MLB Player News

Kontas agreed to a one-year, $2.725 million contract with the Pirates on Friday, avoiding arbitration, Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

The right-hander turned in a 1.84 ERA in 15 appearances after coming over to Pittsburgh on a waiver claim in early August, compared to a 3.83 ERA in 50 appearances with San Francisco. He altered his pitch mix a bit after the move and what resulted was fewer walks (1.8 BB/9) and homers allowed (0.61 HR/9). Kontos will likely fill a setup role to begin 2018.

Vizcaino agreed to a one-year, $3.4 million deal with the Braves on Friday, avoiding arbitration, Jon Heyman of FanRagSports.com reports.

Vizcaino receives a substantial raise over the $1.55 million he earned in his first year of arbitration. He will enter this season as the Braves' closer after going 14-for-17 on save chances last season. Vizcaino is a decent fantasy option for 2018, but the Braves have a plethora of electric arms in their bullpen, in the minors and in their starting rotation, many of whom could profile as potential ninth-inning options at some point in the coming years. He will have to pitch well to hold onto the job.

Nelson (shoulder) agreed to a one-year, $3.7 million deal with the Brewers on Friday, avoiding arbitration, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

This is a bittersweet moment for Nelson, as he had a career year at the perfect time entering his first offseason as an arbitration-eligible player, but is rehabbing from shoulder surgery, which is expected to cost him a good chunk of the 2018 season. The 28-year-old righty pitched like a frontline starter last season, but his lack of a substantial track record and the uncertainty regarding his innings and initial effectiveness this season makes him a late-round dart in fantasy drafts.

Fields agreed to a one-year, $2.2 million deal with the Dodgers on Friday, avoiding arbitration, Robert Murray of FanRagSports.com reports.

He receives a raise over the $1.05 million he made in his first year of arbitration. The 32-year-old righty logged a 2.84 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 60 strikeouts in 57 innings last season, and should once again serve as one of the Dodgers' top setup options in front of closer Kenley Jansen.

Boxberger agreed to a one-year, $1.85 million deal with the Diamondbacks on Friday, avoiding arbitration, Robert Murray of FanRagSports.com reports.

Boxberger, who was dealt to Arizona in November from Tampa Bay, receives a slight raise over the $1.6 million he made last year in his first arbitration season. The key for the 29-year-old righty is health, as he has missed a good chunk of time in each of the last two seasons. When healthy, he should act as a bridge to presumed closer Archie Bradley, and could even get into the ninth inning mix if Bradley struggles.

Chafin agreed to a one-year, $1.195 million deal with the Diamondbacks on Friday, avoiding arbitration, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.

This is the 27-year-old reliever's first offseason as an arbitration-eligible player. The southpaw logged a 3.51 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 61 strikeouts in 51.1 innings last season, and figures to be used in a setup capacity this year.

Weigel was able to resume throwing after undergoing Tommy John surgery in June, David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Weigel still has a long journey of rehab ahead of him, but this marks an obvious positive step for the 23-year-old right-hander. If all goes well, Weigel could return to the field around July, although it seems unlikely that the club would call him up to the major-league level in 2018 as he continues to work his way back into form.

Wilson agreed to a one-year, $4.25 million deal with the Cubs on Friday, avoiding arbitration, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

This is Wilson's final year of arbitration before he hits the open market next winter. He notched a 2.68 ERA, 55 strikeouts and 13 saves in 40.1 innings with the Tigers before he was traded to Chicago last summer, but was surprisingly much less successful in the National League. Wilson sported a 5.09 ERA in 17.2 innings with the Cubs, and was not reliable in high-leverage spots. His past success as a closer means that he could someday get save chances again, but he figures to enter this season behind Brandon Morrow, Carl Edwards, Pedro Strop and possibly Steve Cishek in the bullpen hierarchy.

Rusin agreed to a one-year, $1.287,500 million deal with Colorado on Thursday, avoiding arbitration, Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports reports.

Rusin will enter his fourth season on the Rockies after posting his best year to date in 2017. The southpaw accumulated a 2.65 ERA and 1.11 WHIP with a 71:19 K:BB in 85 innings of relief and will head into this upcoming season as a solid setup man that can go a couple innings if needed. With the club making it a priority to bolster the bullpen this offseason, Rusin may not be a late-inning guy, but should be a reliable presence for the Rockies yet again.

Hoover signed a minor-league contract with the Brewers on Wednesday which includes an invitation to spring training.

In December, the Diamondbacks declined to tender a contract to Hoover after the right-hander appeared in 52 games for the club in 2017. During those contests, he accumulated a 3.92 ERA with a 47:18 K:BB in 41.1 relief innings. Although Hoover was able to get out of most jams, a higher FIP of 4.75 and 1.77 WHIP point to impending regression during this upcoming campaign. Hoover will receive $1.1 million if he can make it in the majors with Milwaukee, and can earn up to $1.65 million in incentives.