MLB Player News

Guerrero is hoping to prove in the Dominican Winter League that he can still be an option at third base for the Blue Jays in 2021, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

He has reportedly lost 40 pounds since July and 20 since the end of the season, down to 245 pounds. Guerrero moved to first base this past season, but it would give the Blue Jays some extra versatility if he could play both corner infield spots. Typically players don't move back up the defensive spectrum, but it's possible in this case if Guerrero is diligent about staying in better shape.

Vaughn is a viable option at designated hitter in 2021, according to general manager Rick Hahn, Scot Gregor of the Chicago Daily Herald reports.

Chicago's top prospect and a top-10 fantasy prospect in the game, Vaughn spent the summer impressing White Sox brass at the alternate training site. He has an excellent command of the strike zone and connects with plus power to all fields. Considering he has never played at Double-A or Triple-A, Vaughn shouldn't be expected to win a job in spring training, but he could be assigned to Triple-A with a chance for a first-half call-up.

Santana signed a two-year, $17 million deal with the Royals on Tuesday, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.

The 34-year-old first baseman is coming off a down year where he hit .199/.349/.350 with eight home runs in 60 games for Cleveland. However, he hit .281/.397/.515 with 34 home runs and a 4.4 fWAR as recently as 2019. This move signals that the Royals are ready to try to compete for a playoff spot in 2021. Santana fills a big hole at first base, so he should be an everyday staple in the middle of the lineup.

Olson agreed to a one-year, $5 million contract with the Athletics on Wednesday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

He was in no danger of being non-tendered. Olson is coming off a down year (.195/.310/.424), but he still hit 14 home runs in 60 games while logging a career-best 13.9 percent walk rate. One of the problems was that his strikeout rate spiked from 25.2 percent in 2019 to 31.4 percent last season. He is a good bet to rebound to some extent in his age-27 season.

Guerrero was granted permission to play in the Dominican Winter League, Yancen Pujols of El Caribe reports.

There's really no downside here for Guerrero. It will be easier for him to stay in shape and it gives him a chance to get into a groove at the dish ahead of spring training. He has already reportedly lost 40 pounds since July and 20 since the end of the season via an offseason workout regimen, putting him down to 245 pounds. Guerrero's goal is to lose another 10 pounds before camp opens, Hector Gomez of Deportivo Z 101 reports.

Shaw was claimed off waivers by the Orioles on Wednesday, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Shaw was cast off the Giants' 40-man roster Friday, but he'll land a 40-man roster spot with Baltimore heading into the 2021 season. The 26-year-old has struggled in limited major-league opportunities and could serve as organizational depth with his new club.

Arias was added to Cleveland's 40-man roster Friday.

Arias was traded from San Diego to Cleveland at the end of August last year, and he'll unsurprisingly join the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. The 20-year-old flashed his power at the High-A level in 2019, hitting .302 with 17 home runs and 75 RBI.

Voit (foot) is no longer experiencing pain after receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection in his foot, Brendan Kuty of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.

Voit doesn't expect his plantar fasciitis to be an issue during the upcoming season after seeing positive results from the PRP shot. This is great news for the Yankees, who will have their slugger back at full strength for the start of spring training.

Abreu was named the 2020 American League Most Valuable Player on Thursday.

Abreu received 21 of 30 first-place votes, with Jose Ramirez receiving eight votes while DJ LeMahieu received one. The 33-year-old slashed .317/.370/.617 with 19 home runs and 60 RBI while appearing in all 60 games during the abbreviated 2020 season.

Diaz went 2-for-3 with a triple, an RBI and a run scored Sunday in the Rays' 4-2 loss to the Dodgers in Game 5 of the series.

With lefty Clayton Kershaw starting for the Dodgers, Rays manager Kevin Cash elected to roll with Diaz at first base over Mike Brosseau, who had been serving as the main short-side platoon mate for the lefty-hitting Ji-Man Choi during the postseason. The decision to start Diaz paid dividends, as the 29-year-old put the Rays on the board with his RBI triple in the second inning. The Dodgers are projected to start right-handers Tony Gonsolin and Walker Buehler in the final two games of the series, so Diaz will likely retreat to a bench role while Choi and Joey Wendle man the corner-infield spots for Tampa Bay.