MLB Player News

Cespedes signed a four-year, $110 million deal with the Mets on Tuesday, FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports.

This is a luxury signing for the Mets, as they once again have a bit of a logjam in the outfield, but Cespedes should have no problem getting something close to everyday at-bats. Over the past two seasons he has settled in as a good bet for a batting average north of .275 with 30-plus home runs and the potential for over 100 runs and RBI if he stays healthy. That caveat is particularly relevant after last season, as a quadriceps issue limited him to 132 games and severely impacted his ability to run and play the field when he was in the lineup in the second half. The Mets will likely give him a handful of strategic off days in 2017, given their depth and the concerns about aggravating his quad, but he still makes for a low-end OF1 in most formats.

Winker was added to the Reds' 40-man roster on Friday.

The Reds protected Winker from the Rule 5 draft, as expected. No longer the top prospect in the organization, following the drafting of Nick Senzel in June, Winker failed to hit for power last year at Triple-A, but still displayed a plus hit tool and phenomenal approach (59:59 K:BB in 448 plate appearances). He has shown the ability to hit double-digit homers in a season on three previous occasions, so owners should not overreact to him hitting just three over the fence in 2016. Winker should reach the majors early on in 2017 and should quickly earn a spot near the top of the big league lineup.

Ruf was traded to the Dodgers on Friday along with Darnell Sweeney in exchange for Howie Kendrick.

The 30-year-old fell out of favor in the Phillies' organization, as he failed to capitalize on his opportunities against left-handed pitching in 2016 (.695 OPS) and was passed by Tommy Joseph on the organizational depth chart at first base. He will get a fresh start with the Dodgers although there's not a clear path to at-bats and he's far from a lock to even make the Opening Day roster. Adrian Gonzalez struggled against lefties but a healthy Scott Van Slyke (if he's tendered a contract) may be a better platoon option.

The Pirates and Washington discussed a deal involving McCutchen at the trade deadline last summer, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reports.

According to Rosenthal, the Pirates wanted outfield prospect Victor Robles along with additional prospects. McCutchen, 30, performed poorly in 2016 but features a reasonable $14 million contract for 2017 and a $14.5 million option the following season. The Mets have also been rumored in trade talks for the outfielder, who may be asked to move from center field to right field in 2017.

Carpenter was told Tuesday that he will enter the 2017 season as the Cardinals' first baseman, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

The Cardinals thought that the jumbled infield contributed to the team's uneven play throughout the year, so they decided to commit Carpenter to one position right out of the gate. This move definitely hurts Matt Adams' fantasy value, but it means that Jhonny Peralta and Jedd Gyorko will likely get to compete for St. Louis' starting third base job. All in all for Carpenter, however, it doesn't affect his value a ton for the 2017 campaign given his enormous position eligibility he'll carry over from 2016, but it could drop his 2018 stock considerably for those in dynasty leagues, as he'll now have to outperform big boppers like Edwin Encarnacion to garner fantasy value as a first baseman.

Turner received a qualifying offer from the Dodgers on Monday, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.

Turner put together another productive season at the plate for Los Angeles, meaning that he'll likely decline this offer. However, the 31-year-old's market value will likely take a hit now that he'll also cost his signing team a draft pick.

Cespedes will likely opt out of the two years and $47.5 million remaining on his contract with the Mets, Adam Rubin of ESPN reports.

Cespedes continued to produce in 2016 despite a Mets lineup that declined, notching 31 home runs and 86 RBI in an injury-shortened 132-game campaign. Assuming the opt-out occurs, he should garner a big payday on the open market as one of the top outfielder options available.

Harper is doing fine physically and is on track to begin his normal offseason strength and conditioning work soon, according to agent Scott Boras, Jon Morosi of FOX Sports reports.

The 24-year-old's uneven play throughout the summer months led to much speculation about his health, and Sports Illustrated reported in September that Harper had indeed been playing through a neck/shoulder issue for a significant portion of the season. While manager Dusty Baker strongly denied the report, Boras recently confirmed to the Washington Post that Harper "played with limitations at times this year, no question."

Harper is batting second for Game 1 of the NLDS against the Dodgers, Chase Hughes of CSN Mid-Atlantic reports.

Harper has been a staple in the three- and four-hole all season, but with Daniel Murphy returning to the lineup and tough left-hander Clayton Kershaw toeing the rubber for Los Angeles, manager Dusty Baker decided to mix things up and move the reigning MVP up in the order. This could put Harper in line for more run-scoring opportunities with Jayson Werth and Murphy hitting behind him.

Carpenter went 1-for-2 with a home run, four RBI and two walks during Sunday's 10-4 win over the Pirates.

Carpenter put St. Louis ahead with his sixth-inning three-run homer, propelling his team to a 10-4 victory on the season's final day. The home run was his 21st of the season, and although Carpenter slumped after returning from an oblique injury in early August, he retained his pop with 19 extra-base hits over the season's final two months. Carpenter's overall numbers were excellent, as he finished at .271/.380/.505 -- nearly identical to his 2015 line of .272/.365/.505. When healthy, Carpenter is one of the better hitters in baseball with his combination of on-base skills and power.