MLB Player News

Barreto will not report for spring training on time due to visa issues caused by the political unrest in Venezuela, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Barreto, a Venezuela native, is a victim of major visa delays as his home country works through a volatile political climate. Despite this development, the Athletics are still hopeful that the 22-year-old will be back with the team by Feb. 17. More information will likely become available once he's able to get stateside, but as things stand now, this doesn't seem like it will be a long-term issue.

Espinosa signed a minor-league contract with the Mets on Friday that includes an invitation to major-league spring training.

Espinosa had stints with the Blue Jays, Dodgers and Phillies in 2018 but spent the entirety of the year with their Triple-A affiliates. The 31-year-old bounced around three teams in 2017 as well, slashing .173/.245/.278 in 295 major-league plate appearances. Espinosa should provide organizational infield depth given the revamping of the Mets' infield this offseason.

Lux received an invitation to Dodgers' major-league spring training, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Lux took a huge step forward at the plate last season as he slashed .324/.399/.514 in 116 games between High-A Rancho Cucamonga and Double-A Tulsa. The Dodgers' top prospect is unlikely to make the jump from Double-A to be a major-league contributor in 2019, but a good showing at Triple-A Oklahoma City could have the 21-year-old seeing the big leagues in the not-too-distant future.

Kemp enters the season with no minor-league options, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Kemp. who started each of the last three seasons in the minors, will be competing in a crowded outfield during spring training. In addition to Kemp, Jake Marisnick, Derek Fisher, Myles Straw and top position prospect Kyle Tucker are in the mix for two backup outfield spots. If the Astros attempt to designate Kemp for assignment in spring training, he'll most certainly be claimed by another team. He was valuable in 2018, having played all three outfield spots while seeing time at second base in 97 games. With super-utility player Marwin Gonzalez no longer around, Kemp's defensive versatility may give him an advantage in making a push for the initial 25-man roster.

Adames signed a minor-league contract with the Cubs on Wednesday that includes an invitation to spring training.

Adames spent all of 2018 at the Triple-A level in the Marlins organization. He hit .269 and made contact a whopping 85.1 percent of the time with New Orleans, but he displayed little power or speed. There doesn't seem to be a spot on the major-league roster for Adames even with his ability to play each infield position, so he seems destined for another year at Triple-A as an organizational depth piece.

Rodgers earned an invitation to the Rockies' major-league camp Wednesday.

The invitation comes as no surprise, as Rodgers was reported to be in contention for the team's starting second-base job earlier in the offseason. Rodgers' unimpressive .232/.264/.290 line in 19 games at Triple-A Albuquerque suggests he needs a bit more time to develop, and the Rockies would probably prefer to keep him down to start the year in order to secure another year of team control. Rodgers could push likely favorite Garrett Hampson for a job later in the season should he start strong at Triple-A.

Franklin signed a minor-league contract with the Pirates on Wednesday that includes an invitation to major-league spring training, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

The 27-year-old spent time in the Brewers organization last season and attempted to add the catcher position to his already expansive defensive toolset. However, he only appeared in three games behind the dish at the Double-A level. Then, when he finally got his chance to go to the majors, he injured his quad just four innings into his season debut and missed the rest of the season. Franklin will have a chance to crack the major-league roster out of spring training as a utility man, but he will need to outperform players like Pablo Reyes, Erik Gonzalez, Kevin Kramer and Kevin Newman during spring training in order to break camp.

Rodgers will compete for the starting job at second base during spring training, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

The Rockies will give Rodgers -- one of the team's top prospects -- a chance to stake his claim on the starting keystone gig during camp, though the 22-year-old seems more likely to open the season in the minors after struggling in his first taste of Triple-A in 2018 (.232/.264/.290 in 19 games with Albuquerque). Fellow prospect Garrett Hampson appears to be the frontrunner to break camp with the job, though Ryan McMahon and Pat Valaika are also options.

The Athletics announced last week that they signed Joseph to a minor-league contract that includes an invitation to spring training, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Joseph saw his first MLB action since 2013 last season with the Orioles, appearing in 14 games and going 4-for-18 at the dish. The 30-year-old will compete for a bench gig with Oakland in spring training but will almost certainly open the campaign with Double-A Midland or Triple-A Las Vegas.

The four-year contract extension Merrifield agreed to Sunday with the Royals includes a $10.5 million team option for 2023, Jeff Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

Merrifield's deal will guarantee him at least $16.25 million. He'll make $15.5 million over the first four years of the deal and will be due a $750,000 buyout in the event the Royals choose not to exercise the 2023 team option in what would be his age-34 season. The speedster's contract also contains salary escalators in 2021 and 2022 for reaching certain award or plate appearance-based thresholds that would make the deal worth $31.75 million at maximum. It's an extension that works well for both sides, as it gives Merrifield a higher annual salary ceiling while buying out his arbitration years and enables the Royals to retain one of their top performers over the past two seasons at an affordable price.