MLB Player News

Urshela (elbow) is expected to be ready to go by Opening Day, Brendan Kuty of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.

Urshela dealt with a bone spur in September and eventually underwent surgery in December, but it doesn't look as though he's destined to miss any time. The 29-year-old emerged from obscurity to hit .310/.358/.523 over the last two years and appears set to be a lineup fixture for the Yankees again this season.

Candelario (back) and the Tigers reached a one-year, $2.85 million deal Friday, avoiding arbitration, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.

Candelario missed the final three games of the regular season in 2020 due to a lower-back strain, but he impressed during the abbreviated season. He had a career-best .297/.369/.503 slash line with seven home runs and 29 RBI and will likely be ready for spring training in 2021.

Urshela (elbow) and the Yankees reached a one-year, $4.65 million deal Friday, avoiding arbitration, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.

Urshela's salary will nearly double from last year, and he won't require an arbiter during the offseason after striking a deal with the Yankees. He underwent surgery in early December to remove a bone chip from his right elbow, but he should be available for most of spring training as long as he doesn't face any setbacks.

Devers and the Red Sox avoided arbitration Friday by coming to terms on a one-year, $4.575 million deal, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.

Devers was decent but hardly dominant in 2020, posting a .263/.310/.483 slash line with career worsts in both walk rate (5.2 percent) and strikeout rate (27.0 percent). His 109 wRC+ fell roughly at the midpoint between his poor 2018 season (90 wRC+) and his strong 2019 campaign (132 wRC+). The Red Sox will be hoping that the 24-year-old's 2019 form best represents who he'll be going forward.

Chapman agreed to a one-year, $6.49 million deal with the Athletics on Friday, avoiding arbitration, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.

He underwent surgery to repair a torn right hip labrum in mid-September. Agent Scott Boras said in December that Chapman received clearance for increased activity and should be ready for spring training. That said, it's possible Chapman won't be performing at his very best early in the season as he works his way back.

LeMahieu and the Yankees agreed to a six-year, $90 million deal Friday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

LeMahieu has reached an entirely new level in his two years with the Yankees, hitting .336/.386/.536 overall, a significant step up from the .299/.352/.408 line he produced in seven years for the Rockies while calling Coors Field home. The deal will pay the veteran for his age-32 through age-37 seasons, so some age-related regression is to be expected, but $15 million per year is quite a cheap price to pay for the MVP candidate he's been so far during his time in the Bronx. He should look like a steal for at least the early part of the contract.

Agent Scott Boras said Chapman (hip) received clearance for increased activity and and should be ready for the start of spring training, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The 27-year-old underwent surgery to address a torn right hip labrum in mid-September and was given a four-month recovery, and it appears he's progressing as planned. Chapman had a .232/.276/.353 slash line with 10 home runs, nine doubles and 25 RBI in 37 games last season and is poised to start at the hot corner again for the A's in 2021.

Urshela underwent surgery Friday to remove a bone chip from his right elbow.

Urshela wasn't initially expected to require surgery during the offseason, but he elected to undergo a procedure Friday that went smoothly. He's expected to need three months to recover from surgery, so he could be ready to participate in the majority of spring training if he doesn't encounter any setbacks.

Peraza was added to the Yankees' 40-man roster Friday.

Peraza wasn't part of the Yankees' 60-man roster during the 2020 season, but he'll be protected from the upcoming Rule 5 draft. He slashed .268/.343/.328 with 13 RBI and 17 stolen bases with Low-A Charleston in 2019.

Walls' contract was purchased by the Rays on Friday, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

Walls is a classic Rays player, as he is known for his control of the strike zone and ability to play multiple infield positions. He has not played above Double-A, but after a summer at the alternate training site, he is presumably poised to make his MLB debut sometime in 2021.