MLB Player News

Bogaerts will be the Padres' starting shortstop during the upcoming season, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports.

San Diego shifted Bogaerts to second base ahead of the 2024 campaign, and he ended up making 85 starts there. However, the veteran infielder did start 16 times at shortstop, with all of those appearances coming at the end of the season after Ha-Seong Kim landed on the injured list due to a shoulder injury. Kim is now in Tampa Bay, which made Bogaerts' return to shortstop an expected scenario. For fantasy purposes, it's important to note that Bogaerts made 20 appearances at the position in total during the 2024 regular season, so he should have dual-position eligibility from the beginning of the season in most formats.

Rojas said Saturday expects to be ready by Opening Day after undergoing hernia surgery during the offseason, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Rojas revealed that he developed an infection after the procedure, which delayed his offseason program by a few weeks. The 35-year-old infielder said that he is nearly at full health, and unless he suffers a setback, he should be ready for Opening Day. Rojas slashed .283/.337/.410 with eight stolen bases, six home runs and 36 RBI across 337 plate appearances during the 2024 regular season.

The Mets designated De Los Santos for assignment Friday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

De Los Santos was claimed off waivers by the Mets on Nov. 4 after being let go by the Blue Jays. He spent most of the 2024 season at Triple-A Buffalo, where he slashed .260/375./.441 with six home runs and 16 RBI over 152 plate appearances. De Los Santos was brought in to compete for spot on the Mets' roster for the 2025 campaign, but his removal from the 40-man roster is to make room for Nick Madrigal, who signed a one-year, $1.35 million contract Friday.

The Cubs designated Vazquez for assignment Tuesday, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

The Cubs had to clear a space on their 40-man roster after signing Jon Berti to a one-year deal. Vazquez has generated a .745 OPS across 168 games at the Triple-A level, but he managed just one hit across 14 plate appearances with the big club in 2024 during what was his first taste of major-league action.

Berti signed a one-year, $2 million contract with the Cubs on Wednesday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

A calf injury limited Berti to just 25 regular-season games in 2024, during which he slashed .273/.342/.318 with six RBI and five stolen bases across 74 plate appearances with the Yankees. If healthy this season, the 35-year-old infielder has a path to semi-regular playing time in Chicago, which is facing some uncertainty at third base. However, he'll likely face some competition during spring training in the form of top prospect Matt Shaw.

Swanson (abdomen) expects to be a full participant in spring training, Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic report.

Swanson underwent core muscle surgery in October for an injury which he revealed he'd been dealing with since 2023. However, he is not expected to have any limitations in camp and will be ready to roll for the Cubs' March 18-19 series against the Dodgers in Tokyo.

Gray was designated for assignment by Pittsburgh on Monday, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.

Gray will vacate the 40-man roster to make room for Andrew McCutchen, who was officially added to the roster Monday after putting pen to paper on a one-year deal in December. Gray found little success at the big-league level in 2024 during stops with the Marlins and Athletics, going 3-for-28 with one double and three walks over 15 games.

Winn said during the Cardinals' Winter Warm-Up fan event Sunday that he's hoping to steal 30-40 bases this season, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Winn stole only 11 bases in 16 attempts last season during his 150-game rookie campaign. However, with a sprint speed in the 87th percentile and an average of more than 30 stolen bases per season during his three years in the minors, Winn certainly seems capable of upping his steals total in 2025. It would be a big boost to his fantasy prospects if he is more aggressive on the basepaths this season.

The Cardinals have extended Wetherholt an invitation to big-league camp during spring training.

Wetherholt has just 29 games of professional experience under his belt after being taken with the seventh pick of the 2024 First-Year Player Draft, but the Cardinals will give their top prospect a look this spring. The 22-year-old will likely begin the 2025 season either at High-A Peoria or Double-A Springfield. In addition to Wetherholt, the Cardinals also invited top pitching prospect Quinn Mathews to camp.

The Reds and Lux avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $3.325 million contract Thursday, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Acquired from the Dodgers via trade earlier this week, Lux had been arbitration-eligible for the second time. The 27-year-old slashed .251/.320/.383 with 10 home runs and 50 RBI across 487 plate appearances during the 2024 regular season with the Dodgers and is in line for regular reps against righties with his new team in 2025.