MLB Player News

Sosa was added to the Cardinals' 40-man roster Friday.

The 20-year-old shortstop won't be an option for the major league team anytime soon -- he just advanced to the High-A level late in 2016 -- but he had to be added to the 40-man roster for Rule 5 protection. Sosa has hit at a nice clip in the minors but doesn't pack much power, and at 5-foot-11, he doesn't project to add a whole lot in time.

Plouffe has been placed on outright waivers and is expected to clear Friday, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

If he does indeed clear waivers, Plouffe will become a free agent. Plouffe was entering his third winter of arbitration eligibility and would have been due north of $7 million again in 2017. He battled a variety of injuries this past season which limited him to 84 games. The 30-year-old has hit .247/.308/.420 in 723 career games at the major league level.

Moncada (thumb) will start the 2017 season in the minors, presumably at Triple-A, Mass Live's Christopher Smith reports. "I think he would be able to play third base well enough with a month of spring training," president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said. "And he has versatility, too, if we needed that. But right now, I'd say his bat probably needs some more seasoning at the minor league level."

This was expected, as Moncada struggled to hit offspeed pitches and breaking balls in the upper levels of the minors and in the majors last season. Despite those struggles, Moncada will enter 2017 as the top prospect in the game for dynasty league purposes, as he is just 21 and still offers superstar level tools. A minor thumb injury cut short his run in the Arizona Fall League, but he will be good to go for the start of spring training. Travis Shaw, Pablo Sandoval and Brock Holt all project to make the 25-man roster out of spring training as options at third base, so the Red Sox can afford to be patient with Moncada. However, once he proves himself capable of handling a steady diet of offspeed pitches at Triple-A, the Red Sox will likely promote him as he would then profile as the organization's best option at the hot corner.

The A's have agreed to trade Valencia to the Mariners, Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports reports.

According to Greg Johns of MLB.com, the A's will be receiving right-hander Paul Blackburn in return. Valencia enjoyed a fine offensive season in 2016, batting .287/.346/.446 with 17 homers and 72 runs scored, but he injured Billy Butler in a fight in August and there were rumors that the A's might just release him outright. With the Mariners (his seventh MLB team), Valencia seems primed to take over as the primary option in right field with Kyle Seager locked in at third.

Donaldson, for the second consecutive season, was named a Silver Slugger, an honor which goes to the best hitter at every position in each league.

Donaldson earned the award by following up his MVP campaign by smacking 37 homers, notching 99 RBI and scoring 122 runs. He slashed .284/.404/.549 over 577 at-bats while racking up a career-high 109 walks in 2016. Toronto's lineup, which has been one of the best in recent years, will look much different next season, but Donaldson will still be a top pick in almost all formats.

Noriega signed a minor league contract with the Brewers on Monday.

Noriega's bat has been shaky at best during his tenure in the minor leagues, so he'll likely just act as organizational depth for Milwaukee.

Robinson was added to the 40-man roster Thursday, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Although he owned a batting average of just .257 in 2016, Robinson showed an upswing in terms of power at Triple-A Round Rock. His 54 extra-base hits, which include 20 home runs, gave him a phenomenal .480 slugging percentage. However, it wasn't all good news for the 24-year-old, as he posted a 27.5 percent strikeout rate.

Moncada will leave the Arizona Fall League after sustaining a left thumb sprain, Rob Bradford of WEEI reports.

It's unclear when the injury happened, but it appears to be a relatively minor ailment considering the Red Sox only expect Moncada to rest for two weeks before resuming baseball activities. Unless something else pop up, the top prospect should be 100 percent when spring training rolls around.

Asuaje has started a stint in the Dominican Winter League, the Padres' official site reports.

With little left to prove at Triple-A, Asuaje will get an opportunity to compete for an Opening Day roster spot during spring training. Second base is currently crowded with the emergence of Ryan Schimpf in 2016 and the expected return of Cory Spangenberg from a quad injury. Asuaje has appeal as a utility option, however, as he can play at least three positions capably and serve as a left-handed bat off the bench for manager Andy Green.

Donaldson went 1-for-3 with a walk and a solo homer in Tuesday's Game 4 ALCS victory over the Indians.

The Blue Jays spent the first 29 innings of this series either tied or playing from behind, but Donaldson finally put an end to that. According to Statcast, the slugger's first home run of the ALCS had a projected distance of 402 feet and left his bat at 99 mph. The home run snapped Indians ace Corey Kluber's postseason scoreless streak at 15.1 innings. For Donaldson, it was his seventh extra-base hit of the postseason.