MLB Player News

Cron signed with Colorado as a non-roster invitee Monday.

There may be no better way for a fringy player to suddenly become fantasy-relevant than by taking up residence at Coors Field. Cron will have to prove his health in camp, as knee surgery limited him to just 13 games last season. If he does that, he has a good chance to carve out a significant role, with Josh Fuentes and Greg Bird currently lined up as his top competition at first base. Cron has looked like at least a low-end regular throughout most of his seven big-league seasons, hitting .257/.312/.464 (110 wRC+) overall.

Cabrera signed a one-year, $1.75 million contract with the Diamondbacks on Friday, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.

Cabrera saw a decrease in playing time at the end of the 2020 season with the Nationals, but he'll now join the Diamondbacks on a one-year deal. The 35-year-old slashed .242/.305/.447 with eight home runs and 31 RBI over 52 games last year and could see playing time at the infield corners in 2021.

Vaughn received an invitation to major-league camp Thursday.

Vaughn is still just 22 years old and has a mere 55 professional games under his belt, but he's an advanced hitter whose big-league debut may not be far off. Under ordinary circumstances, he probably would have spent last year in the upper minors and could have even pushed for a call-up with some strong performances, but the canceled minor-league season robbed him of that opportunity. While he may not be given serious consideration for an Opening Day spot, he could be with the team fairly early in the season if he looks good in camp and in the minors.

Casas received an invitation to Boston's major-league spring training Tuesday, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

The 21-year-old joined the Red Sox's 60-player pool in mid-August and spent the rest of the season at the alternate training site, so he was still able to put in some developmental work in 2020. Casas spent most of 2019 at Low-A before making a late-season jump to High-A, so he likely has some work to do before reaching the majors.

Torkelson was invited to Detroit's major-league spring training camp Saturday.

The top pick in the 2020 draft is both very talented and very advanced, though he probably won't be given serious consideration for an Opening Day roster spot, as the canceled minor-league season last year robbed him of the chance to make his professional debut. While his defensive home remains uncertain, his bat is strong enough that he could debut as soon as this summer, despite his inexperience.

Brewers president of baseball operations David Stearns confirmed Friday that Hiura will be the team's starting first baseman for 2021, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

The team officially announced the signing of Kolten Wong on Friday, so it's not much of a surprise to see Stearns also provide the plans for Hiura's shift away from second base. The 24-year-old's defense at the keystone has always been a concern, especially his throwing ability, and the addition of Wong -- a two-time Gold Glove winner -- brings a significant defensive upgrade to the middle infield for Milwaukee. Hiura had a .938 OPS as a rookie in 2019, but he struggled during 2020 with 34.6 percent strikeout rate and a .707 OPS. He should have every opportunity to get back on track in 2021.

Wade was traded to the Giants on Thursday in exchange for Shaun Anderson, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Wade has filled a depth role in the outfield for Minnesota since making his major-league debut in 2019. He's accrued only 113 major-league plate appearances across two seasons and hit .211/.336/.347. He will give the Giants another left-handed bat in their outfield and projects to continue to serve as a fourth or fifth outfielder for the club.

Hiura will likely serve as the Brewers' primary first baseman in 2021, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Hiura slotted in at second base over most of the past two seasons with the Brewers, but he's expected to shift to first base after the team signed Kolten Wong on Wednesday. Despite his position change, Hiura should maintain a regular spot in Milwaukee's lineup as he attempts to build on his 2020 campaign in which he hit .212/.297/.410 with 13 home runs and 32 RBI. Daniel Vogelbach will likely shift to a reserve role unless the designated hitter is utilized in the National League again in 2021.

Voit (foot) is running the bases at the Yankees' spring training facility in Florida, Brendan Kuty of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.

The 29-year-old dealt with plantar fasciitis throughout the 2020 campaign but appears on track for spring training. Voit should continue ramping things up at the informal workouts before the official start of camp in a few weeks.

Montero and several other prospects have been traded from the Cardinals to the Rockies in exchange for Nolan Arenado, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.

Montero has yet to make his big-league debut, spending the majority of the 2019 campaign at Double-A, where he struggled to a .188.235/.317 slash line with seven homers and 18 RBI (59 games). He figures to have a good chance to begin the 2021 season at Triple-A Albuquerque.