MLB Player News

Pennington signed a split contract with Cincinnati on Thursday, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com reports.

Pennington will earn $1.5 million if he makes the major-league roster. The 33-year-old played in 87 games with the Angels in 2017, slashing .253/.306/.330 with three home runs and 21 RBI. If he winds up carving out a spot on the big-league team, expect Pennington to serve in a reserve role as a bench infielder, although his value will be capped due to limited abilities at the dish.

Cordoba suffered a concussion after being involved in a car accident a few days ago, MLB.com's AJ Cassavell reports.

At this point, there is no timetable for Cordoba's return, although it's expected that he will be fully recovered well before Opening Day. Since the nature of a concussion can be wide-ranging, the club is choosing to take is easy with Cordoba, so don't expect him to be back doing any baseball activities in the near future. There should be an update on his status within the next couple weeks.

Cordoba will be brought along slowly at the start of spring training after he was part of a car accident recently, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

It's unclear exactly what is ailing the 22-year-old, but the Padres likely want to take things slowly with him even if it's something minor. It doesn't seem like this should affect his availability for the start of the regular season, but more information should come forth as he ramps up his activity. After batting .208 with the Padres last season, Cordoba will likely head back to the minors for more seasoning.

Marlins manager Don Mattingly said Saturday that Rojas would receive the chance to compete with J.T. Riddle for the starting shortstop role during spring training, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports. "I think we look at Riddle and [Miguel] Rojas both as shortstops," Mattingly said when asked about potential starters.

Rojas offers a solid glove at multiple spots across the infield and posted a strong .361 on-base percentage across 306 plate appearances in 2017, but a dearth of power makes him best optimized as a utility man. For that reason, Riddle would seem to have the edge on the everyday gig heading into the spring, though the performance of both shortstops in Grapefruit League play may ultimately dictate Mattingly's decision.

Crawford appears to be on top of the depth chart at shortstop for the Phillies heading into spring training, Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com reports.

The middle infield prospect garnered a big-league callup last September, but he spent much of his time at third base rather than his natural position. However, shortstop seems to be Crawford's for the taking now that incumbent Freddy Galvis is out of town. Even with that in mind, the 23-year-old will need to pick things up at the plate after a sluggish 2017 campaign if he wants to be relevant in single-season leagues. Last season, he batted just .243 in Triple-A and struck out over 25 percent of the time in Philadelphia. However, his extremely high walk rate gives him some value in leagues that track OBP rather than batting average, and his recent power development (20 doubles, six triples, 15 home runs at Triple-A last season) certainly adds some intrigue if it translates to the majors.

Castro signed a minor-league contract with the Rockies which includes an invitation to spring training.

Castro's ability to play around the infield earned him a pair of trips to the majors in 2015 and 2016, though he struggled to a .217/.250/.265 line across 239 plate appearances during that time and subsequently spent all of last season in the minors. The 25-year-old, who hit a respectable .306/.344/.397 in 115 games for Triple-A Albuquerque in 2017, should compete for a utility role in spring.

Owings agreed to a one-year contract with the Diamondbacks on Friday, avoiding arbitration.

Before going down with a finger injury, Owings hit .268/.299/.442 with 12 homers and 12 steals in 97 games. He underwent a second surgery on the finger in November to ensure proper and complete healing. Owings' plate discipline leaves quite a bit to be desired, and it sounds like he may not have a set position in the field in 2018, with offseason reports indicating he will instead serve in a super-utility role to begin the year.

Ahmed (wrist) agreed to a one-year, $1.275 million contract with the Diamondbacks on Friday, avoiding arbitration, Jon Heyman of FanRagSports.com reports.

Just as Ahmed was on the verge of a return from a broken right hand, he was hit by a pitch on the same hand during a rehab game in August, necessitating wrist surgery. He took a step forward at the plate last season, but was still a below-average hitter. Ahmed will likely be limited to a utility role throughout 2018.

Rojas agreed to a one-year, $1.18 million deal with the Marlins on Friday, avoiding arbitration, Jon Heyman of FanRagSports.com reports.

This was his first offseason as an arbitration-eligible player. Rojas hit an incredibly empty .290 last season, tallying just one home run, 37 runs, 26 RBI and two steals in 306 plate appearances. He should see plenty of action this season as a shortstop and super utility player on a gutted Marlins roster.

D'Arnaud signed a minor-league contract with the Giants on Thursday, Chris Cotillo of SB Nation reports.

D'Arnaud bounced around in 2017, spending time with the Braves, Red Sox and Padres. He carved out a small role for himself in San Diego, though it was short-lived as he was designated for assignment after hitting just .143/.176/.245 in 22 games for the Padres. He could compete for a super-utility role in 2018, though he's more likely to serve as an organizational depth piece once again.