MLB Player News

Lewis (knee) could return from knee surgery by midseason, MLB.com's Greg Johns reports.

Lewis required ACL reconstruction surgery last July, prematurely shutting down his first pro season, in which he was hitting .299 (35-for-117) with three home runs and 26 RBI through 30 games with short-season Everett. He appears poised to be back on the field sometime in July or August, so the 21-year-old may only be back on the field for about a month of the minor league season, setting back his development in 2017.

Brantley (shoulder) is continuing to progress in his recovery and is now hitting off a tee, Tom Withers of the Associated Press reports.

The 29-year-old is still working toward resuming full baseball activities, but this is certainly a positive sign. It appears Brantley is tentatively on track to be ready for spring training as he continues the long road back from shoulder surgery.

Choi signed a minor league contract with the Yankees on Monday that includes an invitation to spring training.

It's not surprising that Choi could not find a big league deal after electing free agency rather than accept an outright assignment to Triple-A in the Angels' organization. He posted a 67 wRC+ last year while getting 125 of his 129 plate appearances with the platoon advantage. Greg Bird, Tyler Austin and Rob Refsnyder all figure to be ahead of him on the organizational depth chart.

Blackmon and the Rockies avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $7.3 million contract Friday, Jon Heyman of Today's Knuckleball reports.

Blackmon will receive more than double his salary from 2016 in his second year of arbitration eligibility. Blackmon's production in the stolen-base department took a hit last year, but he made up for that by posting career bests with 29 home runs, 82 RBI, 11 runs, and a .933 OPS while batting almost exclusively leadoff. He figures to occupy the same spot in the batting order again this year while serving as the Rockies' everyday center fielder.

Ozuna avoided arbitration with the Marlins on Friday with a $3.5 million deal, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports.

Ozuna bounced back from a difficult 2015 season with a .266/.321/.452 line with 23 home runs and a first career All-Star berth in 2016. That'll get him a decent salary for his first round of arbitration.

Miller and the Rays avoided arbitration Friday with a one-year, $3.575 million deal, Roger Mooney of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Miller experienced a massive power spike in 2016, slugging a career-high .482 and 30 home runs while splitting time between shortstop and first base. Expect him to settle in at the latter spot for the Rays this season.

Harper signed a one-year, $13.625 million deal with the Nationals on Friday, avoiding arbitration, FanRag Sports' Jon Heyman reports.

This is Harper's second to last season before he hits free agency after the 2018 campaign. He received a healthy bump in pay from the $5 million he earned in 2016. While he is coming off a bit of a down year that was dragged down by injuries, Harper will still cost a premium as a late first-round pick in most drafts this season.

Choi has elected free agency in lieu of accepting his outright assignment to Triple-A Salt Lake.

The 25-year-old did not see a clear path to playing time on the big league roster in Anaheim, so he will test the market instead of agreeing to ride buses in 2017. Of course, coming off a year where he posted a 67 wRC+ while getting 125 of his 129 plate appearances with the platoon advantage, he will likely have to settle for a minor league pact with his next organization.

Choi has passed through waivers unclaimed and been outrighted to Triple-A Salt Lake.

Choi was the roster casualty of Ben Revere's one-year deal with the Angels and will now join the team's Triple-A affiliate after a disappointing rookie campaign. It's possible he will join the Angels at spring training as a non-roster invitee, but his .170/.271/.339 batting line at the top level last season and expected lack of opportunities at the major league level in 2017 make him an undesirable fantasy asset in the majority of fantasy formats.

Brantley (shoulder) began taking non-contact swings over the holiday break, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

A September report shed doubt on Brantley's four-month timetable, suggesting he could miss significant time in 2017, but the Indians have been adamant that Brantley will be ready for spring training. He played in just 11 games last season before being shut back down and ultimately undergoing a second shoulder surgery. Brantley turns 30 in May.