MLB Player News

Baez could become the full-time starter at second to start the season or sometime during the year, The Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Baez's versatility in 2016 was a big boon for the Cubs, but second base is his best position, and it's possible he becomes an everyday player there sometime in 2017. "Obviously, when I get my years in the big leagues, I want to have my own spot," Baez said. Ben Zobrist is in the mix at second as well, but he'll likely spend time platooning with Kyle Schwarber in left field.

Noonan agreed to a minor league contract with the Brewers on Tuesday.

The 2007 first-round pick has struggled during his limited time in the majors, most recently slashing .125/.182/.225 across 44 plate appearances over the past two years. He will serve as organizational infield depth for Milwaukee in 2017.

Seager enters camp as the Dodgers' everyday shortstop.

Seager was everything the Dodgers hoped he could be, and more, in his first full season as a starter. He slashed an impressive .308/.365/.512 in 687 plate appearances. His 40 doubles ranked first among MLB shortstops and his 26 homers ranked second. Those numbers themselves are worth early-round consideration in fantasy drafts, but the potential of the 22-year-old shortstop improving this season is what makes him such a desired commodity.

Baez said he will play second base for Puerto Rico in the upcoming World Baseball Classic, Carrie Muskat of MLB.com reports.

Baez appeared at first, second, third and short stop for the Cubs last season, and also got some run in the outfield. It appears he will focus on second base in the WBC, but his versatility could come into play for Puerto Rico.

O'Malley is the early favorite for the Mariners' utility spot entering spring training, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

The 29-year-old has seen action in 113 games over the last two seasons in Seattle and slashed .229/.299/.319 with nine doubles, two triples, two homers and 17 RBI in 2016. Last season, the switch-hitter was deployed at second base, third base and shortstop while also seeing action at all three outfield positions. His versatility and experience give him the early edge, but O'Malley could be pushed by newcomer Taylor Motter and Mike Freeman.

Braves manager Brian Snitker plans to have Swanson hit second in the batting order this season, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Swanson primarily hit near the bottom of the order in his MLB debut last season, getting 108 of his 129 at-bats from the No. 7 or No. 8 spot, but he has the skill set to thrive closer to the top of the order. With Ender Inciarte as the leadoff man and Freddie Freeman and Matt Kemp hitting behind Swanson, the 23-year-old shortstop should get plenty of opportunities to rack up runs and RBI.

Lindor will play for Team Puerto Rico in the upcoming World Baseball Classic, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

In only a short time in the majors, Lindor has blossomed into one of the game's young superstars. The Indians shortstop is coming off a campaign in which he was named an All-Star and earned both Gold Glove and Platinum Glove Awards for his defensive prowess, following a 2015 season in which he was the runner-up for the AL Rookie of the Year Award. The WBC should help Lindor get firing on all cylinders prior to Opening Day.

Baez will play for Puerto Rico in this year's World Baseball Classic, his first appearance in the tournament.

The 24-year-old will join a roster featuring fellow young stars Carlos Correa and Francisco Lindor. As a likely preview of his role with the Cubs this year, Baez figures to be a super utility player for Puerto Rico. He should be one of the team's offensive leaders.

Story says he has fully recovered from thumb surgery and will be ready for spring training, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

Story underwent the surgery to repair a torn UCL in August, abruptly ending his dynamic 2016 season. This is great news regarding the young slugger, who set a National League rookie record with 27 home runs and finished the season with a .567 slugging percentage. If Story can cut down on his strikeout rate (31.3 percent), he could find himself among the league's elite power hitters.

Sardinas -- who was expected to start the year at short -- will have to battle the recently signed Erick Aybar this spring.

The Padres bringing in competition for Sardinas makes sense given the 23-year-old's lack of success at the major league level prior to joining the Padres last season. He did have the best stretch of his career after the move to San Diego (.287/.353/.417 in 32 games), so there is a chance he finally bloomed as a hitter. Given his age, Sardinas is the more intriguing fantasy option of the two shortstops, but neither he nor Aybar will generate much interest outside of deep and NL-only formats.