MLB Player News

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.