MLB Player News

Guerrero revealed Wednesday that he lost 42 pounds during the offseason, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports. "It was fun ... wasn't difficult," Guerrero said of his physical transformation. "I feel quicker on all aspects of my game right now ... defensively and offensively."

Reports had surfaced throughout the offseason indicating that Guerrero had made a commitment to improving his conditioning, but it wasn't until Wednesday that he detailed the extent of his weight loss, which puts him in the target range of 240 to 245 pounds that the Blue Jays asked him to report at this spring. The lighter frame should help Guerrero in his efforts to be a usable option at either corner-infield spot in 2021; he was used exclusively at first base and designated hitter in 2020. Guerrero is still likely to be a below-average defender at third base and probably won't be used there frequently with Cavan Biggio sitting atop the depth chart, but if he can at least play enough at the position to regain eligibility in fantasy leagues, it would be a nice boost to his value. More importantly, though, Guerrero must show some growth as a power hitter to justify his draft-day price; he produced a modest nine home runs in 60 games last season, with an inability to consistently get loft on his swing (54.6 percent groundball rate) being the main culprit.

Olson is intent on making up for a poor 2020 season and believes he identified several mechanical issues with his swing over the offseason, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports. "To put it bluntly, I stunk last year, in my opinion," Olson said. "There were definitely things wrong with the swing that I was going out there with every day. I don't think that represents in any way the caliber of player that I think that I am."

The slugging first baseman still demonstrated plenty of pop with 14 home runs and 19 extra-base hits overall across 245 plate appearances in 2020, but his .195 average and .310 on-base percentage left plenty to be desired. So, too, did his career-worst 31.4 percent strikeout rate, which Olson believes was largely the result of leaving his bat "too horizontal" in his setup, which led to issues with his timing when subsequently completing his swing. Olson worked with hitting coach Darren Bush via virtual sessions during the offseason to address that and other issues, and consequently, the 26-year-old heads into spring training confident he can return to the caliber of play that led to a .267/.351/.545 line with 36 home runs and 91 RBI in 2019.

The White Sox announced Wednesday that Abreu is being held out of spring training after testing positive for COVID-19, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Per James Fegan of The Athletic, general manager Rick Hahn relayed that Abreu believes he contracted the virus in January, but the first baseman has been "completely asymptomatic" and "feels great." Even so, Abreu is expected to remain away from the team for the next several days in compliance with MLB intake protocols. Manager Tony La Russa said that he's hopeful that Abreu could return to the team by Monday, James Fegan of The Athletic reports. Whether his absence impacts his availability for the start of the regular season remains to be seen.

France projects to get the bulk of playing time at designated hitter this season before eventually transitioning to third base full-time, likely in 2022, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.

A trade deadline acquisition from the Padres last summer, France made quite the impression with a .309/.371/.469 line, five doubles, a triple, two home runs and 13 RBI across 89 plate appearances. The Mariners are intent on getting his bat into the lineup on an everyday basis, hence the 26-year-old being ticketed for designated hitter work while Kyle Seager likely plays out his final Mariners season at the hot corner. With Seattle holding a $15 million option on Seager for 2022, France can presumably seal the veteran's fate by continuing to produce at a caliber similar to his late 2020 run during the coming campaign.

Texas manager Chris Woodward said it's possible that both Lowe and Ronald Guzman make the Opening Day roster, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports.

When the Rangers acquired Lowe, it was presumed the organization was moving on from Guzman. However, that was before Guzman earned MVP honors in the Dominican Winter League. Woodward said there's a world where both first basemen can break camp with the Rangers, but that would mean both have a strong spring training. In that event, the Rangers could use Lowe at third base, where he's appeared six times for Tampa Bay and another five times while in the minors.

Vaughn took his first batting practice of training camp Monday, Lamond Pope of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Vaughn is the latest White Sox prospect entering spring training with buzz. In 2019 it was Eloy Jimenez and last year Luis Robert was the toast of camp. Both of those players cemented full-time roles in the lineup, and now Vaughn begins his competition for the open designated hitter job. The 2019 third overall draft pick hasn't played above High-A, but decision-makers in the organization feel he's ready to hit MLB pitching.

Tigers manager AJ Hinch said Monday that Torkelson will work exclusively at third base during spring training, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.

Though significant questions remain as to whether Torkelson has enough range to stick at the hot corner long term, the Tigers will at least give the 2020 No. 1 overall pick the chance to prove he can play the position as he begins his professional career. Torkelson is already close to big-league ready at the plate, and he'll retain plenty of appeal in dynasty formats even if he's ultimately forced to move to first base.

Abreu's arrival at camp is delayed due to COVID-19 testing, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

The White Sox don't anticipate the delay being a long one, as Abreu is expected to arrive Wednesday. That's just three days before spring training games begin, so Abreu may miss the start of Cactus League play, but he should still have more than enough time to prepare for the start of the regular season.

General manager Rick Hahn said Wednesday that Vaughn is "very much in the mix" to make the Opening Day roster, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

Vaughn is one of the organization's top prospects, and he was invited to major-league spring training ahead of the 2021 season. The 22-year-old has appeared in just 55 minor-league games, slashing .278/.384/.449 with six home runs and 36 RBI. Hahn has said he's a viable option at designated hitter in 2021 and there wouldn't have been much doubt regarding Vaughn's major-league readiness if there had been a minor-league season in 2020, offering optimism he could make the club to begin the 2021 campaign.

Diaz reportedly worked on his agility this offseason after experiencing a power drain and struggling some with his defense in 2020, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The 29-year-old's .307 average and .428 on-base percentage were essentially above reproach, but his anemic .386 slugging percentage was largely the byproduct of Diaz lacing just five extra-base hits (three doubles, two home runs) across 138 plate appearances. A hamstring injury also plagued Diaz throughout all of September, and he was limited to just one start at third base when he returned for the postseason because of concerns about his range. The fruits of Diaz's offseason labor will have a chance to reveal themselves during spring training, when his primary spot in the infield should be determined.