MLB Player News

Seager agreed to a 10-year, $325 million deal with the Rangers on Monday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

The signing completes a $500 million renovation of the Rangers' middle infield, as the team gave $175 million to second baseman Marcus Semien on Sunday. Injuries are just about the only concern for Seager, who hit .306/.381/.545 with 31 homers in 147 games across the last two years. His combination of quantity and quality of contact is a rare one. Among players with at least 400 plate appearances last season, only Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Manny Machado could match both his 16.1 percent strikeout rate and his 12.4 percent barrel rate. That suggests he should still be able to be a productive player over the back half of his deal when he eventually moves off of shortstop, something which should still be a few years away for the 27-year-old.

Franco and the Rays agreed to terms Monday on an 11-year contract extension, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Minor details are reportedly still yet to be finalized, but the contract will guarantee the young shortstop at least $182 million and could be worth up to $223 million thanks to escalators plus a $25 million team option for a 12th season. The extension keeps Franco under team control through the 2033 campaign, at which point he'll still be just 32 years old and could be in line for another large contract if his career plays out as many expect. Franco impressed in his 70-game debut last season, hitting .288/.347/.463 while playing solid defense at shortstop, but he has the potential to improve far beyond that already impressive level considering that he's still just 20 years old.

Franco and the Rays are nearing an agreement on an extension which could pay the shortstop approximately $200 million over at least 10 seasons, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Hector Gomez of Z Deportes reports the deal has already been signed, though Topkin's report indicates the details won't be finalized until after Thanksgiving. Franco is widely considered a generational talent and is on the cusp of being paid like one, with the reported offer roughly doubling the $100 million Ronald Acuna received from the Braves at a similar stage in his career back in April of 2019. Any extension won't meaningfully change Franco's fantasy outlook, as he was always likely to remain a Ray for the next few years with or without a deal. Additionally, while the reported terms would potentially mean Franco remains with the team for at least a decade, the penny-pinching Rays could still wind up trading him once he reaches the more expensive years of the deal, something that could also have happened without an extension.

Tena was added to Cleveland's 40-man roster Friday.

Tena had a strong showing as a 20-year-old at High-A, hitting .281/.331/.467, but he finds himself buried on the organizational depth chart, as Cleveland is loaded with middle infielders in the upper levels. He should head to Double-A next year.

Rocchio was added to Cleveland's 40-man roster Friday.

The best prospect in the organization, Rocchio was a lock to get protected from the Rule 5 draft. He started making good on the Francisco Lindor comparisons by tapping into notable power at Double-A as a 20-year-old, but he may not debut until 2023.

Jimenez was added to the Blue Jays' 40-man roster Friday.

The 20-year-old shortstop is good at everything except hitting for power. He hit .315/.517/.381 with 51 walks in 54 games at Low-A and logged a .438 OBP in the Arizona Fall League. Jimenez is still probably a couple years away from making his big-league debut.

Duran's contract was selected by the Rangers on Friday.

Duran posted a .907 OPS in 67 games at the High-A level in the Yankees' system to start the year, but that number dropped to .695 in 38 games following a trade to Texas. While he has plenty of work to do before pushing for a big-league debut, the Rangers still elected to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.

Downs was added to the Red Sox's 40-man roster Friday, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

This was a lock to happen as protection from the Rule 5 draft. Downs had a rough year at Triple-A (.190/.272/.333 slash line), but he finished the 2021 season on a better note, hitting .208/.382/.491 with five home runs and four steals in 68 plate appearances in the Arizona Fall League. It's starting to look like Downs' batting average is going to be subpar, at least initially, against big-league pitching, but his ability to get on base at a high clip while chipping in some power and speed makes him worth monitoring in 2022.

Pena had his contract selected by the Astros on Friday.

Pena is one of Houston's top prospects, so it's hardly a surprise the organization opted to add him to the 40-man roster ahead of the Rule 5 draft. The 24-year-old hit .287/.346/.598 with 10 homer, 19 RBI, 22 runs and five stolen bases in 30 games at Triple-A Sugar Land last season, and he could make his major-league debut in 2022, especially if Carlos Correa signs elsewhere in free agency.

Allen was added to Oakland's 40-man roster Friday.

The move means Allen won't be available for selection in the Rule 5 draft. He still has to conquer Triple-A before pushing for a big-league roster spot, as he struggled to a .243/.302/.301 line in 39 games after a promotion to Triple-A Las Vegas late in the year, but he should make his major-league debut at some point next season if all goes well.