MLB Player News

Berti could see significant action this season even without a regular defensive spot in the starting lineup, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.

The 30-year-old got his first extended stint in the majors last year and posted a surprisingly solid .273/.348/.406 slash line while playing five different positions around the diamond (third base, shortstop and all three outfield spots). From a fantasy perspective, Berti's 17 steals in 20 attempts in only 73 games makes him a potential sleeper, but the Marlins will need to get him into the lineup consistently if he's going to take advantage of his speed. A super-utility role that sees him backing up Jonathan Villar in center field and the double-play duo of Isan Diaz and Miguel Rojas -- all of whom are unproven in one way or another -- could get Berti 4-5 starts a week.

Wendle said Sunday that he enters spring training with no restrictions after an injury-plagued 2019 season, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Though Wendle ended the past season on the field, the Rays were cautious with his usage down the stretch after he required three stints on the injured list, all of which were at least three weeks in length. Complications from a broken wrist in particular sapped Wendle's power, with the 29-year-old finishing the campaign with a lowly .633 OPS, a 156-point decline from 2018. After a full offseason to rest up and strengthen the wrist, Wendle believes he'll be back in top form. Wendle may not have a regular spot in the lineup waiting for him, however, as he'll likely be ticketed for top backup duties at three infield spots if the Rays are at full strength heading into Opening Day.

Bichette is expected to begin the season hitting leadoff, followed by Cavan Biggio and Vlad Guerrero Jr., Gregor Chisholm of The Toronto Star reports.

It's a little unusual for a manager to be setting his regular-season batting order this early, but given the nature of the Jays roster it's no surprise that Charlie Montoyo plans to put his trio of talented youngsters right at the top. Hitting leadoff should afford Bichette plenty of stolen-base opportunities, but he'll need to improve on his 4-for-8 performance in the majors last year if he wants to see consistent green lights.

Fletcher could experience increased playing time in right field this season according to Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register.

With the Angels' offseason addition of Anthony Rendon and the return of Tommy La Stella, it is likely that Fletcher will be required to play the outfield more often. "The challenge is that I like Fletcher on the field as much as possible. The fact that David is versatile to play different positions is going to matter," said manager Joe Maddon. Right fielder Brian Goodwin hits left-handed but has reverse splits, with a significantly higher career OPS against southpaws compared to righties, so it's possible Fletcher begins the year in a platoon role alongside Goodwin. The 25-year-old will look to build upon a productive .290/.350/.384 slashline with 83 runs scored in 653 plate appearances in 2019.

Bogaerts will be limited for the next few days due to a sore ankle, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

The 27-year-old will get a slightly late start to spring training due to the ankle issue, but it's not expected to be a long-term concern. Bogaerts should return to action sometime this week and could be available for the beginning of Grapefruit League games Saturday.

The Blue Jays plan to give Bichette a heavy workload at shortstop in 2020, so much that they don't intend to carry a true shortstop as his backup, Gregor Chisholm of The Toronto Star reports.

Brandon Drury will be used as a super-utility player and represents Bichette's most likely backup. In addition to the full-time role he'll handle at shortstop, Bichette is projected to serve as the Blue Jays' leadoff man, as manager Charlie Montoyo tabbed him as the favorite for those duties Sunday, per Hazel Mae of Sportsnet.

Cruz, who saw his first action at the Double-A level in 2019, has received his first invitation to major-league spring training, DK Pittsburgh Sports reports.

"My goal is to make it to the big leagues this year," Cruz said. "I want to do everything possible to make it to the big leagues this year. For me, there's nothing impossible." The 21-year-old prospect is an oddity because of his size -- he stands 6-foot-7 -- and the position he currently plays, shortstop. While some projections have Cruz delivering monster power, he's hit just 32 home runs over his last three seasons. Since there are few size comparisons for Cruz, predicting his path may prove difficult. After returning from an early-season foot fracture in 2019, he hit well in High-A (.301/.345/.515) before jumping to Double-A (.269/.346/.412) for the final month. He then struggled in the Arizona Fall League, batting .190 with a 7:21 BB:K mark in 42 at-bats. Cruz is one of Pittsburgh's brightest prospects and it will be interesting to see how the team's new management handles his progression.

Camargo, who committed to improving his conditioning and fitness this offseason, will compete in camp with Austin Riley for the starting job at third base, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

The 26-year-old lost nearly 20 pounds this winter while working out with a performance coach in Tampa rather than staying home in Panama. Camargo saw his numbers drop across the board last year and could be a better fit as a utility player, but if Riley hasn't yet figured out big-league pitching, Camargo could get a chance to rediscover the form that saw him slug 19 homers with an .806 OPS through 134 games in 2018.

Velazquez was designated for assignment Friday.

The transaction clears a spot on the 40-man roster for the newly signed Domingo Santana. Velazquez is just 25 years old and can play both infield and outfield, which could entice a team to claim him off waivers, though he hasn't done much in the big leagues yet, hitting .152/.222/.242 in a small sample of 36 plate appearances.

Edman is expected to see action at as many as six different positions in spring training, as the Cardinals envision him filling an everyday role as a super-utility man in 2020, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

St. Louis is eager to open up everyday playing time for Edman after he posted a team-best .850 OPS last season following his promotion from Triple-A Memphis in early June. After playing 55 games at third base and 29 games at second base as a rookie, Edman should already carry dual-position eligibility in most fantasy leagues entering 2020, and the Cardinals could work him into the mix at all three outfield spots as necessary. Any additional eligibility he gains as the season rolls along will only provide another boost to the ascending value of Edman, who could make a run at a 20-20 season if he gets 600-plus plate appearances.