MLB Player News

Gittens was recently released by the Yankees and will play in Japan next season, Lindsey Adler of The Athletic reports.

While Gittens, 27, never got a fair shake to see if his game translated against big-league pitching, he possessed as much power as any hitter in the upper levels of the minors. He hit .301/.440/.644 with 14 home runs and a .342 ISO in 45 games at Triple-A last season.

Calhoun signed a contract with the Rangers on Sunday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

Calhoun's $9 million team option was declined by the Diamondbacks in early November after he slashed .235/.297/.373 with five homers, 17 runs and 17 RBI across 51 appearances last year. Although he dealt with hamstring issues in 2021, he'll likely be in the mix for a starting role in 2022.

Pratto was added to Kansas City's 40-man roster Friday.

Pratto dominated at Double-A and closed the year by hitting .259/.367/.634 with 21 home runs in 63 games at Triple-A. He is nearing his big-league debut and profiles as the Royals' first baseman of the future.

Clemens had his contract selected by the Tigers on Friday.

The move to the 40-man roster protect Clemens from being selected during the upcoming Rule 5 draft. The 25-year-old spent last season at Triple-A Toledo and hit .247/.312/.778 with 18 homers, 59 RBI and 66 runs in 97 games. He figures to be in big-league camp for spring training.

Freeman rejected Atlanta's $18.4 million qualifying offer prior to Wednesday's deadline and will become an unrestricted free agent, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Though Freeman turned down the qualifying offer, expect the 32-year-old first baseman to work out a new long-term deal with Atlanta this winter. He followed up his 2020 NL MVP-winning campaign with another strong season in Atlanta's run to its first World Series title since 1995, slashing .300/.393/.503 with 31 home runs, 120 runs, 83 RBI and eight stolen bases across 695 plate appearances.

Rivas is expected to complete rehab on his finger in December and will have a normal offseason thereafter, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Rivas tore a tendon in his right middle finger in late September and was quickly ruled out for the season. However, it appears as if the injury won't cause any long-term issues, as he is expected to return to full health in plenty of time for spring training, Prior to going down with the injury, Rivas hit .318/.388/.409 across 49 plate appearances in his major-league debut.

White (hip) has resumed taking part in baseball activities and is expected to have a normal offseason program, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

The 25-year-old underwent hip surgery in July and was limited to 30 games in 2021, as Ty France took over the everyday role at first base for Seattle. France is now set to open 2022 as the starting first baseman, per Divish, while White will work in left field during the offseason and spring training to try and add some versatility to his game. White had a .599 OPS in 54 games during the shortened campaign in 2020, and his main positive was his defense as he won a Gold Glove, so he'll need to produce more offensively next season to have a chance of sticking around the big-league roster.

President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said Tuesday the Mariners will begin the 2022 season with France as the team's starting first baseman, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

France is primarily viewed as more of a second baseman by trade, but he offers strong versatility and spent most of his time at first base in 2021 to go along with 19 appearances at the keystone and five at third base. Even though he's not the prototypical power bat at first, the 27-year-old produced at the plate with a .291/.368/.445 slash line, 18 homers, 32 doubles, 73 RBI and 85 runs in 650 plate appearances.

The Reds granted Blandino free agency Monday after outrighting him off the 40-man roster last week, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

Cincinnati retained Blandino's rights after he went unclaimed off waivers, but the organization will let the 29-year-old explore his options on the open market his winter. The infielder appeared in 43 games for the Reds in 2021, slashing .200/.317/.257 across 82 plate appearances.

Atlanta extended a qualifying offer to Freeman on Sunday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Freeman will now have 10 days to decide whether to accept his one-year, $18.4 million offer. The 32-year-old slashed .300/.393/.503 with 31 homers, 120 runs, 83 RBI and eight stolen bases during the regular season in 2021.