MLB Player News

Anderson is confident he'll build on the success he had in 2018, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Anderson became a 20-20 hitter in 2018, setting career highs with 20 homers, 26 stolen bases, 28 doubles, 77 runs, and 30 walks. While his .281 on-base percentage suggests more work is needed at the plate, Anderson is pleased with his progression as a hitter. Hidden by his offensive outburst last year, the 25-year-old improved defensively, suggesting he'll remain at shortstop despite speculation he might be moved off that spot. He went from minus-16.3 UZR/150 and minus-8 in DRS in 2017 to plus-0.7 and 0, respectively, in 2018. He worked hard on his defensive deficiencies with bench coach Joe McEwing. Continued improvement in the field means Anderson could stick at shortstop, even if the White Sox add Manny Machado.

Cecchini cleared waivers Friday and was assigned to Triple-A Syracuse.

Cecchini was designated for assignment earlier in the week when the Mets signed Justin Wilson. His .294/.342/.468 line in 30 games for Triple-A Las Vegas last season was evidently not enough for another team to take a chance on him.

Cecchini was designated for assignment by the Mets on Monday, Matt Ehalt of The Bergen Record reports.

The 2012 first-round pick was replaced on the 40-man roster by reliever Justin Wilson. Cecchini spent most of 2018 with Triple-A Las Vegas, hitting .294/.342/.468. The 25-year-old owns a lackluster .217/.270/.301 triple-slash across parts of two big-league campaigns (36 games).

Sardinas signed a minor-league contract with the Nationals on Saturday, Matt Eddy of Baseball America reports.

Sardinas has received 500 major-league plate appearances across five seasons but has very little to show for it, hitting just .224/.274/.292. He's played all four infield positions plus left field, giving him multiple routes to the majors, but he'll likely only get called up in an emergency.

Story's elbow is feeling "great," Kyle Newman of The Denver Post reports.

Story experienced elbow issues in mid-September, which at one point appeared to be bad enough that Tommy John surgery was on the table, but he wound up missing just six games. He took time off after the season to let the elbow rest but has since resumed his normal routine without problems.

Seager (elbow/hip) said Saturday that he's trending well in his recovery and seemed cautiously optimistic that he'll be available for the start of the regular season, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Seager's 2018 campaign ended in late April, when he underwent Tommy John surgery to address a nagging elbow injury that had troubled him since the second half of 2017. With that procedure already keeping him idle, Seager also chose to address a torn labrum in his left hip with another surgery. Now several months removed from both operations, Seager has progressed to throwing from 120 feet, hitting off a tee and fielding grounders, though he has yet to resume live batting practice. It's expected that he'll add more baseball activities to his ledger within the next couple weeks before heading to spring camp, where he'll more than likely face some limitations in the early going following the lengthy layoff. So long as Seager avoids any setbacks and is able to get some competitive at-bats under his belt before Cactus League plays draws to a close, he should meet his goal of being ready for Opening Day.

The Blue Jays announced Saturday that Bichette will be one of their 15 non-roster invitees to big-league spring training, John Lott of The Athletic reports.

Toronto will have both of its top two prospects at big-league camp this spring, as Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was also included among the group of 15. Guerrero, widely viewed as the top overall prospect in baseball and a generational hitting talent, stands a better chance of breaking camp with Toronto than Bichette, who spent the entire 2018 campaign at Double-A New Hampshire. While Bichette dominated competition to the tune of a .286/.343/.453 line to go with 11 home runs and 32 steals in 595 plate appearances, the Blue Jays presumably want to test him in the International League before seriously considering a promotion. Assuming Bichette can hold his own at the highest level of the minors, he should earn a look in the big leagues at some point in 2019.

Correa said Thursday that his back feels 100 percent, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic reports. "Not even a slight bother in my back," the shortstop said. "It's been feeling awesome."

This is certainly encouraging to hear, as Correa's struggles at the dish in 2018 can largely be attributed to lingering back and oblique injuries that he dealt with throughout the season. A healthy Correa will look to return to the elite form he displayed from 2015-17 (.288/.366/.498), making him a prime buy-low candidate in 2019.

Swanson hit off a tee for the first time Wednesday since undergoing offseason wrist surgery, although he's expected to take it slow at the beginning of spring training, Gabe Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

He had surgery to eradicate a loose body in his left wrist at the beginning of November. While Swanson is expected to be ready to go for Opening Day, the Braves will take it easy with their starting shortstop this spring to prevent further issue.

Ahmed agreed to a one-year deal with the Diamondbacks on Friday, avoiding arbitration.

Ahmed's batting averaged decreased to .234 in 2018, although he belted a career-high 16 homers and drove in 70 runs in 153 ballgames. Whether he'll be able to maintain this kind of power over two straight seasons will be something to keep an eye on as the 2019 campaign unfolds.