MLB Player News

Atlanta signed Mateo to a one-year contract Monday.

With Ha-Seong Kim (finger) set to miss at least the first six weeks or so of the season, Atlanta has added Mateo as a depth option at shortstop. The 30-year-old Mateo was plagued by injuries in his last two seasons with the Orioles, finishing with a lowly .177/.217/.266 batting line over 42 contests in 2025. He's healthy, now, though, and offers the ability to play second base, third base and all three outfield spots in addition to shortstop. Mauricio Dubon remains the likely Opening Day starter at shortstop for Atlanta, but Mateo will be in the mix while Kim recuperates from finger surgery.

Winn has been sprinting for weeks and will not have any limitations with his surgically repaired right knee at the beginning of spring training, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Winn played through a slight meniscus tear in his knee for most of the 2025 season before eventually having surgery in late September. While he won his first Gold Glove, Winn's offensive production slipped, as he finished with just a .673 OPS, nine home runs and nine stolen bases. With his knee repaired, Winn plans to be more active on the basepaths in 2026, saying, "I want to be able to use that speed."

The Reds did not give De La Cruz permission to play in the World Baseball Classic, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

De La Cruz wanted to represent the Dominican Republic, but Cincy has lingering concerns about a quad injury that appeared to limit him over the second half of the 2025 season. The shortstop, who still played all 162 regular-season games, experienced a second-half dip last year after a strong first half. Reds manager Terry Francona acknowledged the need to find ways to keep De La Cruz fresh in 2026, and the trade of Gavin Lux will allow starters to rotate through DH and get breaks from playing the field, per Rosencrans.

McLain has added 12 pounds of muscle over the offseason, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.

After rehabbing injuries each of the last two offseasons, McLain has been able to focus on training this winter and said he feels like he's getting a "fresh start" heading into the 2026 season. The second baseman slashed a disappointing .220/.300/.343 over 147 regular-season contests in 2025, but he has some bounce-back potential heading into his age-26 campaign.

The Mets claimed Cheng off waivers from the Rays on Friday.

It's already the third organization Cheng has been with this month as he bounces around via waivers. The 24-year-old slashed just .209/.307/.271 at Triple-A Indianapolis and went hitless in a brief stint with the Pirates last season, but the Mets felt Cheng was a worthy infield depth addition.

The Mets signed Bichette to a three-year, $126 million contract Friday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

The deal includes opt outs after each of the first two years. It's not the long-term contract many expected Bichette to sign, but he'll receive an average of $42 million annually, with the opportunity to re-enter the market if he has a monster 2026 or 2027 campaign. Bichette is likely to take over at third base for the Mets, a position he has never played before, and his arrival pushes Brett Baty into a utility role.

The Pirates have extended Griffin an invitation to big-league camp during spring training.

Arguably the top prospect in all of baseball, Griffin tore through three levels of the minors in 2025, slashing .333/.415/.527 with 21 home runs and 65 stolen bases in his first pro season. The expectation is that he will be given a real shot to win the Pirates' Opening Day shortstop job, and if that happens, Griffin -- who turns 20 in late April -- would be the first position player to make his big-league debut as a teenager since Juan Soto in 2018.

The Cubs claimed Cowles off waivers from the White Sox on Thursday.

Cowles went from the Cubs to the White Sox via waivers in September, and he's now headed back in the other direction. The infielder slashed only .235/.300/.371 with nine homers and 18 steals at the Triple-A level in 2025. Slated to turn 26 in February, Cowles is likely ticketed for Triple-A Iowa to start off the 2026 season.

Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said Thursday that Shaw could be used some in the outfield this season, Mike McGraw of the Chicago Daily Herald reports.

If the Cubs hang on to Nico Hoerner rather than trade him following the signing of Alex Bregman, Shaw's best shot at regular playing time would be in a super utility role. All 114 starts for Shaw with the Cubs in 2025 came at third base, but the 24-year-old also has significant experience at second base and shortstop, and he played the outfield some in college and in summer ball. It's also possible the Cubs use Shaw as a trade chip in order to supplement their roster elsewhere.

Alexander is expected to shift to a utility role following the Diamondbacks' acquisition of third baseman Nolan Arenado, Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports reports.

Alexander finished up the 2025 season as Arizona's primary third baseman after Eugenio Suarez was traded to the Mariners at the trade deadline. Until the Arenado news, Alexander was the nominal starter at the hot corner. He now moves back into a utility role, which will include opportunities in the outfield. The Diamondbacks will be without left fielder Lourdes Gurriel (knee) for much of the first half of 2026 and will want a right-handed complement to Alek Thomas in center field. The team may also deploy him in a rotation at DH. That's in addition to Alexander's ability to back up at three infield positions. His main competition for playing time will be Jordan Lawlar, although general manager Mike Hazen believes both will be able to impact the club "in a number of different ways."