MLB Player News

Baez can opt out of his contract after the upcoming season, and it's unclear if he'll remain in Detroit beyond 2023, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Baez had a disappointing first season in Detroit after signing a six-year, $140 million deal, posting just a .671 OPS and hitting only 17 home runs after recording 31 long balls in 2021. Entering his age-30 season, Baez will be looking to rebound, and if he does, he may want to test free agency again next offseason. The rebuilding Tigers may also look to trade him at some point in 2023, particularly if the shortstop plays well and Detroit can acquire solid prospects in return.

Mondesi (knee) has started baseball activities with hitting and fielding drills but is still ramping up his running progression, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Mondesi's rehab is expected to keep him out of the lineup when Opening Day rolls around, which means manager Alex Cora will deploy Enrique Hernandez at shortstop and Christian Arroyo at second base. Once Mondesi is healthy, there could be a rotation of the three players at the two positions until Trevor Story (elbow, 60-day IL) is ready to play.

Barger will spend some time in the outfield this spring, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

The 2018 sixth-round pick broke out last season, slashing .305/.375/.544 across 125 games at the three highest levels of the minors. He only reached Triple-A for eight games at the tail end of the year, so an Opening Day debut seems unlikely, but if he looks good in the outfield, he'll increase his potential paths to the big-league roster.

The Red Sox placed Story (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Thursday.

The move frees up a spot on the 40-man roster. Story underwent an internal bracing procedure on his UCL in January and is expected to be sidelined at least until the second half of the season. With Story out, Enrique Hernandez will handle shortstop and Christian Arroyo will cover second base, at least until Adalberto Mondesi (knee) is ready.

Chang signed a one-year contract with the Red Sox on Thursday.

The Red Sox non-tendered Chang earlier this offseason but have ultimately decided to bring him back as infield depth. With Trevor Story (elbow) out indefinitely and Adalberto Mondesi's (knee) timeline cloudy, it's a sensible move. Chang has a career .639 OPS over parts of four major-league seasons.

Perez will be limited to rehab work in the early stages of camp after experiencing some mild inflammation in his back during offseason workouts, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.

Perez will be part of the Tigers' big-league camp after he was added to the 40-man roster over the winter, but the switch-hitting infielder looks as though he could miss out on some action during the Grapefruit League slate while he continues to receive treatment and takes part in a core-stabilization program early in camp. Assuming he's made a full recovery from the injury before the start of the regular season, Perez will likely report to either Triple-A Toledo or Double-A Erie.

Story (elbow) acknowledged Wednesday that he won't be realistically ready to play until the second half of the season in a "best-case scenario," Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

After Story underwent an internal bracing procedure on the UCL of his right elbow in January, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com relayed that the infielder was looking at a 4-to-6-month recovery timeline, based on previous examples of players who have opted for the modified version of Tommy John surgery. Based on comments from Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and Story himself, the 30-year-old looks as though he'll need the full six months to recover, and he could be in store for additional missed time beyond that. Story admitted that there's a possibility he doesn't play at all during the 2023 season, though at this early stage of his rehab, he remains "right on track," according to Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald. Story has currently been going through range-of-motion work at his offseason home, but he remains undecided about whether he'll continue his rehab program at the Red Sox's spring training facility in Florida or back in Boston once the season gets underway.

Mondesi (knee) being ready for Opening Day would be a best-case scenario, Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom told Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe on Tuesday.

Manager Alex Cora expressed optimism about Mondesi's recovery from ACL surgery earlier Tuesday, but Bloom doesn't appear confident the infielder will be ready to play by Opening Day. Mondesi is expected to see playing time at both second base and shortstop once he's healthy, but for now those positions will be manned by Christian Arroyo and Enrique Hernandez, respectively.

Mondesi (knee) looks good at the start of camp, Red Sox manager Alex Cora told Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe on Tuesday.

Mondesi is behind others at the beginning of spring training as he works his way back from ACL surgery, but his skipper is encouraged by how the infielder looks. Cora noted Tuesday that Christian Arroyo is the team's second baseman "as of now," but the door would appear to be open for Mondesi to take that job if he can show he's healthy. Mondesi was acquired from the Royals via trade last month.

Bichette plans to be more aggressive on the bases in 2023, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider told reporters on Monday that the team wants to be more aggressive on the bases in 2023, and the shortstop echoed those sentiments. The larger bases and new pickoff rules could see a rise in stolen bases in the coming years, but Bichette says that he was intending to run more even before the rule changes. The 24-year-old swiped 25 bases in 26 attempts in 2021, but went just 13-for-21 in 2022 in what was a disappointing season for Bichette until his sensational September (.406/.444/.662) saw him finish the year with an .802 OPS. A rise to his previous level in steals could see Bichette finish as one of the very best players -- not just shortstops -- in 2023.