MLB Player News

Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos doesn't see the team adding a second baseman before the start of the regular season, but the team is still exploring options to add to the bullpen via trade or free agency, MLB.com reports.

"Second base, I don't expect anything to change between now and the time camp starts," Anthopoulos told reporters Thursday. "We had some things we worked on, we just couldn't get close. The bullpen, those are still open, both in trade and free agency."

The Blue Jays appear ready to address the second-base position with one of four internal candidates: Ryan Goins, Maicer Izturis, Steve Tolleson or Danny Valencia. Goins, Tolleson and Valencia all had between 150 and 200 at-bats with the Blue Jays last season, while Izturis racked up 365 at-bats with the team in 2013.

Though the team is exploring bullpen options, the Blue Jays may not necessarily add a high-profile closer, as Anthopoulos and manager John Gibbons expressed confidence that left-hander Brett Cecil or right-hander Aaron Sanchez could handle the role.

It's "pretty clear" the Dodgers would like outfield prospect Joc Pederson to win the everyday center fielder job in 2015, the Los Angeles Times reports, adding that the backup plan if Pederson falters could be rolling with Yasiel Puig in center.

"I don’t expect anything to be handed to me," Pederson said last weekend during the team's fan fest. "It never has been in the past. I still have to grow as a baseball player."

Carl Crawford is expected to be locked in at left field regardless of the performance of Pederson, who would start in center with Puig in right if the prospect wins a spot on the 25-man roster in spring training. If the team decides Pederson needs more minor-league seasoning, Puig could be shifted to center field, with Andre Ethier moving into the starting lineup and playing right field.

Twins designated hitter Kennys Vargas is already training at the team's spring-training complex in Fort Myers, Fla., despite the fact that position players aren't required to report until Feb. 27, MLB.com reports.

"I'm prepared," Vargas said. "I'm going to Spring Training to compete. I'm going to compete to be the DH and the backup to [Joe] Mauer. So I'm excited for that. I have to take advantage of the opportunity the Twins give me and do my job."

Vargas has been committed to his conditioning this offseason while working to improve his agility in order to improve his defense at first base. He is aiming to follow up a quality debut in 2014 with a better campaign in 2015.

"I'm focused on this year," Vargas said. "I want to do the same work I did last year, but I always try to go for more. Every year, I learn a little bit more. I want to help us win more games than last year."

Vargas hit .274/.316/.456 with nine home runs and 38 RBI in 215 at-bats with the Twins in 2014 while finishing with a .281/.360/.472 line and 17 home runs in 356 at-bats at the Double-A level.

After struggling in three seasons with the Astros, outfielder J.D. Martinez finally enjoyed a breakout season in 2014 with the Tigers. He said listening to some of the veteran players, including Miguel Cabrera, was a big help in his turnaround.

"I learned so much just from watching them and picking their brains, and it really did help me," Martinez said, per the Detroit Free Press.

General manager Dave Dombrowksi agrees learning from veteran players was key for Martinez.

"There's no doubt," Dombrowski said. "Look at how he used the opposite field. Look at how he drove the ball out of the ballpark to rightfield and centerfield. J.D. definitely benefited, and we saw how good of a hitter he became last year for us."

Martinez hit .315 with a .553 slugging percentage, .912 OPS, 23 home runs, 30 doubles and 76 RBI in 123 games. He said he has spent the offseason fine-tuning his swing after revamping it last offseason.

"Little hitches and bat habits that maybe I wanted to polish up from last year, and the years before that I didn't have as much time to do before the season," he said. "This year just gives me more time to polish up things I want to before the season starts."

To ensure his face his protected during spring training, Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton will wear a protective face guard on his helmet, reports MLB.com.

Stanton's 2014 season ended after he took a fastball directly to the face by Milwaukee pitcher Mike Fiers on Sept. 11. He suffered multiple facial fractures and needed dental work.

Stanton has been able to workout in the offseason and plans to be ready for spring training. Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill said they have no worries on how Stanton will react to the protective gear.

"There's no concerns on our part," Hill said. "We've worked closely with Giancarlo and the helmet manufacturer. He will wear a half-cage to protect the injured area. He's worked out with it."

The Marlins will begin player workouts Feb. 24.

The Giants were able to avoid arbitration with first baseman Brandon Belt after they agreed to a one-year, $3.6 million contract, reports CBSSports.com Baseball Insider Jon Heyman.

Belt originally filed for $4.5 million in arbitration, while the Giants countered with $3 million. In 2014, Belt hit .243 with 12 home runs and 27 RBI.

Cardinals infielder Matt Carpenter hit just eight home runs with a .375 slugging percentage during the 2014 regular season, but had a much better power swing in the postseason, belting four home runs and slugging .722 in nine games.

“I took a more of an aggressive approach in the postseason,” Carpenter said, per STLBaseballWeekly.com. “Part of that was from the experience that I had gathered the year before. After a long season, going into the playoffs I felt like I wasn’t as prepared as I felt like I could’ve been. It kind of snowballed and my approach and the way I took the regular season at-bat in the postseason it wasn’t playing out well.”

Carpenter said his postseason success could have a positive impact on his power numbers in 2015.

"Certainly, I’m always going to be a guy who’s patient at the plate, but that was a good learning experience for me -- being aggressive," he said. "I don’t remember the exact numbers but out of the four home runs I hit, I think three of them were on the first pitch. That’s something typically I don’t do a lot of, and it was a good learning experience.”

Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera is not expected to miss much time with his ankle injury, according to the Detroit Free Press. 

Cabrera had ankle surgery to remove bone spurs shortly after the season, and has been recovering during the offseason. He was recently cleared to ditch his walking boot, and will be re-evaluated by team doctors on Feb. 15. General manager Dave Dombrowski told reporters Cabrera shouldn't miss much time due to the injury. "We're hopeful at that point he gets turned loose," Dombrowski said. "If he's not ready for Opening Day, it's going to be very, very close."

The 31-year-old Cabrera hit .313/.371/.524 over 611 at-bats last year. 

Tigers manager Brad Ausmus told reporters that outfielder Yoenis Cespedes will hit in the heart of the order this season, per the Detroit Free-Press.

Cespedes, 29, was acquired in a December trade with Boston. He batted cleanup in 235 of his 416 career games in the majors. He hit .260 with 100 RBI last season between Oakland and Boston. He owns a .263 average, .464 slugging percentage and .780 OPS in 416 games over three MLB seasons.

Tigers president and general manager Dave Dombrowski said Saturday that if Miguel Cabrera is unable to play when the season opens, the team will look to Alex Avila as a possible short-term replacement at first base, per MLB.com.

"If he's not ready by opening day, it's gonna be very, very close. We'll know more Feb. 15," Dombrowski said.

Cabrera underwent right ankle surgery to remove bone spurs and to repair a stress fracture in a bone at the top of his foot on Oct. 22. He was cleared to remove his walking boot earlier in January and is expected to be reexamined on Feb. 15, right before Detroit's first full-squad workouts.