MLB Player News

Nationals infielder Danny Espinosa is headed to spring training with a renewed outlook after general manager Mike Rizzo and manager Matt Williams told him during the offseason he will have the chance to compete for the starting job at second base, according to MLB.com.

"Matt and Mike Rizzo both called me in the offseason and told me I’m going to get a fair opportunity to win my job back, and that’s all I can ask for," Espinosa said. "I’ve never asked for anything to be handed to me. But if I get a fair opportunity to win my job back, I feel like I can do it."

Espinosa attributes his poor performance in 2013, which resulted in him eventually losing the starting second-base job to Anthony Rendon, to a small fracture in his right wrist he sustained early in the season, which was originally diagnosed as a bone bruise.

"There was times I couldn’t pick my bat up with one hand," Espinosa said. "So my wrist was just in a bad place, and I shouldn’t have been playing on it, but I made the choice to try to play on it."

Espinosa is encouraged heading into 2014. He's been working with a personal trainer in the offseason and is back to lifting weights after a rotator cuff injury prevented him from doing so last season.

"I’m probably stronger at this point in my career than I’ve ever been in my life," he said. "My trainer has done an unbelievable job, he’s put me in a really good place. I feel physically I’m at the top of where I could ever be, almost. He’s done everything for me to get back to where I was and get beyond that, strength-wise. So I feel great."

White Sox second baseman Gordon Beckham believes he can have a productive season at the plate in 2014, if he is able to avoid the injury issues that plagued him in 2013, according to MLB.com.

"I feel good and my body feels healed from the injuries I had," Beckham said. "I felt like I was just limping around the last month and a half. It was tough.

"But it was a tough year for everybody. Not just me, but the way the team went, how many games we lost. It was very trying on us and our patience, but it will be good motivation for this year to make sure we remember. We don't always want to harp on it, but we always want to remember what it felt like so we're not in that position this year."

The Rays and Padres announced a seven-player trade Wednesday. The Padres acquired pitcher Alex Torres and pitcher Jesse Hahn from the Rays in exchange for infielder Logan Forsythe, pitcher Brad Boxberger, pitcher Matt Andriese, pitcher Matt Lollis and infielder Maxx Tissenbaum.

Forsythe appeared in 228 games over the last three seasons for San Diego, batting .241 with a .310 on-base percentage, .349 slugging percentage and .659 OPS. He has seen playing time at second base, third base, shortstop, left field and right field.

Boxberger is 0-1 with a 2.72 ERA and 1.45 WHIP in 42 MLB relief appearances. He is striking out 10.3 batters per nine innings.

Andriese, who pitched at Double-A and Triple-A in 2013, owns a career 26-16 record, 3.18 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 66 minor-league appearances (59 starts). He is striking out 7.8 batters per nine innings.

Lollis has spent five seasons in the minors, going 15-33 with a 4.79 ERA and 1.49 WHIP in 149 appearances (48 starts). Lollis was used exclusively as a reliever for the first time in his career in 2013.

Tissenbaum has hit .282 with a .375 on-base percentage, .363 slugging percentage and .739 OPS through 159 minor-league games. The 2012 11th-round pick has played all four infield positions in the minors.

The Rays have acquired infielder Logan Forsythe from the Padres in a four-player trade, MLBDailyDish.com reports. Rays pitcher Alex Torres is likely headed to San Diego, with each team expected to receive an additional prospect.

Forsythe turned 27 in January and won't be eligible for arbitration until after the 2014 season. He hit .214/.281/.332 with six home runs, 19 RBI and six stolen bases in 220 at-bats last season.

Torres turned 26 in December and won't be eligible for arbitration until after the 2016 season. He saw his first extended big-league action last season, going 4-2 with a 1.71 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 62:20 K:BB ratio in 58 innings.

The trade is expected to be announced Friday but has not been finalized as of yet.

Multiple teams have contacted the Padres with interest in infielder Logan Forsythe, MLBDailyDish.com reports.

The Yankees have previously been tied to Forsythe, but apparently they aren't the only team to call the Padres with interest in the infielder. He hit .214/.281/.332 with six home runs, 19 RBI and six stolen bases in 220 at-bats last season.

The White Sox have avoided arbitration with Gordon Beckham and Alejandro De Aza.

Gordon and De Aza were the only two players on the club due arbitration. The team does not have to worry about signing any more players.

The Astros announced Tuesday that outfielder Adron Chambers and infielder Gregorio Petit have been signed to minor-league deals with invitations to spring training.

Chambers went 4 for 26 with the Cardinals last season while also hitting .252/.338/.387 with eight home runs, 43 RBI and 16 stolen bases in 333 at-bats with Triple-A Memphis. Petit hit .292/.344/.380 with four home runs, 61 RBI and five stolen bases in 503 at-bats with Triple-A Tuscon.

The Yankees have inquired with the Padres about acquiring infield depth, with Padres infielder Logan Forsythe being the most realistic target, FOX Sports 1 reports.

The Yankees don't have enough talent at the minor-league level to make a run at third baseman Chase Headley, but Forsythe could work as part of a platoon at third base, though he has spent a majority of his major-league time at second base, which is another area of concern for the Yankees.

Forsythe hit .214/.281/.332 with six home runs, 19 RBI and six stolen bases in 220 at-bats with the Padres last season. He has hit .290/.363/.430 in 221 major-league at-bats against left-handed pitching over three seasons.

The Nationals may elect to hold second baseman Danny Espinosa, according to FoxSports.com.

Espinosa struggled last season, hitting .158/.193/.272 in 158 at-bats before being demoted. Washington is hoping to use Espinosa as a utility player despite interest from a couple teams, including the Yankees. The Nationals dealt utility man Steve Lombardozzi earlier in the offseason.

The Nationals are shopping infielder Danny Espinosa at the winter meetings, according to a report by Yahoo.com. Espinosa flamed out of the majors last season, hitting just .158/.193/.272 while also dealing with shoulder and wrist injuries.

If Espinosa is not moved, he could step into a utility role in 2014. He has logged 39 apperances at shortstop in his career, while playing the majority of his games at second base.