MLB Player News

Peterson signed a two-year contract with the Athletics on Tuesday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

Peterson recorded a 76 wRC+ through the end of his age-29 season, but he's posted a 98 wRC+ since turning 30 prior to the 2020 campaign. That doesn't make him much more than a part-time player, though the Athletics have enough holes on their roster that Peterson could feature regularly. Between his mediocre bat, tough home park and weak surrounding lineup, even a regular role would leave Peterson without much fantasy appeal outside of deep leagues.

The Reds agreed to trade Farmer to the Twins on Friday in exchange for right-hander Casey Legumina, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

A late bloomer, Farmer became a regular for the Reds at shortstop over the past couple seasons. He led Cincinnati in plate appearances by a wide margin in 2022, though the team eventually moved Farmer off shortstop to give Jose Barrero, Spencer Steer and others some time late in the year. The 32-year-old Farmer is best utilized as a utility player, and that's almost certainly what he will be with Minnesota.

The Twins agreed to trade Urshela to the Angels on Friday in exchange for right-hander Alejandro Hidalgo, Jeff Passan of ESPN reports.

Urshela finished third on the team in plate appearances in 2022 with 551 and was worth a couple wins above replacement by fWAR. However, he's due north of $6.5 million in his final year of arbitration eligibility, and the Twins ultimately decided to flip him for a young prospect rather than pay up. Urshela could play some shortstop for his new club or move across the diamond to first base, but Anthony Rendon's inability to stay healthy could open up plenty of playing time at third base as well.

Mead (elbow) was added to the Rays' 40-man roster Tuesday.

Mead is one of Tampa Bay's most highly-regarded prospects, so it's no surprise he's been added to the 40-man roster in order to shield him from the Rule 5 draft. He split 2022 between the Double-A and Triple-A levels and had a .922 OPS with 13 home runs, 50 RBI and seven stolen bases in 76 games before he was shut down with an elbow injury.

Lipcius was added to the Tigers' 40-man roster Tuesday.

Lipcius had a productive year between Double-A Erie and Triple-A Toledo with an .826 OPS in 2022, and the Tigers elected to protect him from the upcoming Rule 5 draft. The 24-year-old could be called up for his major-league debut sometime next season.

Rafaela was added to Boston's 40-man roster Tuesday, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports.

Rafaela is one of the better prospects who needed to be protected from the upcoming Rule 5 draft. A 22-year-old center fielder, Rafaela hit .278/.324/.500 with 12 home runs and 14 steals in 71 games at Double-A. It's unclear if he'll head back to that level or get the bump to Triple-A at the start of 2023.

The White Sox added Ramos to their 40-man roster on Tuesday

Ramos spent most of 2022 in High-A Winston-Salem, slashing .277/.352/.474 over 432 plate appearances. He earned a promotion to Double-A Birmingham in late August, putting up a .654 OPS over 86 plate appearances, so it's clear the 20-year-old third baseman has a ways to go before he's ready for the majors.

Ramirez (thumb) underwent surgery Wednesday on his right thumb, Tom Withers of the Associated Press reports.

Ramirez required a procedure to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in the thumb. The 30-year-old is expected to be able to return to baseball activities in 6-to-8 weeks, placing little doubt on his availability for spring training in February. After noticing a decline in production while playing through the injury for the second half of the 2022 campaign, Ramirez will look to return to form in 2023 and remains a elite fantasy option at third base.

Ramirez will undergo thumb surgery Wednesday, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

Ramirez injured his thumb in mid-June, and while he played through the issue the rest of the way, his .766 OPS post-injury was well below his 1.039 pre-injury mark. The injury affected his power most notably, as he slugged .642 before getting hurt but slugged a merely decent .437 after the injury. He's expected to have time to fully recover by the start of next season, so the Guardians will be hoping for a return to his early-season form.

Bregman sustained a broken left index finger during Game 6 of the World Series against the Phillies on Saturday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Bregman suffered his injury while sliding into second base in the eighth inning Saturday, but he was able to remain in the game as the Astros secured a 4-1 victory to win the World Series for the second time in the last six years. The 28-year-old doesn't expect to require surgery but faces a recovery timetable of approximately eight weeks. However, he's expected to be ready for spring training in 2023.