MLB Player News

The Mariners designated Raposo for assignment Tuesday, Shannon Drayer of SeattleSports.com reports.

The move frees up a spot on the 40-man roster for Miles Mastrobuoni, who was acquired via trade. Raposo was a waiver claim by the Mariners in December and will now go through the waivers process again.

The Mariners acquired Mastrobuoni from the Cubs on Tuesday in exchange for cash considerations, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Mastrobuoni had been designated for assignment but will now get to join a new 40-man roster. A .219/.279/.263 hitter across 272 career plate appearances in the majors, the utility player will compete for a reserve role this spring but does have minor-league options remaining.

France (shoulder) will expand his flat-ground throwing program to 90 feet Wednesday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Working his way back from surgery in July to repair a torn right shoulder capsule, France was clocked at 72-74 mph while throwing from 75 feet, which is on target for where he's supposed to be at this stage of his rehab. The right-hander is not expected back until at least the second half of the 2025 season and might not be ready to be a real contributor for the Astros again until 2026.

The Yankees signed Smith to a minor-league deal Monday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Smith opted to enter free agency after being DFA'd by the Reds in early September. He appeared in 93 major-league games between Boston and Cincinnati during the 2024 regular season and posted a .691 OPS with six home runs, 34 RBI and 33 runs across 307 plate appearances. Smith will likely begin the 2025 campaign with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes/-Barre but could be called up to the big club if Paul Goldschmidt or Ben Rice were to miss time.

The Orioles designated Hunt for assignment Monday, Andy Kostka of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.

The Orioles made the signing of Andrew Kittredge official Monday and needed to free up a spot on their 40-man roster. Hunt, 26, slashed only .179/.219/.278 over 42 games during his time with Triple-A Norfolk last season.

The Mariners designated Kitchen for assignment Monday, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

The transaction clears a spot on the 40-man roster for Donovan Solano, who was signed Monday. Kitchen was a September waiver claim of the Mariners and didn't make an appearance for them. He allowed 12 runs (11 earned) over seven innings with the Marlins in 2024.

The Mariners signed Solano to a one-year, $3.5 million contract Monday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

He can earn an additional $1 million in incentives. Solano turned 37 last month but had a productive 2024 campaign with the Padres, slashing .286/.343/.417 with a career-high eight home runs over 96 contests. J.P. Crawford at shortstop looks to be the only infielder currently guaranteed a starting spot with the Mariners, so Solano should play plenty, particularly against left-handed pitching. He started games at third and first base in 2024 in addition to designated hitter and also has plenty of past experience at second base.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said last week during the team's Fenway Fest fan event that Yoshida (shoulder) being able to play the outfield in 2025 "would be great for the roster," Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Yoshida was a full-time designated hitter in 2024, playing the outfield for just one inning in an emergency situation. The Red Sox had indicated previously that Yoshida's lack of time in the field was simply due to the club having better defensive options. However, Cora is now saying it was mainly because of Yoshida being compromised physically by a labral tear in his right shoulder, which he eventually had surgery on in early October. The hope is that Yoshida will be ready for Opening Day and it sounds like he could see a little outfield duty in 2025 for the Red Sox. That's if he's still with the team, of course, as his name has been bandied about in trade rumors.

Atlanta had a contract in place with Hoffman that fell apart after he failed a physical, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Robert Murray of FanSided.com also reported previously that the Orioles had a three-year, $40 million deal in place with Hoffman that was nixed due to concerns over his right shoulder. It's not clear whether it was the shoulder which caused Hoffman's potential contract with Atlanta to fall apart, but it's a safe assumption. The righty has had two shoulder-related injured list stints during his career but has not experienced any known shoulder problems since 2021. Hoffman ultimately reached a three-year, $33 million deal with the Blue Jays which could get up to $39 million through incentives. He's slated to serve as Toronto's closer, but with Hoffman having a health red flag, fantasy managers might want to consider Yimi Garcia and/or Chad Green as a handcuff.

Alvarez signed a minor-league contract with the Twins on Jan. 2.

Alvarez spent the 2024 campaign with the Athletics organization, batting .315 with 15 home runs, 54 RBI, 46 runs scored and four stolen bases over 75 games with Triple-A Las Vegas. Additionally, the 30-year-old played in 16 games with the A's, batting .243 with a double, two RBI, seven runs scored and a stolen base over 37 at-bats. Alvarez will report to Triple-A St. Paul ahead of the 2025 season, and he'll look to impress in order to potentially garner a shot with the Twins' major-league roster at some point during the year.