MLB Player News

Marlins slugging outfielder Giancarlo Stanton has expressed dissatisfaction with the losing he has experienced in recent years and does not want himself identified with it.

"I'm competitive, so I don't take losing well," he told the Miami Herald. "I'm not a loser. That's not what I'm accustomed to. ... So obviously it hasn't been ideal so far. And I don't want a career like that. So we've got to push it forward and start turning it around."

Stanton has little recourse for now, but he is eligible for free agency after the 2016 season. His comparative lack of production in 2013, when he batted just .249 with 24 home runs in 425 at-bats, was a reflection in part to a lack of protection in the Miami lineup.

Giants first baseman Brandon Belt was happy to work out a deal with the club, according to the Mercury News. 

Belt avoided arbitration Tuesday, agreeing to a $2.9 million deal. "I’ve been waiting on a phone call like that since I was in high school," Belt said. "I really can’t believe it right now." Belt believed he would receive a similar offer out of high school, where he excelled as a pitcher, but an arm injury prevented that from happening.

He also expressed his desire to remain in San Francisco long-term. "I think anybody would be open to a long-term extension, especially with this organization," he said. Belt hit .289/.360/.481 in 509 at-bats last season.

Matt Williams is leaning toward placing Bryce Harper in the fifth spot in the lineup this season, the Washington Post has speculated. The Nationals manager spoke Friday about the possibility of Harper batting anywhere from the second to fifth spot, but has been most enthusiastic about batting him fifth.

Harper batted fifth just once in 2013. He opened the year in the third spot, but was eventually moved around anywhere between leadoff and cleanup.

Dodgers manager Don Mattingly was complimentary Wednesday of outfielder prospect Joc Pederson, comparing his swing to Robinson Cano and Carlos Gonzalez.

"He’s got really nice hands," Mattingly said of the 21-year-old Pederson, per The Orange County Register. "He’s fluid. He’s what you want really as far as how the swing is supposed to look. It’s easy, more of a Cano-ish (swing) … CarGo and those guys. His swing looks a lot more like those guys because it’s nice and easy. There’s no tension in his swing. 

"It’s a matter of Joc developing and understanding his keys for certain pitchers and his approach to those guys. I think everybody has high hopes for Joc -- the way he plays the outfield, his instincts on the bases and the way we think this guy can potentially swing the bat." 

Nationals star outfielder Bryce Harper said he has lost 16 pounds in the last month and is down to 220. He feels comfortable at that weight.

"I'm right where I need to be," he told CSNWashington.com.

Harper is coming off a knee injury that cost him about a quarter of the 2013 season.

Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said he could go with a platoon situation at second base to begin the season, while the team continues to evaluate newcomer Alex Guerrero.

"Yeah, we’d think about it," Mattingly said, per The Orange County Register. "Sure. I like platoons, honestly. It gets you a good matchup for the most part, with the right-lefts if you have the right guys for it. To me, it keeps both those guys involved so they’re better off the bench. I don’t mind that platoon system at all." 

Guerrero would likely be the right-handed half of the platoon. If the Dodgers go that path, then Dee Gordon, who is a left-handed hitter, and Chone Figgins, who bats from both sides of the plate, could be the front-runners to be part of the platoon. Miguel Rojas, Justin Turner and Justin Sellers are all right-handed hitters, but also in the mix at second base.

"If Alex is one of those guys, I think it would probably be good for him," Mattingly said. "You’re giving him a chance to play, hopefully getting him favorable matchups but also keeping him strong and rested as a guy that hasn’t played in a couple years. Eventually, if you think he’s an everyday guy that might not be the way to go. But I could see that being a possibility if he ends up being one of those guys."

The Giants and first baseman Brandon Belt have avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year deal, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The two sides buckled down Tuesday in hopes of hammering out an agreement before an aribtration hearing Wednesday morning, and they ultimately got it done Tuesday night, settling on a 2014 salary of $2.9 million. Belt is coming off a breakout season in which he hit .289/.360/.481 with 17 home runs and 67 RBI in 509 at-bats.

The Giants focused Tuesday on signing first baseman Brandon Belt to a one-year deal with a Wednesday arbitration session moving, but the team remains open to signing Belt to a multiyear extension, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

"We like the player," general manager Brian Sabean said. "We think he’s one of the up-and-coming players in the National League an we want to hold onto him. But first things first."

The two sides had a massive gap to bridge after exchanging figures, with the Giants filing for $2.05 million and Belt seeking $3.6 million. He hit .289/.360/.481 with 17 home runs and 67 RBI in 509 at-bats last season.

Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper was able to get through workouts Tuesday, according to The Washington Post.

Manager Matt Williams said Harper was "full go" during workouts. Harper is coming off a knee injury, which limited his production last season. Williams seemed encouraged by his performance Tuesday. "We'll never, ever be worried about Bryce being in shape, that's for sure," Williams said.

Harper hit .274/.368/.486 in 424 at-bats last season. 

Giants first baseman Brandon Belt is scheduled to have his arbitration hearing Wednesday, according to CSN.

The two sides are still trying to work out a one-year deal "in the spirit of trying to settle," according to general manager Brian Sabean. Belt broke out last season, hitting .289/.360/.481 in 509 at-bats. If he's unable to reach an agreement with the club, he could miss the team's first workout Wednesday morning.