MLB Player News
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Alec Bohm 3B | PHI
Phillies' Alec Bohm: Invited to big-league camp
Bohm received an invitation to the Phillies' big-league camp Monday.
Bohm will get a chance to work with the Phillies' major-league coaching staff, people he'll likely be spending quite a lot of time with in the not-too-distant future. He's unlikely to break camp with the team, having yet to play a game at the Triple-A level, but he has a clear path to being the Phillies' long-term third baseman and could step into that role at some point this season if he opens the year hot in the minors.
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Josh Bell DH | MIN
Pirates' Josh Bell: Gets close to $5 million
Bell agreed to a one-year, $4.8 million deal with the Pirates on Friday, avoiding arbitration, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.
This is a pretty solid payday for a player's first year in the arbitration process, but it was well deserved after Bell hit 37 home runs in 143 games last year. He will be subject to the arbitration process again in 2021 and 2022 before he becomes a free agent.
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Brandon Dixon 1B | SD
Tigers' Brandon Dixon: Remains in organization
Dixon cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Toledo on Wednesday.
Dixon will remain as organizational depth for the Tigers heading into his age-28 season. His .248/.290/.435 slash line in 118 games last season was acceptable for a bench player who spent time at six different positions but clearly wasn't good enough for any team to view him as a desirable addition.
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Asdrubal Cabrera 1B | CIN
Nationals' Asdrubal Cabrera: Returning to Nationals
Cabrera signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the Nationals on Saturday, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.
Cabrera played in 93 games with the Rangers last season before being released in August. The 34-year-old turned things around with Washington over the final weeks of the season, hitting .323/.404/.565 with six home runs and 40 RBI over 38 games. While Cabrera was effective with the Nationals last year, he'll likely battle for playing time at second base with Starlin Castro in 2020, but he could see increased action at third base following Anthony Rendon's departure if top prospect Carter Kieboom isn't ready to handle a starting role in the majors.
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Kole Calhoun 1B | CLE
Diamondbacks' Kole Calhoun: Reaches deal with Diamondbacks
Calhoun signed a two-year deal with the Diamondbacks on Tuesday, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports.
Calhoun will make $16 million guaranteed and could make more than that if the Diamondbacks pick up a team option for the 2022 season. The 32-year-old rebounded from a rough 2018 campaign to hit a career-high 33 homers last season. His .232/.325/.467 slash line was good for a respectable 108 wRC+, but he'll have to keep his power numbers up if he's to remain a good fantasy option in 2020, as his batting average has remained low for three straight seasons. He lines up as Arizona's primary option in right field and should see quite a lot of playing time unless his numbers collapse again.
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Brandon Dixon 1B | SD
Tigers' Brandon Dixon: Removed from 40-man roster
Dixon was designated for assignment by the Tigers on Saturday.
The Tigers acquired C.J. Cron (thumb) and Jonathan Schoop on Saturday, and Dixon was removed from the 40-man roster in order to make room for the infielders. Dixon led the Tigers with 15 home runs in 2019, but he saw limited playing time despite his defensive versatility. It wouldn't be surprising if the 27-year-old was able to find another major-league opportunity elsewhere, but it's unclear whether he would be able to cement himself as an everyday player despite his ability to move around defensively.
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C.J. Cron 1B | BOS
Tigers' C.J. Cron: Inks deal with Tigers
Cron (thumb) signed a one-year, $6.1 million contract with the Tigers on Saturday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Cron saw limited playing time over the second half of the season, and the combination of his decrease in usage and thumb surgery in October resulted in him being non-tendered by the Twins. The 29-year-old will likely be ready for spring training, and he could take over the starting job at first base after Jeimer Candelario struggled to break out in 2019.
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Josh Bell DH | MIN
Pirates' Josh Bell: Normal offseason expected
Bell (groin) is fully healthy and shouldn't have any restrictions in offseason training, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Bell had been putting together a career-best campaign in 2019 before a groin injury forced him to miss the second half of September. However, the team said Monday that he should be "full systems go" for his offseason training. The 27-year-old recorded a .936 OPS with 37 home runs and 116 RBI last season.
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Luke Voit 1B | NYM
Yankees' Luke Voit: Should open 2020 as first baseman
Manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday that he anticipates Voit (abdomen) opening the upcoming season as the Yankees' everyday first baseman, Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record reports. "I'm confident that Luke Voit is an impact player for us," Boone said.
A core-muscle injury limited Voit's effectiveness over the final month of the regular season and ultimately made surgery necessary once the Yankees were eliminated from the playoffs, but the 28-year-old should be back to full strength for spring training. Despite the disappointing finish to his 2019 campaign, Voit was still a well above-average performer at the dish, contributing a .263/.378/.464 slash line (126 wRC+) over his 510 plate appearances.
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Ryan O'Hearn 1B | PIT
Royals' Ryan O'Hearn: Vying for first-base job in spring
Manager Mike Matheny said Tuesday that O'Hearn will be under consideration for the Royals' everyday job at first base this spring, Lynn Worthy of The Kansas City Star reports.
Along with O'Hearn, the Royals are also expected to give Ryan McBroom the chance to battle for the job, while Hunter Dozier and Salvador Perez (elbow) could also see work at the position when they aren't playing third base or catcher, respectively. After a hot start to his big-league career upon being promoted from Triple-A Omaha in the second half of 2018, O'Hearn struggled mightily last season, slashing just .195/.281/.369 with 14 home runs in 370 plate appearances. O'Hearn will at least have the platoon advantage working in his favor in the competition, as McBroom, Dozier and Perez all hit from the right side of the plate.