MLB Player News

Reyes agreed Tuesday with the Guardians on a one-year, $4.55 million contract to avoid arbitration, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.

Reyes was in his first year of arbitration following a 2021 season in which he hit .254 with 30 home runs and 85 RBI across 466 plate appearances. The Guardians plan to expose him to more work in right field during spring training, but he's still expected to see the bulk of his starts as a designated hitter in 2022.

Ruf and the Giants agreed to a two-year, $6.25 million extension Tuesday which includes a club option for a third season, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Ruf is 35 years old, but the deal actually merely buys out the final two years of his team control while adding an option for one more season. He didn't debut until age 25 and spent parts of five years with the Phillies before heading overseas to spend three seasons starring for the Samsung Lions in Korea. He's crushed the ball since returning stateside with the Giants in 2020, hitting .272/.381/.519 in 412 trips to the plate, though he's primarily filled the short side of a platoon, which caps his fantasy value.

Vientos was optioned to minor-league camp Monday, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Vientos got to spend some time in big-league camp as a member of the 40-man roster, but he's not quite ready to push for an active roster spot. He's only played 11 Triple-A games, but he could make his case for a promotion with a strong start at that level this season.

Reyes will get time in right field during spring training, Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

Reyes enters 2022 as the Guardians' obvious choice for designated hitter. With the National League adopting the DH as well, there's no guarantee he'll be needed to play the field very often. Instead, this move keeps the 26-year-old familiar with the outfield -- the Guardians have weaknesses in the lineup at both corner outfield spots. Bradley Zimmer and Oscar Mercado are most likely to open the season in those positions, but Reyes' strong bat figures to be an everyday presence in the lineup after he hit .254/.324/.522 with 30 home runs, 85 RBI, 57 runs scored and four stolen bases in 115 games last season.

Angels manager Joe Maddon said Saturday that Ohtani could be the team's leadoff hitter this year, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Ohtani's ability to reach base (.372 OBP last season) and speed (26 thefts) are certainly fitting for a leadoff hitter, though the two-way star's big power (46 homers) typically fits best in the heart of the order. Ohtani most often hit in the No. 2 spot last season while David Fletcher was the team's primary leadoff man, but Fletcher posted a below-average .297 OBP on the campaign. Should Ohtani be moved up, Maddon indicated that he could be followed in the order by Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon, likely leading to plenty of run-scoring opportunities at the cost of some RBI chances.

Winker went 1-for-3 with a two-run double in a Cactus League loss to the Angels on Sunday.

The recent trade acquisition had gone hitless in his first two at-bats with his new team Friday, but his third-inning two-bagger Sunday brought home Cal Raleigh and J.P. Crawford to erase an early 1-0 deficit. Winker's timely hit came off right-handed Angeles reliever Janson Junk, but manager Scott Servais has already gone on record with his plans to give the lefty-swinging Winker more opportunities against southpaws than he typically received in Cincinnati.

Ohtani will pitch in his first Cactus League game of the spring Monday against Kansas City, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Ohtani had previously been scheduled to make his first pitching appearance of spring training in a minor-league game, but the Angels changed direction and will now have him throw in their fourth Cactus League contest. The two-way star made his spring debut as a hitter Saturday against Arizona, going 1-for-2 with an RBI single.

Soler has agreed to a three-year deal with the Marlins, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Soler was one of the big-ticket free agents left on the market and provides outfield help that Miami had been looking for. The 2021 World Series MVP should see time at both right field and DH and hit in the middle of the Marlins' lineup.

Carpented signed a minor-league contract with the Rangers on Friday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

While the Rangers made a handful of big additions this offseason, their roster still has plenty of spots up for grabs. Carpenter will presumably be looking to win a bench infield role. There's not a lot left in the 36-year-old's bat, however, as he's been below-average according to wRC+ for three straight seasons. Last year, he hit just .169/.305/.275 while striking out 30.9 percent of the time.

Goins signed a minor-league contract with Atlanta on Sunday, which includes an invite to big-league camp.

Goins was in the organization last season at Triple-A Gwinnett and is back with Atlanta for 2022. He hit .233/.305/.330 with six home runs and 35 RBI in 91 games at Triple-A in 2021 and is a long shot to make the Opening Day roster.