MLB Player News

Solarte was traded to the Blue Jays on Saturday, Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports reports. According to Dennis Lin of The San Diego Union-Tribune, the Padres will receive Edward Olivares and Jared Carkuff in return.

The switch-hitter is coming off a bit of an underwhelming 2017 campaign, as he hit just .255/.314/.416, a sizable drop-off from his .286/.341/.467 slash line in 2016. Solarte did play all four infield positions for the Padres last season, so he should offer solid depth around the infield for Toronto, which is especially desirable given the injury history of the team's middle infielders, Troy Tulowitzki and Devon Travis. This hurts Solarte from a fantasy standpoint, however, as the 30-year-old should see fewer at-bats next season barring an injury to the infield or a Josh Donaldson trade.

Arroyo (hand) was traded from the Giants to the Rays on Wednesday along with Denard Span and Matt Krook in exchange for Evan Longoria, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reports.

The Rays wisely looked to shop Longoria this winter while he still had trade value, as their primary goal was to get out from under the $86 million remaining on his contract through the 2023 season. Arroyo was apparently the best prospect they could get back. He is a 22-year-old infielder who is probably best suited for second base or third base, although he may not hit enough to profile as a regular at anywhere other than shortstop. Some evaluators throw plus grades on his hit tool, but he has below-average raw power. He was extremely lucky last season at Triple-A (.427 BABIP) and extremely unlucky in the majors (.231 BABIP), but has the potential to hit a fairly empty .300 in his prime years. He is a below-average runner, so almost all of his value will have to come from his batting average, and potentially his runs scored if he is able to hit first or second for the Rays. Look for Arroyo to compete to be the Rays' starting second baseman this spring, as Adeiny Hechavarria and Willy Adames are ahead of him on the depth chart at shortstop. He suffered a hand injury in winter ball but will be ready for spring training.

Rodriguez signed a minor-league contract with the Tigers on Friday, Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com reports.

Rodriguez spent the past two seasons at Triple-A Columbus for the Indians, and he was able to put together his best minor-league campaign during 2017. The 25-year-old slashed .291/.324/.454 with 17 home runs and 64 RBI and has demonstrated the ability to play multiple positions, but he profiles best at the hot corner. He will likely begin next spring in Triple-A yet again, but he could earn a chance at the major-league level if he's able to prove that last year's performance at the plate wasn't a fluke.

Adames agreed to a minor-league deal with an invitation to spring training with the Marlins on Thursday, Antonio Puesan of Magnus Media reports.

Adames spent a majority of this past season at the Triple-A level, but did wind up appearing in 12 games for the Rockies following 121 games with the team in 2016. He went hitless in 13 at-bats during his brief time with the club, but slashed .263/.317/.461 with 11 home runs and 52 RBI for Triple-A Albuquerque. The 26-year-old sports a career average of .206 with a .561 OPS, and should serve as organizational infield depth for the Marlins this season.

Arroyo (hand) is expected to be fully ready for spring training, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Arroyo, who suffered a broken left hand in July, underwent surgery to insert a pin into the same hand after suffering a setback during a Dominican Winter League game. Assuming he avoids any further setbacks, the 22-year-old should compete for an Opening Day roster spot in spring training. He made his major-league debut in 2017, hitting just .192/.244/.304 in 34 games.

Beckham agreed to a minor-league deal with the Mariners on Monday, SB Nation's Chris Cotillo reports.

The former top prospect continues to prolong his pro baseball career, although at this point he is very unlikely to ever regain a significant role on a big-league club. Last year he hit .262/.313/.393 with nine home runs in 83 games with Triple-A Tacoma. He figures to once again serve as organizational infield depth for the Mariners.

Betancourt is not expected to be ready for the start of the 2018 season after undergoing surgery on his elbow this week, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Betancourt required the surgical procedure after suffering a gunshot wound in Venezuela a few weeks ago. There is no specific timetable for the infielder at this point in time, and although there remains a chance that he will be back for the beginning of the year, it's far more likely that he will be on the shelf for at least a few weeks at the beginning of April.

Petit signed a minor-league deal with the Twins on Thursday, MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger reports.

Petit didn't appear in the majors in 2017 after receiving time in 89 games a year prior with the Angels. He hit .253/.275/.370 with four home runs and 30 RBI during 73 games with Triple-A Buffalo in Toronto's system last season. Petit will provide organizational middle infield depth.

Giavotella agreed to a minor-league contract with the Marlins on Friday that includes an invitation to spring training, Tim Healey of the Sun Sentinel reports.

Giavotella spent most of this past season with Triple-A Norfolk in the Orioles' system, slashing .306/.368/.441 with five home runs and 45 RBI in 83 games. He did appear in seven contests for Baltimore, but didn't have any consistent role with the club. Moving forward, he will provide infield depth for the Marlins, and will have a shot to make the Opening Day roster out of spring training.

Betancourt was shot in the left arm during an argument Friday in Venezuela, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

The severity of the wound hasn't been revealed, but Betancourt is on his way to Milwaukee to undergo surgery. The infielder spent the 2017 campaign with Double-A Biloxi, slashing .243/.286/.367 over 361 plate appearances. He'll be sidelined indefinitely as he recovers from the injury.