MLB Player News

Maton was invited to the Phillies' major-league spring training Monday.

Maton had an effective year with High-A Clearwater in 2019 with a .276/.358/.380 slash line and five home runs, and that performance earned him a promotion to the Double-A level. He experienced some growing pains with Double-A Reading, hitting just .210/.306/.355 with two home runs over 21 games. The 22-year-old will get to work with the big-league coaching staff during the spring, but he'll likely require some more time in the minors before making his major-league debut due to his lack of experience against higher-end competition.

Rivera signed with the Rangers as a non-roster invitee Friday.

Rivera hit a poor .183/.258/.217 in 34 games for the Marlins last season. That translates to a 33 wRC+, though that's actually stronger than his career 28 wRC+ over parts of five seasons.

Urshela agreed to a one-year, $2.475 million deal with the Yankees on Friday, avoiding arbitration, freelance baseball writer Robert Murray reports.

His breakout 2019 season came at a good time, just before his first offseason as an arbitration-eligible player. He will go through the process three more times before hitting the open market after the 2023 season.

Robinson (elbow) received an invitation to major-league spring training Monday, Amy Gutierrez of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Robinson inked a minor-league deal with the Giants in mid-October, and he'll have the opportunity to begin the spring with the big-league club. He appeared in just five major-league contests a season ago with the Cardinals, going 1-for-7 with three strikeouts. Despite undergoing partial Tommy John surgery in August, it appears as though Robinson will be ready to go for camp.

Asuaje signed a minor-league contract with Chicago on Monday, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.

Asuaje spent the 2019 season in Arizona's farm system, slashing .239/.339/.403 with five home runs and 29 RBI for Triple-A Reno. He hasn't made an appearance in the big leagues since the 2018 campaign while with San Diego, though he'll have a chance to crack the 25-man roster for the Cubs to begin the year with a strong spring.

Asche signed a minor-league contract with the Twins on Thursday.

Asche has not appeared in the majors since 2017, when he played in 19 games with the White Sox. The 29-year-old struggled in limited action at the Double-A level last season, recording a .655 OPS with one home run and 28 strikeouts over 23 games. Given Asche's past experience in the big leagues, it wouldn't be surprising if he's a non-roster invitee during spring training.

Maggi signed a minor-league contract with the Twins on Thursday.

Maggi spent last season in the Twins' organization, where he hit .258/.384/.405 with 10 home runs, 46 RBI and nine stolen bases while playing for Triple-A Rochester. The 30-year-old has yet to appear in the majors, but he will likely be a non-roster invitee during spring training.

Peterson signed with the Brewers as a non-roster invitee on Tuesday.

Peterson has spent parts of six seasons in the big leagues, playing at about the level of the last man on the bench. He's appeared everywhere except catcher (though he didn't play any center field or shortstop last season) while hitting a just barely playable .228/.314/.330. He'll fight for a bench spot in camp and could potentially be one of the first options called up during the season if he winds up opening the year in the minors.

Rendon signed a seven-year, $245 million contract with the Angels on Wednesday, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.

The 29-year-old is fresh off a World Series victory with the Nationals and is now set to receive $35 million per year from the Angels. Rendon finished third in National League MVP voting behind Cody Bellinger and Christian Yelich in 2019, as he put forth the best numbers of his career with a .319/.412/.598 slash line, 44 doubles, 34 home runs and 126 RBI in 146 games. Rendon will take over at the hot corner for the Halos in Joe Maddon's first season as the club's manager.

Kieboom is "close" to being ready for the major leagues and is expected to see time at multiple positions during spring training, Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reports.

Kieboom made his big-league debut during the 2019 season, though he went just 5-for-39 with two home runs and four walks in 11 games. The Nationals feel good about how Kieboom is developing at this point and plan to give him plenty of opportunities to see major-league arms during spring training.