MLB Player News

Volpe received an invitation Tuesday to the major-league side of the Yankees' camp.

Volpe is not currently on the Yankees' 40-man roster, but he'll be pushing to carve out a spot and make his MLB debut at some point in 2023. The 21-year-old top shortstop prospect put up an .802 OPS with 21 home runs and 50 stolen bases in 132 games last summer between Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Correa will not play for Team Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Correa's wife is due with the couple's second child at the same time the WBC will take place, and Hayes reports the Twins don't want the shortstop to be juggling both family and the tournament. Correa re-signed with the Twins after a tumultuous offseason that saw proposed contracts with the Giants and Mets rescinded because of concerns during his physical, and he'll spend spring training in the Grapefruit League.

The Red Sox acquired Mondesi (knee) along with a player to be named later from the Royals on Tuesday in exchange for Josh Taylor, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said Enrique Hernandez remains the likely starter at shortstop, per Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican, and Mondesi should be in the mix for playing time at both shortstop and second base. However, Mondesi isn't fully recovered from the ACL surgery he underwent last May and isn't guaranteed to be ready for Opening Day, according to Ian Browne of MLB.com. Injuries have obviously been the 27-year-old's big bugaboo, but this looks like a small price to pay for the Red Sox for a player with some upside. Mondesi will make $3.05 million in 2023 and is slated to hit free agency next winter.

Story (elbow) believes he will be able to play in 2023, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Story underwent an internal bracing procedure on the UCL in his right elbow in the middle of January. The infielder is expected to miss at least 4-6 months while he recovers from the procedure, but that timeline does give him an opportunity to return at some point this summer. While Story is out, it appears that Enrique Hernandez will see the majority of his playing time at shortstop, but the Red Sox have made it known they are looking for additional help in the middle of their infield.

Camargo signed a minor-league deal with the Royals on Saturday.

Camargo struggled to a .237/.297/.316 slash line in 52 games for the Phillies last season, though his 74 wRC+ represented his best mark since 2018. His defensive versatility theoretically makes him a good fit for a bench spot, but he might wind up stuck in the minors waiting for an opportunity.

The Marlins traded Salas alongside Pablo Lopez to the Twins on Friday in exchange for Luis Arraez, Craig Mish of SportsGrid.com reports.

Salas reached the High-A level for the first time in 2022, though he slashed just .230/.319/.340 in 217 plate appearances. The 19-year-old switch-hitter was considered one of the top prospects in the Marlins' farm system, and Salas' defensive versatility could help him rise through the Twins' minor-league system more quickly than expected.

Mateo signed a one-year, $2 million deal with the Orioles on Friday to avoid arbitration, Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Mateo's glove established him as Baltimore's everyday shortstop last year, but his poor .221/.267/.379 slash line makes him vulnerable to losing his spot to top prospect Gunnar Henderson. Mateo has experience playing all over the field, so he'll more than likely transition into a utility role, an assignment that might allow him to maintain the fantasy value provided by his 35 steals in 2022.

Correa passed his physical, and the Twins are expected to officially announce his signing to a six-year, $200 million contract later Wednesday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

For most free agents who come to terms with teams on a contract, the physical exam is usually a formality, but Correa's ability to pass his medical tests is noteworthy after he previously had deals with the Giants and Mets fall through earlier this winter due to reported concern about a previous surgery he had back in 2014 to address a fractured right fibula. Given that the Twins had a chance to get an extended evaluation while Correa played for the team on a one-year, $35.1 million deal last season, they were evidently more comfortable than the Giants or Mets in handing the 28-year-old shortstop a lavish new contract. Though Correa is guaranteed $200 million in the deal through the 2028 season, his contract contains playing time-based vesting options from the 2029 through 2032 seasons that could net him up to an additional $70 million.

Story underwent an internal bracing procedure on the UCL in his right elbow Monday and is likely to open the 2023 season on the injured list, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

The procedure is an alternative to Tommy John surgery and should carry a shorter recovery time, though Story is nonetheless still expected to miss time. The Red Sox have yet to announce when they expect him back, though players typically take 4-to-6 months to return from the surgery, per Jeff Passan of ESPN.com. That timeline indicates Story could return to game action sometime between mid-May and mid-July. The timing is particularly bad for the Red Sox, as Story had been expected to slide back to shortstop following the departure of Xander Bogaerts. Enrique Hernandez may be asked to step into the middle infield, though that would create a new hole in center field.

Correa agreed to a six-year, $200 million deal with the Twins on Tuesday, pending a physical, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

The "pending a physical" part of this news carries far more weight than it does for most similar announcements, as Correa has already agreed to deals with both the Giants and Mets this winter, only for both to fall through following a medical examination. The Twins are presumably more comfortable with Correa's medicals, having just seen him up close for a full season, and they're also only on the hook through the shortstop's age-33 season. If Correa's troublesome ankle doesn't turn out to be an issue, he could remain a Twin for another decade, as the contract also contains a vesting option for a further four years.