MLB Player News

The Cubs and Madrigal avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $1.8 million contract Thursday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

Madrigal receives a salary bump in what was his second year of arbitration eligibility. The infielder slashed .263/.311/.352 for the Cubs in 2023 and is in the mix for starts at third base again for the upcoming season.

Sosa signed a one-year, $1.7 million contract with the Phillies on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Sosa hit .251 and managed a .720 OPS with 30 RBI through 299 plate appearances in 2023. While last season ended up being one of Sosa's best at the plate, his role remains limited due to the presence of Bryson Stott, Alec Bohm and Trea Turner in Philadelphia's infield.

Busch was traded from the Dodgers to the Cubs along with Yency Almonte on Thursday in exchange for two unknown minor leaguers, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Busch, who fits best at first base or designated hitter, was never going to get an extended run at those positions in Los Angeles, so this boosts his fantasy value. He is currently the favorite to beat out Matt Mervis for the starting first base job, but the Cubs aren't necessarily done making moves -- they have been linked to free agent Rhys Hoskins. Busch is already 26 and needed to repeat Triple-A to master the level (102 wRC+ as a 24-year-old in 2022, 150 wRC+ as a 25-year-old in 2023), so he could still end up being a Quad-A bat when it's all said and done. The lefty-hitting slugger will be eligible at third base to start the year. With righties Patrick Wisdom, Christopher Morel and Alexander Canario all still on the roster, it's possible Busch will sit against lefties.

Alcantara signed a minor-league contract with the Pirates on Dec. 9.

Alcantara, 27, posted a .776 OPS over 98 games between the Cubs' and Diamondbacks' Triple-A affiliates. He's slashed just .209/.281/.406 with 12 homers in 192 games across parts of three seasons at the major-league level.

Machado (elbow) might not be ready to play defense Opening Day, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports.

Machado underwent surgery in early October to repair the extensor tendon in his right elbow. It's an injury he dealt with for much of the 2023 campaign and one which kept him from playing the field in September. The designated hitter duty for Machado could potentially carry over into 2024, with Ha-Seong Kim sliding over to third base.

Arauz signed a minor-league contract with the Dodgers on Dec. 15.

Arauz is a career .184/.253/.308 hitter in 95 games at the major-league level, most recently going 8-for-59 (.136) over 27 games with the Mets in 2023. The 25-year-old will give the Dodgers some utility infielder depth.

Senzel is expected to serve as the Nationals' everyday third baseman in 2024, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

Senzel bounced around all over the diamond in his last few seasons with the Reds, but third base is his natural position and it sounds like Washington plans to keep him there. Hopefully, sticking to one position will give Senzel a better chance of staying healthy, as injuries have been an ongoing issue for the 28-year-old. Senzel had massive splits in 2023, putting up a 1.008 OPS versus lefties and just a .497 OPS against righties. He'll have to greatly improve the latter number if he wants to keep an everyday job.

Senzel signed a one-year, $2 million contract with the Nationals on Wednesday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

He'll have the opportunity to earn an additional $1 million in incentives and will still be under team control in 2025. Senzel was non-tendered by the Reds last month after they decided they were unwilling to pay him a raise in arbitration. The former top prospect hasn't had even a .700 OPS since his rookie season and has dealt with numerous injuries. However, Senzel should at least have a short-side platoon role after slashing .348/.389/.619 against left-handers in 2023.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday that LeMahieu will be the club's starting third baseman in 2024, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports.

LeMahieu has bounced around all over the infield during his time with the Yankees, but it sounds like the club would like to have him focus mostly on third base next season. What that means for Oswald Peraza isn't clear, as the rest of the Yanks' infield spots already appear spoken for.

Rays manager Kevin Cash said Tuesday that Walls (hip) is on track to be ready for the beginning of the 2024 season, Steve Carney of StPeteNine.com reports.

Walls underwent surgery in late October to repair a labral tear in his right hip and relieve discomfort caused by an impingement, but he has progressed well in the early stages of his rehab program and could resume workouts sometime in February. The 27-year-old racked up 22 stolen bases over 99 games in 2023, though he finished with a rough .201/.305/.333 overall slash line.