MLB Player News

Stephenson will compete for the fifth spot in the Reds' rotation in spring training, the Cincinnati Enquirer's Zach Buchanan reports.

While he maintains his prospect eligibility entering his age-24 season, Stephenson's prospect star has crashed and burned, as he has been unable to fix his control issues at Triple-A or in the big leagues. He posted a 6.50 FIP and 31:19 K:BB in 37 innings (eight starts) with the Reds last year and has posted walk rates above 11 percent at every stop above High-A. His changeup and curveball were effective offerings, but hitters posted a 205 wRC+ against his 93 mph fastball. He will need to significantly improve his command of that pitch if he has any hope of making it as a starter. Stephenson will compete with Cody Reed and Amir Garrett for the fifth spot in the rotation, with Tim Adleman serving as a fall-back option if the three youngsters don't impress in spring training.

Gomez is one of three or four pitchers that will enter spring training in a competition to become the Phillies' closer, Jim Salisbury of CSN Philadelphia reports.

Gomez will be competing with Joaquin Benoit, Hector Neris and possibly Edubray Ramos for the closing gig. Neris is likely the favorite for the job, but Gomez did save 37 games last season before struggling down the stretch and losing the job.

Neris is one of three or four pitchers that will enter spring training in a competition to become the Phillies' closer, Jim Salisbury of CSN Philadelphia reports.

Neris will be competing with Joaquin Benoit, Jeanmar Gomez and possibly Edubray Ramos for the closing gig. Neris is likely the favorite for the job. He evolved into an elite reliever last season by throwing a nasty splitter nearly 50 percent of the time which lead to an impressive strikeout rate of over 11 batters per nine innings.

Melancon has agreed to a contract with the Giants, ESPN's Buster Olney reports.

The deal is still pending a physical, but barring any hiccups, Melancon is on the move from the East Coast to the West Coast. He is primed to take over as the Giants' closer, a role they had a difficult time filling effectively at the end of last season. Melancon is coming off arguably the best season of his career, one which saw him post a 1.64 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 65:12 K:BB over 75 appearances with the Pirates and Nationals.

Gearrin agreed to a one-year, $1.05 million contract with the Giants on Friday, avoiding arbitration, Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reports.

The right-hander battled shoulder issues in July and August but returned to San Francisco and finished strong, posting a 1.35 ERA and 13:1 K:BB in September. He racked up 16 holds and three saves in 56 total appearances. Health permitting, the sinkerballer should once again play a prominent role near the back end of the bullpen for the Giants in 2017.

Stoffel signed a minor league contract with the Pirates on Wednesday that includes an invite to spring training, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Stephen Nesbitt reports.

Stoffel has never pitched in the majors, despite being 28 years old. His strikeout rate has ticked up in recent seasons, however, so he could have a chance of making the Pirates' bullpen and serving as a low-leverage reliever out of spring training.

Runzler signed a minor league contract with the Pirates on Wednesday that includes an invite to spring training, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Stephen Nesbitt reports.

The 31-year-old southpaw will have a chance at earning a spot in the Pirates' bullpen as a low-leverage specialist. Of course, the most likely scenario is that he offers depth at Triple-A.

Cordero (shoulder) was traded to the Nationals on Wednesday in exchange for a player to be named later or cash.

He was left off the Phillies' 40-man roster in a surprising move that led some to question the health of his shoulder, as he finished the year on the DL with a shoulder strain. The Nationals, a team with more big league talent than the Phillies but less organizational depth, were willing to roll the dice on his medicals. If Cordero can get healthy, he could contribute out of the big league bullpen late in 2017.

The Nationals signed Lara to a minor league deal Sunday, Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post reports.

Lara's inability to keep runners off the bases remained problematic in 2016 and led to a 1.45 WHIP. While his .252 opponent batting average didn't do him any favors, a lack of control only made matters worse and resulted in a 10.5 percent walk rate. Heading into 2017, Lara offers little fantasy value, as he's yet to play in the majors since entering the league in 2008.

Guerra was added to the Padres' 40-man roster Friday.

The 21-year-old endured some major growing pains in 2016, as he hit just .202/.264/.325 with a 32.7 percent strikeout rate in his first season in the Padres' organization. Guerra also missed the final month with an undisclosed injury and his health is still something of a question mark, but regardless, Guerra is a long way away from the big leagues.