MLB Player News

Arraez won his arbitration case against the Marlins and will earn $6.1 million in 2023, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Before they traded him to Miami last month, the Twins had filed at $5 million. That figure carried over through the deal and Arraez ultimately came out on top through the arbitration process. The 25-year-old infielder led all American League hitters in batting average (.316) last season and projects to serve as the everyday leadoff man for the Marlins in 2023.

Dodgers GM Andrew Friedman said Sunday that Vargas could open 2023 as the club's primary second baseman, Jim Bowden of The Athletic reports.

The 23-year-old had a .455 OPS across 18 games in his first taste of big-league action in 2022, but he could be an Opening Day starter for Los Angeles this year following the offseason departures of Trea Turner and Justin Turner. Vargas is the organization's top prospect, and it appears he'll enter spring training with a leg up for playing time over veteran Miguel Rojas, who would fill an infield utility role after being acquired from the Marlins.

McNeil signed a four-year, $50 million contract extension with the Mets on Friday to avoid arbitration, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

After slashing .326/.382/.454 across 589 plate appearances last season, the reigning NL batting champion earned himself a nice raise from his $3 million salary in 2022. The deal reportedly includes a fifth-year club option, which could bump the total value of the deal up to $63.75 million.

Albies hasn't had any restrictions this offseason after fracturing his pinky finger in mid-September, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Albies missed the remainder of the regular season as well as Atlanta's lone playoff series, though he said Saturday that he would have been ready to go had the team advanced to the NLCS. The 26-year-old is coming off a down season in which he hit .247/.294/.409 and was limited to just 64 games due to the broken pinky and a broken foot. He can seemingly be considered fully healthy heading into camp.

Arraez is being acquired by the Marlins from the Twins in exchange for Pablo Lopez, infield prospect Jose Salas and outfield prospect Byron Chourio, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Arraez won a batting title with the Twins in 2022 by hitting .316 and sports a career .314 batting average. He can play all over the infield as well as in left field, and it's unclear where Miami plans to slot him into the lineup. Going to LoanDepot Park is a bit of a downgrade for Arraez's power outlook, although that's not a big part of his game, and his overall fantasy outlook is a little dimmer as the Marlins lineup certainly looks worse on paper than the Twins.

Castro signed with Colorado as a non-roster invitee Saturday, Daniel Alvarez-Montes of El Extrabase reports.

Any hitter who has the opportunity to earn playing time at Coors Field is worth a second look, and that's true for Castro even with the caveat that he's yet to earn a roster spot, let alone regular at-bats. He doesn't hit for much power, homering 15 times in 351 career games, but his .284/.309/.377 lifetime slash line is fine for a utility infielder. A starting role in Colorado may not be on the table, but a good spring could earn him a bench spot, putting him one injury away from consistent playing time.

Estrada signed a one-year, $2.25 million contract from the Giants on Friday to avoid arbitration, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Estrada gets a big raise in his first year of arbitration eligibility as a Super Two qualifier. The 26-year-old played a bigger-than-expected role for the Giants in 2022, finishing with a .722 OPS, 14 home runs and 21 stolen bases. He's the favorite to be the team's Opening Day second baseman.

Rodgers signed a one-year, $2.7 million contract with the Rockies on Friday to avoid arbitration, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

It's a substantial raise for Rodgers, who was in his first year of arbitration eligibility. The infielder slashed .266/.325/.408 with 13 home runs in 2022 while winning his first Gold Glove award at second base. Rodgers is still just 26 so it's possible he has some untapped upside.

Urias agreed to a one-year, $4.7 million contract with the Brewers on Friday to avoid arbitration, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Urias will receive a sizable raise in his second year of arbitration eligibility after he made $2.55 million in 2022. The 25-year-old struggled during the first half last season, but he found more success after the All-Star break with a .790 OPS in 56 games.

Hoerner signed a one-year, $2.525 million contract with the Cubs on Friday to avoid arbitration, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Hoerner had a nice 2022 campaign, putting up a .736 OPS with 10 home runs and 20 stolen bases. He'll move back over to second base in 2023 following the Cubs' addition of Dansby Swanson.