MLB Player News

Kieboom will work at shortstop and second base this offseason, Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reports.

Kieboom only played shortstop this last season, but the Nationals are considering adding second base to his repertoire to aid his climb to the majors. Current shortstop Trea Turner is under team control for another four years, but second base is being held down by the combination of Howie Kendrick (Achilles), Wilmer Difo and Adrian Sanchez. After slashing .262/.326/.395 at Double-A Harrisburg this past season and performing well in the Arizona Fall League (.280/.426/.347), Kieboom could push for time in the big leagues if he can hit Triple-A pitching well enough.

Riley may spend some time in the outfield in spring training, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

The Braves still view Riley as their third baseman of the future, but with Josh Donaldson in on a one-year deal, he's blocked at that position in the short term. The 21-year-old hit a solid .282/.346/.464 in 75 games with Triple-A Gwinnett last season, suggesting that he could be ready to make the leap to the big leagues. He likely won't break camp with the team, but he's not far from forcing the Braves to give him major-league at-bats, which could come either in an outfield corner or as an injury replacement.

Donaldson signed a one-year, $23 million contract with the Braves on Monday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

Donaldson will immediately slot in as the team's everyday third baseman, likely pushing Johan Camargo to a utility role. Injuries limited the 32-year-old to just 52 games in 2018, prompting him to sign a one-year deal in an attempt to re-establish his value. When healthy, Donaldson has proven to be one of the premier options at the hot corner over the past five seasons, slashing .275/.373/.524 with 148 homers and 421 RBI over that stretch (636 games).

Peterson signed a minor-league contract with Baltimore on Wednesday, Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports reports.

Peterson spent most of the 2018 campaign within the Orioles' system after being designated for assignment by the Yankees in late April. He wound up playing in 96 big-league games, but the 28-year-old was only able to manage a slash line of .200/.310/.324 with three home runs and 28 RBI in 246 plate appearances. Peterson's ceiling is as a utility man off the bench while his floor is spending most of the 2019 season in Triple-A.

Vosler was traded from the Cubs to the Padres on Tuesday in exchange for Rowan Wick, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Vosler split time between Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa in 2018, posting a combined .251/.330/.467 line with 23 homers and 29 doubles across 129 games with both teams. The 25-year-old will likely fill an organizational depth role in 2019.

Cesar inked a minor-league deal with the Twins on Friday, Brandon Warne of Zone Coverage reports.

Cesar spent the 2018 season at the Double-A level in the Astros' system, hitting .296/.348/.428 with 10 home runs and 62 RBI in 116 games. The 23-year-old wound up breaking a 49-year-old Texas League record with a 42-game hit streak, during which he went 66-for-169 (.391 average) with 30 RBI in almost two months of action. The third baseman will provide some extra infield depth in Minnesota's organization moving forward.

Urshela signed a minor-league deal with the Yankees on Friday, Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com reports.

Urshela will remain with the Yankees' organization after Toronto traded him to New York in early August. Across 19 big-league games with the Blue Jays, he slashed .233/.283/.326 with one home run and three RBI in 46 plate appearances. He wound up hitting .307 with an .815 OPS for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 27 games for the Yankees' Triple-A club once he came over. The 27-year-old figures to serve as infield depth going into the 2019 campaign.

LeMahieu did not receive a $17.9 million qualifying offer from the Indians before Friday's deadline, Nick Groke of The Athletic reports.

With prospects Garrett Hampson and Brendan Rodgers knocking on the door of the majors, the Rockies will let LeMahieu hit the open market. The veteran second baseman hit just .276 in 2018 after batting above .300 in the previous three seasons, though he swatted a career-high 15 homers. LeMahieu shouldn't have trouble finding work given his proven track record as a two-way player.

Moustakas declined his 2019 option with the Brewers and elected free agency.

Moustakas will hit the open market for a second consecutive offseason after splitting time with the Royals and Brewers in 2018. The 30-year-old hit a combined .251/.315/.459 with 28 homers and a career-high 95 RBI in 152 games in 2018.

Peterson will be placed on outright waivers by the Orioles on Sunday, Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports reports.

The veteran struggled at the plate for Baltimore this season, slashing just .195/.308/.325 with three home runs and 28 RBI across 93 games. However, he provided the team with ample positional versatility, which is intriguing the team enough to want to re-sign him after the non-tender deadline. Peterson was eligible for arbitration, but his path to a major-league roster will likely come via a minor-league deal with an invitation to spring training.