MLB Player News
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Jac Caglianone 1B | KC
Royals' Jac Caglianone: Earns spring training invite
The Royals have extended Caglianone an invitation to big-league camp during spring training, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Caglianone got in 29 games at High-A Quad Cities after being taken with the sixth overall pick of the First-Year Player Draft in 2024, but it's fairly customary for prospects of his stature to be invited to big-league camp, even if he has no chance of making the Opening Day roster. Also of note is that Caglianone -- who was a two-way player in college at Florida -- will not do any pitching in 2025, instead focusing only on hitting and playing first base.
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Vladimir Guerrero 1B | TOR
Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero: Avoids arbitration with Blue Jays
Guerrero agreed to a one-year, $28.5 million contract with the Blue Jays on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.
Guerrero will return to Toronto in 2025 with a well-deserved $8.6 million raise. The 25-year-old produced a career-high .323 average last season while adding 30 home runs, 103 RBI, 98 runs scored and two stolen bases over 616 at-bats in 159 games. Guerrero finished sixth in the AL MVP voting in 2024, while his 5.5 WAR ranked 11th in the AL amongst hitters. The team has been open to potentially moving Guerrero to third base in 2025, but regardless of position, he remains one of the best players in baseball.
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Andrew Vaughn 1B | CHW
White Sox's Andrew Vaughn: Avoids arbitration hearing
Vaughn signed a one-year, $5.85 million contract with the White Sox on Thursday to avoid arbitration, James Fegan of SoxMachine.com reports.
Vaughn had a career-worst .699 OPS over 149 games in 2024 but will still receive a sizable raise in his second year of arbitration eligibility. The 26-year-old should open 2025 as Chicago's primary first baseman, but his opportunities could shrink if he continues to regress.
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Ryan Mountcastle 1B | BAL
Orioles' Ryan Mountcastle: Avoids arbitration
The Orioles and Mountcastle avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $6.787 million contract Thursday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.
Mountcastle had been in his second year of arbitration eligibility. The first baseman fell off to just 13 home runs over 124 regular-season games with the Orioles in 2024, but he should be among the beneficiaries of the left-field wall at Camden Yards being moved in this season.
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White Sox's Bobby Dalbec: Goes to ChiSox as NRI
The White Sox signed Dalbec to a minor-league contract Tuesday that includes an invitation to spring training.
Dalbec showed some initial promise with the Red Sox with 33 home runs in his first 156 games across the 2020 and 2021 seasons, but his performance has deteriorated since then to the tune of a .599 OPS and 37.9 percent strikeout rate since the start of the 2022 season. The 29-year-old should have a decent shot to crack the White Sox' Opening Day roster, perhaps as a short-side platoon option.
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Triston Casas 1B | BOS
Red Sox's Triston Casas: Not being shopped in trades
Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said Monday that the team is "not shopping" Casas in trade talks this offseason, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.
We wouldn't have expected him to say otherwise, and Breslow did acknowledge that he's discussed Casas with other clubs in trade scenarios this winter. Breslow also noted that he's looking for a right-handed bat, and a trade of the left-handed hitting Casas still seems possible as the Red Sox seek to balance out their lineup.
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Spencer Torkelson 1B | DET
Tigers' Spencer Torkelson: Role undetermined
Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris said Friday that Torkelson's role for 2025 is not yet defined, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.
The Tigers have signed Gleyber Torres to play second base and will move Colt Keith to first base, leaving Torkelson without a clear path to playing time against right-handed pitching. He could be used in a short-side platoon with Keith at first base, but the Tigers dangling Torkelson in trade talks might be a likelier scenario. The former top prospect popped 31 home runs in 2023 but put up a .669 OPS in 2024 and spent a chunk of the season in the minors.
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Spencer Torkelson 1B | DET
Tigers' Spencer Torkelson: Could be out of starting job
Torkelson might be limited to a short-side platoon or reserve role following the Tigers' signing of Gleyber Torres, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.
Torres is expected to play second base for Detroit, and the feeling seems to be that Colt Keith is likelier to handle first base than third base, which would leave Torkelson without a spot in the lineup at least against right-handed pitching. Torkelson stumbled to a .669 OPS in the 2024 regular season and spent a chunk of the season in the minors. However, the former top prospect cranked 31 homers in 2023 and is still just 25, so he should have some trade value if the Tigers want to go that route.
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Mickey Gasper 1B | MIN
Twins' Mickey Gasper: Sent to Minnesota
The Twins acquired Gasper from the Red Sox in exchange for Jovani Moran on Tuesday.
Gasper played in his first 13 big-league games during 2024 but spent most of the year with Triple-A Worcester. The backstop slashed .367/.471/.592 with eight home runs and 36 RBI across 204 plate appearances in what was his best minor-league campaign yet. However, he went hitless over 23 plate appearances with the Red Sox while also logging four walks, one hit-by-pitch and one run.
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Carlos Santana 1B | CLE
Guardians' Carlos Santana: Returning to Cleveland
The Guardians signed Santana to a one-year, $12 million contract Saturday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Santana's signing came shortly after Cleveland traded Josh Naylor to Arizona for pitcher Slade Cecconi, so Santana appears set to take over as the starter at first base for the Guardians. The $12 million contract represents a nice pay raise for the veteran slugger, who joined Minnesota on a one-year, $5.25 million dollar deal last February and enjoyed a solid campaign with a .748 OPS -- his highest since 2019 -- while slugging 23 homers and notching 71 RBI over 594 plate appearances during the regular season. Santana is nearing the end of his career -- he'll turn 39 years old in April -- but should provide a decent amount of run production in the middle of Cleveland's lineup while serving as a bridge to the team's future.