MLB Player News

Gimenez was sent from the Mets to the Indians on Thursday along with Amed Rosario, Isaiah Greene and Josh Wolf in exchange for Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

The move means Gimenez won't have to compete with the incoming Lindor for playing time at shortstop, a battle he would surely lose. Amed Rosario was also shipped to Cleveland in the deal, however, so the pair will continue the battle they began in New York in 2020. Gimenez outperformed Rosario last season, hitting a respectable .263/.333/.398 while stealing eight bases to Rosario's zero. They started together on several occasions last season, with Gimenez appearing at other infield spots, an arrangement which could continue with their new team.

Rosario was sent from the Mets to the Indians on Thursday along with Andres Gimenez, Isaiah Greene and Josh Wolf in exchange for Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco, Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com reports.

Rosario started to lose his grip on the Mets' shortstop job last season during a disappointing campaign in which he hit just .252/.272/.371 and failed to steal a single base. In theory, the move to Cleveland should help him get a fresh start, but the player who began to displace him, Andres Gimenez, was also included as part of the deal. It's possible one of the former Mets slides to second base, but there is still a bit of uncertainty with this situation. His ceiling may not be particularly high, as he's never produced an above-average batting line.

Kim reached a deal with the Padres on Monday, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports.

The 25-year-old was an all-around star in Korea, hitting .306/.397/.523 with 30 homers and 23 steals this past season, all while primarily playing shortstop. There's a Fernando-Tatis-shaped obstacle preventing him from playing that position for the Padres, however, with Manny Machado blocking third base, the other spot at which he's spent a fair amount of time. San Diego presumably wouldn't have outbid the rest of the league for his services without the intention of having him in the lineup on a regular basis somewhere, though, so it's likely he factors into the picture at second base or possibly even in the outfield. While Kim's all-around dominance in Korea probably translates more to all-around competency at the MLB level, he's still quite likely to be a useful option for the Padres and fantasy players whenever he's on the field.

Wall re-signed with the Blue Jays on a minor-league deal Tuesday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

The contract includes an invitation to big-league camp. Wall has been a part of the Blue Jays' organization since coming over from the Rockies in the Seung Hwan Oh trade in 2018. He spent 2020 as part of the team's player pool but was never added to the 40-man roster.

Kim was formally posted by the Korea Baseball Organization's Kiwoom Heroes on Monday, making him eligible to begin negotiating with MLB teams on a contract, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports.

Teams will have until Jan. 1 to agree to terms on a deal with Kim, a 25-year-old shortstop who was one of the KBO's standout performers in 2020 (.306/.397/.523 slash line, 30 home runs and 23 steals across 622 plate appearances). The power/speed combination he provides from a middle-infield spot should make him an alluring target to a number of clubs, so expect the bidding for his services to be competitive over the next three weeks. The Heroes would retain Kim's rights if he's unsatisfied with the offers he receives from MLB teams before the negotiating window closes.

Kemp signed a one-year, $1.05 million contract with the Athletics on Tuesday to avoid arbitration, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The 29-year-old was acquired by Oakland during last offseason and had a .247/.363/.301 slash line with five doubles and three stolen bases in 49 games (114 plate appearances) during the shortened season. Kemp unsurprisingly saw most of his time at second base, though he also played some left field and served as the designated hitter. Barring any outside additions, he could enter spring training as the favorite to start at second base on the strong side of a platoon.

Andrus will be a utility infielder in 2021, Levi Weaver of The Athletic reports.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa will be the starting shortstop, moving Andrus to a bench role. The 32-year-old had been the Rangers' everyday shortstop for over a decade, so this is a big changing of the guard. He ended the 2020 season on the shelf with a back strain, finishing with a .194/.252/.330 slash line with three home runs and three steals in 29 games.

Kim has not yet been posted, as MLB is seeking additional medical information from the Kiwoom Heroes of the KBO, Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News reports.

The 30-day negotiating period for teams to try to sign Kim has not officially begun. It is unclear when that will happen, but the assumption is that he will still sign with a big-league club this offseason. Kim, 25, is a shortstop with power and speed who has performed as one of the best players in the KBO for the past several years. He hit .306/.397/.523 with 30 home runs and 23 steals (on 25 attempts) in 622 plate appearances for Kiwoom this past season.

Dominican Winter League club Leones del Escogido announced Monday that Rengifo (hamstring) will be included on the team's roster.

Rengifo finished the 2020 campaign on the 10-day injured list after suffering a right hamstring strain in late September, but the fact that he's on a winter ball roster implies that he's back to full strength. Unless the Angels bring in a replacement for free agent Andrelton Simmons this offseason, Rengifo and David Fletcher tentatively slot in as Los Angeles' projected regulars in the middle infield in 2021.

Clement was added to Cleveland's 40-man roster Friday.

Clement advanced to Triple-A Columbus in 2019, and he spent the 2020 season at the alternate training site as part of the 60-man roster. He'll now be protected from the Rule 5 draft and could contend for a major-league roster spot in 2021.