MLB Player News

The Yankees claimed Castillo off waivers from the Mets on Friday.

Castillo will join his third team in as many weeks after being DFA'd by both the Diamondbacks and Mets earlier in the offseason. The 26-year-old slashed .313/.431/.410 in 556 plate appearances with Arizona's Triple-A affiliate last season but has yet to find his footing in the majors. Jeter Downs was designated for assignment in a corresponding move.

Downs was designated for assignment by the Yankees on Friday.

Downs was claimed off waivers by the Yanks last month and will now go through the waiver process again after the club swapped him out in favor of Diego Castillo. The 25-year-old Downs has hit .182/.260/.273 in 50 career plate appearances at the major-league level.

Shaw said Saturday that he's taken "probably 99 percent" of his reps this offseason at third base, Ryan Herrera of AllCHGO.com reports.

The No. 13 overall pick in the 2023 Draft, Shaw saw more playing time at shortstop and second base than third base during his pro debut. However, with Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner holding down the middle infield with the Cubs, Shaw's future could be at the hot corner. It was a sample of just 170 plate appearances, but Shaw slashed a robust .357/.400/.618 with eight homers and 15 steals across three levels in 2023. It's not out of the realm of possibility that he could push to debut in 2024.

Castillo was designated for assignment by the Mets on Friday, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.

Castillo was just claimed off waivers from Arizona a week ago but will make way for Sean Manaea, whose two-year deal with the Mets is now official. While Castillo has mostly struggled at the highest level, he had a .431 OBP at Triple-A last season, so a team with an opening on its 40-man roster may give him a shot.

Lux (knee) agreed to a one-year, $1.225 million deal with the Dodgers on Thursday, avoiding arbitration, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

He missed the entire 2023 season after undergoing knee surgery in spring training, but Lux has a chance to be the Dodgers' starting shortstop, at least against righties. It's also possible the team could still acquire an external upgrade, but as things stand, he could platoon with Miguel Rojas. Lux slashed .276/.346/.399 with six home runs and seven steals in 129 games in 2022.

The Brewers and Adames avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $12.25 million contract Thursday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

It's a sizable raise for the shortstop in what was his final year of arbitration eligibility before he enters free agency next winter. Adames batted only .217 for the Brewers in 2023 but socked 24 home runs, giving him 75 over 387 games during his time in Milwaukee.

McLain said he's "full-go" and has gotten up to 100 swings at this point during the offseason, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

McLain's 2023 season ended prematurely due to an oblique injury in late August. The middle infielder said he's working on adjustments that he plans to continue during spring training. Specifically, McLain wants to be better at making contact on fastballs up in the zone. "Some of those four-seam guys who really ride the ball, I feel like if I can really take care of that fastball at the top of the zone, I can hit them at all the other places around the zone," McLain said. He started 52 games at shortstop and 33 at second base and has been working at both positions in preparation for spring training.

Franco is facing a lesser charge after a judge in the Dominican Republic analyzed evidence that he had an alleged relationship with a 14-year-old girl and paid her mother for her consent, the Associated Press reports.

Franco had been accused of commercial and sexual exploitation and money laundering but now is accused of sexual and psychological abuse. While the new charge is considered a lesser offense, Franco would still face between two and five years in prison if found guilty. The 22-year-old has been conditionally released from jail but is required to return once a month to appear before authorities. Franco is not expected to be allowed back into the United States anytime soon, and his future in Major League Baseball is very much in question.

Franco is likely to be barred from entering the United States while facing charges of commercial sexual exploitation and money laundering in the Dominican Republic, two immigration attorneys told Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

Franco was released from custody in the D.R. and is free to leave the country, but he must return once a month to appear before authorities while the legal process plays out. However, the U.S. government has the ability to revoke Franco's visa on the grounds he could be considered a threat to public safety. Even if that doesn't happen, the chances that Franco would attempt to travel to the U.S. are "minimal," attorney Javad Khazaeli told Rosenthal. Franco, 22, is being investigated in the Dominican Republic over allegations he had a relationship with a 14-year-old girl and gave her mother 100,000 Dominican pesos per month to maintain a "dating relationship," per court documents obtained by The Athletic. A conviction would be an aggravated felony under U.S. immigration law, resulting in a permanent ban from the United States.

Smith agreed to a minor-league contract with the Yankees on Monday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Smith was non-tendered by the Athletics earlier this offseason even though he's still a couple years away from arbitration eligibility. The 27-year-old has put up some solid numbers in the minors during his career but has managed just a .516 OPS and a 31.2 percent strikeout rate over 114 games at the major-league level. Smith can play all over the infield and also the corner outfield spots in a pinch.