MLB Player News

Owings (thumb) joined the Orioles as a non-roster invitee Tuesday, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Owings missed most of the last two months of last season after undergoing thumb surgery. Prior to that, the veteran utility man hit .326/.420/.628 for the Rockies, though that came in a tiny sample of 50 plate appearances and was far out of line with his career .243/.288/.372 slash line. If he does wind up making the team, it will likely be in a utility role.

Hamilton was invited to Boston's major-league spring training Saturday.

Hamilton was traded from the Brewers to the Red Sox in early December as part of the deal involving Jackie Bradley and Hunter Renfroe, and the 24-year-old will have a chance to develop with the major-league coaching staff in his new organization. He was promoted to Double-A Biloxi during the 2021 campaign and hit .242 with three homers, 16 runs, 12 RBI and 11 stolen bases across 33 games. Although the shortstop showcased his speed by stealing 52 bases between the High-A and Double-A levels last year, he'll likely begin the 2022 season at Double-A Portland and seems unlikely to make his major-league debut this year.

Yankees vice president of player development Kevin Reese said in January that he expects Volpe to open the season at Double-A Somerset, Brendan Kuty of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.

Reese added that he thinks Volpe will "hopefully make an impact in the big leagues soon," perhaps hinting that a late-season promotion to the Yankees in 2022 shouldn't be dismissed if the shortstop continues to mash in the minors like he did between stops at Low-A Tampa and High-A Hudson Valley in 2021. After an underwhelming professional debut at the rookie-ball level in 2019, Volpe looked like an entirely different player in his return to game action following the cancellation of the 2020 minor-league season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 513 plate appearances between the two Single-A affiliates, Volpe posted an 1.027 OPS, 27 home runs and 33 stolen bases while striking out at a manageable 19.7 percent clip. The 20-year-old will face a stiffer test against more advanced Double-A pitching, but the big leap he made in 2021 makes him the Yankees' top prospect entering the upcoming season, both in real-life and fantasy terms.

Marte left Saturday's intrasquad game after fouling a ball off his left shin, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com

By all reports the move was a precautionary one as there's no reason for Marte to push himself through an injury this close to the start of the season. The infielder is thought of as one of the top prospects in the game after an impressive 2021 campaign at Low-A and High-A.

Hamilton, Jackie Bradley and Alex Binelas were traded from the Brewers to the Red Sox on Wednesday in exchange for Hunter Renfroe.

Hamilton was an eighth-round pick during the 2019 draft and had his first taste of professional baseball last season. He had a .773 OPS in 68 games at High-A before being promoted to Double-A, where he posted a .727 OPS in 33 contests. The 24-year-old was listed among Milwaukee's top prospects and is unlikely to make his way to the majors in 2022.

Baez agreed to a six-year, $140 million contract with the Tigers on Tuesday, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports. The agreement includes an opt-out after two years as well as a limited no-trade clause, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

Baez has his flaws, but the good has more than outweighed the bad through this point in his career. Despite a 33.6 percent strikeout rate last season, a number which ranked third-worst among qualified hitters, he hit .265/.319/.494 with 31 homers and 18 steals. There may come a point at which his athleticism and excellent baseball instincts can no longer help him overcome his poor approach at the plate, but he's a good bet to remain a very productive player for at least the first few years of his deal.

Seager agreed to a 10-year, $325 million deal with the Rangers on Monday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

The signing completes a $500 million renovation of the Rangers' middle infield, as the team gave $175 million to second baseman Marcus Semien on Sunday. Injuries are just about the only concern for Seager, who hit .306/.381/.545 with 31 homers in 147 games across the last two years. His combination of quantity and quality of contact is a rare one. Among players with at least 400 plate appearances last season, only Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Manny Machado could match both his 16.1 percent strikeout rate and his 12.4 percent barrel rate. That suggests he should still be able to be a productive player over the back half of his deal when he eventually moves off of shortstop, something which should still be a few years away for the 27-year-old.

Franco and the Rays agreed to terms Monday on an 11-year contract extension, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Minor details are reportedly still yet to be finalized, but the contract will guarantee the young shortstop at least $182 million and could be worth up to $223 million thanks to escalators plus a $25 million team option for a 12th season. The extension keeps Franco under team control through the 2033 campaign, at which point he'll still be just 32 years old and could be in line for another large contract if his career plays out as many expect. Franco impressed in his 70-game debut last season, hitting .288/.347/.463 while playing solid defense at shortstop, but he has the potential to improve far beyond that already impressive level considering that he's still just 20 years old.

Franco and the Rays are nearing an agreement on an extension which could pay the shortstop approximately $200 million over at least 10 seasons, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Hector Gomez of Z Deportes reports the deal has already been signed, though Topkin's report indicates the details won't be finalized until after Thanksgiving. Franco is widely considered a generational talent and is on the cusp of being paid like one, with the reported offer roughly doubling the $100 million Ronald Acuna received from the Braves at a similar stage in his career back in April of 2019. Any extension won't meaningfully change Franco's fantasy outlook, as he was always likely to remain a Ray for the next few years with or without a deal. Additionally, while the reported terms would potentially mean Franco remains with the team for at least a decade, the penny-pinching Rays could still wind up trading him once he reaches the more expensive years of the deal, something that could also have happened without an extension.

Tena was added to Cleveland's 40-man roster Friday.

Tena had a strong showing as a 20-year-old at High-A, hitting .281/.331/.467, but he finds himself buried on the organizational depth chart, as Cleveland is loaded with middle infielders in the upper levels. He should head to Double-A next year.