MLB Player News

Gurriel, who played mostly at third base in 2016, will play first base this coming season.

Gurriel, the Cuban defector who signed a five-year deal during the middle of the 2016 season, is a bat looking for a home in Houston's lineup. In addition to third base, he played some outfield as well before getting introduced to first base late last season. The Astros added multiple outfielders during the offseason and expect prospect Alex Bregman to man third base. That leaves first base for Gurriel, who showed decent power in Cuba but should be challenged here in the states.

Bell (knee) intends to be completely ready in time for Opening Day, Stephen Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

The top prospect underwent a minor knee procedure at the beginning of February that put some question into his status for the start of the regular season, but he seems to be fairly optimistic in his status moving forward. He began throwing Monday and plans to start hitting within the coming days, which hopefully should help him progress into spring game action relatively early. Should he be ready for Opening Day, Bell seems to be in line to start at first base for the Pirates.

Colabello will play for Team Italy in the upcoming World Baseball Classic, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Following last season's suspension for a failed drug test, Colabello will begin his climb back to the majors with the 2017 WBC. The tournament will serve as an opportunity for the first baseman to repair his image and make a good impression on his new team (he signed a minor league deal with the Indians in December). Although he received an invite to spring training, Colabello will likely begin the season at Triple-A Columbus as Carlos Santana and Edwin Encarnacion are entrenched at his position.

Cabrera announced Tuesday that he will not play for Team Venezuela in the upcoming World Baseball Classic, Jesus Ponte of Venezuela's Diario Meridiano (Venezuela) reports.

Cabrera said Tuesday that he was under the impression he would be selected for a spot on the team after talking to Team Venezuela manager Omar Vizquel, but was left off the roster nonetheless by general manager Carlos Guillen. The 31-year-old slashed .280/.336/.474 in addition to hitting 23 home runs with the Mets last season. His absence from the World Baseball Classic will presumably free him up to spend all of spring training with New York, where he will prepare for another season as the Mets' starting shortstop.

Santana will once again suit up for the Dominican Republic in the upcoming World Baseball Classic, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Indians management believed the 2013 WBC had a positive effect on Santana, and the team hopes the event will do the same in 2017. Santana has historically been a slow starter in April, but following the 2013 WBC, he hit .389 in the season's first month -- the best mark for any month in his six-year career. The slugger mashed a career-high 34 homers last season, but hit just .192 with a .696 OPS during the Tribe's postseason run through the World Series.

Freeman will play for Team Canada in the WBC, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

The tourney's somewhat lax eligibility rules allow Freeman, an American, to suit up for Canada because his parents were Canadian. He's also the only real MLB star on a young roster, so it could be a quick exit and return to the Braves for the 27-year-old, who'll be looking to build on last season's career-high 34 home runs and .969 OPS in 2017.

Carter agreed to a one-year, $3 million deal with the Yankees on Tuesday, Bob Nightengale of the USA Today reports.

As long as he passes an upcoming physical, 2016's National League home run leader will join the Bronx Bombers. However, Carter will be joining a crowded depth chart. Given his struggles in the field, Carter doesn't have much of a case to start regularly over Greg Bird at first base, but the two players could platoon at the position. He could also spell Matt Holliday occasionally at DH.

Diaz will likely begin the year at Triple-A Columbus, Fox Sports reports.

The Indians do not have a clear-cut backup option at third, and they'll need one so that manager Terry Francona can utilize Jose Ramirez's versatility on the infield. They'll have plenty of options and Diaz is probably the best of the bunch. However, giving the third baseman increased at-bats to develop makes the most sense. The team's No. 10 prospect hit .318/.408/.446 with 11 stolen bases between Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus in 2016. Diaz is not far from reaching the big league club and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him make his MLB debut by mid-summer. For now though, his value is limited to dynasty formats.

Flores (wrist) will make $2.2 million in 2017 after winning his arbitration case, MLB Network's Jon Heyman reports.

Flores returns to the Mets following a relatively strong 2016 campaign in which he slashed .267/.319/.469 with 16 home runs in 358 at-bats. While he won't be an everyday player for the Mets, he figures to see plenty of playing time at second base, particularly against left-handed pitching. He hit .340 with 11 of his home runs against southpaws in 2016.

Walker arrived in Sarasota early to get a head start on spring training and continue his transition to a new position, Eduardo Encina of the Baltimore Sun reports.

With a logjam at first base, Walker's regular position, the Orioles' fourth-round pick in 2012 made a position switch to left field last spring. He climbed the ranks quickly, but without an opening at first, Walker's been stuck at Triple-A Norfolk for the past two seasons. The 25-year-old has smashed 62 homers over his last three minor league seasons and ranks as the organization's No. 15 prospect. There's not a ton of room in the outfield, but Walker will get a fair chance this spring to earn an Opening Day roster spot.