 93 RBI per 162 games while slashing .268/.346/.509. The 2021 Gold Glove winner is a good defender at second base and shortstop and joins a team lacking a strong option at either position.

Frazier was sent from San Diego to Seattle on Saturday in exchange for Ray Kerr and Corey Rosier, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Frazier started the season strong with the Pirates but was far more mediocre down the stretch following a trade to the Padres, though he still finished with a .305/.368/.411 slash line, good for a 114 wRC+. He makes a ton of contact, as his 10.8 percent strikeout rate was good for fourth among qualified hitters, but that contact is among the weakest in the league, with his 1.0 percent barrel rate ranking third-worst among that same group. Don't expect him to improve significantly on his meager five homers, but another average close to .300 is certainly possible and should come with plenty of runs if he settles into a role atop Seattle's lineup.

Wong was released by the Angels on Wednesday.

Wong lost his spot on the Angels' 40-man roster Monday, and he'll now be free to seek out other opportunities as a free agent. The 26-year-old appeared in 39 major-league games across the last two seasons and hit .167 with six runs and five RBI.

The Angels designated Wong for assignment Monday.

Wong will cede his spot on the 40-man roster to another utility type in Tyler Wade, whom the Angels acquired from the Yankees on Monday. Over his 66 plate appearances with the Angels in 2021, Wong slashed .167/.194/.233 with zero home runs, six RBI and three runs.