MLB Player News

Buxton has added 21 pounds in the offseason in an effort to keep himself healthy, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. "If I want to play the way that I want to play and run into walls, I've got to have a little bit more cushion," Buxton said. "So I just put it in the back of my head to put on some pounds."

Buxton said he hopes to keep his weight above 200 pounds at the start of the regular season. He began last season by missing time with recurring migraines and played through a hairline fracture in his left big toe, which resulted in him being sent to the minors after hitting just .122 in 17 games. Then he missed several weeks with a wrist injury. When finally healthy, he hit .311 with three homers and a .901 OPS over 23 games at Triple-A Rochester, but Minnesota manipulated his service time and did not call him up in September. However, the Twins said after the season he'll be the starter in center field. The jury is out on if he'll become a star at the plate or if he can stay healthy given his injury history, but he may also have as much upside for fantasy baseball as any player in the game.

Rookier received an invitation to major-league spring training, LaVelle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Rooker slashed .254/.333/.465 with 22 home runs in 130 games at Double-A Chattooga in 2018, but was sidelined with an ankle sprain during Arizona Fall League action in October. The 24-year-old is unlikely to make the jump straight from Double-A to the majors, but a good showing at spring training could help him potentially earn a look at some point during 2019.

Cabrera (biceps) has been cleared ahead of spring training, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Cabrera is slated to enter camp fully healthy after appearing in just 38 games last season due to a slew of injuries -- most notably a ruptured biceps that required season-ending surgery in June. Prior to getting hurt, Cabrera hit .299/.395/.448. The veteran slugger should come at a discount as he looks to revert back to his dominant form following a pair of disappointing years.

Lewis was invited to major-league spring training Thursday, TJ Cotterill of The Tacoma News Tribune reports.

Lewis struggled a bit during his first taste of Double-A in 2018, but he finished the season on an absolute tear, slashing .311/.426/.578 over the final 13 games of the season. He'll get a chance to prove himself in front of the major-league coaching staff, though he'll likely get more looks at Double-A and Triple-A in 2019 before he sniffs the majors given that he has just 152 plate appearances above High-A to his name.

Collins was invited to the White Sox's major-league camp, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Collins was the White Sox's first-round pick (10th overall) in 2016 and is the organization's top-ranked catching prospect. He's known more for his bat, so developing defensively has been his biggest challenge, as it is for most bat-first catchers. Another challenge for Collins has been his patience. He has impressive on-base skills, which can mitigate his power potential. His manager last year at Double-A Birmingham, Ryan Newman, said Collins can be too selective and let drive-able pitches pass by.

Alvarez was invited to the Astros' major-league camp Tuesday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

After impressing in the upper minors in 2018, Alvarez will get a chance to show off his skills in front of the Astros' brass during spring training. The 21-year-old split time between Double-A Corpus Christi and Triple-A Fresno last season, hitting a combined .293/.369/.534 with 20 homers and six stolen bases. Alvarez appeared in just 45 games at Triple-A and is blocked at the major-league level, so he'll likely open the year back in the minors. That said, he could force a promotion this summer if he continues to excel on the farm.

General manager Billy Eppler said Monday that Ohtani (elbow) will have a follow-up appointment soon, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Ohtani is slowly working his way back from Tommy John surgery that he underwent in October of 2018. The Angels are hoping a timetable for Ohtani to resume hitting will emerge following his upcoming visit with doctors. At this point, the 24-year-old is not expected to be ready for Opening Day.

The Phillies met with Harper for five hours Saturday in Las Vegas and are viewed as the clear favorites to sign the free-agent outfielder, three officials told Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

Philadelphia has been in heavy pursuit of both of the top two stars on the open market -- Harper and infielder Manny Machado -- this offseason, but the organization has shifted its main focus to signing the former in recent days. While Nightengale notes that the Phillies have yet to submit an official offer to Harper, that's expected to come within the next week. In addition to the Phillies, the White Sox and Nationals have been the primary teams linked to Harper this offseason, but neither of those squads have extended formal offers either.

Pederson agreed to a one-year contract with the Dodgers on Friday, avoiding arbitration, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.

It seems like just yesterday that Pederson was breaking into the majors, but this is already his second year of arb eligibility. While he hasn't blossomed into a superstar, Pederson had a really good 2018 season by most measures. The one big problem is that he continued to struggle in a major way against lefties, making a platoon situation likely even after the Dodgers moved both Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp.

Ozuna and the Cardinals agreed to a one-year deal Friday, avoiding arbitration, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports.

Ozuna was a bit of a disappointment in his first season for the Cardinals, failing to repeat his numbers from his breakout 2017 campaign. His homers fell from 37 to 23 while his wRC+ dropped from 144 to 106. His .280/.325/.433 line was still decent, though, and he'll line up to play almost every day heading into the season.