MLB Player News

Wisdom re-signed Jan. 5 with the Cubs on a minor-league contract, Chris Hilburn-Trenkle of Baseball America reports.

Wisdom initially joined Chicago on a minor-league deal in late August and ended up appearing in two games for the big club during the final week of the regular season. The 29-year-old didn't impress enough to maintain his spot on the 40-man roster entering the offseason, but he'll get the chance to battle for a bench role on the Cubs' Opening Day roster during spring training. He'll likely be assigned to Triple-A Iowa to begin the 2021 season if he comes up short in his bid for a job with the big club.

Arenado was traded from the Rockies to the Cardinals on Friday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

Arenado was heavily pursued by the Cardinals over the past several days, and the two sides were able to reach an agreement Friday. The 29-year-old is expected to sign off on the trade in order to make the deal official. While the exact terms of the acquisition aren't yet known, the Rockies will receive multiple players and send the Cardinals approximately $50 million as part of the agreement. Arenado had a career-worst .253 batting average with eight home runs and 26 RBI in 2020, but he'll attempt to return to form with the Cardinals after averaging 39.8 home runs per year from 2015 to 2019.

Anderson and the Marlins agreed to a one-year, $3.8 million contract Friday, avoiding arbitration, Craig Mish of SportsGrid.com reports.

Anderson helped the Marlins to their third ever postseason appearance last season, hitting a solid .255/.345/.465 with 11 homers. The 27-year-old hasn't shown signs that he's about to break out and become a true star hitter, but he should remain a key piece for a Marlins team that's looking to earn consecutive playoff berths for the first time.

McMahon and the Rockies agreed to terms on a one-year, $2.375 million contract Friday, avoiding arbitration, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

McMahon's fantasy value continues to be propped up by the fact that he plays half his games at Coors Field, but he's yet to show much at the plate. He hit just .215/.295/.419 last season while striking out 34.2 percent of the time. It's hard to say he's earned anything close to an everyday role, but that's been true for the past two seasons as well and hasn't stopped the Rockies from pencilling his name into the lineup on most occasions.

Acosta signed with the Padres for $1.8 million Friday, Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com reports.

A shortstop from the Dominican Republic, Acosta turned 16 in June, making him one of the youngest players in this class. He is also one of the best defensive prospects in the class. A plus runner with quick-twitch athleticism, Acosta is slowly growing into power and could be a big riser up prospect rankings as he matures.

Peterson signed a minor-league contract with the Brewers as a non-roster invitee Wednesday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Peterson was non-tendered by Milwaukee in December after slashing .200/.393/.356 with two home runs, five RBI and 15 walks over 61 plate appearances during his first year with the team in 2020. The 30-year-old will get to work with the major-league coaching staff during spring training and could contend for a major-league roster spot at some point in 2021, given his defensive versatility.

The Braves are planning for Riley to begin the upcoming season as their everyday third baseman, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports.

After spending much of his debut season in 2019 in left field, Riley served as the primary replacement for the departed Josh Donaldson at third base in 2020, appearing at the position in 46 of his 51 games. Though Riley's defensive work left much to be desired, the Braves aren't yet willing to abandon hope of him improving enough to stick at the position long term. Because of their commitment to Riley at third base, Morosi suggests the Braves' main focus this winter will be in adding another left fielder now that both Marcell Ozuna and Adam Duvall are free agents.

Duffy joined the Cubs on a minor-league deal Monday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

Duffy will make $1 million plus incentives if he cracks the big-league roster. The veteran infielder owns a respectable .282/.338/.380 career slash line, good for a technically above-average 101 wRC+. He's been good enough for at least a bench role for most of his career, though he couldn't crack the Yankees' active roster at any point last season and hit a modest .252/.343/.327 for the Rays in 2019.

Kieboom is the favorite to be the Nationals' starting third baseman, though he'll have to earn his opportunities, according to manager Dave Martinez, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

Kieboom came with plenty of promise as a prospect and is still just 23 years old, but he's yet to come close to delivering on that promise so far. In 44 games over the past two seasons, he's hitting just .181/.309/.232, a line that wouldn't play anywhere and certainly not at an important offensive position like third base. The Nationals hope his talent will finally shine through this time around, but they presumably want to get back to their winning ways following a poor showing in 2020 and won't have much patience with him if his struggles remain significant at the start of the upcoming season.

Asuaje signed a minor-league contract with the Dodgers on Friday, Alanna Rizzo of Spectrum SportsNet LA reports.

Asuaje was released by the Cubs in May and failed to land with another organization during the 2020 season. However, he'll join the Dodgers heading into 2021, and he'll serve as a non-roster invitee during spring training. The 29-year-old spent the entire 2019 season with Triple-A Reno, slashing .239/.339/.403 with five home runs and 29 RBI, and he's likely to serve as organizational depth next year.