MLB Player News
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Dansby Swanson SS | CHC
Dansby Swanson: Rejects qualifying offer
Swanson rejected Atlanta's $19.65 million qualifying offer Tuesday and will remain a free agent, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Swanson is likely to receive more in average-annual value via a multi-year deal on the open market, so it's no surprise to see him reject the qualifying offer. However, the rejection will affect the 28-year-old's market since whichever team signs him will have to forfeit a draft pick. Swanson had a .277/.329/.447 slash line with 25 home runs, 96 RBI and 18 stolen bases while playing in all 162 games last season, and he remains one of the better defensive shortstops in the game.
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Wenceel Perez RF | DET
Tigers' Wenceel Perez: Protected from Rule 5 draft
Perez was added to the Tigers' 40-man roster Tuesday.
Detroit added Perez to the 40-man roster in order to protect him from being selected during the upcoming Rule 5 draft. The 23-year-old split 2022 between High-A West Michigan and Double-A Erie, and he posted a .903 OPS with 14 home runs and 18 steals between the two levels.
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Jonathan Ornelas SS | ATL
Rangers' Jonathan Ornelas: Added to 40-man
Ornelas was added to the Rangers' 40-man roster Tuesday, Jeff Wilson of RangersToday.com reports.
After slashing .301/.362/.425 with Double-A Frisco in 2022, Ornelas was deemed worthy of a spot on the 40-man roster for Rule 5 protection. Given a bit more time to develop in the minors, the 22-year-old infielder has a good shot at cracking the big leagues.
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David Hamilton 3B | MIL
Red Sox's David Hamilton: Joins 40-man roster
Hamilton was added to Boston's 40-man roster Tuesday, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports.
Hamilton is so fast that he could be used as a pinch runner at times now that he is on the 40-man roster. The 25-year-old middle infielder was just a touch above league average as a hitter at Double-A (104 wRC+) but hit 12 home runs with 70 steals in 119 games.
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Braden Shewmake SS | HOU
Braves' Braden Shewmake: Added to 40-man roster
Shewmake was added to Atlanta's 40-man roster Tuesday.
After selecting Shewmake in the first round of the 2019 draft, Atlanta is pretty invested in developing him into at least a utility player. The lanky shortstop hit .259/.316/.399 with seven home runs and nine steals in 76 games at Triple-A as a 24-year-old.
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Joey Wendle 2B | ATL
Marlins' Joey Wendle: Marlins decline mutual option
Wendle's $6.6 million mutual option was declined by Miami on Tuesday, but he remains with the team for his final year of arbitration eligibility, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.
The Marlins still retain team control over Wendle and likely expect to be able to bring him back at a lower salary. He's coming off a down season in which he hit .259/.297/.360 but should be able to continue filling a part-time role.
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Luke Williams 2B | ATL
Dodgers' Luke Williams: Claimed by Dodgers
The Dodgers claimed Williams off of waivers from Miami on Tuesday, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.
Despite finding success during his limited appearances in Triple-A, where he slashed .327/.414/.469 last season, Williams struggled to carry it over into the majors. Now he joins a Dodgers organization that is filled with outfield talent, which will give him time to develop more in the minors before potentially getting a look in Los Angeles.
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Carlos Correa SS | HOU
Carlos Correa: Headed for free agency
Correa declined his $35.1 million player option for 2023 on Monday and has entered free agency.
Last March, Correa signed a one-year, $35.1 million deal with the Twins that included player options for the same salary figures in 2023 and 2024. The player options gave Correa some extra security in the event he suffered a major injury or saw a dramatic downturn in performance, but he generally enjoyed good health in his lone season in Minnesota while slashing .291/.366/.467 with 22 home runs and 64 RBI across 590 plate appearances. The 28-year-old Correa should be one of the top players in this winter's free agency class and will likely try to secure a longer-term deal this time around.
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Xander Bogaerts SS | SD
Xander Bogaerts: Opting out of deal
Bogaerts declined his $20 million player option for 2023 on Monday, opting out of the final three years of his contract with the Red Sox to become a free agent, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.
As expected, Bogaerts will hit the open market this offseason, leaving approximately $60 million on the table as he pursues what will surely be a more lucrative long-term deal in free agency. The shortstop is coming off of another impressive campaign in 2022, having posted a .307 average with 15 home runs, 73 RBI, 84 runs and eight stolen bases over 150 games. One of the best shortstops in the league, Bogaerts will certainly have an active market for his services this offseason.
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Tim Anderson 2B | LAA
White Sox's Tim Anderson: Back in Chicago for '23
The White Sox exercised Anderson's (hand) $12.5 million team option for 2023 on Sunday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
Even though Anderson was limited to just 79 games in 2022 due to a pair of trips to the injured list, the two-time All-Star is still viewed as a core piece for the White Sox. The team's decision to keep him aboard for 2023 thus comes as no surprise, and barring a dramatic downturn in performance, Anderson will most likely stick around with Chicago through the 2024 season, when he can be brought back on a cost-effective $14 million team option. Since the start of the 2019 campaign, Anderson's .309 batting average ranks third in the majors among players with at least 1,000 plate appearances.