MLB Player News

Alu will get some reps in left field this spring, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.

The 25-year-old posted a combined .301/.367/.508 line in 132 games between Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Rochester last season with 40 doubles, 20 home runs and 15 stolen bases in 19 attempts, earning a spot on the 40-man roster in the process. Alu is a long shot to break camp with a spot in the big leagues, but the rebuilding Nationals aren't exactly flush with talent in the outfield. If he can add more defensive versatility to his profile, his odds of making his MLB debut some time in 2023 would improve.

Rojas will earn $2.575 million in 2023 after losing his arbitration hearing to the Diamondbacks on Thursday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Rojas had filed at $2.9 million in what was his first year of arbitration eligibility as a Super 2 qualifier. The 28-year-old put up a .739 OPS with nine home runs and 23 stolen bases for the Diamondbacks last season. Most of his playing time in 2023 will likely come at third base, though he figures to bounce around and could get starts in the designated hitter spot, too.

Rengifo won his arbitration case against the Angels on Thursday and will earn $2.3 million this season, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

The club filed at $2 million when arbitration figures were exchanged over the winter. Rengifo gets a nice raise from his $730,000 salary in 2022 as he prepares to serve as the Angels' primary shortstop in 2023. He's coming off a .724 OPS with 17 home runs and six stolen bases in 127 games.

Villar is viewed as the Giants' starting third baseman heading into spring training, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Villar slashed .231/.331/.455 with nine home runs and 24 RBI in 52 games as a 25-year-old last season. He won't go unchallenged for the job at third base -- Wilmer Flores and J.D. Davis are also in the mix, but their versatility around the diamond may make them better suited for utility roles. Villar is also expected to see time at second base when Thairo Estrada covers for Brandon Crawford at shortstop.

Arroyo "is our second baseman as of now," Red Sox manager Alex Cora told Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican Tuesday.

Adalberto Mondesi (knee) will be a candidate to start at second base once he's ready, but he'll be behind others at the start of spring training. Arroyo sports a solid .273/.320/.427 batting line with 15 home runs over 158 games during his two-and-a-half years with the Red Sox. He might ultimately be just a placeholder for Mondesi but we've learned over the years that Mondesi is no sure thing to play or perform.

Haggerty (groin) has resumed baseball activities, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Divish reports that Haggerty underwent surgery to repair a Grade 2 adductor strain, but the Mariners aren't confirming the operation. The 28-year-old was a pleasant surprise for Seattle in 2022 before the injury, contributing a .738 OPS with five homers and 13 stolen bases in 14 attempts over 201 plate appearances. If healthy, Haggerty should be a utility option for the Mariners in 2023 with the ability to play all three outfield spots with some history at both second and third base.

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.

Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said Wednesday that Haggerty (groin) should be healthy for the beginning of spring training, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Haggerty injured his groin near the end of the 2022 regular season and missed Seattle's five-game postseason run. With a .738 OPS and 13 stolen bases in just 201 plate appearances, Haggerty was a valuable depth outfielder for the Mariners and figures to fill a similar role this coming season.

Mondou signed a minor-league contract with the White Sox on Tuesday.

Mondou got his first cup of coffee as a 27-year-old with the Athletics last season, appearing in one game. He put up an .805 OPS with seven home runs over 449 plate appearances at Triple-A Las Vegas in 2022 while seeing starts at five different positions. Mondou will give the White Sox some utility depth.

Polanco says he's ready to go for spring training after missing the last month of the 2022 season due to a knee injury, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Polanco missed a week with patellar tendinitis before he landed on the injured list Sept. 3. He then worked his way back to playing minor-league games before a setback in late September. It sounds like he just needed some rest to get back to full strength, but watch his status early in spring training. His injury risk has become a concern after a chronic ankle injury also hindered his 2020 season.