MLB Player News

Bregman said Monday that he trimmed down from 215 pounds to 195 this offseason with a focus on increasing his mobility, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Perhaps in part due to the heftier build, Bregman saw his stolen bases fall for a second straight season, dropping from 10 in 2018 to only five in 2019. The strength of the Astros' lineup from top to bottom should again put a natural limit on Bregman's running opportunities, but even a modest bounce back in steals would help compensate for some expected regression in the power department after he clubbed a career-high 41 home runs last season. Though his role in the Astros' sign-stealing scandal has made Bregman a controversial figure this winter, his well-rounded profile still makes him a comfortable top-two-round selection in fantasy.

Paredes, who split last season between third base and shortstop, is focusing on third this spring, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

The 20-year-old is not known as a strong defender at shortstop, and his 5-foot-11, 225-pound frame likely plays better at third base moving forward. Paredes is expected to begin the year at Triple-A Toledo, and if he plays well there, he could debut with the Tigers at some point this season.

Devers will make a delayed arrival to spring training since his girlfriend recently gave birth to their daughter, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

It's not clear when exactly Devers is expected to join the team, but his absence shouldn't impact much for the upcoming season. The 23-year-old took a major step forward in 2019 with a .311/.361/.555 slash line, 32 home runs, 54 doubles, 115 RBI and eight stolen bases in 156 games.

Moncada said he's not a fan of batting leadoff and prefers to hit second in the order, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

As manager Rick Renteria considers lineup possibilities, particularly the leadoff spot, he'll consider a player's comfort level. Moncada, who profiles as a candidate anywhere in the top four of the order, had a monstrous 2019 while hitting mostly out of the second spot. More than batting-order position, it was a change in plate approach that made the most difference. Moncada attacked hittable pitches earlier in his at-bats, resulting in a significant rise in production and a dramatic decrease in strikeouts (from 217 to 154). It should also be noted that his .315/.367/.548 slash was fueled by an astronomical .406 BABIP, which led MLB, so fantasy owners may want to factor in some regression in batting average. Still, the 24-year-old third baseman cranked 25 home runs and vows to steal more than the 10 bases he had in 2019.

Urias was claimed off waivers by the Orioles on Tuesday.

The Orioles will be an easier roster to crack than the Cardinals would have been, but Urias' odds of breaking camp in the big leagues don't appear particularly high in Baltimore either. In 142 games at the Triple-A level, he's hit a modest .262/.347/.426.

Urshela will enter spring training as the presumed starting third baseman for the Yankees, Lindsey Adler of The Athletic reports.

General manager Brian Cashman confirmed the starting job at third base heading into 2020 is Urshela's to lose after the 28-year-old hit .314/.355/.534 with 21 home runs across 132 games for the Yankees in 2019.

Lewis was invited to the Twins' big-league camp Monday, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

The 2017 first-overall pick should eventually make a big impact at the highest level, though that's unlikely to come this season. The 20-year-old still has some things to prove in the minors, as he hit a mediocre .236/.290/.371 (94 wRC+) in 127 games at the High-A and Double-A levels. He looked far better in the Arizona Fall League, hitting .353/.411/.565 in 22 games.

Walls was invited to the Rays' major-league spring training Monday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Walls was promoted to Double-A Montgomery in 2019, posting a .270/.346/.479 slash line with six home runs and 15 stolen bases over 55 games at the Double-A level. In total, the 23-year-old had 10 home runs and 28 stolen bases between the High-A level and Double-A level last season. He'll now get the chance to work with the Rays' major-league coaching staff, but he'll likely still begin 2020 in the minors as he looks to boost his resume against tougher competition.

Duffy agreed Thursday with the Rangers on a minor-league contract that includes an invitation to big-league spring training, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports. The deal is worth $1 million if Duffy is added to the Rangers' MLB roster and contains up to $1.5 million in additional incentives.

Duffy has been just about a league-average hitter (.282/.338/.380 career slash line, 101 wRC+) over parts of five seasons in the majors, but extended absences due to injuries in each of the past three years have sent his career on a downward trajectory. The 28-year-old will at least enter spring training at full health, though that alone won't be enough to guarantee him a spot on the Rangers' Opening Day roster. Even if he fares well in Cactus League action, Duffy will likely need youngsters Nick Solak and Isiah Kiner-Falefa to struggle in order to claim a reserve infield job.

Madrigal will compete for the starting second base job in spring training but still needs development, Scott Merkin of the White Sox's official site reports.

"He's viable, but he's got a few more things to prove," said White Sox general manager Rick Hahn. "When we go through trying to be as objective as possible thinking about where he is developmentally, he hasn't necessarily answered all the questions we have for him at the minor leagues." Despite that assessment, Hahn said the team will evaluate all their second base candidates -- Madrigal, Leury Garcia and Danny Mendick -- and make a decision in late March. "I don't think we have him, by any means, written in pen as the Opening Day second baseman at this point. But could he change our minds? Yeah," added the GM. The 22-year-old Madrigal, Chicago's third-ranked prospect, hit well at three minor-league stops in 2019, including a 29-game stint at Triple-A Charlotte (.331/.398/.424). If he doesn't break camp with the White Sox, it's a good bet he'll eventually be called up to assume the starting job at second.