MLB Player News

Edman agreed to a one-year, $4.2 million contract with the Cardinals on Friday to avoid arbitration, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

It's the first year of arbitration eligiblity for Edman, who had a .265/.324/.400 slash line with 13 home runs, 57 RBI, 95 runs and 32 stolen bases last season. The 27-year-old switch hitter is expected to begin 2023 as St. Louis' starting shortstop.

Mateo signed a one-year, $2 million deal with the Orioles on Friday to avoid arbitration, Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Mateo's glove established him as Baltimore's everyday shortstop last year, but his poor .221/.267/.379 slash line makes him vulnerable to losing his spot to top prospect Gunnar Henderson. Mateo has experience playing all over the field, so he'll more than likely transition into a utility role, an assignment that might allow him to maintain the fantasy value provided by his 35 steals in 2022.

Adames agreed to a one-year, $8.7 million contract with the Brewers on Friday to avoid arbitration, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Adames made $4.6 million last season and will receive a sizable raise for 2023, which is his penultimate year before free agency. The 27-year-old had a .238/.298/.458 slash line with 31 home runs and 98 RBI last season.

Wendle agreed to a one-year, $6 million contract with the Marlins on Friday to avoid arbitration, Craig Mish of SportsGrid.com reports.

Miami declined Wendle's $6.6 million mutual option for 2023 in November, but he remained under team control and will have a slightly lower salary. The 32-year-old had a .259/.27/.360 slash line with three homers and 12 steals in 101 games last season, and he could open 2023 as the Marlins' starting shortstop after Miguel Rojas was shipped to the Dodgers.

Amaya (undisclosed) was acquired by the Marlins from the Dodgers on Wednesday in exchange for shortstop Miguel Rojas (wrist), Jim Bowden of The Athletic reports.

Amaya split the 2022 campaign between the Double-A and Triple-A levels and had a .261/.369/.426 slash line across 133 games. He landed on the 60-day injured list in October with an unspecified injury, and it's unclear if he'll be ready for the start of spring training next month.

Rojas (wrist) was traded from the Marlins to the Dodgers on Wednesday in exchange for minor-league infielder Jacob Amaya (undisclosed), Jim Bowden of The Athletic reports.

The veteran shortstop had a .606 OPS in 140 games for Miami last season, and the club opted to ship him elsewhere after adding Jean Segura to the infield mix. Rojas' calling card is his defense, and he's unlikely to have much fantasy utility even if he has an everyday role for Los Angeles. The 33-year-old underwent wrist surgery in October but should be ready for the start of spring training.

Correa passed his physical, and the Twins are expected to officially announce his signing to a six-year, $200 million contract later Wednesday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

For most free agents who come to terms with teams on a contract, the physical exam is usually a formality, but Correa's ability to pass his medical tests is noteworthy after he previously had deals with the Giants and Mets fall through earlier this winter due to reported concern about a previous surgery he had back in 2014 to address a fractured right fibula. Given that the Twins had a chance to get an extended evaluation while Correa played for the team on a one-year, $35.1 million deal last season, they were evidently more comfortable than the Giants or Mets in handing the 28-year-old shortstop a lavish new contract. Though Correa is guaranteed $200 million in the deal through the 2028 season, his contract contains playing time-based vesting options from the 2029 through 2032 seasons that could net him up to an additional $70 million.

Story underwent an internal bracing procedure on the UCL in his right elbow Monday and is likely to open the 2023 season on the injured list, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

The procedure is an alternative to Tommy John surgery and should carry a shorter recovery time, though Story is nonetheless still expected to miss time. The Red Sox have yet to announce when they expect him back, though players typically take 4-to-6 months to return from the surgery, per Jeff Passan of ESPN.com. That timeline indicates Story could return to game action sometime between mid-May and mid-July. The timing is particularly bad for the Red Sox, as Story had been expected to slide back to shortstop following the departure of Xander Bogaerts. Enrique Hernandez may be asked to step into the middle infield, though that would create a new hole in center field.

Correa agreed to a six-year, $200 million deal with the Twins on Tuesday, pending a physical, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

The "pending a physical" part of this news carries far more weight than it does for most similar announcements, as Correa has already agreed to deals with both the Giants and Mets this winter, only for both to fall through following a medical examination. The Twins are presumably more comfortable with Correa's medicals, having just seen him up close for a full season, and they're also only on the hook through the shortstop's age-33 season. If Correa's troublesome ankle doesn't turn out to be an issue, he could remain a Twin for another decade, as the contract also contains a vesting option for a further four years.

Correa and the Mets are slated to resume contract negotiations soon, Dan Martin of The New York Post reports.

The two sides agreed to hit pause on talks over the holidays but are ready to start things up again now that we've reached the new year. At issue, of course, is the condition of Correa's surgically-repaired right ankle, an old injury which was flagged during physicals with the Giants and then the Mets. There seems to be optimism that the Mets and Correa will be able to work something out, although it's far from a guarantee.