MLB Player News

Reds manager Bryan Price said the closer job is Hoover's to lose, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Essentially, Price is confirming what many have suspected since the Reds traded Aroldis Chapman to the Yankees. Hoover's 2.94 ERA (4.47 FIP) last season was backed by poor peripherals (7.3 K/9, 4.3 BB/9), putting him on thin ice to retain the ninth-inning role barring improvement. It should be noted, however, that he missed bats at a greater clip in 2014 (10.8 K/9), but his propensity to serve up long balls (1.87 HR/9) ballooned his ERA to 4.88. The Reds aren't overwhelmed with viable alternatives at the moment, but a decision to move a young starter into the bullpen could eventually provide a credible threat to Hoover's hold on the job. One particularly intriguing option is Robert Stephenson, who is expected to receive consideration for a rotation spot this spring.

The Nationals and Belisle agreed to a minor league contract Wednesday that includes an invitation to spring training.

Belisle has been a mainstay in the majors in each of the past six campaigns, with his last minor league appearance occurring in 2009. As a 35-year-old last season, he actually produced modest results for the Cardinals, including a 2.67 ERA, 1.455 WHIP, and 25:15 K:BB in 33.2 innings. The right-hander will attempt to replicate that success in an attempt to land a spot in the Nationals' bullpen.

Edgin (elbow) threw off a mound Monday at Mets camp, Adam Rubin of ESPN reports.

With this development, Edgin's return date from Tommy John surgery is still estimated to be on May 1. However, it's nice to see that the left-hander appears to be progressing well and is on schedule for his return to the Mets bullpen.

Huntzinger signed a minor league contract with the Rockies on Thursday that includes an invitation to spring training.

Huntzinger spent the last three seasons at the Triple-A level, and last season definitely wasn't promising, either. He posted a 4.63 ERA in 56.1 innings pitched, meaning he'll have to vastly improve if he wants a chance to pitch with the Rockies after spring training.

Hoffman received an invitation to spring training Thursday.

One of the top prospects in the Rockies organization after being acquired in the Troy Tulowitzki deal, Hoffman pitched well at the Double-A level. Although he shows promise, he'll likely head back to the minors after spring training to pitch more against upper-level hitters.

Gonzalez received an invitation to spring training Thursday.

The 25-year-old pitched in both Double-A and Triple-A last season, striking out a batter per inning while in Albuquerque. It will be tough to crack the Rockies bullpen, but a strong spring training could put him in the conversation to appear in the majors at some point of the season.

Moll received an invitation to spring training Thursday.

Moll reached Double-A last season and pitched well, posting a 1.23 ERA and a 0.77 WHIP. That being said, he'll likely head back to the minors after spring training to face more upper-level hitters.

Torres received an invitation to spring training Thursday.

Torres signed a minor league contract with the Braves yesterday after becoming a free agent early this month, but it wasn't announced until today that he would receive an invitation to spring training. Torres' solid control and decent career strikeout rate should help him compete for a bullpen spot with Atlanta.

The Braves signed Torres to a minor league contract Wednesday, Adam Rubin of ESPN New York reports.

After the Mets inked him to a one-year deal on Jan. 15, the organization changed course with the signing of Antonio Bastardo just a few days later, waiving Torres in order to open up a spot on the 40-man roster. It's unclear if Torres has received an invite to spring training with the big club, but his career strikeout rate of 7.9 K/9 could serve him well in the competition for a roster spot with the Braves.

Johnson took advantage of his time off with injuries to work on his changeup in 2015, the Cubs' official site reports. "I was able to throw it for strikes, and that was huge," he said of the pitch. "Just having the confidence in that pitch made it that much better."

The Cubs have been trying to get Johnson to develop a third pitch ever since he was drafted in 2012, and he finally looks like he has one to go with fastball and slider. He's already one of the better pitching prospect in the system, but his rise to the majors has been stalled a bit. Don't be surprised to hear his name a bit more in 2016.