MLB Player News

Leonard was added to the Dodgers' 40-man roster Friday, Eric Stephen of SBNation.com reports.

Leonard forced the Dodgers to protect him from the Rule 5 draft after slashing .299/.375/.530 with eight home runs in 41 games as a 20-year-old at High-A. The Dodgers will always have a crowded infield, but he might bring enough offensive impact to the table to get a look in a couple years.

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.

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

The best prospect in the organization, Rocchio was a lock to get protected from the Rule 5 draft. He started making good on the Francisco Lindor comparisons by tapping into notable power at Double-A as a 20-year-old, but he may not debut until 2023.

Jimenez was added to the Blue Jays' 40-man roster Friday.

The 20-year-old shortstop is good at everything except hitting for power. He hit .315/.517/.381 with 51 walks in 54 games at Low-A and logged a .438 OBP in the Arizona Fall League. Jimenez is still probably a couple years away from making his big-league debut.

Duran's contract was selected by the Rangers on Friday.

Duran posted a .907 OPS in 67 games at the High-A level in the Yankees' system to start the year, but that number dropped to .695 in 38 games following a trade to Texas. While he has plenty of work to do before pushing for a big-league debut, the Rangers still elected to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.

Amaya's contract was selected by the Dodgers on Friday, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.

Amaya served as a non-roster invitee during spring training in 2021, but he spent the entire season at Double-A Tulsa and slashed .216/.303/.343 with 12 homers, 60 runs, 47 RBI and five stolen bases. His addition to the 40-man roster will protect him from the Rule 5 draft.

Downs was added to the Red Sox's 40-man roster Friday, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

This was a lock to happen as protection from the Rule 5 draft. Downs had a rough year at Triple-A (.190/.272/.333 slash line), but he finished the 2021 season on a better note, hitting .208/.382/.491 with five home runs and four steals in 68 plate appearances in the Arizona Fall League. It's starting to look like Downs' batting average is going to be subpar, at least initially, against big-league pitching, but his ability to get on base at a high clip while chipping in some power and speed makes him worth monitoring in 2022.

Pena had his contract selected by the Astros on Friday.

Pena is one of Houston's top prospects, so it's hardly a surprise the organization opted to add him to the 40-man roster ahead of the Rule 5 draft. The 24-year-old hit .287/.346/.598 with 10 homer, 19 RBI, 22 runs and five stolen bases in 30 games at Triple-A Sugar Land last season, and he could make his major-league debut in 2022, especially if Carlos Correa signs elsewhere in free agency.

Tovar was added to the Rockies' 40-man roster Friday.

The move means Tovar won't be available for selection in the upcoming Rule 5 draft. He's still far from his major-league debut, as he struggled significantly upon his promotion to High-A Spokane, hitting .239/.266/.396 in 32 games.

Allen was added to Oakland's 40-man roster Friday.

The move means Allen won't be available for selection in the Rule 5 draft. He still has to conquer Triple-A before pushing for a big-league roster spot, as he struggled to a .243/.302/.301 line in 39 games after a promotion to Triple-A Las Vegas late in the year, but he should make his major-league debut at some point next season if all goes well.