MLB Player News

McMahon could continue to serve as the Rockies' primary third baseman in 2022, even after the team signed Kris Bryant to a seven-year, $182 million contract Wednesday, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post reports.

McMahon has had steady playing time across the last several seasons, and he performed well in 2021 while mainly playing at third base after the team traded Nolan Arenado to the Cardinals. McMahon appeared in 151 games last year and slashed .254/.331/.449 with 23 home runs, 86 RBI, 80 runs and six stolen bases. Given the 27-year-old's strong results and Bryant's ability to serve as a corner outfielder, McMahon will likely continue to serve as the team's primary third baseman while Bryant takes over in left field. With Bryant in line for a spot in the top half of the order, McMahon should also see increased run-producing opportunities while hitting near the middle of the lineup in 2022.

Moustakas will likely get the lion's share of playing time at third base for the Reds following the trade of Eugenio Suarez to the Mariners, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports. "Obviously, Mike has earned that," Reds manager David Bell said. "We know what kind of player he is. You lose Geno - huge loss - and you have Mike Moustakas to kind of step right in. He was already factoring in there anyway."

Moustakas had three different injuries last season, missing 85 games. He'll no longer have to scramble to play out of position, though it's possible he'll still see some time at DH.

Duffy agreed to a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Angels on Wednesday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Duffy appeared in 97 games for the Cubs last season and hit .287/.357/.381 with five home runs, 45 runs, 30 RBI and eight stolen bases in 322 plate appearances. The 31-year-old saw most of his action between third base and second base with Chicago but also made brief appearances at first base, shortstop and the outfield. Duffy should primarily operate as a infield option off the bench for the Angels.

Anderson (shoulder) is willing to play left field this season, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

The addition of Joey Wendle to the Marlins lineup creates extra competition for Anderson at third base, but the 28-year-old says he's willing to give left field a try if necessary. "I'm always open to it," said Anderson. "I haven't done it [played outfield] in a couple of years. But the last couple of times that I did it, it helped me out and helped the team out. That's my job now, especially getting a guy like Wendle that can play multiple positions. We've got guys like [Jon] Berti, [Miguel Rojas] [and Jazz Chisholm Jr.] who play multiple positions. So I think we're just going to run the best lineup out there every single day. And if that means I'm in the outfield, then I'm in the outfield." Anderson last saw outfield action in 2019 when he played 55 games in right field, but he's never played left as a professional. Before he plays anywhere, however, he'll have to demonstrate his surgically repaired shoulder is back to 100 percent.

Kieboom will compete with Maikel Franco for the starting job at third base during spring training, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.

The Nationals are hopeful that Kieboom will be able to serve as the Nationals' starting third baseman to begin the season, but manager Dave Martinez said Wednesday that the 24-year-old will need to earn the job. The 24-year-old appeared in 62 games for Washington last year and slashed .207/.301/.318 with six homers, 26 runs and 20 RBI.

The Blue Jays acquired Chapman from the Athletics on Wednesday in exchange for right-handed starter Gunnar Hoglund (elbow), shortstop Kevin Smith, left-handed starter Zach Logue and lefty reliever Kirby Snead, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

The rebuilding Athletics shipped out both of their star corner infielders just two days apart, as first baseman Matt Olson was moved to Atlanta earlier this week before Chapman was sent to Toronto. With the Blue Jays, Chapman will provide elite defense at the hot corner, and he'll also be tasked with replacing some of the production at the plate that the team lost with Marcus Semien's departure for the Rangers in free agency. Since he broke out with career-high marks in home runs (36), RBI (91) and runs (102) in 2019, Chapman's offensive outputs have been trending down while his strikeout rate has spiked considerably, but the move to a friendlier home park and a star-studded Toronto lineup should help his numbers recover to some degree.

The Blue Jays are expected to finalize a deal Wednesday to acquire Chapman from the Athletics in exchange for an unspecified prospect haul, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports.

Toronto had a big hole at the hot corner, and Chapman is one of the best defensive players in all of baseball, so he's an excellent real-life acquisition. Chapman, 28, has hit .230/.323/.466 over the past three seasons, but his strikeout rate spiked to 35.5 percent in 2020 and was 32.5 percent in 2021. As a right-handed hitter, he gets a slight upgrade in home park and a massive lineup upgrade.

Muncy (elbow) played first base in the Dodgers' simulated game Tuesday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Muncy's health has been a major question mark since he injured his left elbow in last year's regular-season finale, but the recent news on that front has been encouraging. He's apparently 85 percent recovered from the injury and has been participating in workouts with the intention of being ready for Opening Day. While the introduction of the universal designated hitter should make it easier to keep him in the lineup early in the year if he's not yet at 100 percent, it looks as though he may not find himself limited to that role.

Rendon (personal) reported to camp Tuesday, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

Rendon was absent for the start of camp for personal reasons, but it turns out that he'll miss just a single day. His preparation for the upcoming season shouldn't be meaningfully affected.

Madrigal (hamstring) will likely be one of several players that Chicago manager David Ross rotates into the designated hitter spot this season, Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago reports.

Madrigal was acquired by the Cubs at the trade deadline last summer but was already out for the year following surgery to repair proximal tendon tears in his right hamstring. He's expected to be ready for the start of the regular season, but the Cubs could still ease the 25-year-old back into action by using him as the DH from time to time. Willson Contreras, Ian Happ (elbow) and Clint Frazier were also identified as candidates to serve as the DH, as Ross seems intent on mixing and matching in the spot.