MLB Player News

Kimbrel was confirmed as the Dodgers' closer by general manager Brandon Gomes on Friday, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

The Dodgers intended to go with a committee approach prior to acquiring Kimbrel from the White Sox, and it was at least conceivable that the plan was merely to use Kimbrel as part of that committee. While Kimbrel's 2021 numbers were comparable to those of top incumbent Blake Treinen, he's clearly more comfortable in a traditional closer role. He'll return to that spot after spending the end of last year setting up for Liam Hendriks.

Kilian, the Cubs' top pitching prospect, will open the year at Triple-A Iowa, Tommy Birch of the Des Moines Register reports.

The headliner in the return from San Francisco for Kris Bryant and the MVP of the Arizona Fall League championship game, Kilian hadn't pitched in big-league spring training, so it's good to hear that he's healthy and ready for the minor-league season. The Cubs' rotation lacks viable depth, so Kilian could get the call to the majors sometime this summer.

Gott has made the Brewers' Opening Day roster, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Gott's last MLB experience came in 2020, when he allowed 13 runs in 11.2 innings of relief. He owns a 5.01 ERA in 140 career innings at the highest level.

Treinen's save opportunities appear likely to drop, as Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports the Dodgers acquired Craig Kimbrel in exchange for AJ Pollock on Friday.

Treinen was already looking at less than a true closer's role, with the Dodgers reportedly planning on having no dedicated closer and giving the right-hander frequent high-leverage usage. Bringing in Kimbrel, who ranks ninth all-time in saves and leads all active players, probably means the team intends to go back to a more traditional setup, but not in a way that benefits Treinen. The team has yet to officially announce its ninth-inning plans, and Treinen did sport a better ERA than Kimbrel last year by a margin of 1.99 to 2.26, but the safe bet seems to be that his save chances will drop considerably.

Kimbrel was traded from the White Sox to the Dodgers on Friday in exchange for AJ Pollock, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

The presence of Liam Hendriks in Chicago may have made it tough for Kimbrel to add to his 372 career saves, but he should have an easier path to the closer role for his new team. That's not to say it will be completely easy, however, as the Dodgers had talked about using a committee setup and have a strong late-inning option already in Blake Treinen, whose 1.99 ERA last year beat Kimbrel's 2.26 mark. Just how much this deal improves Kimbrel's fantasy value won't become clear until the Dodgers indicate whether he will walk straight into a true closer's role, but almost any situation is better than being stuck behind Hendriks.

Floro (arm) continues to make progress but won't be ready to go by Opening Day, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Floro is positioned to add to his 15 career saves this season, but he won't get to add to that number right away. He's been behind schedule throughout camp due to arm soreness, and while he's scheduled for another bullpen Friday, he won't be built up in time to avoid a trip to the injured list. Anthony Bender and Anthony Bass are in the mix for the Marlins' first few save chances of the year, but it doesn't look as though Floro will miss an extended period.

Roberts has looked sharp this spring, though he seems likely to start the season in the minors, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Roberts has logged three scoreless innings in Cactus League action with five strikeouts, and manager Davis Ross said the 24-year-old "looks like a back-end arm right now." The right-hander likely will still start the year with Triple-A Iowa, which is where he finished off his 2021 campaign. In 54 innings between Double-A and Triple-A last season, Roberts struck out 72 batters, so there is definite upside here,

Nance was optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville on Thursday, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

The Marlins claimed Nance off waivers Sunday after he was designated for assignment by the Cubs. He made his major-league debut in 2021, and despite a disastrous 7.22 ERA showed some promising skills by racking up 30 strikeouts across 28.2 innings. Though he'll now begin the season at Triple-A Jacksonville, Nance will likely contribute out of Miami's bullpen at some point during the season.

Effross is likely to be a member of the Cubs' Opening Day bullpen, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Effross made his MLB debut last season and pitched in 14 games for Chicago. He performed pretty well, registering a 3.68 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 18 strikeouts across 14.2 innings. Jonathan Holder, Ethan Roberts and Michael Rucker are a few of the other pitchers vying for bullpen spots in camp, though it seems like Effross has a leg up at this point.

Sims (elbow) completed a side session Wednesday and plans to throw against hitters before the end of camp, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

The Reds have already confirmed the right-hander will begin the season on the injured list after dealing with elbow and back injuries over the winter, though the hope is he'll only spent the 10-day minimum on the shelf. Sims was expected to open the campaign as the favorite for save opportunities, but Art Warren, Luis Cessa and Hunter Strickland are all in the mix to close in the meantime for Cincinnati.