MLB Player News

McCullers agreed to a one-year deal with Houston on Friday, to avoid arbitration.

This was the first year he was arbitration eligible following a triumphant postseason run that saw McCullers star in a pair of Game Sevens. During the 2017 campaign, the right-hander compiled a 4.25 ERA and 1.30 WHIP with 132 strikeouts in 118.2 innings. He should should be a borderline top-20 starter heading into this upcoming season.

Keuchel (foot) agreed to a one-year, $13.2 million deal with the Astros on Friday to avoid arbitration, Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reports.

This was the final offseason as an arbitration-eligible player for Keuchel, who will become a free agent after the 2018 season. He is currently recoving from a mild left foot sprain but he's been able to resume throwing and is expected to be ready for the start of spring training. In 2017, the left-hander posted a 2.90 ERA and 1.12 WHIP with a 125:47 K:BB over 23 starts.

Ramirez (elbow) agreed to a one-year, $1.9 million deal with the Angels on Friday, avoiding arbitration, Jeff Fletcher of the Southern California News Group reports.

Ramirez posted a 4.15 ERA and 1.34 WHIP with a 105:49 K:BB over 147.1 innings last season before going down with a forearm injury in August. Looking ahead, the right-hander is expected to compete for a spot in the rotation come spring training, but there hasn't been any word on his status since he was able to resume throwing in late November. Keep an eye on this situation, especially considering the Angels could deploy a six-man rotation in 2018, which would limit Ramirez's upside.

Rodriguez (knee) agreed to a one-year, $2.375 million deal with Boston on Friday to avoid arbitration, The Boston Globe's Alex Speier reports.

This was the first offseason as an arbitration-eligible player for Rodriguez. He was a solid starter in 2017, posting a 4.19 ERA and 1.28 WHIP over 24 starts, but will get a late start on this upcoming season as he's sidelined with a knee injury. The southpaw underwent surgery to reconstruct the patellofemoral ligament in his right knee in mid-October and is likely to miss at least six weeks of the 2018 season.

Paxton agreed to a one-year, $4.9 million deal with the Mariners on Friday, avoiding arbitration, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

This was the second year as an arbitration-eligible player for Paxton, as the southpaw received a healthy bump up from $2.35 million last offseason. During the 2017 campaign, he posted a 2.98 ERA and 1.10 WHIP while holding a 156:37 K:BB over 24 starts. He did miss time due to forearm and pectoral injuries, but he should be a sought after target with ace potential heading into this season.

Rodon (shoulder) is not expected to be ready for the beginning of the season, according to pitching coach Don Cooper, MLB.com's Scott Merkin reports.

Rodon underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder in late September, which has kept his status in limbo for the start of this upcoming campaign. According to Cooper, the team will know more regarding his availability during the club's annual "SoxFest" toward the end of this month, and a more concrete timetable should come into focus by the start of spring training. Initially, it was expected that Rodon would miss 6-to-8 months, which has always placed the beginning of the 2018 season in jeopardy. Due to previous injuries and the nature of this ailment, the club will likely take it easy with Rodon, so don't expect the southpaw to be back in action until both parties are confident in his form.

Bergman agreed to a minor-league contract with Seattle on Thursday, Chris Cotillo of SB Nation reports.

Bergman appeared in 13 games, making eight starts for the Mariners last year, posting a 5.00 ERA and 1.41 WHIP with a 33:15 K:BB in 54 innings. The right-hander posted similar numbers in Triple-A Tacoma, which is where he is expected to begin this upcoming campaign.

The Pirates reached an agreement Wednesday to trade Cole to the Astros for an undisclosed package, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports.

Cole will strengthen one of the top staffs in the majors, as the Astros now employ Justin Verlander, Dallas Keuchel (foot) and the former Pirate. During the 2017 season, Cole posted a 4.26 ERA and 1.25 WHIP, while holding a 196:55 K:BB over 203 innings (33 starts). Although the right-hander saw improvement in strikeout and walk rates, his HR/9 jumped from 0.54 in 2016 to 1.37 last season. Looking ahead to 2018, Cole will likely slide in as Houston's third starter, but he's a fine addition as an SP2 in 15-team leagues. This trade increases Cole's upside in the wins department, but the move to the American League may offset those potential gains. His salary arbitration case is unresolved, and the Astros wanted to acquire him in time to file at their number before Friday's deadline, rather than inherit a figure from the Pirates.

Heaney (shoulder) and the Angels avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $800,000 contract Tuesday, Jon Heyman of FanRagSports.com reports.

Tommy John surgery in July of 2016 kept Heaney out until August of last season, but he ended up making five starts for the Angels before a shoulder impingement ended his season in mid-September. The 26-year-old struggled to keep the ball in the yard when he did pitch, allowing 12 homers in just 21.2 innings and finishing the season with an unsightly 7.06 ERA. Heaney did strike out an impressive 27 batters during that stretch. He's expected to be healthy heading into spring training and will be a strong candidate to fill a starting role for Los Angeles next season. The last time the southpaw was injury-free, he posted a 3.49 ERA across 18 starts (105.2 innings) in 2015.

Giolito acknowledged finding a comfortable mental focus while at Triple-A Charlotte last season, and then carried that change to the majors, Scott Merkin of the White Sox's official site reports.

Giolito posted a 2.38 ERA over seven starts with the White Sox, however, he permitted eight home runs in just 45.1 innings. The long balls were the fuel for his 4.99 FIP -- we don't often see that wide a variance between ERA and FIP. Nevertheless, the 23-year-old right-hander is expected to take up residency in Chicago's rotation to start the 2018 season, and he will be given room to develop.