MLB Player News
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Sam Haggerty LF | TEX
Mariners' Sam Haggerty: Solid spring at plate
Haggerty hit .290 (9-for-31) with two doubles, a triple, a home run and four RBI across 34 Cactus League plate appearances.
The valued utility player put together a line representative of his ability to contribute in a wide variety of offensive categories. Haggerty generated a solid .256 average and .738 OPS across 83 games last season, and the 28-year-old also contributed a career-high 13 stolen bases in the process. Haggerty's ability to fill in at every position except catcher and first base will be especially valued while the similarly versatile Dylan Moore (oblique) is on the injured list, which projects to be until mid-April.
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Romy Gonzalez 2B | BOS
White Sox's Romy Gonzalez: Might start opener in right field
Gonzalez could start in right field for the White Sox in Thursday's opener versus the Astros, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Oscar Colas is in line for the bulk of the playing time in right field, but with the Astros starting southpaw Framber Valdez, the left-handed hitting Colas might start on the bench in favor of Gonzalez, with Eloy Jimenez handling the designated hitter spot. Gonzalez clubbed five homers this spring, and while it's a small sample, he sports an .874 OPS versus lefties in the big leagues.
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Vinny Capra 3B | BOS
Blue Jays' Vinny Capra: Misses out on Opening Day roster
The Blue Jays reassigned Capra to minor-league camp Tuesday, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Capra is expected to begin the season at Triple-A Buffalo after missing out on his bid for a bench role on the Blue Jays' Opening Day roster. With Toronto also optioning Otto Lopez to Buffalo on Tuesday, outfielder Nathan Lukes appears to have clinched the final reserve spot on the big club's season-opening squad.
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Rylan Bannon 2B | NYM
Astros' Rylan Bannon: Sent to Triple-A
The Astros optioned Bannon to Triple-A Sugar Land on Tuesday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
Bannon was battling for a spot on the Astros bench in spring training, but the 26-year-old will begin the season with Sugar Land instead. He has a shot to be up with Houston this summer as a bench option, but he's unlikely to be a regular with the club in 2023 or beyond.
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Ji-Hwan Bae 2B | NYM
Pirates' Ji Hwan Bae: To be on Opening Day roster
Bae has made the Pirates' Opening Day roster, Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review reports.
Bae is set for super-utility duties as a player who can back up second base, shortstop and center field. He has good speed but will need regular playing time to make it count, and that is difficult to project at the moment.
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Andres Gimenez SS | TOR
Guardians' Andres Gimenez: Completes $106.5 million extension
Gimenez and the Guardians agreed Tuesday on a seven-year, $106.5 million contract extension that includes a $23 million club option for 2030, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.
The buyout on the option is $2.5 million, so Gimenez is guaranteed at least $109 million and could get as much as $128 million if the option is picked up and he hits all incentives. The long-term deal starts in 2023 and covers Gimenez's last pre-arbitration year, all three arbitration years as well as three and potentially four free agent years. The 24-year-old made his first All-Star team and won a Gold Glove in 2022 with Cleveland, collecting a .297/.371/.466 batting line with 17 home runs and 20 stolen bases along the way. The Guardians are also discussing a contract extension with Amed Rosario, among others, so they could lock up their middle infield for a while.
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Andres Gimenez SS | TOR
Guardians' Andres Gimenez: Finalizing long-term extension
Gimenez and the Guardians are finalizing a long-term contract extension, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
The particulars of the deal aren't known at this time. Gimenez is coming off a season which saw him bat .297/.371/.466 with 17 home runs and 20 stolen bases, winning a Gold Glove and posting a 7.4 bWAR in the process. The 24-year-old is currently not yet arbitration eligible and is under team control through 2026.
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Nico Hoerner 2B | CHC
Cubs' Nico Hoerner: Inks three-year extension
Hoerner agreed to a three-year, $35 million contract extension with the Cubs on Monday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
The Cubs clearly liked what they saw out of Hoerner in 2022 after he slashed .281/.327/.410 with 10 homers, 55 RBI, 20 stolen bases and 60 runs scored in his first full season of big-league action (135 games). The club now has the middle of the infield locked up for the next few years, as Chicago signed Dansby Swanson to a seven-year deal in December, and the team now has Hoerner under contract until his age-29 season.
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Jose Altuve 2B | HOU
Astros' Jose Altuve: Could be placed on 60-day IL
Astros general manager Dana Brown told reporters Monday that Altuve (thumb) could be placed on the 60-day injured list, Michael Connor of 790 Sports Houston reports.
Brown told reporters that they will decide if Altuve will head to the 60-day IL on Tuesday. The infielder is going to miss at least two months after undergoing surgery on his fractured right thumb, and a placement on the 60-day list would open up a 40-man roster spot for Houston. It would also mean that he can't come back until June, but that seems like Altuve's most likely ETA to rejoin the Houston lineup.