MLB Player News

Martinez will attend Orioles' spring training as a non-roster invitee, Eduardo A. Encina of The Baltimore Sun reports.

The 27-year-old Puerto Rican has played 942 games at the minor league level but only 34 in the big leagues. In 2015 with Double-A Bowie, he hit .252 with 48 runs and 30 RBI in 477 plate appearances. The journeyman will have a difficult time finding playing time given his limited production in the MLB, even if he receives a roster spot.

Featherston was designated for assignment by the Angels on Friday, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports.

Featherston was the causality when the Angels claimed Christian Friedrich off waivers from the Rockies on Friday. He got to play plenty in the majors all over the infield, but failed to hit well and lost virtually all of his power, as he batted only .162 with two home runs and a .247 slugging percentage. The 26-year-old could be a decent pickup for a club looking for an inexpensive and young utility infielder.

Mateo has received an invitation to spring training, Bryan Hoch of MLB reports.

Mateo is one of the top prospects in the Yankee system, and the fact that the Yankees are already having the 20-year-old in the major league camp after only playing as high as High-A last season says how much they like him. Despite the invite, Mateo will likely head back to the minors for more seasoning after spring training concludes.

Diaz received an invitation to spring training Friday, Jared Diamond of the Wall Street Journal reports.

The light-hitting shortstop spent most of 2015 with the Triple-A affiliate of the Blue Jays, but did see some time with the major league club as well. That being said, he'll likely head back to the minors after spring training is over.

Francisco Lindor was a big-time prospect for the Indians because he was expected to step into the majors and be an immediate contributor with the glove, and he definitely was that. Lindor helped key a second-half turnaround of the club's infield defense, but what really made him stand out for Fantasy purposes was the unexpected power he provided as a rookie.

After hitting just two homers in 59 games at Triple-A in 2015, Lindor quickly found his power stroke in the majors. He slugged a dozen homers in 99 games, falling just one short of his minor-league season-high in 51 fewer games. As a 21-year-old, it's no surprise Lindor is growing into his game and developing more power, but a repeat performance seems unlikely for a number of reasons.

First off, he hit the majority of his batted balls on the ground, with a flyball rate of just 28.7 percent. Additionally, he sported one of the lowest hard-hit averages in the majors, with a 25.2 percent mark that ranked 119th out of 141 qualified hitters. Among players with a hard-hit average below 26 percent, Lindor's 13.0 HR/FB ratio leads the way, a sign that he might not be able to sustain that kind of power.

Lindor could still be a solid Fantasy option, with 12 homer and 20-steal potential for a full season. Just don't expect him to sustain a 20-homer pace like he did as a rookie.

Ciriaco signed a minor league deal with the Rangers on Wednesday. The contract includes a spring training invite.

The veteran spent last season with the Braves organization, seeing time in 84 major league contests while appearing in 26 minor league games. Ciriaco hit .261 with 15 RBI and eight doubles for the Braves while playing all over the infield, in addition to making a couple of appearances in the outfield. The 30-year-old will look to make the roster outright in spring training, but he could end up at Triple-A.

Berti received an invite to go to big league camp for spring training.

Last year Berti played second base, third base, center field and left field across stops at Double-A and Triple-A, so his versatility could be his ticket to the 25-man roster at some point in 2016. That said, apart from above average speed, the soon-to-be 26-year-old doesn't offer much in terms of offensive potential.

Urena received an invite to go to big league camp for spring training.

Of the top-three dynasty league prospects in the Jays system, Urena has the most upside, but he also carries the most risk. Offensively he has a very similar profile to San Diego's Javier Guerra, where plus power potential at shortstop makes him very intriguing. Unlike Guerra, however, he has a very iffy approach, and is far from a lock to stick at shortstop. Still, the bat should play anywhere, and the chance that he sticks at shortstop makes him a top-100 prospect in dynasty leagues. Look for him to head to High-A to start 2016.

Diaz inked a minor league contract with the Yankees on Friday, Matt Eddy of Baseball America reports.

Diaz doesn't have much major league experience under his belt at age 30, but has seen a taste in each of the past three campaigns. He'll once again serve as organizational depth in 2016, but this time it will come with the Yankees rather than the Blue Jays.

Navarro was claimed off waivers by the Angels on Wednesday.

Navarro appeared in just 10 games with the Orioles last season, collecting eight hits in 29 at-bats and driving in three runs. According to The Orange County Register, Navarro does have option years remaining, meaning that he'll likely start the year at Triple-A.