MLB Player News

Featherston agreed to a minor-league contract with the Twins on Friday, Mike Berardino of The Pioneer Press reports.

Featherston has played in 137 major-league games during the course of his professional career, and although most of those appearances came in 2015, he will be able to provide added infield depth for Minnesota heading into this upcoming season. During the 2017 campaign, the second baseman spent most of his time at the Triple-A level -- which is where he will likely begin next year -- and hit just .179/.277/.359 during 39 at-bats in the big leagues for the Rays.

Manager Buck Showalter said Sardinas is a candidate to serve a utility role next season, Rich Dubroff of PressBoxonline.com reports.

The Orioles are in need of a utility man with Ryan Flaherty heading to free agency, and Sardinas could fill that role in 2018. He signed a minor-league contract with the team in October after finishing last season with Triple-A Norfolk. Throughout his career, the 24-year-old has appeared in multiple games at first base, second base, third base and shortstop. Sardinas hit just .163/.226/.163 in a 29-game stint with the Padres last season before being designated for assignment.

Owings (finger) will be used in a super-utility role next season, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

Owings proved to be a versatile asset again in 2017, playing shortstop, second base, right field and left field for the Diamondbacks before suffering a season-ending broken finger at the end of July. While he chipped in 12 homers and 12 steals, his poor defense and below-average on-base skills aren't desirable traits in an everyday starter, prompting Arizona to shift him to a utility role. Owings was forced to undergo a second surgery on his broken finger in November, leaving his status for Opening Day up in the air.

General manager Farhan Zaidi said Seager will not require offseason elbow surgery, Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Seager dealt with a right elbow issue for the final two months of the 2017 season, and offseason surgery had been floated around as a possibility. He's apparently doing better after taking a couple of months off, however, and is expected to continue resting in the offseason before reporting to spring training. The 23-year-old finished the season with a .295/.375/.479 triple-slash and 22 homers in 145 games despite also dealing with ankle and back injuries. A healthy Seager should be poised for another big season.

Manager Scott Servais said Gordon is expected to bat leadoff in 2018, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Jean Segura is expected to hit second with Gordon taking over atop the order, though obviously nothing is set in stone at this point. With the speedster batting leadoff, he should once again be a reliable source of steals, runs and batting average next season.

Wendle was traded from the A's to the Rays in exchange for a player to be named later, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

The two teams worked out a deal after Wendle was designated for assignment by the Athletics last week. The 27-year-old spent most of the 2017 campaign with Triple-A Nashville, though he did earn a September callup and hit .308/.357/.615 in eight games for the big club. Wendle will fight for an Opening Day roster spot as infield depth, though it's possible he winds up at Triple-A Durham to start the season.

Wendle was designated for assignment by the Athletics on Thursday, MLB.com reports.

The move clears a spot on the 40-man roster for Yusmeiro Petit, who was recently signed as a free agent. Wendle spent most of the 2017 season with Triple-A Nashville, compiling a .285/.327/.429 line with eight homers and 13 stolen bases in 118 games. He held his own during a September callup, hitting .308/.357/.615 in eight games, but it apparently wasn't enough for the Athletics to keep him on the 40-man. He'll now run through waivers to determine his next landing spot.

Gordon will play center field for the Mariners in 2018, Jim Bowden of Sirius XM Radio reports.

The report was confirmed by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, who broke the original story of Gordon being traded from Miami to Seattle. Gordon hasn't played center field at any level in the states, but he did make nine appearances in center in the Dominican Winter League a few years ago. Those in the fantasy game will want to continue to deploy Gordon at second base, but the dual eligibility he'll pick up early on will be a nice bonus.

The Marlins agreed to trade Gordon to the Mariners on Thursday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

The new ownership regime in Miami has begun shedding payroll, with Gordon being the first to be dumped. This would seem to create a logjam in the middle infield in Seattle, but these things always sort themselves out -- there could be another trade or perhaps Gordon will prepare for a role in the outfield. Gordon will be on the field close to every day and should once again be a great source of steals and batting average.

Camargo is currently atop the depth chart at third base for the Braves one week before the start of the Winter Meetings, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

With Austin Riley looking like the long-term solution at third base for the Braves, the team is seeking a steady option to hold down the job until Riley is ready (likely in 2019). As a result, Camargo is the leading internal candidate to open the season with the job, but the Braves may find an affordable solution in free agency if the market is soft for a player such as Todd Frazier since Mike Moustakas is also available this winter. Additionally, the list of teams looking for help at third base is reasonably short. Eventually, Camargo will likely end up handling a utility role for the Braves.