MLB Player News

Anderson should begin the 2016 season at Triple-A Charlotte, but general manager Rick Hahn said Tuesday he would not be surprised to see Anderson make an appearance in the major leagues, the Chicago Tribune reports.

The White Sox's current strategy is to advance Anderson one level each year. Seeing as how he excelled at Double-A last season, Triple-A is the next logical step for 2016. Jimmy Rollins' arrival, and Tyler Saladino's competence, means there is no reason to rush Anderson to the majors to start the year, but there could be mounting pressure to recall him if he hits well in Charlotte.

Walters (shoulder) will work exclusively in the outfield in spring training, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Walters has been all over the field in his brief big league career, receiving a start in five different positions and as a DH, but it sounds as though manager Terry Francona would like the 26-year-old to have a bit more of a defined role. The switch-hitter had offseason surgery to repair a torn labrum, and though Francona indicated Walters would have no restrictions in the spring, it's unclear if he'll be ready for the start of the season.

Pennington is part of an open competition for the Angels' starting second base job this spring, the Orange County Register reports.

Johnny Giavotella will likely win the job, but manager Mike Scioscia didn't want to anoint him as the starter at the outset of spring training. Pennington is the superior defender, which could ultimately help him make his case for the job if Giavotella scuffles with his glove in the coming weeks. Pennington is a career .245/.313/.344 hitter, so there is little reason to expect him to produce at a significantly better clip at age-31.

Navarro is part of an open competition for the Angels' starting second base job this spring, the Orange County Register reports.

With minor league options remaining, Navarro seems likely to get a taste of Triple-A Salt Lake to begin the season. Johnny Giavotella is the favorite to open 2016 as the starter, but Navarro will have a chance to compete with Cliff Pennington and Gregorio Petit for the job. Navarro posted a .261/.310/.372 line with six homers and four steals in 89 games at Triple-A Norfolk as a 25-year-old last season.

Baldoquin will be a non-roster invitee to major league spring training, Pedro Moura of The Los Angeles Times reports.

Baldoquin, a 22-year-old Cuban middle infielder, received an $8 million signing bonus from the Angels in November of 2014. He's a big part of the team's plans for the future, but last season's .235/.266/.294 slash line at High-A Inland Empire makes it clear that his bat is nowhere close to being big-league ready. Even when accounting for his strong defensive reputation, Baldoquin is unlikely to reach the majors at any point in 2016.

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.