MLB Player News

Castro received an invite to Rockies spring training Thursday.

Castro doesn't provide much in the way of offense, as he holds a career .217 batting average in the majors over 239 plate appearances. He is a good defensive infielder with the ability to play multiple positions, as Atlanta used him at second, third and shortstop last season. The Rockies have some of the league's top young stars at those three infield positions, however, so Castro isn't likely to get any big opportunities in the near future. He's likely to serve as organizational depth following spring training.

Adrianza was claimed off waivers by the Brewers on Tuesday.

After being designated for assignment last week by the Giants, the Brewers have scooped up the switch-hitting infielder on waivers. Across parts of four seasons with the Giants, Adrianza slashed .220/.292/.313 in 331 plate appearances while also swiping 60 bases over that time. He'll provide some infield depth for the Brewers heading into spring training. Milwaukee designated RHP Rob Scahill for assignment in a corresponding move.

Story (thumb) will have to improve his home/road splits in the coming season to reduce the chance of major regression, according to Manny Randhawa of Sports on Earth.

Story was a force to be reckoned with in 176 at-bats at Coors Field, batting .313 with 16 home runs and a 1.086 OPS. However, as one would expect, his numbers tapered off significantly on the road, as he only batted .235 in 196 road at-bats and saw his OPS drop over 300 points. The 24-year-old's future will depend largely on whether he fixes the holes in his swing and adjusts in away games -- five-time All-Star Troy Tulowitzki managed to overcome the Coors Field Effect in his sophomore season, while former Rockies bust Wilin Rosario saw his stats at home decrease after failing to adjust to the away environments. Story seems to be on track to be ready for spring training following thumb surgery in August.

Adrianza was designated for assignment Tuesday, Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area reports.

San Francisco opted to designate Adrianza for assignment following the acquisition of Nick Hundley. Adrianza held his own in the majors during the 2016 campaign, but failed to stand out as he posted a mediocre .254/.299/.381 line over 63 at-bats (40 games). If he clears waivers, Adrianza will likely end up at Triple-A Sacramento.

Owings signed a one-year, $2.3 million deal with the Diamondbacks on Friday, FanRag Sports' Jon Heyman reports.

The 25-year-old middle infielder faces a job battle this spring, as he, Nick Ahmed, Brandon Drury and Ketel Marte will be competing for two starting spots. Owings is considered the favorite to start at shortstop in 2017, but his 86 wRC+ and subpar defense last season certainly opens the door for competition.

Crawford received an invitation to major league spring training, the Morning Call's Stephen Gross reports.

Considering Crawford is the Phillies' top prospect and already has 385 plate appearances under his belt at Triple-A, it is not surprising that he will spend most of the spring in big league camp. He is expected to open the year back at Triple-A, but could receive a promotion as early as late-April, once the Phillies gain an extra year of control. Of course, after posting a 90 wRC+ last year with Lehigh Valley, he will need to force the issue with his bat, otherwise we may not see him make his big league debut until sometime this summer.

Jackson signed a minor league deal with the Marlins that includes an invitation to spring training, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.

Jackson has spent the vast majority of his career in the minor leagues. He split his most recent campaign between the Angels and Phillies Triple-A affiliates, where he batted .248/.350/.286 in 343 plate appearances. He doesn't figure to make much of an impact with the Marlins.

Turner will be the Nationals' starting shortstop in 2017 following the acquisition of Adam Eaton and the trade of Danny Espinosa to the Angels, The Washington Post reports.

While Turner is a defensive downgrade at shortstop from the slick Espinosa, the Nats got a major upgrade in offense with the moves. Given that Turner hit .342 with a .937 OPS last season despite mostly playing out of position in center field, it's possible the move back to shortstop might even help him at the plate, in addition to adding to his 2B and OF eligibility in most fantasy formats.

Adrianza signed a one-year contract to avoid arbitration with the Giants on Friday, FanRag Sports' Jon Heyman reports.

Adrianza slashed .254/.292/.378 in 71 plate appearances over 40 games with the Giants last season. The 27-year-old shortstop will likely just be a bench or minor league option in 2017, with Brandon Crawford cemented as San Francisco's starter.

Castro signed a minor league contract with the Rockies, Matt Eddy of Baseball America reports.

Castro has a surprising amount of major league experience thanks to his ability to play across the infield. However, the .217 batting average he holds in the big leagues along with the studs blocking him at each infield position will likely restrict the 24-year-old to a very limited role in the organization.