MLB Player News

When one of your sleepers performs well in spring training, an unfortunate side effect is that he becomes everybody's sleeper, all but ensuring you'll never get to draft him again.

The Rays' Alex Cobb is that guy for me this year. I don't think he has ace potential, but I think he's good enough to start every week even in shallower leagues. He allowed three earned runs or fewer in 14 of his final 15 starts last year -- and with a good enough strikeout rate to distance himself from guys like Mark Buehrle and Jason Vargas.

But then manager Joe Maddon had to draw attention to him by awarding him the fourth spot in the rotation before spring training even began, and then Cobb had to go and strike out 28 batters in 25 2/3 innings while compiling a 2.81 ERA and 0.94 WHIP.

All good signs, but not good enough for me to value Cobb over Brett Anderson and Josh Beckett, as some people now do.

Orioles pitcher Jason Hammel threw five innings in what is likely his final start of the spring. Hammel faced the Rays’ Single-A club, and allowed three runs during the start. He struck out six and walked three. Hammel is likely to be named the team’s opening day starter.

White Sox pitcher Chris Sale made his final start of the Cactus League on Tuesday against the Rangers. He allowed one run on one hit over four innings of work in the 11-3 win. The left-hander surrendered a solo homer to Geovany Soto in the third for his lone damage. Sale also struck out five and did not walk a batter while earning his fourth win of the spring.

"We are out of the getting-your-work-in stage and really starting to prepare for the season," Sale told MLB.com. "We wanted to treat this as much like a regular-season game as I could."

Sale, the opening-day starter for Chicago, posted a 3.86 ERA in his five Cactus League outings while striking out 16 in 23 1/3 innings.

Orioles pitching prospect Kevin Gausman made his final start in the Grapefruit League Tuesday against the Minnesota Twins. Gausman went the first two innings without allowing a hit but came undone in the third. 

The top prospect gave up a single then an RBI triple to Aaron Hicks in the third inning and ultimately left after 3 2/3 having allowed three earned runs on six hits and no walks with three strikeouts. His Grapefruit League ERA is 3.94. 

The 22-year-old Gausman had an impressive spring and lasted longer than super prospect Dylan Bundy in camp. That said, he is likely to be reassigned to minor-league camp and most likely will begin the year at Double-A Bowie. He could be in line for a call-up during the season and some believe he'll make the majors before Bundy. 

After awarding the final spot in the starting rotation to Rick Porcello on Tuesday, the Tigers are not considering the move a slight against Drew Smyly. The young left-hander posted a 3.38 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in six Grapefruit League starts during the intense battle with Porcello, but will be used out of the bullpen to start the season.

"Number one, he’s one of our 12 best pitchers. Number two, the fact that he’s built up to a hundred pitches this spring, with the weather conditions and everything (in Detroit), where you might have delays, he can still come in and pitch four or five innings and do that for a period of time," manager Jim Leyland told reporters after the announcement. "I can use him however I want. Most likely ... you'd like to get him some innings so he stays built up."

With the news that the Tigers awarded the fifth starter job to Rick Porcello on Tuesday, many Fantasy players started discarding their Drew Smylys left and right, as the 23-year-old will be heading to the bullpen. I disagree with this.

Smyly is a hard-throwing lefty who went 5-0 with a 3.66 ERA and 1.02 WHIP this spring, while striking out 31 batters in 39 1/3 innings. He did nothing to lose the job, but got squeezed out thanks to a numbers game and the spring emergence of Porcello. Smyly will not be in middle relief for the entire season. If he's stuck in the bullpen, he will be at the very top of the list of Tigers who could supplant Bruce Rondon as the closer. And if something happens to a starter, Smyly steps in and becomes a great source of strikeouts, ERA, and especially WHIP.

Smyly has essentially become what Aroldis Chapman was at this point last season -- a talented lefty relegated to middle relief, who will undoubtedly emerge as either a starter or closer by June. Either way, now is the time to pick Smyly up, not drop him. 

A late swoon this spring has apparently cost Drew Smyly a spot in the starting rotation. The Tigers finalized their rotation plans Tuesday and named Rick Porcello the No. 5 starter to begin the season. Smyly, who was tagged for eight runs and 16 hits over his last three Grapefruit League starts, will pitch out of the bullpen for Detroit.

Indians general manager Chris Antonetti said pitcher Carlos Carrasco, who lost out on the competition for the final spot in the team's rotation, will report to Triple-A Columbus after he finishes serving a six-game suspension to begin the season, according to Newsradio WTAM 1100.

The Indians announced Monday starting pitcher Scott Kazmir beat out Carlos Carrasco for the fifth spot in the rotation. 

Carrasco, who is 2-1 with a 6.00 ERA in five spring outings (four starts), will start the year on the 25-man roster to finish out a six-game suspension dating back to August 2011. Carrasco missed last season recovering from Tommy John surgery.

The Indians will have a 24-man roster until Carrasco's suspension ends April 6 at Tampa Bay.

Martin Perez, who suffered a fractured left wrist earlier in the spring, had his protective splint removed, the Dallas Morning News reports. Perez is still feeling discomfort and won't begin a throwing program until the pain subsides, likely in early April. Perez isn't expected back with the Rangers until June.