MLB Player News

Smith will be a part of the Blue Jays' 60-man roster.

Smith progressed to Double-A in 2019, where he hit .206/.261/.396 with 19 home runs and 11 stolen bases, but he also had a 32.4 percent strikeout rate. He was invited to big-league camp this spring and went 4-for-26 with six RBI and 11 strikeouts. The 23-year-old will get a chance to develop with the 60-man roster once the 2020 season gets underway.

Shewmake will be a part of the Braves' 60-man roster, Gabe Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Shewmake was the 21st overall pick in the 2019 first-year player draft, and he was invited to the Braves' big-league camp this spring as a non-roster invitee. He wasn't particularly effective, hitting .231/.333/.308 with three runs and two RBI over 15 plate appearances before being reassigned to minor-league camp. However, the 22-year-old will get a chance to develop as a part of the team's 60-man roster pool in 2020.

Marcano will be part of the Padres' 60-man summer camp.

Marcano has never struck out more than 8.9 percent of the time and has plus speed on the bases, but he has very little power right now and could stand to add strength to his 6-foot, 170-pound frame. He has never played above Low-A and is unlikely to see MLB action in 2020.

Abrams will be part of the Padres' 60-man summer camp.

Abrams is the Padres' top prospect for dynasty leagues, but his inclusion in the player pool is for developmental purposes rather than to help the big-league squad in 2020. Perhaps his speed and defense could be an asset in a pinch, but he will likely reach the majors for the first time in 2022 or 2023.

Cruz was named to the Pirates' 60-man player pool Sunday.

Cruz hit .217 with one homer and four RBI in 23 at-bats during February and March, and an 11:1 K:BB shows he likely needs more time in the minors. The 6-foot-7 infielder slashed .298/.356/.475 with eight homers and 11 steals in 265 at-bats split between three minor-league levels in 2019. He remains one of the organization's brightest offensive prospects, but it will take a number of injuries for him to garner playing time in Pittsburgh before 2021.

Owings will be a part of the Rockies' 60-man summer camp.

Prior to the shutdown, Owings had made a strong case for a roster spot as a non-roster invitee, so his inclusion is not surprising. That said, he is likely to fill a depth role and probably won't play regularly enough to be a viable fantasy option, especially in weekly leagues.

Mateo will report to Oakland when teams resume workouts this week after the Athletics announced Sunday that he would be part of their 60-man roster pool.

With no minor-league options remaining and with Franklin Barreto and Tony Kemp ahead of him on the depth chart at second base at the time spring training was suspended in mid-March, Mateo wasn't considered a lock to break camp with the Athletics. However, MLB's decision to increase 40-man rosters to 60-man pools will allow the Athletics to keep the speedster in the fold in 2020 without having to risk exposing him to waivers. Oakland is still projected to open their 60-game slate in late July with Franklin Barreto and Tony Kemp as its primary options at the keystone, but Mateo -- who has stolen at least 20 bases in each of his past five minor-league seasons -- could receive ample use off the bench as a pinch runner.

Witt will be a part of the Royals' 60-man player pool this season, Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes reports.

Witt is the Royals' No. 1 prospect, but he is far from ready to handle MLB pitching. His numbers last year in the AZL don't jump off the page, but he hit .308/.352/.446 with his lone home run of the season over his final 15 games, so he may have figured something out down the stretch.

Garcia will be a part of the Reds' 60-man player pool this season.

He will not be training at Great American Ball Park with the Reds' top players, but Garcia is now eligible to potentially make his big-league debut this season. That said, the 22-year-old shortstop has never even played at Double-A, so don't look for him to assume a prominent role until 2021 or 2022.

Allen is projected to be part of the 60-man player pool that will report to the Athletics' summer camp, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

The 2017 third-round pick made his way up to High-A Stockton last season, slashing an impressive .292/.363/.434 with 30 extra-base hits (22 doubles, five triples, and three home runs) and 25 RBI across 328 plate appearances. Allen complemented his best offensive season as a professional with continued stellar glove work, and Gallegos notes the 21-year-old is regarded by many as boasting the best defensive tools in the entire Athletics organization. Given the fact he's yet to even reach the middle level of the minors, Allen is unlikely to see any big-league regular-season action in 2020, but his development should benefit from a chance to participate in taxi squad intrasquad games, often versus more experienced players.