MLB Player News

Joseph signed a minor league contract with the Nationals on Sunday, Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post reports.

Joseph, who was formerly a member of the Orioles organization, put together a great year at Triple-A Norfolk in 2016. Over 85 games he posted a .305 batting average to go along with a .797 OPS. However, with Daniel Murphy leading the charge at second base for Washington, Joseph is likely to spend the bulk of his time at Triple-A Syracuse.

Motter was traded to Seattle on Friday night in a five-player deal, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

Motter doesn't bring much talent to Seattle as a hitter, but his defensive versatility could certainly find him a place in the majors if his bat can reach replacement level. The 27-year-old played every position except catcher and center field for the Rays in 2016, and yes, that includes one appearance as a pitcher.

Alvarez was added to the Cardinals' 40-man roster Friday.

Alvarez hasn't advanced past the Low-A level but with five professional seasons now under his belt, he had to be added to the 40-man or else exposed to the Rule 5 draft. The 22-year-old hit .323/.404/.476 from the left side with Peoria in 2016, adding 36 steals in 51 attempts.

Barreto was added to the A's 40-man roster Friday.

Barreto was one of five young players added to the 40-man ahead of next month's Rule 5 draft. The top prospect in the A's organization, Barreto finished with a .284/.342/.422 line, 11 homers and 30 steals between Double-A and Triple-A last year after a slow start. He doesn't turn 21 until late February.

Rosario was added to the Mets' 40-man roster on Friday, ESPN's Adam Rubin reports.

In one of the least shocking moves of the day, the Mets will protect their top prospect from the Rule 5 draft. After a breakout 2016 campaign, Rosario established himself as one of the best shortstop prospects in the game. With Asdrubal Cabrera under contract for one more year and Neil Walker accepting the team's qualifying offer this fall, the middle infield spots are spoken for this season. Barring an injury or underperformance on the part of Cabrera, Rosario should spend most of 2017 at Triple-A.

Sweeney was traded to the Dodgers on Friday along with Darin Ruf in exchange for Howie Kendrick.

The 25-year-old will return to the Dodgers, with whom he spent most of his first four professional seasons after being drafted in the 13th round in 2012. Sweeney mostly struggled at the Triple-A level in 2016, batting .233/.299/.345 with a strikeout rate north of 22 percent. However, he can take a walk, has some power and speed and can play the middle infield positions as well as center field.

General manager Mike Hazen suggested Drury is very much in the team's plans for 2017 but he may not have a set defensive position to begin the year, the Arizona Republic reports. "I think more than anything else when you have a hitter of that caliber you want to find him at-bats," Hazen said. "It's a similar situation to what we had with Brock Holt in Boston. You find a way to get him on the field. That's of the most critical importance, getting him in the lineup. The defensive position becomes secondary."

Drury saw time at first base, second base, third, left field and right field in 2016, and it sounds like he could fill a similar super-utility role to begin 2017. After a strong first two months of the season, Drury struggled in June and July but bounced back and finished with a very strong .282/.329/.458 batting line and 16 homers in 461 total at-bats. Hazen said improving his outfield defense will be a priority for the 24-year-old Drury this winter.

Andrus underwent surgery for a sports hernia Tuesday, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

The timeframe for Andrus' recovery is expected to be approximately six weeks, so there's no reason to believe that he won't be ready once spring training rolls around. This comes as fantastic news due to the fact that Andrus had a standout 2016 season that culminated in a .302/.362/.439 line to go with a career-high 69 RBI.

Elmore was outrighted to Triple-A Colorado Springs on Friday.

The Brewers' 40-man roster now stands at 37 after several players were bumped Friday, including Elmore. He got on base at a strong .371 clip in 59 games with Milwaukee in 2016 and is a versatile defender, but Elmore turns 30 next year and seems destined to play out his career as organizational depth.

Dubon is making his outfield debut in the Arizona Fall League, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

All of Dubon's 123 minor-league games this past year were at shortstop, but the Red Sox, understanding the infield logjam with Xander Bogaerts at that position in Boston, are looking for Dubon to learn a new position. He's considered one of Boston's top prospects after hitting a combined .323/.379/.461/.840 in stops at High-A Salem and Double-A Portland.