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Jace Peterson SS | ARI
Jace Peterson: Parts ways with Brewers
Peterson was non-tendered by the Brewers on Wednesday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.
Peterson served as a bench player for the Brewers in 2020 and had the best offensive season of his career, posting a .749 OPS and 25 percent walk rate in 61 plate appearances. The 30-year-old has seen major-league action with four different teams over the past four years, and he could add another team to that list in 2021 now that he's a free agent.
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Kyle Farmer 3B | ATL
Reds' Kyle Farmer: Returns to Reds on one-year deal
Farmer agreed to a one-year deal with the Reds on Wednesday, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.
He was non-tendered by the Reds and then just minutes later it was announced that the two sides had already agreed on a new deal. Farmer doesn't do much damage at the plate, but he can play almost every position on the field, and it's that defensive versatility that appealed to the Reds.
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Kyle Farmer 3B | ATL
Kyle Farmer: Non-tendered by Reds
Farmer was non-tendered by the Reds on Wednesday.
A jack of all trades but master of none, Farmer saw time at five different positions last year for Cincinnati, but he logged a wRC+ under 77 for the fourth straight season. He will attempt to catch on elsewhere as a super utility player.
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Nick Maton DH | CHW
Phillies' Nick Maton: Joins 40-man roster
Maton was added to the Phillies' 40-man roster Friday, Meghan Montemurro of The Athletic reports.
Maton continued his development at the Phillies' alternate training site in 2020, and he'll now be protected from the Rule 5 draft as part of the 40-man roster. The 23-year-old advanced to Double-A Reading late in 2019, but he struggled a bit, hitting .210 with two home runs and 14 strikeouts over 62 at-bats.
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Rodolfo Castro 2B | PHI
Pirates' Rodolfo Castro: Contract purchased by Pirates
Castro's contract was selected by the Pirates on Friday.
Castro is best known for posting some pretty elite exit velocity readings in the lower levels by middle infielder standards. He hit 14 home runs in 61 games at Low-A in 2019 as a 20-year-old, which is quite the feat, but he fell flat after a promotion to High-A. Castro will likely open the year at High-A or Double-A and could reach the majors in 2022.
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Taylor Walls SS | TB
Rays' Taylor Walls: Shielded from Rule 5 draft
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.
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Jake Burger 1B | TEX
White Sox's Jake Burger: Protected from Rule 5 draft
Burger's contract was purchased by the White Sox on Friday.
Burger's pro career has been greatly affected by Achilles injuries, but as the 11th overall pick in 2017, the team is too invested in his development to leave him exposed to the Rule 5 draft at this juncture. He is fully healthy but turns 25 in April and has never played above Low-A. Given his age and standing on the 40-man roster, he will probably be thrown into the deep end at some point during the 2021 season to see how he fares against upper-level pitching prospects.
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Andruw Monasterio SS | BOS
Indians' Andruw Monasterio: Remains in Cleveland on minors deal
Monasterio signed a minor-league contract to return to Cleveland on Tuesday.
The contract did not come with an invitation to big-league camp. That's hardly a surprise, as Monasterio has yet to advance beyond Double-A and posted a .217/.279/.253 slash line at that level in 70 games for Akron in 2019.
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DJ LeMahieu 2B | NYY
DJ LeMahieu: Declining qualifying offer
LeMahieu will decline the Yankees' one-year, $18.9 million qualifying offer for 2021 prior to Wednesday's deadline, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.
The 32-year-old has been one of the best hitters in baseball for New York over the past two seasons with a .922 OPS, so it's not much of a surprise he'll be testing the open market in search of a longer-term deal. LeMahieu signed a two-year, $24 million deal with the Yankees in January 2019, and he should be able to exceed those figures this time around in free agency.