MLB Player News

Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington said there have been a few discussions with outfielder Yoenis Cespedes' new agents, according to The Boston Globe. However, a new deal is not a top priority.

Cespedes is in the final year of a four-year contract he signed with the A's as a top international free agent in Feb. 2012. He was traded to Boston in July.

Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill said Tuesday teams haven't reached out lately to inquire about outfielder Giancarlo Stanton since they are aware the Marlins are trying to sign him to a long-term deal, according to the New York Daily News.

The Marlins' goal remains to sign outfielder Giancarlo Stanton to a long-term deal and not trade the 25-year-old slugger, according to the New York Post. Negotiations remain ongoing with Stanton, and general manager Dan Jennings told Joel Sherman, "There’s only one hope -- we want to sign him."

It is believed it could take an average salary of $28-30 million to sign Stanton to a long-term deal.

Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington said Saturday that the team is not looking to move any particular player, including outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, WEEI.com reports.

"Several teams have asked about our outfielders, not any one in particular," Cherington said. "Because we have some depth there, theoretically, we’ve gotten asked on that, particularly with teams that may match up. I’m not ruling out getting into a trade conversations where we might match up. But there is no particular player that we’re looking to move, including Cespedes. But we’re going to make the team better where we can and we’ll try to be open-minded when trying to do that."

Cespedes' name has come up in trade rumors as he is about to enter the final year of his contract. He hit .260/.301/.450 with 22 home runs, 100 RBI and seven stolen bases in 600 at-bats between Oakland and Boston in 2014.

Marlins president David Samson has claimed that slugger Giancarlo Stanton "is on the team either way" in 2015, according to the Boston Herald, which is offering that the Red Sox could seek to obtain him through the trading of top prospects.

Speculation is that the Marlins, who have been working on a contract extension with Stanton, cannot afford to keep him. Stanton is slated for free agency after the 2016 season. But he will be needed if Miami hopes to make a playoff push next year in a mediocre National League East. The Marlins were on the periphery of playoff contention through much of 2014.

Brad Ausmus is considering using 2014 Tigers surprise J.D. Martinez at designated hitter next season if Victor Martinez flies the coop in free agency.

"It's possible," Ausmus told the Detroit News. "We're certainly hoping something works out with Victor, but we have talked about that, about using J.D. there depending on how things shake out."

Martinez was used primarily in left field this year.

"I don't think you'd have to stick him at DH and never take him out or not use him in the outfield," Ausmus added. "Really, at that age -- Martinez is 27 -- I don't think I'd want to pigeon-hole him at DH."

The Marlins have reached out to outfielder Giancarlo Stanton about a contract extension, and talks are "ongoing," according to the Miami Herald. 

Stanton is under team control through 2016, but the club would like to work out a deal now. Miami hasn't had the best history of signing guys to long-term deals, and there's a sense Stanton will leave if he's allowed to hit free agency. Stanton is coming off the finest season of his career, in which he hit .288/.395/.555 over 539 at-bats with 37 home runs. 

Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill told MLB Network Radio that one of the top offseason goals will be signing outfielder Giancarlo Stanton to a contract extension before the winter meetings.

Stanton is considered one of the best hitters in baseball and is set to become a free agent after the 2016 season.  In 2014, Stanton hit. 288 with 37 home runs and 105 RBI in 145 games. 

He missed the last three weeks of the 2014 season after suffering multiple facial fractures and dental damage after being hit in the face by an 88 mph fastball from Brewers pitcher Mike Fiers.

Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton told reporters Saturday he expects to have a normal offseason, the New York Times reported. Stanton missed the final 17 games of the season after suffering multiple facial fractures and dental damage after being drilled in the face by an 88 mph fastball from Brewers pitcher Mike Fiers.

"It was a long process of just kind of laying around the house, and not being able to leave too much," Stanton said. "But I feel great now, and I'll be back to my normal offseason routine and shouldn't skip a beat."

Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera underwent right ankle surgery to remove bone spurs and to repair a stress fracture in a bone at the top of his foot on Wednesday, the team announced on Friday, per MLB.com. Cabrera, who was plagued by the injury throughout the season, batted .313 with 25 homers and 109 RBI over 611 at-bats. Cabrera is expected to be re-evaluated in three months.