Reds Acquire Mike Freeman From Cleveland

The Cincinnati Reds acquired utility infielder Mike Freeman from the Cleveland Indians on Friday in exchange for cash. The Indians valued Freeman's versatility and experience around the infield after he played 99 games and hit .270 in the last two years for them. They had signed him to a minor league deal last month with […]

Kenta Maeda An Underrated Ace

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Kenta Maeda had a 3.87 ERA in 589 regular season innings in his four years with the Dodgers, and he also had a 1.64 ERA in 21 relief outings in the playoffs from 2017-19. The right-hander had a 2.70 ERA, career-high strikeout rate (32.3%) and a career-low walk rate (4%) in […]

Francisco Lindor Extension Talks To Begin

Extension talks are expected to begin between New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor and the team, with the expectation that Lindor will command at least a 10-year deal in excess of $300 million. Robert Murray reports that while both sides have a clear mutual interest in completing a deal, each has acknowledged that Lindor could […]

Blake Cederlind Placed On Injured List With UCL Strain

Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Blake Cederlind (elbow) was placed on the 60-day injured list with a UCL strain in his right elbow, according to MLB.com's Jake Crouse. Crouse reports that Cederlind sustained the injury in Wednesday night's game when he was pulled after allowing a run on one hit, two walks and a hit batter while […]

Roberto Osuna Holding Showcase Friday

Free-agent relief pitcher Roberto Osuna (elbow) is holding a showcase for interested teams on Friday, March 12, at Tetelo Vargas Stadium in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic. The 26-year-old right-hander threw just 4 1/3 innings with the Astros in 2020 due to an elbow injury, but he was able to avoid Tommy John surgery […]

Miles Mikolas Shut Down From Throwing

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Miles Mikolas (shoulder) has been shut down from throwing for at least seven days after continued discomfort in his throwing shoulder. He'll also undergo more testing so the team can determine what is causing the issue. Mikolas is also dealing with an elbow injury, but it seems secondary to the […]

Maikel Franco On The Braves Radar

Free-agent third baseman Maikel Franco is likely to choose his new team in the coming days, and the Atlanta Braves are firmly in the mix. The Orioles and Mets have also shown interest. The 28-year-old slashed .278/.321/.457 with eight homers and 38 RBI with the Royals in 2020. He remains a useful right-handed bat, but […]

Nationals Encouraged With Carter Kieboom

Although Washington Nationals third baseman Carter Kieboom is not having a statistically impressive spring, manager Davey Martinez sees encouraging signs, writes Mark Zuckerman. "His swing looks really good," according to Martinez, "...I like some of his at-bats so far." But Zuckerman points out Kieboom's lack of walks or home runs this spring and his pedestrian […]

John Gant Lined Up As The Fifth Starter

St. Louis Cardinals right-handed pitcher John Gant is currently lined up to be the team's fifth starter once the regular season begins. Cardinals writer Derrick Goold noted that Gant has been pitching on the same days as Opening Day starter Jack Flaherty, which would line him up with the Cardinals schedule to be the fifth […]

Victor Robles Walking, Stealing Bases In Early Spring

Washington Nationals outfielder Victor Robles is having a nice spring so far with four walks, four steals in four tries and a .250/.429/.438 triple-slash line in 21 plate appearances. Those walks and on-base percentage are key, with the Nationals hoping Robles can be their leadoff hitter in 2021. Robles' career to date (.250/.320/.407) doesn't justify […]

Trent Grisham Set To Miss One Week With Hamstring Strain

San Diego Padres outfielder Trent Grisham (hamstring) has been determined to have a Grade 1 left hamstring strain stemming from Thursday's Cactus League contest. The team hopes that Grisham will need to miss only a week of action due to the ailment, which gives him some leeway as it pertains to being ready for Opening […]

Antonio Senzatela Tosses Sim Game Friday

Colorado Rockies right-handed pitcher Antonio Senzatela (hamstring) has been slated to work two innings during a simulated game Friday. Beforehand, manager Bud Black was optimistic that Senzatela would be able to open the year in the Rockies' starting rotation, forgoing a previously expected stint on the injured list. While Senzatela excelled across 12 starts last […]

Sean Murphy Closes In On Return To Game Action

Oakland Athletics catcher Sean Murphy (lung) has resumed taking batting practice in anticipation of making his Cactus League debut in the near future. Murphy has been working his way back from a collapsed lung, but manager Bob Melvin stated Thursday that the backstop was "progressing" toward a return to the field. How quickly Murphy is […]

Max Kepler Exits Thursday With Thigh Bruise

Minnesota Twins outfielder Max Kepler (thigh) departed Thursday's Grapefruit League contest versus Boston after he fouled a ball off of his left thigh. Manager Rocco Baldelli indicated that the outfielder figured to have a sizable bruise on the spot, but that there was little long-term concern. Kepler has gotten off to a slow start this […]

Yasmani Grandal Logs At-Bats During Sim Game

Chicago White Sox catcher Yasmani Grandal (knee) was able to get into the box during a simulated game Wednesday, but manager Tony La Russa has still not provided a timeline as to when the catcher could get into Cactus League action. Grandal sustained a knee injury at the end of February and the team has […]

