MLB Player News

The Indians finally got back to starter Justin Masterson about his contract offers, but the sides were unable to find a middle ground in negotiations for the impending free agent.

According to CBSSports.com Baseball Insider Jon Heyman, the Indians responded to Masterson's offers with one of their own, but the numbers were hardly close enough to get the deal done. According to the report, the two sides ended up around $3 million per year apart when negotiations broke off.

Masterson offered the Indians a pair of deals, believed to be for two and three years at around $17 million per season. The team responded with a counter offer worth $14 million per for two years, with a team option at the end. The Indians cited young players nearing arbitration as the reason they could not meet Masterson's requests.

"We tried to work with them and be flexible, and we tried to look at the situation given Justin's desire to play for the Indians," Masterson's agent Randy Rowley said. "We were happy to do something that made sense. We tried to be flexible and sensitive."

Masterson is set to make $9.6 million in his final year before free agency. He posted a 3.45 ERA and made his first All-Star game a year ago, and has posted an ERA below 3.50 in two of his last three years. 

Locked in a battle for the final rotation spot with a decision looming, Rays pitcher Jake Odorizzi did not make a  compelling final case Thursday against the Twins.

Odorizzi came into the game in relief of Cesar Ramos, and struggled through his worst outing of the spring. He was tagged for four runs -- three earned -- on six hits and a walk, while striking out one batter and picking up the save over four innings of work in a 5-4 win.

Odorizzi had not allowed more than a run in any of his previous outings, so this poor outing came at a poor time. With a decision expected by Saturday according to MLB.com, Odorizzi carries a 3.75 ERA in five outings, with eight strikeouts and six walks in 12 innings of work.

Indians pitcher Carlos Carrasco surrendered eight runs (five earned) on nine hits and two walks while striking out two in 2 2/3 innings in his team's 13-3 loss to the A's Wednesday.

Carrasco is competing for a rotation spot this spring and didn't do himself any favors Wednesday, as he fell well short of finishing five innings as scheduled. "We started off an inning where we didn't convert a play. But then he didn't limit the damage," manager Terry Francona told MLB.com regarding Carrasco. "I thought he worked away from his fastball a little bit. It's a frustrating outing. The good part is it was Spring Training, but we're looking for him to build. It was a little disappointing."

Carrasco had been excellent previous to Wednesday's meltdown, as he entered the day with just one earned run allowed in seven innings while striking out nine and walking one. Hopefully he'll bounce back strongly in his next appearance.

Mariners rookie pitcher Taijuan Walker provided some encouragement Wednesday with a pain-free bullpen session in which he threw 40 pitches, including 10 curveballs. He told MLB.com that he felt great afterward.

Walker is working his way back from shoulder soreness experienced early in camp.

Twins right-hander Kyle Gibson continued his strong spring Wednesday in battling for a starting spot. He gave up just four hits and one run in 4 1/3 innings against a St. Louis lineup peppered with starters. His lone mistake was blasted over the fence by Matt Adams. He walked none and struck out four.

Gibson is fighting for the last rotation spot along with Vance Worley, Samuel Deduno and Scott Diamond.

The Indians have scrapped their original plan of having Danny Salazar relieve Carlos Carrasco against Oakland on Wednesday. They have flip-flopped the two starters.

Carrasco is battling Josh Tomlin and perhaps Aaron Harang for the fifth spot in the rotation. Salazar is set, but his innings have been limited this spring to keep him stronger for later in the season.

Some might describe it as whistling in the dark, but White Sox left-hander Jose Quintana spoke optimistically Wednesday after a Tuesday shellacking by the Angels.

"My next start if the first start of spring training for me," he told the Chicago Sun-Times.

He's at least hoping it's better than his last start, during which he gave up nine runs on seven hits without recording an out to raise his spring ERA to a disburbing 30.00.

Quintana is listed as the team's second starter behind Chris Sale heading into the regular season.

While the Mets are in the market for a shortstop, one player they won't deal to get one is top pitching prospect Noah Syndergaard, according to CBSSports.com Baseball Insider Jon Heyman. 

Scouts from the Diamondbacks and Mariners were watching Syndergaard pitch on the back fields at the Mets' spring facility Tuesday, but a person familair with the Mets' thinking told Heyman the team isn't willing to offer Syndergaard in a deal for a shortstop.

The Mets have been linked to trade rumors involving Mariners infielder Nick Franklin, and Arizona shortstops Chris Owings and Didi Gregorius.

The Blue Jays announced Wednesday they reassigned pitchers Ricky Romero and Marcus Stroman to minor-league camp. Both pitchers were in the running for a spot in the rotation.

Twins pitcher Vance Worley gave up seven earned runs on 11 hits and two walks in 2 2/3 innings while striking out one in his team's 11-1 loss to the Rays Tuesday.

The spring has not been kind to Worley since pitching three scoreless innings in his debut, and he watched his ERA jump from 10.13 to 13.50 in Tuesday's loss. He owns a 5:5 K:BB ratio through 10 2/3 innings.