MLB Player News

Indians catcher/designated hitter Carlos Santana is ready to play third base, according to the Plain Dealer. 

Santana played the position during winter ball, and received notes from current and former infielders about his play. He said he's received positive reports from both Robinson Cano and Edwin Encarnacion, and has been working with Fernando Tatis. 

Santana is expected to meet with general manager Chris Antonetti Wednesday to discuss his role for the upcoming season. Antonetti is expected to allow Santana to give third a shot during spring training. 

Indians catcher Carlos Santana is unsure about his role, according to MLB.com.

Santana has prepped to play third base this season, but team executives have expressed some caution about the situation. Santana played third exclusively during winter ball in preparation of trying out the position during the spring.  Catchers are expected to report Tuesday for the club, and the first team workout will be Thursday. Santana will likely work with the catchers initially, but it's unclear what will happen when full workouts begin.

Santana said he plans to meet with officials soon to discuss his role. Santana would still like to catch, but he's more focused on playing third at this time.

Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson said he isn't concerned about first baseman Paul Goldschmidt getting complacent following a breakout season in 2013, according to MLB.com.

"He's prepared and he's stayed extremely humble," Gibson said. "I don't think anything is going to go to anybody's head. As good as you think Goldy was, in his mind he thinks he could be so much better and he thinks his teammates could be so much better and we agree."

Yoenis Cespedes and Yasiel Puig have both made big impacts in the major leagues since defecting from Cuba. However, Cuban baseball expert and author Peter Bjarkman told USA Today White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu might be the best of the bunch.

"Abreu is a better hitter than either Puig or Cespedes, and he should be the best (biggest impact) Cuban player to come to the majors during the three decades of the defectors era," Bjarkman said. "Abreu is definitely the real deal."

Cespedes calls Abreu a four-tool player, citing he only lacks speed, but he added the 6-3, 255-pound slugger has "got a very good future."

Though he has yet to play a game, the White Sox seem happy with what they have seen from Abreu.

"We've seen his big-time power to all fields, which is probably the tool for which he gets the most notoriety," White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said. "But we really view him as an all-around quality hitter. He's very serious about his craft, prepares very well, knows the strike zone. He's up there to do damage but also gives you a quality at-bat."

While there has been a lot of chatter this offseason about the Reds moving Joey Votto into the No. 2 spot in the lineup because of his high on-base percentage, manager Bryan Price told MLB Network Radio Wednesday it's unlikely they will move Votto in the lineup.

"I don’t think so," Price said of hitting Votto second. "He’s our best hitter. Our most productive hitter. He's worked hard to understand the strike zone."

The Braves and first baseman Freddie Freeman have agreed to an eight-year contract worth $135 million, MLB.com reports.

News of the two sides agreeing to an extension broke earlier Tuesday and the initial figures had the deal in the $100-million range, but the actual total ends up being a fair amount more than that. An eight-year deal keeps Freeman in Atlanta through 2021, when he'll be 32 years old.

Freeman has spent three seasons and change with the Braves, hitting .285/.358/.466 with 68 home runs and 280 RBI in 1,686 at-bats. He had his best statistical season in 2013, when he hit .319/.396/.501 with 23 home runs and 109 RBI in 551 at-bats.

The Braves extension with first baseman Freddie Freeman will be in the $100 million range, according to FoxSports.com.

Freeman was set to go to arbitration with the club, but avoided it by coming to a multi-year agreement. One source told FoxSports.com the deal could wind up being eight-years, $125 million. It was initially unclear whether the extension would buy out his remaining arbitration-eligible seasons, or if it would cover some of his free-agent years. If the deal is worth close to $100 million, it would surely buy out a few seasons of Freeman's free agency. Freeman is under team control through 2016. 

The Braves have agreed to an extension with Freddie Freeman, according to CBSSports.com Baseball Insider Jon Heyman. 

It was reported early Tuesday that the two sides were nearing an agreement. Terms of the contract are not known at this time. Freeman was set to go to arbitration with the club in February. Freeman hit .319/.396/.501 in 551 at-bats last year.

The Braves are getting close to a multi-year extension with first baseman Freddie Freeman, according to FoxSports.com.

The team signed Jason Heyward to a two-year extension Tuesday, and are looking to lock up Freeman as well. It's unclear if the extension would cover Freeman's remaining arbitration seasons, like Heyward's deal, or if it would buy out some of his free-agent years. Freeman broke out last season, hitting .319/.396/.501 in 551 at-bats.

Braves general manager Frank Wren clarified the team's file and trial policy following the team handing out a two-year extension to outfielder Jason Heyward. 

Wren explained that the team's file and trial policy does not apply to multi-year contracts. There was some thought that the team abandoned their strategy, which would mean Freddie Freeman and Craig Kimbrel could sign before going to trial. That does not appear to be the case unless Freeman or Kimbrel are willing to accept multi-year deals.