MLB Player News

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.

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

Gallegos relays a report from MLB.com colleague Jesse Sanchez, who had a source confirm to him that the 17-year-old is slated to get his first taste of a big-league camp beginning July 1. Puason was considered one of the most talented members of the 2019 international signing class, and he secured an impressive $5.1 million bonus last summer. Puason may well be a bit wide-eyed alongside the large contingent of much more experienced, older players, but the fact the organization wants to invest a spot in the young Dominican underscores how talented a prospect he is.

Franco is expected to be part of the Rays' 60-man player pool that will report to the team's summer camp, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

The prize prospect's expected inclusion means he's expected to report to Port Charlotte, one of the two sites the Rays will use for their summer camp. The 19-year-old will therefore have a chance to continue his development despite the expected absence of a 2020 minor-league season, with the opportunity to play against big-league talent in intrasquad games projected as one of the biggest benefits of the move. That also leaves open the admittedly remote possibility Franco shows enough to earn a spot on the active roster at some point during the 60-game campaign, although the Rays continue to prioritize his continuing education as a player above all else. "We're not going to force anything. We're not going to throw any additional expectations on him," Rays general manager Erik Neander said in February. "We just want to make sure that we do right by him, progress him in all aspects of his development as best as we can, and prepare him for one day being a Major League player."

Marte will be a part of the Mariners' taxi squad this season, Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com reports.

While prospects like Jarred Kelenic and Julio Rodriguez could get legitimate playing time in the majors as a part of Seattle's taxi squad, it seems unlikely Marte will get similar opportunities. He has never played stateside or above rookie ball, so while his future appears bright, his inclusion on the taxi squad is unlikely to result in notable playing time in the majors this season.

Perdomo will be a part of the Diamondbacks' taxi squad this season, Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com reports.

One of the DIamondbacks' top prospects and one of the most underrated prospects in all the minors, Perdomo has a chance to be Arizona's shortstop of the future. However, they have a very talented big-league roster as is, and Perdomo has never played above High-A, so he is unlikely to get significant playing time in the majors this season.