Jeff McNeil Struggling This Spring

New York Mets infielder/outfielder Jeff McNeil went 0-for-3 in Grapefruit League action on Thursday against the Astros, dropping his batting average to .071 this spring. McNeil is now just 1-for-14 with three strikeouts, with his lone spring hit a solo home run. McNeil is coming off a solid 2020 campaign in which he posted a […]

Tanner Roark Dazzles In Second Spring Start

Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Tanner Roark had a solid start on Thursday as he pitched three innings of scoreless baseball while allowing one hit and striking out three in a 10-6 win against the Detroit Tigers. Sure, the great start was against the lowly Tigers, but he also had a solid start against the […]

Tarik Skubal Strikes Out Four in Three Innings

Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal struck out four Toronto Blue Jays over three innings of work on Thursday during a 10-6 loss. The rookie pitcher was the only hurler to keep the Blue Jays hitters off the score sheet. Skubal has pitched five scoreless innings this spring with just two hits allowed and a K-BB […]

Bryce Harper Not Interested In Analytics

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper gave reporters a good laugh in a recent interview. He was asked about advanced stats and analytics and he replied by saying, "I don't really like stats. Exit velocity, I don't care about that. I'm more of, exit hits...I don't understand any of that. I am a GED guy." Despite […]

Nolan Jones Gets On Base Three Times

Cleveland Indians third base prospect Nolan Jones had two walks and a single on Thursday against the San Diego Padres. The 22-year-old prospect is now 3-for-8 with a BB-K of 4-5 this spring. Jones spent the 2020 season at the alternate training site after splitting 2019 between high-A and double-A when he combined to walk […]

Jose Abreu Continues Spring Struggles

Chicago White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu went 0-for-3 in Thursday's 7-4 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. Abreu recently recovered from Covid-19 and that could be a reason for his early struggles this spring as he is just 2-for-17 to start. He had an outstanding 2020 where he won the AL MVP by slashing .317/.370/.617 […]

Bo Bichette Off To Slow Start This Spring

Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette has had an underwhelming start to spring. Over his first six games, he's gone 2-for-11 with no extra-base hits. He's slashing .182/.400/.182 with four walks and three strikeouts. He was caught stealing in his only stolen base attempt. Bichette is going in the late second round of most drafts […]

Mookie Betts Not In "Season Shape" Yet

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts will rightfully be one of the first players off the board in all fantasy drafts this spring. However, according to his teammate Edwin Rios, Betts isn't quite in mid-season form just yet. In a recent interview, Rios had this to say in regard to Betts: "I called him out […]

Spencer Torkelson Hitless Over 16 Spring Plate Appearances

Detroit Tigers third baseman and top prospect Spencer Torkelson has had a rough go of it this spring. He's yet to record a hit over his first 16 plate appearances. He's currently 0-for-13 with three walks and eight strikeouts. The 21-year-old Torkelson was a bit of a long shot to make the team's opening day […]

Ryan Mountcastle Breaks Out Of Mini-Slump

Baltimore Orioles prospect Ryan Mountcastle went 1-for-3 with a double on Thursday against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The hit broke a mini-slump that had seen the rookie go 0-for-5 with three strikeouts. Mountcastle is hoping to make the opening day roster either in left field or at first base in place of injured veteran Chris Davis. […]

Bryce Harper Goes 0-For-3 Thursday

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper went 0-for-3 in Thursday's 6-1 loss to the New York Yankees. Harper has struggled so far in spring camp as he is now just 2-for-11 with one home run and two RBI across his first four games. Harper had a solid 2020 campaign in which he slashed .268/.420/.542 with 13 […]

Nick Markakis Announces Retirement

Outfielder Nick Markakis has announced his retirement from the MLB after 15 seasons. He spent the first nine years of his career with the Baltimore Orioles and the last six years with the Atlanta Braves. He finishes his career with a career batting average of .288 as well as 189 home runs and 1,046 RBI. […]

Alex Kirilloff Hits First Spring Homer

Minnesota Twins outfield prospect Alex Kirilloff broke out of a slump with a 1-for-2 day that saw him clear the outfield fences in the second inning. The blast came against a very good pitcher in Eduardo Rodriguez of the Boston Red Sox. Kirilloff is just 3-for-16 with five strikeouts this spring as he chases a […]

Mike Moustakas Homers Thursday

Cincinnati Reds second baseman Mike Moustakas went 2-for-3 with a solo homer in a 7-4 Cactus League win over the Chicago White Sox on Thursday. The homer came off of Chicago starter Reynaldo Lopez in the third inning and was the first of the spring for Moustakas. The veteran infielder has gotten off to a […]

Amir Garrett Throws Bullpen Session On Thursday

Cincinnati Reds reliever Amir Garrett (forearm) threw a pain-free bullpen session on Thursday prior to his team's 7-4 Cactus League win over the Chicago White Sox. Garrett has been dealing with a sore left forearm since camp opened, but he sounded optimistic in talking to reporters on Thursday, saying, "You always have … these little nagging […]