MLB Player News

Williams will get work in big-league camp at both shortstop and center field, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

With Francisco Lindor signed through 2031, Williams will likely have to move off shortstop when he gets to the majors. The Mets also indicated the 20-year-old top prospect would not get reps at second base this spring, so it looks as though center field will be his eventual defensive home. "I don't really care," Williams said Friday. "Whatever gets me to the big leagues the fastest." In his first full professional season after being selected with the 14th overall pick in 2022, Williams slashed .263/.425/.451 in 121 games across three levels last year with 13 homers and 45 steals, finishing the campaign at Double-A Binghamton. He'll likely spend most of 2024 in the high minors, but a late-season debut in the majors would set him up to replace Harrison Bader in center for the Mets in 2025.

Lux has been cleared to ditch the heavy knee brace he had been wearing on his surgically repaired right knee, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

He is still wearing a compression sleeve, however. Lux missed the entire 2023 season following surgery to repair the ACL and LCL in his knee, but he's full-go this spring and is slated to open the season as the Dodgers' starting shortstop.

Manager Torey Luvollo said Friday that Perdomo will begin the season as Arizona's primary shortstop, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.comreports.

Top prospect Jordan Lawlar made his MLB debut last season and will soon receive an extended look in the big leagues, but Perdomo's .712 OPS during the regular season last year and .754 OPS during the playoffs will help him keep the starting gig at shortstop for now. Perdomo totaled six home runs, 47 RBI, 71 runs and 16 steals in 144 contests, and he has a limited fantasy ceiling.

Soto was designated for assignment by Baltimore on Friday.

Soto was claimed off waivers from the Angels last week but didn't stick on the Orioles' 40-man roster for long. The 23-year-old appeared in four big-league games last season and had a .700 OPS over 477 plate appearances at Triple-A.

The Orioles claimed Castillo off waivers from the Phillies on Friday.

It marks the fifth organization Castillo has been in just this offseason, as he continues to bounce around via waivers. The 26-year-old utility player does have an option year remaining and seems likely to begin the year at Triple-A Norfolk, assuming he's still in the organization by Opening Day.

Schmitt is in the mix to be the Giants' starting shortstop, though he begins the spring behind Marco Luciano on the depth chart, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Schmitt is a versatile defender who could also slot in at second base or third base. He appeared in 90 games for the Giants as a rookie last season, posting a .206/.255/.324 slash line with five home runs, 30 RBI, 28 runs scored, 15 doubles and two stolen bases. Schmitt could end up being a utility option, but his strong defense should allow him to open the season in the majors.

Manager Mike Shildt announced Friday that Bogaerts will move to second base this season while Ha-Seong Kim takes over at shortstop, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports.

Kim is viewed as the superior defender and won a Gold Glove at the keystone last year, and the Padres new skipper didn't waste any time moving to shore up his defense at a premier position. An eventual move off shortstop always seemed inevitable after Bogaerts joined the team on an 11-year, $280-million contract in December of 2022, but it's a bit of a surprise the transition is happening so soon. Bogaerts' fantasy value for 2024 should rise a bit thanks to dual-position eligibility after he posted a .285/.350/.440 slash line with 19 home runs and 19 steals last season.

Baez revealed Friday that he's dealt with nagging back and core issues over the last two seasons, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Baez altered his offseason training routine in order to strengthen those areas and said he's now feeling much better. Perhaps the injury problems can partly explain Baez's dreadful .230/.273/.361 slash line during his two years in Detroit, but fantasy managers will likely need to see tangible improvement from the 31-year-old before investing.

McLain is expected to be the Reds' primary second baseman when the season starts, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

McLain played mostly at shortstop in 2023 but made 34 starts at second base, mostly as a replacement when Jonathan India (foot) was sidelined. McLain is considered a plus defender at both middle infield positions. The move to second appears likely, as the club revealed its plans to have Elly De La Cruz focus mostly on shortstop -- he had also played third base last season. As for India, who was the primary second baseman last season, he'll add first and third base to his resume and possibly left field.

Castillo was designated for assignment by the Phillies on Tuesday.

Castillo was claimed off waivers by Philly early last week but won't stick on the 40-man roster. The 26-year-old spent last season at the Triple-A level and had an .841 OPS in 124 contests. Kaleb Ort, who was claimed off waivers from the Marlins, will take Castillo's place on the Phillies' roster.