MLB Player News

Urena signed a minor-league contract with the Nationals on Sunday.

Urena will move on to the third organization of his career following a stint with Baltimore and two with Toronto. While with the Blue Jays in 2021, Urena spent the entire campaign at Triple-A Buffalo, hitting .272 with nine home runs and two stolen bases across 350 plate appearances.

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.

Mauricio was added to the Mets' 40-man roster Friday, Justin Toscano of The Bergen Record reports.

While Mauricio isn't all that close to making his big-league debut, he is too talented to leave unprotected from the Rule 5 draft. Once a skinny shortstop who was all projection, Mauricio has filled out his 6-foot-3 frame and is getting to that impressive power in games. He will need to improve his approach in the coming years.

Leonard was added to the Dodgers' 40-man roster Friday, Eric Stephen of SBNation.com reports.

Leonard forced the Dodgers to protect him from the Rule 5 draft after slashing .299/.375/.530 with eight home runs in 41 games as a 20-year-old at High-A. The Dodgers will always have a crowded infield, but he might bring enough offensive impact to the table to get a look in a couple years.

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.

Amaya's contract was selected by the Dodgers on Friday, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.

Amaya served as a non-roster invitee during spring training in 2021, but he spent the entire season at Double-A Tulsa and slashed .216/.303/.343 with 12 homers, 60 runs, 47 RBI and five stolen bases. His addition to the 40-man roster will protect him from the Rule 5 draft.