MLB Player News

Infielder Pedro Alvarez won his arbitration hearing against the Pirates, according to CBSSports.com Baseball Insider Jon Heyman.

Alvarez will receive $5.75 million in 2015 instead of $5.25 million, which is the amount the Pirates submitted. 

Alvarez hit .231 with 18 home runs in 122 games last season. After committing 25 errors at third base in 99 of those games, the Pirates have considered moving Alvarez to first base.

Pirates infielder Pedro Alvarez will start camp in the mix at first base after struggling defensively at third base last season, committing 25 errors in 99 games. He'll just need to be adequate defensively at first base due to his offensive strength, the Associated Press reports.

"He's not the first player and he's not the last player that will go through a struggle," Pirates genearl manager Neal Huntington said. "He's not going to be the first and the last to come out of that struggle. We need to get him back to hitting balls in the seats."

Alvarez hit 36 home runs in 2013 while making his first appearance in the All-Star Game. His bat cooled off amid his defensive issues last season, and he hit just .231/.312/.405 with 18 home runs and 56 RBI in 398 at-bats. It's possible he platoons with Corey Hart at first base this season, though manager Clint Hurdle indicated in December that the plan was to use Alvarez every day at first base.

While Cubs fans might be expecting or hoping for top prospect Kris Bryant to win the starting job at third base this spring, Mike Olt still expects to be in the mix as well, per MLB.com.

"I'm just making sure I'm ready and making the adjustments I need and that I learned from last year," Olt said. "I took a lot out of last year. It took me a while to kind of get over a lot of negative things, but when I started focusing on the positive things I did and the things I can improve on, which were slightly easy adjustments, I think it'll help me."

Olt was the Cubs' opening-day starter at third base in 2014, but he struggled offensively and was even demoted to the minors for a stretch last season.

"I just lost confidence, and that's the most important thing about baseball is confidence," Olt said. "If you can get positive things out of the negatives, and build on that, you can get back on track, and that's what I'm trying to do."

Olt said he will try not to swing so hard at the plate in an effort to make him a more consistent offensive player.

"It's tough to say but when you swing hard, everything starts to fly open, and if I can be quick to the ball, I'll let the natural power take over," he said. "It's tough to tell yourself but when you can calm yourself down, you get in a good position."

Rockies infielder DJ LeMahieu is expected to be the team's primary second baseman for a third straight year in 2015 after he took home his first Gold Glove award in 2014.

Barring any unforeseen issue, LeMahieu would be the first Rockies player to be the primary second baseman for three consecutive years since Clint Barmes (2008-10).

"That's huge for me -- I want to be that guy, and I want to be out there every single day," LeMahieu said, per MLB.com. "Plus our infield defense is the best in the league. It's fun to be a part of this team."

While LeMahieu is a strong defender, his offense is not quite at the same level. He has just a career .276/.314/.361/.676 slash line.

"I've spent a lot of time this offseason working on being the player that I am, getting better at that, than trying to be the player I'm not," LeMahieu said.

The Phillies have begun training third baseman Cody Asche on outfield drills, general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said Monday.

"He’s still our third baseman," Amaro Jr. said. "We view him as our opening day third baseman. But we have introduced him to some outfield. He’s doing some light drills out there, getting acclimated to outfield drills, rudimentary stuff."

Ache has been utilized and trained on a variety of positions while coming up through the minors, including left field, first base and second. 

Amaro thinks he has the ability and athleticism to pay a new position.

"It’s important to find out if he can do it," Amaro said. "It’s also important to create some versatility. At some point we may ask him to go out there. It might be later this year. It might not be. But it behooves us to take a peek."

Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer said Monday the trade of third baseman Luis Valbuena to Houston and third-base prospect Kris Bryant's roster situation are "totally independent" of each other.

Hoyer added Mike Olt, Tommy La Stella and Arismendy Alcantara could play at third base until Chicago feels Bryant is ready for the majors.

"We are not going to speed up that clock," Hoyer said, per ESPN.

Bryant, who was selected with the No. 2 pick in the 2013 MLB draft, has developed into one of the top prospects in baseball. He hit .325 with 43 home runs and 110 RBI in 138 games in the minors in 2014.

Pirates second baseman Neil Walker has filed for $9 million in arbitration, while first baseman Pedro Alvarez has filed for $5.75 million, MLB.com reports.

Nine Pirates were able to avoid arbitration, but the team has yet to settle on deals with Walker, Alvarez and Vance Worley. Walker was offered $8 million, while Alvarez was offered $5.25 million.

Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said the team has kept tabs on the progress of first baseman Pedro Alvarez, who missed the final month of the 2014 season with a stress reaction in his left foot. 

"He's making good physical progress," Huntington said, per the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "He's in a good spot and we feel we're going to see that guy who put up (66) home runs over the 2012 and 2013 seasons."

Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado by all means had a productive second season in the majors in 2014. Aside from winning his second Gold Glove award, Arenado also hit .287 with a .500 slugging percentage, .828 OPS, 18 home runs, 34 doubles and 61 RBI -- all career highs.

Still, Arenado isn't satisfied. The 23-year-old third baseman and rising star is looking to do more.

"I've got to get better, personally," Arenado said, per MLB.com. "I've got to be a better leader, a better player overall, fix my game, make sure I come in healthy and be strong.

"When people come in to play Colorado, I want my name to be popping in their heads."

The Giants and Marlins have agreed to a deal that has sent deposed starting third baseman Casey McGehee to San Francisco, per CBSSports.com Baseball Insider Jon Heyman.

Giants pitchers Matt Duffy and Hunter Strickland are reportedly among the possibilities to be sent to Miami.