MLB Player News

Castro signed a minor-league contract with the Rockies which includes an invitation to spring training.

Castro's ability to play around the infield earned him a pair of trips to the majors in 2015 and 2016, though he struggled to a .217/.250/.265 line across 239 plate appearances during that time and subsequently spent all of last season in the minors. The 25-year-old, who hit a respectable .306/.344/.397 in 115 games for Triple-A Albuquerque in 2017, should compete for a utility role in spring.

Mondesi will compete for a job in spring training, but may open the year at Triple-A Omaha following Friday's signing of Alcides Escobar, 610 Sports Radio reports.

There are few intriguing fantasy options on the Royals, but Mondesi was lining up to be one of them, as a potential power/speed shortstop with a slick glove. However, general manager Dayton Moore said Escobar will play shortstop for the Royals and Mondesi will compete at second base in spring training. Of course, Whit Merrifield would either need to be traded or moved to third base for Mondesi to win the starting job at the keystone. An Escobar/Mondesi double-play duo might be the best defensive pairing in the majors if it came to pass, but Moore's comments about Mondesi are awfully troubling. For now it seems safe to discount Mondesi quite a bit in drafts, as he now carries a lot more playing time risk than it initially seemed he would.

Anna signed a minor-league contract with the White Sox on Monday, according to his personal Twitter account.

For the second season in a row, the 31-year-old utility man spent all year in the minors, hitting .285/.364/.376 across 112 games for Triple-A Omaha. Anna hasn't made it back to the majors since he appeared one game for the Cardinals back in 2015; he owns a paltry .130/.192/.302 career slash-line across 13 major-league games. He'll be viewed as an organizational depth piece in 2018.

Vincej agreed to a minor-league deal with Seattle on Friday which includes an invite to spring training.

Vincej spent most of the 2017 season at the Triple-A level within the Reds' organization, but he earned a promotion once rosters expanded in September and appeared in nine games with Cincinnati. During that time he only received 12 plate appearances, going 1-for-9 with five strikeouts, but he had a decent enough campaign in the minors to warrant a look from the Mariners. The 26-year-old will likely begin next season at Triple-A Tacoma while serving as infield depth in the organization.

Navarro signed a minor-league contract with the Mariners which includes an invitation to spring training.

Navarro hasn't appeared in the majors since 2015, spending each of the previous two seasons with the Angels' minor-league affiliates. He hit a respectable .278/.342/.380 across 126 games with Triple-A Salt Lake last season, but that wasn't enough for him to make it back to the show. Navarro will get a chance to compete for a bench role in spring, though he'll likely wind up as organizational infield depth in 2018.

Berti signed a minor-league deal with the Blue Jays on Monday, Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Berti is back with the Blue Jays after spending all of 2017 in their minor-league system. The soon-to-be 28-year-old spent most of his time with Triple-A Buffalo, where he struggled to a .205/.271/.321 line in 62 games. He did swipe 23 bases and can play all over the field, but he'll likely be viewed as an organizational depth piece again in 2018.

Owings agreed to a one-year contract with the Diamondbacks on Friday, avoiding arbitration.

Before going down with a finger injury, Owings hit .268/.299/.442 with 12 homers and 12 steals in 97 games. He underwent a second surgery on the finger in November to ensure proper and complete healing. Owings' plate discipline leaves quite a bit to be desired, and it sounds like he may not have a set position in the field in 2018, with offseason reports indicating he will instead serve in a super-utility role to begin the year.

Ahmed (wrist) agreed to a one-year, $1.275 million contract with the Diamondbacks on Friday, avoiding arbitration, Jon Heyman of FanRagSports.com reports.

Just as Ahmed was on the verge of a return from a broken right hand, he was hit by a pitch on the same hand during a rehab game in August, necessitating wrist surgery. He took a step forward at the plate last season, but was still a below-average hitter. Ahmed will likely be limited to a utility role throughout 2018.

Bogaerts agreed to a one-year, $7.05 million deal with the Red Sox on Friday, Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston reports.

This marked the second offseason he was an arbitration-eligible player. Bogaerts hit .273/.343/.403 with 10 home runs, 62 RBI and 15 stolen bases in 2017. While he's proven to be a durable commodity, Bogaerts has yet to break out in the way that many expected, and he profiles as a second- or third-tier option at shortstop heading into the 2018 campaign.

Rojas agreed to a one-year, $1.18 million deal with the Marlins on Friday, avoiding arbitration, Jon Heyman of FanRagSports.com reports.

This was his first offseason as an arbitration-eligible player. Rojas hit an incredibly empty .290 last season, tallying just one home run, 37 runs, 26 RBI and two steals in 306 plate appearances. He should see plenty of action this season as a shortstop and super utility player on a gutted Marlins roster.