MLB Roundup: Royals trade for Carlos Peguero, Chad Tracy signs with Angels

After designating Carlos Peguero for assignment on January 16, the Mariners have traded 26-year-old outfielder Carlos Peguero to the Royals for a player to be named later or cash considerations.

Peguero was initially removed from Seattle's 40-man roster to make room for John Buck, and now the Royals have acquired the Dominican Republic native. Peguero had shown some promise in the minor leagues, but failed to break into the Mariners lineup over the past three seasons. In 219 career major league plate appearances, the outfielder has batted just .195/.242/.380 and tallied nine home runs and 27 RBI. He appeared in just two games for the Mariners in 2013.

Angels sign Chad Tracy

The Angels have agreed to a minor league contract with infielder Chad Tracy, per a report from Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. Tracy's deal also includes a major league invite to spring training. The 33-year-old corner infielder has spent 10 seasons in the majors, including the last two with the Nationals, where he batted .202/.243/.326 in 92 games during 2013. Tracy likely won't figure into the Angels' major league plans with Albert Pujols and David Freese manning the corner infield positions, but he could provide depth in case of injury. Back in 2011, Tracy played a year in Japan with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp after spending six seasons with the Diamondbacks and splitting time with the Cubs and Marlins in 2010.

Cardinals settle with Daniel Descalso

The Cardinals settled with utility infielder Daniel Descalso on a $1.29 million contract for the upcoming season, according to Ken Rosenthal. Descalso had been the only arbitration-eligible player the Cardinals had not yet come to an agreement with for the 2014 season. Last year, the 27-year-old California native hit just .238/.290/.366 for St. Louis, while playing in 123 games between shortstop, second base, and third base. With the Cardinals signing infielders Jhonny Peralta and Mark Ellis in the offseason, and with the impending arrival of second-base prospect Kolten Wong, Descalso's playing time looks set to decrease significantly in 2014. Even so, he still provides solid depth in the infield with his ability to play multiple positions.