MLB Player News

Even though Buxton was not called up from Triple-A in September, the Twins don't envision an open competition for the starting center field job this spring, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. "We don't view it that way. He's our starting center fielder. That's who Byron Buxton is. That's clear to us moving forward," said Chief Baseball Officer Derek Falvey.

Buxton looked like a budding superstar after a breakout 2017 season only to endure basically a lost season in 2018. Buxton went on the DL in early April due to a recurring migraine issue and then broke his toe while on a rehab assignment. He tried to play through a hairline fracture in his left big toe but hit just .188 in 17 games and was sent to the minors. He then missed several weeks with a wrist injury. When finally healthy he hit .313 with three homers and an .897 OPS over 27 games at Triple-A. However, he wasn't called up in September despite being fully healthy in a thinly-veiled move by the Twins to gain an extra year of service time. It looks like the Twins will re-establish him as the starter next spring. 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.

McCutchen agreed to a three-year, $50 million contract with the Phillies on Tuesday, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

McCutchen will be returning to Pennsylvania -- albeit with a different team -- after spending time with the Giants and Yankees in 2018. The veteran outfielder hit a combined .255/.368/.424 with 20 homers and 14 stolen bases across 155 games between San Francisco and New York. He should immediately step into a starting role for the Phillies, hitting in a favorable spot in the order.

Goins agreed to a minor-league contract with the White Sox on Monday and has been invited to spring training, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Goins appeared in 41 games for the Royals a season ago, batting .226 with nine extra-base hits and six RBI. He figures to begin the 2019 campaign at Triple-A Charlotte after latching on with Chicago.

Ohtani (elbow) continues to make progress after undergoing Tommy John surgery and now has full range of motion in his right elbow, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Ohtani is set for an evaluation by doctors from the United States sometime in January. Although he won't be ready to begin a hitting program just yet, it's positive news that he's continuing to make significant progress without setbacks. Expect more news on Ohtani's recovery to surface over the course of the next few months.

Colon agreed to a minor-league contract with Cincinnati on Monday, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Colon failed to emerge in the big leagues last season, spending the 2018 campaign at the Triple-A level (98 games). He figures to begin the 2019 season with Triple-A Louisville.

Cabrera (biceps) has started hitting and is expected to be 100 percent for the start of spring training, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Cabrera's season came to an end in June when he ruptured the tendon in his left biceps, forcing him to undergo a surgical procedure. However, he recently sent his general manager, Al Avila, a video of himself hitting. Avila stated that Cabrera looked good in the video and that he's going to be healthy come February.

Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said Thursday that Ozuna (shoulder) should receive full clearance for baseball activities at some point in January, Fox Sports Midwest reports.

Ozuna was bothered by his right shoulder for a good portion of his inaugural campaign in St. Louis, but still finished the season on the field, delivering a .280 average, 23 home runs, 88 RBI and 69 RBI across 148 games. After undergoing surgery Oct. 30 to address the injury, Ozuna appears to be tracking well in his recovery and should be back to 100 percent health well before spring training. If the surgery provides a permanent fix for his shoulder woes, Ozuna shouldn't have much difficulty upping his power production in 2019.

Winker (shoulder) said Friday at Redsfest that he's thrilled with the progress that he's made this offseason at the Reds' spring training facility in Arizona, MLB.com's Mark Sheldon reports. "My rehab is pretty much over at this point," Winker said. "It's been over for a couple of weeks now. All I'm really doing is shoulder work to maintain. I've started my training, so everything has gone great. Everything has gone smooth. It's gone exactly how everybody involved has wanted it to go, so I'm very excited about that."

This is great news, but pump the brakes just a little bit -- Winker hasn't yet swung a bat and won't be cleared to do so until Jan. 7. The Reds have cleared the runway for Winker to play every day this season, though the news that they said good-bye to Billy Hamilton doesn't mean that Winker will play center field, as he doesn't really have the range for that. Eventually, the club plans on fielding an outfield that's starting both Winker and Nick Senzel.

Ramirez signed a minor-league contract with the Marlins on Monday, John Dreker of piratesprospects.com reports.

Ramirez has been stuck in neutral at the Double-A level for three seasons, but he should advance to Triple-A in the Marlins' organization this upcoming season after winning an Eastern League batting title (.320 average). Given the team's dearth of outfield options, it's not unreasonable to think Ramirez could even crack the big leagues at some point in 2019.

Reyes will undergo surgery Thursday to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports.

Reyes picked up the injury earlier in the month while playing in the Dominican Winter League, and surgery was ultimately deemed necessary after further evaluation. The procedure typically carries a four-to-eight week recovery timetable, so the expectation is that Reyes will be ready to go for spring training. Prior to suffering the injury, Reyes hit .444/.510/.689 with three homers and six RBI in 13 games for Escogido.