MLB Player News

McCutchen agreed to a contract with the Brewers on Monday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Philadelphia declined McCutchen's $15 million option for 2022 back in November, and the veteran outfielder will continue his career in Milwaukee. The Brewers already have an established outfield group with Christian Yelich, Lorenzo Cain, Hunter Renfroe and Tyrone Taylor, but the introduction of the designated hitter to the National League opens up some at-bats. McCutchen had a .778 OPS with 27 home runs and 80 RBI in 144 games last season, though he did most of that damage against left-handed pitching with a .293/.405/.622 slash line in 195 plate appearances.

Manager David Ross said Monday that Ramirez hasn't yet reported to spring training due to travel complications, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Ramirez was dealt from the Guardians to the Cubs in November of 2021, but he hasn't yet joined his new club for camp following the league's lockout. The 27-year-old made 99 appearances for Cleveland last year and hit .268 with seven home runs, 41 RBI, 33 runs and three stolen bases. Once he reports to camp, he'll attempt to carve out at-bats as a depth option in the outfield ahead of the 2022 campaign.

Turner (hamstring) was spotted taking live at-bats against teammate Clayton Kershaw on Monday during the Dodgers' team workout, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Turner and Mookie Betts were among the lineup regulars who took hacks against Kershaw in the ace's first live batting practice throwing session of 2022, indicating that all three players are healthy again after tending to injuries during last year's playoff run. Los Angeles could still look to add another major piece to an already prolific offense before Opening Day, but Turner's status as an everyday player won't be in question regardless of what moves the Dodgers might make. After inking a two-year, $34 million contract last February, he made good on the first season of the deal by hitting .278 with 27 home runs, 87 RBI and 87 runs over 151 games.

Arizona general manager Mike Hazen did not have an update on Beer (shoulder) this weekend but said he should in a few days, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

Beer's five-game entree into MLB last September was a success before he dislocated his shoulder. Team personnel were barred from communicating with 40-man roster players during the lockout, so the Diamondbacks are still in the process of acquiring information on players' health. Now that MLB has adopted the designated hitter for the NL, Beer is considered a leader to become the team's primary DH or at least the left-handed component in a platoon. Beer has consistently posted a slugging percentage above .500 and an OPS over .900 in the minors.

Ozuna was handed a retroactive 20-game suspension Monday for a violation of the league's Join Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy which has already been completed, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

Ozuna landed on the injured list with broken fingers in late May and was arrested for aggravated assault and family violence soon after. He didn't return for the rest of the season while the case played out in court but was placed on administrative leave in mid-September after agreeing to enter a diversion program which could see his charges dropped. The league evidently felt that the time he already missed constituted a sufficient punishment, as his time on administrative league counted for the purposes of the suspension.

Canha and the Mets agreed to terms on a two-year, $26.5 million deal Friday, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.

The late bloomer looks set to slot straight into Michael Conforto's spot in right field after Conforto declined a qualifying offer to try his luck on the open market. Canha will turn 33 in February but he remains an effective player, hitting .231/.358/.387 (good for a 115 wRC+) with 17 homers and a career-high 12 steals last season. He is one of the league's premier on-base threats, as his .377 on-base percentage over the last three seasons is good for ninth among qualified hitters. His power appears to be fading, however, as his .156 ISO in 2021 represented a career low while his 7.1 percent barrel rate was his lowest mark since 2017.

Dickerson was designated for assignment by the Giants on Monday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Dickerson had an unremarkable 2021 season, hitting .233/.304/.420 (good for a 97 wRC+) with 13 homers in 312 plate appearances. It's possible he lands in a platoon role elsewhere, as he did produce an out-of-nowhere 151 wRC+ in 170 plate appearances in 2020, but the upside seems fairly low for a player with a modest track record heading into his age-32 season.

Ramirez was traded from the Guardians to the Cubs on Monday in exchange for cash considerations.

Ramirez hasn't shown himself to be anything more than a bench piece through three major-league seasons, hitting .271/.308/.405 for his career. He makes good contact, striking out in just 18.2 percent of his plate appearances, but he's walked just 4.0 percent of the time and has below-average power, as seen in his 5.6 percent career barrel rate. That profile might work as a passable starter if he were a good defensive center fielder, but he's graded out poorly there and fits better in a corner. He's at least found himself with a team that has plenty of playing time available, but he'll be an unexciting option even if he plays regularly.

Turner (hamstring) has been rehabbing at Dodger Stadium three days a week, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

He started his offseason program earlier than usual to rehab his left hamstring, which put an end to his playoffs midway through the NLCS. Turner shouldn't be at risk of missing spring training.

Vientos was added to the Mets' 40-man roster Friday, Justin Toscano of The Bergen Record reports.

Vientos seems to get overshadowed at times by Brett Baty and Ronny Mauricio, but he's probably going to beat them to the majors and he has big-time power potential. His strikeout rate will likely always be a little high, but he could hit 30-plus home runs if he can make contact at a passable clip.