MLB Player News

Correa and the Astros agreed to a one-year, $8 million deal Friday, avoiding arbitration, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Correa won his arbitration case in 2019, earning $5 million. He went on to hit .279/.358/.568 with 21 homers in just 75 games in an injury-filled age-24 season.

Urena was claimed off waivers by the Orioles on Friday.

Urena was designated for assignment by Toronto at the end of the 2019 calendar year after hitting .243 with four RBI over 30 contests in the big leagues. The utility infielder could have a better chance of seeing consistent playing time as part of a rebuilding Baltimore squad.

Lindor and the Indians avoided arbitration Friday by agreeing to a one-year, $17.5 million deal, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.

The contract is the second-highest ever for a player in his second season of arbitration eligibility, trailing only Mookie Betts' $20 million contract from last season. It's still a bargain given Lindor's impressive talent, as he hit .284/.335/.518 with 32 homers and 22 steals while playing strong defense at shortstop last season.

Urena was designated for assignment by the Blue Jays on Monday.

The 23-year-old has gotten into 91 games at the major-league level over the last three seasons, hitting a modest .252/.300/.336. Given his age, he still has plenty of time to prove that he's more than just a utility infielder, but he's yet to convince that he's even worthy of that title. By removing him from the roster, the Blue Jays clear a spot for the newly signed Travis Shaw.

New Royals manager Mike Matheny said Tuesday that Mondesi is progressing in his rehab from left shoulder surgery and is on schedule to be ready for Opening Day, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.

When Mondesi underwent surgery at the end of last season, he was given a five-to-six month estimated recovery timetable, leaving Opening Day in doubt. It's great to hear that he's progressing well, though we still expect some limitations in spring training. While Mondesi's rate stats took a big step backward last season, he is only 24 with the rare combination of power and game-breaking speed. The dream is still very much alive for fantasy.

Velazquez signed a one-year contract with the Indians on Monday, Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Velazquez saw limited chances during the 2019 season, going 2-for-23 with two doubles and a stolen base in 15 games. He figures to slot into a utility role with Cleveland in 2020.

Adrianza signed a one-year, $1.6 million contract with the Twins on Monday, avoiding arbitration, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

Adrianza posted a career-best .349 OBP over 84 games with the Twins in 2019 to earn him a raise prior to hitting free agency after the 2020 season. The versatile infielder is unlikely to carve out a starting role next year given the Twins' depth, but he could still see a relatively consistent role in order to provide load management for the starting infielders.

Bichette's offseason is going well, and he's no longer experiencing concussion symptoms, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Bichette's strong rookie season ended prematurely in mid-September after he was hit in the head by a pitch. He finished his first big-league campaign with a .311/.358/.571 line in 46 games, homering 11 times and doubling 18 more. He's expected to progress to full workouts soon and should have plenty of time to get up to full speed by the start of spring training.

Correa went 1-for-5 with a three-run home run Thursday in an 8-3 win over the Yankees in Game 4 of the ALCS.

While Correa has struggled so far in the postseason, slashing just .167/.167/.389, it's encouraging to see him pop two homers in the last three games after he battled back problems for much of the regular season. If the Astros can wrap up the series in Game 5, it would buy Correa a few additional days to rest his ailing back.

Diaz could earn a start against Yankees lefty James Paxton in the ALCS, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic reports.

Diaz didn't start any of the five games in the ALDS against the Rays but received three plate appearances off the bench, going 0-for-3 with two strikeouts. He'd likely start in left field if he's in the lineup, pushing Michael Brantley to right and Josh Reddick to the bench. The Yankees haven't announced their rotation plans yet, but Paxton started the first game of the ALDS and is likely to do so again in the ALCS.