MLB Player News

Goins agreed to a minor-league contract with the Royals on Wednesday which includes an invitation to spring training.

Goins will move on from Toronto after being non-tendered by the club following eight years with the organization, as the second baseman looks to find a role with the Royals in 2018. Last season, he appeared in a career-high 143 major-league games, slashing .237/.286/.356 with nine home runs and 62 RBI, both of which were also career bests. The soon-to-be 30-year-old should provide a solid safety net at both the second base and shortstop position for Kansas City, but obviously has limited upside for fantasy purposes.

McCutchen, who was acquired by the Giants on Monday via trade, was told he'll play a corner outfield spot for his new club in 2018, Buster Olney of ESPN reports.

While McCutchen has primarily played center field throughout his professional career, the 31-year-old isn't completely unfamiliar with the corner outfield; he spent the first 13 games of the 2017 campaign in right field before a suspension to Starling Marte allowed him to shift back to center. It sounds like McCutchen will play right field with Hunter Pence lining up opposite him. With McCutchen and Pence situated in the corners, the Giants could look to bring in a center fielder from outside the organization or turn to prospect Steven Duggar.

McCutchen was traded to the Giants on Monday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

The deal is reportedly all but done, pending an exchange of medical information, and according to Andrew Baggarly of The San Jose Mercury News, the Pirates will receive Kyle Crick and Bryan Reynolds in return. McCutchen bounced back last season after his lackluster 2016 campaign, hitting .279/.363/.486 with 28 homers and 11 stolen bases across 156 games. While the 31-year-old likely won't return to his MVP form, he proved he still has something left in the tank and figures to play an important role for the Giants this season.

The Brewers and Choi agreed to a minor-league contract Sunday that includes an invitation to spring training, Sung Min Kim of Sporting News reports. The deal is worth $850,000 at the major-league level.

Choi had a brief run with the Yankees last season as part of a platoon at first base, appearing in six games and swatting two home runs before being outrighted off the 40-man roster. With Eric Thames and Jesus Aguilar performing effectively for the Brewers last season as part of the timeshare at first base, it will probably take an injury or two before Choi gets a look in Milwaukee in 2018. He's likely to see the bulk of his at-bats with the Brewers' Triple-A affiliate in Colorado Springs.

Pederson agreed to a one-year contract with the Dodgers on Friday, avoiding arbitration.

Last season was a trying one for Pederson, as he missed time due to injury and struggled at the plate, even earning a demotion to Triple-A for a while in the second half. He finished on a high note with two homers in the World Series, but Pederson will likely be platooned heavily again to begin 2018, and he could lose out on playing time against righties to Alex Verdugo if he gets off to a slow start.

Miller (groin) agreed to a one-year, $4.5 million deal with Tampa Bay on Friday, avoiding arbitration, Roger Mooney of The Tampa Bay Times reports.

This was the second offseason as an arbitration-eligible player for Miller, as the 28-year-old collected a $975,000 bump from 2017. During this past season, he was unable to repeat his lofty numbers from 2016, slashing just .201/.327/.337 with nine home runs and 40 RBI. Recently, he underwent offseason core muscle surgery in November, but is expected to be fully operational come spring training.

Ozuna agreed to a one-year, $9 million contract with the Cardinals on Friday, avoiding arbitration, Jon Heyman of FanRagSports.com reports.

Ozuna will receive a huge raise from the $3.5 million he made last season in his first year of arbitration eligibility. Ozuna, acquired from the Marlins in a December trade, will step into the heart of the order for St. Louis this season after slashing .312/.376/.548 with 37 homers and 124 RBI in 2017.

Blackmon agreed to a one-year, $14 million deal with the Rockies on Friday, avoiding arbitration, Jon Heyman of FanRagSports.com reports.

This was Blackmon's final offseason as an arbitration-eligible player, as he will hit the open market next winter. He received almost double the $7.3 million he received last offseason. Blackmon, who turns 32 in July, has been a fantasy stud for several years due to his stolen-base totals and Coors-aided batting averages, but last season he set career bests in most relevant offensive categories and also had his best year in the field since 2012. He is a surefire first-round pick in re-draft leagues.

Martinez, who has been offered a five-year contract by the Red Sox and may have an offer from at least one other club, is reportedly willing to "hold out" into spring training in order to earn a more desirable deal, according to Jon Heyman of FanRagSports.com.

Martinez received the offer from Boston weeks earlier and remains in a stalemate in negotiations with the club, perhaps opening the door for other teams to court the outfielder, who is regarded as one of the top available hitters on the market. Sources informed Heyman that Martinez is seeking $30 million-plus annually in any contract, but it's believed that teams interested in him have fallen well short of meeting those demands. Until Martinez adjusts his contract expectations or teams are willing to improve their offers, it appears the 30-year-old won't find a new home anytime soon, thereby clouding his fantasy outlook a bit for early drafters.

General manager Billy Eppler said Ohtani (ankle, elbow) is scheduled to throw off a mound in the next two weeks, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Ohtani is steadily ramping up his throwing program as he continues to work his way back from a grade one sprain of his ulnar collateral ligament. The two-way superstar also underwent ankle surgery in October, though the team remains unconcerned about both issues and expect him to be fully ready to go by the start of spring training.