Ender Inciarte Expected To Be Leadoff Hitter

Atlanta Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos said that manager Brian Snitker is leaning toward using outfielder Ender Inciarte as the leadoff man, with Josh Donaldson, Freddie Freeman, Ronald Acuna and Nick Markakis following him. Inciarte hit .265/.325/.380 with 10 home runs, 61 RBI, 83 runs scored and career-high 28 stolen bases in 2018, but he […]

Redskins Planning To Be Without Alex Smith In 2019

The Washington Redskins are planning to be without quarterback Alex Smith (leg) next season, according to sources. The team thinks he'll miss the entire season after suffering a gruesome broken leg last year and are acting accordingly. Smith will turn 35 this May, so it's fair to wonder if he will ever play again. It's […]

Chad O'Shea Expected To Become Dolphins Offensive Coordinator

New England Patriots wide receivers coach Chad O'Shea is the favorite to be hired as the Miami Dolphins next offensive coordinator, according to a league source. Patriots linebackers coach Brian Flores is expected to become Miami's next head coach, but nothing can become official until after the Super Bowl. Flores has worked with O'Shea in […]

Antonio Brown Not Closing Door On Return To Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown hasn't closed the door on returning to the team in 2019 despite the Steelers exploring their trade options with him. Brown has maintained a steady dialogue with some people in the organization that he's close with to express that sentiment. The 30-year-old just posted his sixth straight season with […]

Austin Hays In Final Stages Of Rehab

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Austin Hays (ankle, shoulder), who entered last year as the team's top prospect, said he's in the final stages of his rehab and is hoping to be healthy in spring training after his season was derailed by injuries. Hays said the last step of his rehab will be base running in spring […]

Tyler Thornburg Could Have Shot At Closer Role

Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Tyler Thornburg (shoulder), who was shut down last September due to complications from thoracic outlet syndrome, could be a wild card in the team's bullpen this year. His injury in 2018 led to him allowing 15 earned runs in just 24 innings all year. The hard-throwing right hasn't been healthy […]

Dylan Covey, Manny Banuelos Candidates For Fifth Starter Spot

Chicago White Sox starting pitchers Dylan Covey and Manny Banuelos are the top contenders for the fifth starter spot behind Carlos Rodon, Reynaldo Lopez, Ivan Nova and Lucas Giolito, according to general manager Rick Hahn. Covey should be considered the favorite after finishing up the 2018 season strong. He'll be worth a dollar investment in […]

Jimmy Nelson To Be Full Go In Spring Training

Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Jimmy Nelson (shoulder) said he will be full go in spring training. "Absolutely. But not just opening-day roster. One of my goals is to start opening day. I'm not going to beat around the bush," Nelson said. The right-hander missed all of 2018 due to his injury, but he went 12-6 […]

Byron Buxton Bulks Up

Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton added 21 pounds of muscle to his skinny frame in the offseason during an extra long winter workout schedule. He believes that the added muscle will keep him healthy in 2019. A former top prospect, Buxton has been a bust in the big leagues due to injuries and ineffectiveness, and […]

Bradley Zimmer Hopes To Be Ready By Spring Training

Cleveland Indians outfielder Bradley Zimmer (shoulder), who had surgery to fix a torn labrum in his right shoulder in July, is hoping to return for spring training. His initial recovery time was estimated at eight to 12 months. “Based on how I’m feeling now, I feel like I’ll be ready for spring training,” Zimmer said. […]

Charlie Blackmon Could Be Moved To Corner Outfield Spot

Colorado Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon could be moved to a corner outfield spot in 2019 as the team toys with the idea of positional adjustments. Blackmon is open to a move that would likely mean a mix of David Dahl and Ian Desmond in center field. Blackmon hasn't played any position other than center field […]

Lance McCullers Jr. Not Rushing His Rehab

Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (elbow), who will miss the entire 2019 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery on Nov. 6, said he will take longer with his rehab process since time is on his side. He is targeting being ready in time for the start of spring training in 2020 and is […]

Astros Bringing Alex Bregman Along Slowly

Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman (elbow), who had surgery on Jan. 11 to remove bone chips from his right elbow, said the team is bringing him along slowly. He could throw and hit now if he wanted to, but the Astros are holding him back "because they're smart." Bregman broke out in his third […]

Jose Altuve Expected To Be Ready For Spring Training

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (knee), who underwent surgery on Oct. 19 to repair a patella avulsion fracture in his right knee, said he expects to be ready for spring training in two weeks. He has progressed to the point where he can hit and work out, but he hasn't tried to run at […]

Garrett Celek Undergoes Surgery

San Francisco 49ers tight end Garrett Celek (thumb) underwent thumb surgery following the season. General manager John Lynch called the procedure a "straightforward thing" and it doesn't sound like Celek will miss the offseason program. Celek played in 15 games last season, but apparently he played through a broken thumb for the majority of the […]

