MLB Player News

Astros manager Joe Espada said Tuesday that Smith will play some center field during spring training, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Smith learned right field on the fly last season and took surprisingly well to it, so the Astros will push him further to see if he can learn a more demanding position. Right field still represents Smith's best path to a starting job, but more opportunities could be afforded if he shows he can adequately handle center field. Smith slashed .236/.312/.358 with nine home runs and a 27.8 percent strikeout rate across 134 games during his rookie season.

The Marlins claimed Acton off waivers from the Rockies on Tuesday.

Acton had previously been designated for assignment by the Rockies and has now been scooped up on waivers for the second time this offseason. The 27-year-old reliever made one scoreless appearance for the Rays in 2025 but spent most of the year at Triple-A Durham, where he held a 3.68 ERA and 71:27 K:BB over 58.2 frames. Acton will compete for a spot in Miami's bullpen.

The Rockies signed McCann to a minor-league contract Tuesday that includes an invitation to spring training, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

McCann got into 54 games for the Athletics in 2024 before splitting the 2025 season between Triple-A Las Vegas and the Mexican League. The 28-year-old is ticketed for Triple-A Albuquerque to begin the 2026 campaign.

The Astros and Paredes avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $9.35 million contract Tuesday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports. The deal includes a club option for 2027.

The deal is the midpoint of the figures that were exchanged last month. Paredes will have one more year of arbitration eligibility next offseason before reaching free agency the following winter. There's currently not a clear opening in Houston's everyday lineup for Paredes, who hit .254/.352/.458 with 20 home runs in 2025, but he remains a candidate to be traded.

Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom said Tuesday that Saggese could factor into the team's outfield mix this season, Brandon Kiley of 101 ESPN St. Louis reports.

Saggese has only played the infield to this point in his professional career. Adding to his versatility would give Saggese more avenues to playing time, particularly since the Cardinals are light on right-handed-hitting outfielders. Saggese has slashed a disappointing .250/.292/.336 with a 28 percent strikeout rate in his first 100 games at the big-league level, but he'll turn just 24 in April and was a .288/.358/.485 hitter in the minors.

The Reds designated Rortvedt for assignment Tuesday.

Booting Rortvedt off the 40-man roster clears a spot for Eugenio Suarez, who was officially signed Tuesday. Rortvedt was a waiver claim by the Reds earlier this offseason and is now likely to be on the move again. The defensive-minded catcher is a career .190/.279/.270 hitter over parts of four big-league seasons.

Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom said Tuesday that Gorman "should have plenty of opportunity this year," Brandon Kiley of 101 ESPN St. Louis reports.

Bloom didn't explicitly say it, but the expectation is that Gorman will take over as the team's primary third baseman in 2026 for the departed Nolan Arenado. After a mini-breakout in 2023 that saw him crank 27 home runs, Gorman has slashed just .204/.284/.385 with a 35.7 percent strikeout rate over the last two seasons. He's still just 25, however, and the rebuilding Cardinals aren't ready to give up on his power potential.

Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom said Tuesday that the team has not made a decision as to whether Cijntje will be a switch-pitcher moving forward or focus on throwing right-handed, Brenden Schaeffer of STL Sports Central reports.

The Mariners had said prior to trading Cijntje to the Cardinals on Monday that the hurler would throw only right-handed in spring training games. Bloom noted that while he thinks the course the Mariners were going to take with Cijntje was "a good one," he wants to get to know the pitcher first before making any determinations. Cijntje collected a 3.99 ERA and 120:51 K:BB over 108.1 innings between High-A Everett and Double-A Arkansas in 2025 and will likely begin his stint in the Cardinals organization at Double-A Springfield.

Salazar signed a minor-league contract with the Twins on Tuesday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

The 27-year-old hit free agency after being removed from the Nationals' 40-man roster in October. Salazar made 30 relief appearances for Washington last season and struggled to an 8.38 ERA, 2.17 WHIP and 23:16 K:BB over 29 innings. His deal with the Twins includes a foreign-team inquiry clause.

The Phillies re-signed Robert (forearm) to a minor-league contract Tuesday that includes an invitation to spring training, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Robert was non-tendered by the Phillies earlier in the offseason even though he is not yet eligible for salary arbitration. Ultimately, he's found his way back into the organization and will compete for a spot in the bullpen. Robert missed the final month of the 2025 season with a forearm strain, and it's unclear whether he will have any limitations at the start of camp.