MLB Player News

Baldoquin will be a non-roster invitee to major league spring training, Pedro Moura of The Los Angeles Times reports.

Baldoquin, a 22-year-old Cuban middle infielder, received an $8 million signing bonus from the Angels in November of 2014. He's a big part of the team's plans for the future, but last season's .235/.266/.294 slash line at High-A Inland Empire makes it clear that his bat is nowhere close to being big-league ready. Even when accounting for his strong defensive reputation, Baldoquin is unlikely to reach the majors at any point in 2016.

Noonan signed a minor league contract with the Padres on Wednesday that includes an invite to major league spring training, Dennis Lin of the Union-Tribune reports.

The former Giants infielder and San Diego native will be a non-roster invitee for Padres' upcoming spring training, where he'll compete against four other NRI infield candidates in addition to more established players for a spot on the roster. Noonan's left-handed bat would theoretically be a nice addition to the Padres' predominantly right-handed lineup, but the offseason signing of Alexei Ramirez makes Noonan a long shot at making the Opening Day roster.

Herrera received an invitation to spring training Thursday.

Herrera spent another season with High-A Modesto, but considering he only batted .260 last season, he'll likely head back to the minors for more seasoning after spring training.

Featherston was traded to the Phillies for a player to be named later or cash considerations on Wednesday.

In his first MLB season, Featherston hit for a .162/.212/.247 slash line in 101 games last season. After his rapid ascent through the Angels' minor league season, the 25-year-old seemed to hit a ceiling in the majors last year and it will be interesting to see how his role changes with the Phillies.

Martinez will attend Orioles' spring training as a non-roster invitee, Eduardo A. Encina of The Baltimore Sun reports.

The 27-year-old Puerto Rican has played 942 games at the minor league level but only 34 in the big leagues. In 2015 with Double-A Bowie, he hit .252 with 48 runs and 30 RBI in 477 plate appearances. The journeyman will have a difficult time finding playing time given his limited production in the MLB, even if he receives a roster spot.

Featherston was designated for assignment by the Angels on Friday, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports.

Featherston was the causality when the Angels claimed Christian Friedrich off waivers from the Rockies on Friday. He got to play plenty in the majors all over the infield, but failed to hit well and lost virtually all of his power, as he batted only .162 with two home runs and a .247 slugging percentage. The 26-year-old could be a decent pickup for a club looking for an inexpensive and young utility infielder.

Mateo has received an invitation to spring training, Bryan Hoch of MLB reports.

Mateo is one of the top prospects in the Yankee system, and the fact that the Yankees are already having the 20-year-old in the major league camp after only playing as high as High-A last season says how much they like him. Despite the invite, Mateo will likely head back to the minors for more seasoning after spring training concludes.

Diaz received an invitation to spring training Friday, Jared Diamond of the Wall Street Journal reports.

The light-hitting shortstop spent most of 2015 with the Triple-A affiliate of the Blue Jays, but did see some time with the major league club as well. That being said, he'll likely head back to the minors after spring training is over.

Arcia will begin the 2016 season in the minors, according to Brewers general manager David Stearns, MLB.com reports.

Speculation obviously grew when Milwaukee traded Jean Segura to Arizona on Saturday, clearing a path to the majors for Arcia, but Stearns reset expectations."We're going to send [Arcia] to Triple-A and allow him to continue his development," Stearns said. "Ultimately, as he continues to grow and mature as a player, his production and his continued development will dictate his timeline to the Major Leagues, rather than a move like this." At this time, it looks like Jonathan Villar will start at shortstop when the 2016 begins.

Francisco Lindor was a big-time prospect for the Indians because he was expected to step into the majors and be an immediate contributor with the glove, and he definitely was that. Lindor helped key a second-half turnaround of the club's infield defense, but what really made him stand out for Fantasy purposes was the unexpected power he provided as a rookie.

After hitting just two homers in 59 games at Triple-A in 2015, Lindor quickly found his power stroke in the majors. He slugged a dozen homers in 99 games, falling just one short of his minor-league season-high in 51 fewer games. As a 21-year-old, it's no surprise Lindor is growing into his game and developing more power, but a repeat performance seems unlikely for a number of reasons.

First off, he hit the majority of his batted balls on the ground, with a flyball rate of just 28.7 percent. Additionally, he sported one of the lowest hard-hit averages in the majors, with a 25.2 percent mark that ranked 119th out of 141 qualified hitters. Among players with a hard-hit average below 26 percent, Lindor's 13.0 HR/FB ratio leads the way, a sign that he might not be able to sustain that kind of power.

Lindor could still be a solid Fantasy option, with 12 homer and 20-steal potential for a full season. Just don't expect him to sustain a 20-homer pace like he did as a rookie.