Padres Interested In Face-To-Face Meeting With Manny Machado

The San Diego Padres are showing interest in setting up a meeting with free-agent shortstop Manny Machado, possibly in Miami, according to sources. Now that Machado's price has come down drastically from the 10 years and $300 million he was initially requesting, the Padres have entered the mix along with the White Sox, Phillies and […]

Jung Ho Kang Has Secured His Visa

Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Jung Ho Kang has his visa in order for the 2019 season, according to his translator, Jeffrey Kim. It means that Kang should be a full participant in spring training after missing most of the 2017 and 2018 seasons. He played in just three games for Pittsburgh last year after multiple DUI's […]

Mark Trumbo Has Resumed Swinging

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Mark Trumbo (knee) started swinging again recently and plans to head to Florida early to test his surgically repaired right knee. Opening Day is a real possibility for Trumbo, barring any setbacks this spring. He played in just 90 games last year and was shut down in August before having surgery, hitting […]

Kenley Jansen Throws Bullpen Session

Los Angeles Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen (heart) said he threw his first bullpen session on Thursday since he underwent heart surgery. He has also dropped 25 pounds by cutting out carbohydrates and sugar this offseason. Jansen had a heart scare during the season and missed a short amount of time, but he should be good […]

Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, Cavan Biggio Invited To Camp

Toronto Blue Jays prospects Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette and Cavan Biggio have all been invited to major league spring training. Guerrero and Bichette are the team's top two prospects, while Biggio is ranked No. 9. Guerrero is baseball's consensus top prospect after hitting .381/.437/.636 with 20 home runs and 78 RBI with four minor […]

J.T. Realmuto Trade Talks Gaining Momentum

Trade talks for Miami Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto are said to be gaining momentum, with the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres the most prominent in discussions at the moment. The Dodgers have the need and young players to trade, such as outfielder Alex Verdugo. The Reds, Braves and Astros are other teams with […]

Jose Leclerc Will Be Rangers Closer

Texas Rangers manager Chris Woodward said on Friday that relief pitcher Jose Leclerc will open the 2019 season as the closer. Leclerc was one of the best relievers in baseball last year (1.56 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 12 saves, 13.3 K/9), so he certainly has earned it. He's ranked by RotoBaller as the No. 15 fantasy […]

Cam Newton Hopes To Throw At OTAs

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (shoulder) is hoping to be cleared to throw at organized team activities in the spring after he had arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder on Thursday. His surgery wasn't serious by any means and he should be ready for training camp in the summer. However, it's his second straight offseason […]

Brent Honeywell Feeling Good

Tampa Bay Rays pitching prospect Brent Honeywell (elbow) said he's feeling good in his recovery from Tommy John surgery after 11 months. The right-hander said he hasn't had any setbacks and has been throwing fastballs, changeups and screwballs during his bullpen sessions for the last three weeks. Honeywell is the team's third-ranked prospect and was […]

Philip Rivers Going Year-To-Year

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers, who has one year remaining on his current deal, said he's taking things year-to-year at this point in his career. The 37-year-old will make a base salary of $11 million in 2019 and count $23 million against the salary cap. General manager Tom Telesco said last week that the […]

A's Agree With Marco Estrada

The Oakland Athletics agreed to an undisclosed one-year deal with free-agent starting pitcher Marco Estrada on Friday, according to a source. It's a nice place for Estrada to try and bounce back after posting an ugly 5.64 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and mediocre 6.5 K/9 in 28 starts for the Blue Jays in 2018. He'll also […]

Padres The Mystery Team In Manny Machado Sweepstakes

The San Diego Padres have been identified as the "mystery team" in pursuit of free-agent shortstop Manny Machado, according to multiple sources aware of talks between the sides. The Padres would use Machado at third base if they were to sign him. San Diego started pursuing Machado last week when reports surfaced of a price […]

Mets Agree With Justin Wilson

The New York Mets agreed to a two-year, $10 million deal with free-agent relief pitcher Justin Wilson on Friday. Wilson put up a 3.46 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 11.4 K/9 in 54 2/3 innings for the Cubs in 2018. The left-hander will merely be a lefty specialist as a setup guy with his new team […]

Matthew Boyd Has Lost Weight

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Matthew Boyd has lost 15 pounds in the offseason as part of a calculated plan to take his game to another level in 2019. He hired a performance coach this offseason in Devin McKee. “We did DNA-based testing,” said Boyd, who turns 28 next Saturday. “We basically looked at my genes […]

Marcell Ozuna Takes Batting Practice

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Marcell Ozuna (shoulder) took batting practice and played catch at the team's complex in the Dominican Republic on Thursday and will meet with president of baseball operations John Mozeliak on Monday. Mozeliak called it a "positive first step" for Ozuna in his recovery from shoulder surgery. Ozuna managed to hit .280 […]