MLB Player News

Polanco agreed to a five-year, $25.75 million extension with the Twins on Thursday that includes two option years, Jim Bowden of The Athletic reports.

The 25-year-old had a decent season after he served an 80-game suspension, slashing .288/.345/.427 with six homers and seven stolen bases. With youth on his side and good production at the plate, the Twins decided to lock Polanco up for all of his arbitration years and potentially his first three years of free agency. As if it wasn't clear before the extension, Polanco is being considered the Twins' shortstop of the future and will look to expand upon the production from his first full seasons in the majors.

General manager Ross Atkins said Drury will likely begin the season as the starter at third base, Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com reports.

All things considered, this isn't too surprising. The Blue Jays are fully expected to keep top prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the minors until they can get another year of control over him, meaning they need someone to man third base in the interim. Drury will assume those duties for the first few weeks of the season and then presumably move into a reserve infield role for the rest of the season. Drury put up respectable numbers in two seasons with the Diamondbacks in 2016 and 2017 (.275/.323/.453), but his playing time was limited in 2018 while with the Yankees and Blue Jays.

Urias (hamstring) won't face any restrictions in camp, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Urias was unable to play winter ball this offseason after suffering a setback in his recovery from a hamstring injury, but it sounds like the issue is behind him heading into spring training. Manager Andy Green said Urias will be "involved in every drill," adding that he won't be held back at all. The 21-year-old is expected to open the season as the Padres' starting shortstop before likely shifting to second base following the promotion of Fernando Tatis.

Chavis reported to spring training at 208 pounds, down 14 pounds from his listed weight in 2018, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports. "I feel faster. I feel more mobile," Chavis said Monday.

Chavis missed about half of the 2018 campaign while serving an 80-game suspension for testing positive for performance-enhancing substances, finishing with only 194 plate appearances between three minor-league stops. Despite the lost season, Chavis still enters 2019 as Boston's top prospect, though that might be more of an indictment of the organization's lack of high-end minor-league talent than anything else. The fact that the 23-year-old has spent the offseason reshaping his body speaks well to his dedication, but he'll still need to show some pop to go along with some improved bat-to-ball skills at Triple-A Pawtucket before getting an extended look at the big-league level.

Garcia was invited to the Nationals' major-league camp Tuesday.

Garcia has no real shot at making the Opening Day roster, as he's still just 18 years old and hasn't played above High-A, but that won't stop the Nationals from getting a look at the exciting youngster, who posted a combined .298/.336/.406 slash line with seven homers and 12 stolen bases in 127 games between Low-A Hagerstown and High-A Potomac in 2018. Garcia will likely open the 2019 campaign back with Potomac or with Double-A Harrisburg.

Dubon (knee) announced via his personal Twitter account Monday that he's been cleared to play in games.

Dubon went through a long recovery process after tearing his ACL in May of 2018, but he's finally been given the green light to start participating in game action. Given this most recent news, there's little reason to believe he'll face many restrictions during spring training.

McNeil is now viewed as an outfielder and not an infielder according to Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen, Matt Ehalt of The Bergen Record reports.

McNeil was almost exclusively an infielder in the minors, but with Robinson Cano locked in at his preferred position (second base) and no other clear openings, he'll have to look elsewhere for at-bats. Center field appears to be the Mets' weakest position, with Keon Broxton, Juan Lagares and Rajai Davis providing good defense but not much at the plate. The team could elect for an offense-first approach, putting McNeil in an outfield corner with Brandon Nimmo or Michael Conforto sliding over to center field.

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.