MLB Player News

The Mets are among the teams discussing a contract with Martinez, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Signing Martinez would result in a 110 percent luxury tax penalty for the Mets, but owner Steve Cohen has "given the go-ahead to seriously discuss" signing the designated hitter, per Heyman. Heyman also says the interest is mutual, although the Angels and Marlins appear to still be in the running for Martinez, too. Mark Vientos is currently projected to be the Mets' DH.

Winker could miss out on a big-league roster spot with the Nationals after the team added Eddie Rosario last week, Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reports.

The 30-year-old Winker looked like a good bet to break camp with the Nats when he signed an NRI deal in February, provided that he was healthy and could re-discover his old form at the plate. He's held up his end up that bargain so far, batting .350 (7-for-20) through nine spring games with two doubles and a 5:4 BB:K, but the Rosario signing likely bumps Joey Gallo from left field to first base and Joey Meneses from 1B to DH, seeming to leave little room for a defensively limited player like Winker.

Meneses appears set to spend most of his time at DH after the Nationals added Joey Gallo and Eddie Rosario to the roster this offseason, Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reports.

Rosario, who signed a minor-league deal with the team last week, is the favorite to win the starting left field job, which would bump Gallo to first base and Meneses to DH. There are a few complicating factors that cloud the playing-time outlook for Meneses, however. Jesse Winker, also in camp on a minor-league deal, is batting .350 (7-for-20) with a 5:4 BB:K, while Meneses is batting just .214 (6-for-28). Stone Garrett (lower leg) will also need at-bats once he's healthy, and top outfield prospects Dylan Crews and James Wood could also push their way onto the big-league roster over the summer. After a sizzling 56-game MLB debut in 2022, Meneses' production swooned last season, as he managed only a .722 OPS with 13 homers in 154 games. If the 31-year-old can't deliver better numbers at the plate in 2024, he could fall out of a regular role.

Ozuna went 1-for-3 in Monday's 3-0 Grapefruit League win over the Twins.

The veteran DH appears set to thrive as part of what will be another stacked Atlanta lineup in 2024. Ozuna is hitting .407 with a 1.004 OPS through 27 Grapefruit League at-bats. Ozuna belted 40 home runs last season for an offense that was clicking all season, and his spring performance has done nothing to suggest he won't be a prolific power source again in 2024.

Hummel was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento by the Giants on Monday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Hummel was picked up via trade from the Mets back in January but wasn't about to snatch one of the Giants' reserve roles. The 29-year-old's versatility should eventually earn him a look, however.

Pederson started at designated hitter and went 2-for-3 with a three-run home run in Friday's Cactus League game against the Cubs.

Pederson swatted his first spring home run and is 4-for-13 with three walks through six games. He's started four of those games in the outfield, but Pederson is expected to serve as the primary DH against right-handers in 2024.

Almonte is heading to the Mexican League, Kiley McDaniel of ESPN.com reports.

Almonte elected free agency after spending much of the 2023 season in Triple-A for the Mets. The outfielder has a career .671 OPS over parts of 11 big-league seasons, but he saw just eight games in the majors in 2023. The 34-year-old now finds a new home by joining Tabasco of the Mexican League.

Vogelbach is making a strong push for a spot on Toronto's Opening Day roster, Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic reports.

The 31-year-old signed as a non-roster invitee in February with Toronto, and an early spring homer off Gerrit Cole served as a reminder of what Vogelbach can provide to the club off the bench. Meanwhile, his main competition for a role as a left-handed DH and pinch hitter, Spencer Horwitz, is still looking for his first hit of the spring through six games. After a rough start to the 2023 campaign with the Mets, Vogelbach rebounded to slash .245/.344/.481 after the All-Star break with eight home runs in 122 plate appearances.

Rooker went 1-for-3 with a run in a Cactus League win over the Angels on Wednesday.

The Athletics' primary designated hitter was 0-for-4 through his first two spring games, but he's bounced back to go 4-for-15 with a home run, two RBI, a walk, a stolen base and four runs over his subsequent five exhibitions. Rooker broke out with an out-of-nowhere 30-homer tally in 2023 while playing a career-high 137 games, although a 32.7 percent strikeout rate he'll be looking to significantly shave down this season helped cap his adequate .246 average and encouraging .329 on-base percentage from being even better.

Miller signed a minor-league contract with the Padres on Tuesday that includes an invitation to spring training, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Miller slashed a measly .212/.283/.324 over the last two seasons with the Rangers while battling some injuries. The 34-year-old had an .812 OPS across the three seasons prior to that, however, so the Padres will give him a shot to see if he has anything left in the tank. Miller will compete for a reserve role.