MLB Player News

Garcia spent the offseason bulking up and working on his swing, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Garcia is expected to begin the season back in the minors after being rushed in 2020, but the Reds didn't improve with a full-time major league offseason, opening the door for him to make the team, even if it's just a small chance. "We just have to be really thoughtful about doing what's best for Jose," manager David Bell said. "Obviously our goal is to win as a team. We'll have to see how it plays out. It wouldn't surprise me if he started in the minor leagues, and it wouldn't surprise me if he ended up being a big part of our major league team this year."

Arcia will work at third base "a substantial amount" during spring training, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Arcia is most likely to see playing time at shortstop this season, but Luis Arcia should also get increased reps at the position during spring training. As a result, manager Craig Counsell said that the team will move Orlando around during camp, and he could see plenty of time at the hot corner. The 26-year-old slashed .260/.317/.416 with five home runs and 20 RBI over 59 games in 2020.

Mateo will have the chance to compete for the backup center fielder job during spring training, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Mateo played center field in 29 minor-league contests in 2017 and got one start there with the Padres last season, so he's not a complete stranger to the position. He'll be vying for an Opening Day roster spot during spring training, though his struggles at the plate last season suggest that he's not certain to make the cut.

Nationals manager Dave Martinez acknowledged Sunday that he's considering moving Turner from the leadoff spot into the No. 2 or 3 spot in the order in 2021, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports. "Possibly," Martinez said, regarding the possibility of shifting Turner down a spot or two in the lineup. "Like I said, we're running a lot of different lineups, different numbers, talking to a bunch of our analytical people."

Coming off an abbreviated 2020 campaign in which Turner slashed an impressive .335/.394/.588, the Nationals are looking for ways to maximize his production at the plate. While slotting one spot lower in the lineup would likely result in a hit to Turner's stolen-base opportunities, he would benefit from an increase in chances to drive in runs. Only 58 of Turner's 259 plate appearances last season came with a runner in scoring position, resulting in the 27-year-old netting only 41 RBI in 59 games despite a monstrous .982 OPS. The Nationals don't have an ideal option on the roster who can come close to providing Turner's speed and on-base skills versus right-handed pitching, but Martinez floated the possibility of Victor Robles replacing Turner as the leadoff man versus lefties. Expect Martinez to experiment with his lineups throughout Grapefruit League play before determining whether Turner will slot in the order once Opening Day arrives.

For the first time Sunday, general manager Ben Cherington announced that Cruz could practice at other positions in addition to shortstop during spring training, DK Pittsburgh Sports reports.

While Cherington believes that the 22-year-old could play shortstop in the big leagues, Cruz's most likely path to Pittsburgh may be as a right fielder given his 6-foot-7 stature. The general manager gave no update to the offseason accident involving Cruz, but he has already gone on record indicating alcohol was not a part of the car crash that took the lives of three people, and he doesn't expect the tragedy to impact Cruz's baseball future. The prospect batted .245 with a 1:14 BB:K in 49 at-bats during Dominican Winter League play.

Amaya will attend the Dodgers' big-league camp this spring, Eric Stephen of SBNation.com reports.

Amaya spent last season at the team's alternate training site after hitting a combined .260 with seven homers and 71 RBI across two levels in 2019. He has considerable defensive talent and a good eye at the plate but hasn't yet demonstrated an ability to hit for power.

Swanson lost his arbitration case Tuesday and will earn $6 million this season, Gabe Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Swanson had filed at $6.7 million. The shortstop produced an above-average batting line last season (hitting .274/.345/.464) for the first time since his 38-game debut back in 2016, adding 10 homers and five steals, but it evidently wasn't enough to win the case.

Shewmake was invited to Atlanta's major-league spring training camp Monday.

Shewmake was only just drafted in 2019, but his big-league debut may not be too far off. He advanced all the way to Double-A Mississippi in his first professional season, though he played just 14 games there and struggled at the plate. The canceled minors season last year prevented him from continuing his climb, so he may still have to conquer both Double-A and Triple-A before pushing for a roster spot.

Luciano received an invitation Friday to the Giants' big-league spring training camp.

Luciano is a fantastic talent, displaying top-of-the-scale exit velocities, good plate discipline and the potential to stick at shortstop. He's unlikely to be seriously considered for an Opening Day roster spot, as he's just 19 years old and has played all of 47 professional games, none of which have come at the full-season level, but he'll get to work with the big-league coaching staff for a few weeks in hopes of joining them on a permanent basis as soon as 2022.

Strange-Gordon will spend some time at shortstop this spring, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

Strange-Gordon joined the Reds as a non-roster invitee Sunday, so he isn't even guaranteed a roster spot. He's been mostly a second baseman for the majority of his career, but he has at least made 13 starts at shortstop over the last four seasons. He'll probably be a utility man if he does make the team, but the Reds' other options at short consist of a rather uninspiring group, including the not yet ready Jose Garcia, Rule 5 pick Kyle Holder and fellow utility man Kyle Farmer, so there's certainly a path to Strange-Gordon receiving regular at-bats.