MLB Player News
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Christian Encarnacion-Strand 1B | CIN
Reds' Christian Encarnacion-Strand: Will see action at third
Reds manager Terry Francona said Tuesday that he'd like to see Encarnacion-Strand play third base during spring training, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.
Encarnacion-Strand was expected to be the team's primary first baseman in 2024, but hand and wrist injuries limited him to 29 games. He started seven games at third base for the Reds in 2023, and the hot corner was a regular spot for Encarnacion-Strand in the minors and college. Francona indicated that several infielders will "move around" at the beginning of spring training before the manager settles on a position for players like Encarnacion-Strand, Gavin Lux and Jeimer Candelario.
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Spencer Horwitz 1B | PIT
Pirates' Spencer Horwitz: Battling wrist injury
Horwitz will miss time during spring training due to a right wrist injury, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Horwitz was traded from Toronto to Cleveland and later Pittsburgh back in December and was expected to begin 2025 as the Pirates' primary first baseman. However, he suffered a wrist injury in the offseason that required surgery and has yet to shed his cast. There's no telling if the infielder's absence will extend into the regular season, but if he ends up beginning the season on the injured list, Jared Triolo would likely be the next man up to start at first.
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Spencer Steer 1B | CIN
Reds' Spencer Steer: Nursing sore shoulder
Steer could be limited to designated-hitter duty at the beginning of the spring training schedule due to shoulder soreness, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Steer battled some shoulder soreness late last season and apparently still isn't quite over the issue. It does not seem to be something to get overly worried about at this juncture, but that could change if the soreness continues to linger. It's not clear when exactly Steer's shoulder began bothering him last season, but he slashed only .165/.268/.294 in September.
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Ty France 1B | CIN
Twins' Ty France: Inks one-year pact with Minnesota
The Twins signed France to a one-year, $1 million contract Tuesday, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
It's a major-league contract but is not guaranteed, per Miller. France will be thrown into the first-base mix for Minnesota along with Jose Miranda and Edouard Julien. The 30-year-old slashed only .234/.305/.365 with 13 homers over 140 regular-season games between the Mariners and Reds last season, but the Twins will be hoping to get a version of France closer to the one that produced an All-Star campaign in 2022 with Seattle.
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Sal Stewart 1B | CIN
Reds' Sal Stewart: In MLB camp
Stewart (wrist) will be part of major-league camp in spring training, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.
Stewart, the 32nd overall pick in the 2022 draft, batted .279/.391/.454 with eight home runs and 46 RBI over 80 games at High-A Dayton in 2024. A July wrist injury prematurely ended his season. An advanced approach at the dish is Stewart's calling card; he has nearly as many walks (138) as strikeouts (139) and owns a 15.7 career strikeout rate during his stay in the minors. Stewart split his time evenly between second and third base at Dayton and is expected to open this season at Double-A Chattanooga.
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Vladimir Guerrero 1B | TOR
Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero: Extension talks ongoing
Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said Friday that the club will "continue to work" on signing Guerrero to a long-term contract extension, Rob Longley of the Toronto Sun reports.
It's not earth-shattering news but is at least a confirmation on Atkins' part that negotiations with his star player are ongoing. Guerrero said on the Spanish-language Abriendo El podcast in December that the Blue Jays' offer "was not even close to what we are looking for," and Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported in January that the two sides were at least $100 million apart. The 25-year-old Guerrero has said he will not discuss an extension during spring training, so the two sides have until Feb. 18 to work something out. It does not appear at this juncture that a deal is close.
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Pete Alonso 1B | NYM
Mets' Pete Alonso: Staying in Queens
Alonso agreed to terms on a two-year, $54 million contract with the Mets on Wednesday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Alonso previously rejected a three-year deal worth roughly $70 million, but the 30-year-old slugger will end up remaining in New York for the foreseeable future as the Mets' everyday first baseman. His new deal will pay him $30 million in 2025 and includes an opt-out after the first season, which could allow him to enter free agency once again next winter.
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Matt Mervis 1B | MIA
Marlins' Matt Mervis: Will get long look in camp
Mervis will be given a chance to win a starting role with the Marlins in spring training, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports.
Jonah Bride is penciled in as the starting first baseman headed into camp, but the 29-year-old doesn't profile as much of an offensive threat given his career .667 OPS and 12 homers over 565 big-league plate appearances. Mervis is coming off a brutal 2024 campaign that included a .235/.329/.434 in 81 games for Triple-A Iowa in the Cubs' system, but the 26-year-old was viewed as one of the top first-base prospects in baseball just one year before after slugging 22 home runs with a .282/.399/.533 line in 100 appearances for Iowa. If Mervis can regain that form, he should quickly seize a spot at the heart of a Marlins' batting order that is lacking in established power threats. Mervis and Bride could also end up platooning at first base, with Mervis on the strong side, if rookie Deyvison De Los Santos shows enough this spring to break camp as the team's starting DH.
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Jonathan Aranda 1B | TB
Rays' Jonathan Aranda: Regular role expected
Aranda is expected to see regular at-bats as the Rays' designated hitter while also serving as the backup to Yandy Diaz at first base to begin the 2025 season, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.
Aranda was expected to contribute to the Rays in 2024, though he lost roughly three months of the season due to finger and oblique injuries. However, he finally managed regular run with the big-league club in September when he hit .253 with five homers, 13 runs scored and 10 RBI across 85 plate appearances. Aranda then supplemented that playing time with 115 plate appearances in the Mexican Winter League, during which he maintained a 1.047 OPS. Barring more bad luck with injuries, he should have the chance to build off of that momentum to begin the 2025 season with regular at-bats against right-handed pitching.
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Freddie Freeman 1B | LAD
Dodgers' Freddie Freeman: Not yet running
Freeman (ankle) said Saturday that he has resumed swinging a bat but has yet to begin running this offseason, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
Freeman added that he likely won't be ready for the start of Cactus League play, but he expects to be active for the Dodgers' two-game series against the Cubs in Tokyo. The 35-year-old first baseman underwent surgery to remove loose bodies in his right ankle in early December. He also reportedly tore ligaments in his ankle during the Dodgers' postseason run, but they healed before his procedure.