MLB Player News

Bichette said Wednesday that he added pilates, swimming and Muay Thai to his offseason training regimen and has been pleased with his physical conditioning in the early stages of spring training, Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic reports.

Specifically, Bichette said his pilates and Muay Thai workouts were targeted toward his right leg, after he missed 25 games in 2023 with right patellar tendinitis and a right quadricep strain. Bichette is hoping that the more holistic approach to his offseason training will yield better results in 2024, after both he and the Blue Jays offense as a whole fell a bit short of their lofty expectations heading into the past season. Even in what was considered a down year for Bichette, particularly in the running game -- he stole just five bags in eight attempts after nabbing 38 combined steals over the prior two campaigns -- the 25-year-old still finished with a .306 batting average and a .814 OPS, the fourth straight season in which he's cleared .800. Bichette batted primarily out of the two hole in 2023, but it's unclear if he'll remain in that spot or if he'll hit third or fourth, which he did over the Blue Jays' final four games of last season.

Angels manager Ron Washington said Thursday that Neto will bat ninth this season, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Neto will have an opportunity to hit his way to a higher spot in the batting order over time, but for now he'll be stuck at the bottom. The 23-year-old shortstop slashed .225/.308/.377 with nine home runs and five stolen bases over 329 plate appearances during his rookie campaign in 2023.

Berti will slot back into a utility role since Tim Anderson signing with the Marlins on Thursday, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.

Adding a shortstop this offseason always seemed to be the plan for Miami, as Berti would be a poor fit as the starter even after playing a career-high 64 games at the position in 2023. The 34-year-old has topped 400 plate appearances in each of the last two seasons while seeing time at second base, third base, shortstop and all three outfield positions, although in fantasy leagues with a 20-game threshold for qualification, he'll only be eligible at third and short to begin 2024. The bigger question for his value will be whether he can rebound on the basepaths -- after swiping 41 bags on 46 attempts in 2022, Berti failed to take advantage of the new rules last season and went just 16-for-22 on steal attempts despite maintaining an elite sprint speed (95th percentile).

Gauthier is listed as an available bench player Thursday in the Dodgers' Cactus League opener versus the Padres, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Gauthier didn't appear in any minor-league games after Sept. 14 last season due to a broken pinkie finger, but he arrived at spring training with no restrictions and is attending Dodgers camp as a non-roster invitee. The 24-year-old isn't a serious candidate for the Dodgers' Opening Day roster and is likely to be assigned to Double-A Tulsa or Triple-A Oklahoma City to begin the 2024 campaign. After a mid-season promotion from High-A Great Lakes, Gauthier slashed .293/.411/.433 with six home runs and 15 stolen bases in 392 plate appearances for Tulsa last year before being shut down with the finger injury.

Anderson agreed to a one-year, $5 million contract with the Marlins on Thursday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

The fit is sensible, as the Marlins desperately needed a shortstop and Anderson was in need of a starting opportunity, which he likely hopes will allow him to show his dreadful 2023 season was an aberration. Prior to delivering a disastrous .245/.286/.296 slash line last year, Anderson had slashed .318/.347/.474 over his prior four campaigns. The 30-year-old will settle in as Miami's everyday shortstop, pushing Jon Berti back to a utility role.

Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander said Tuesday that the plan is to play Rosario some at both middle infield positions as well as the corner outfield spots, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Neander also mentioned Rosario's ability to hit left-handed pitching, and there's a good chance much of the 28-year-old's playing time ultimately comes against southpaws. Jose Caballero is still expected to open the season as Tampa Bay's primary shortstop.

The Marlins have offered Anderson a contract to be their primary shortstop this season, a source tells Jon Morosi of MLB Network.

One of the more notable unsigned free agents, Anderson has faced a cool market this winter, coming off a dismal 2023 campaign with the White Sox in which he turned in a lowly .582 OPS over 123 games. The 30-year-old shortstop is a two-time All-Star and had compiled a .288/.316/.442 slash line over his preceding seven years in the big leagues, but he may have to settle for a one-year, prove-it deal in free agency as he looks to boost his value back up on the heels of the rough season. Miami would seemingly represent a favorable rebound spot for Anderson, who wouldn't face much competition for the everyday gig at shortstop, with Jon Berti -- a utility player for most of his career -- representing the top challenger at the moment. However, after serving as the White Sox's leadoff hitter for much of his tenure in Chicago, Anderson might have to settle for a spot lower in the order if he joins the Marlins, who will be bringing back reigning NL batting champion Luis Arraez as their presumptive table setter in 2024.

Cruz is participating without restrictions in spring camp, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.

Cruz was able to play in only nine games before fracturing his left fibula in 2023. After suffering a few setbacks, he's been able to participate fully in all fielding and batting drills. Manager Derek Shelton has acknowledged that Cruz is battling some rust, so the team plans to get him more live reps as the spring progresses. He'll be locked in as the Pirates' starting shortstop so long as he remains healthy in 2024.

Pena overhauled his batting stance during the offseason, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Pena was essentially a league-average hitter in many aspects last season, but he posted just a .118 ISO across 634 plate appearances. To unlock more power in 2024, he reworked his stance to minimize movement while focusing on driving balls to all areas of the field. Manager Joe Espada has noted early in spring training that Pena looks more athletic and comfortable in the box while lifting the ball more. The latter will be a key to his potential jump in home runs, as he has only a 29.5 flyball percentage across 1,192 career plate appearances.

Martin is not moving to a full-time outfield role, manager Rocco Baldelli told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Martin has only worked as an infielder at the start of camp, but the Twins plan to play him in the outfield this spring as well.

Martin didn't make his Triple-A debut until July 3 after missing the first three months of the season while recovering from a UCL sprain in his elbow. He put up a decent, if unspectacular, .791 OPS with six homers and 16 steals over 59 games for Triple-A St. Paul. Martin could be a candidate to be a reserve center field option to begin the season if the Twins don't sign a veteran. However, this news could be seen as Minnesota not looking at him as a viable option in the outfield in the near term, though position flexibility could provide him multiple paths to reach the majors this season. He'll likely begin the season at Triple-A.