MLB Player News

The Mariners announced Thursday that pitchers Taijuan Walker, James Paxton and Jhonny Nunez have been re-assigned to minor-league camp.

Ranked as baseball's 18th-best prospect by Baseball America and fifth-best prospect by MLB.com this offseason, Walker allowed four earned runs on seven hits and five walks with four strikeouts in seven innings this spring.

Paxton, who also made the top 100 in both prospect lists, allowed six earned runs on six hits and four walks in 3 2/3 innings with just one strikeout this spring. Nunez pitched just two innings, allowing seven runs (four earned).

Orioles starting pitching prospect Kevin Gausman received his first opportunity to start in the spring Thursday, and he struggled with his control early. Gausman, who is not expected to break camp with the team after pitching just 15 minor-league innings last season, could not make it through three innings in the start. He finished the start with two runs allowed in 2 2/3 innings. Gausman walked the first two batters he faced in the game and finished with three, but the No. 4 overall selection in last year's draft told the Baltimore Sun that nerves were not a concern.

“I don’t think it was nerves. That first batter, I threw some great pitches. All those pitches are low, and that’s what you try to stay at the bottom half of the zone,” he said. ”I definitely wasn’t as nervous as I was before.”

Gausman packs high-90’s heat but threw just 34 of his 54 pitches for strikes, with a pair of strikeouts in the outing. Gausman has 11 strikeouts and five walks in 10 1/3 innings this spring, with a 3.48 ERA over five appearances.

From August forward last year, Alex Cobb went 7-1 (over 11 starts) with a 3.09 ERA and almost a strikeout per inning. He's just the next in a long line of solid homegrown Tampa Bay starters, and was part of the reason the team was fine trading James Shields to the Royals this winter. Cobb won't get you the flashiest of numbers, but he should be able to produce a nice ERA and decent WHIP over 30-plus starts. His ADP of 178 -- ahead of Trevor Cahill, Tommy Hanson, and A.J. Griffin -- is a little high for my tastes, but he shouldn't fall much more than a round or two below that spot. 

So a quick look at the CBSSports.com draft averages just revealed to me that the Tigers' Justin Verlander is going third overall in Head-to-Head leagues. I mean, I get that he's the best pitcher and all, but third overall? I can even understand that same wayward types who refuse to listen to Al Melchior, Nando Di Fino and me about drafting hitters early might want to go the extra mile to get the top pitcher in the game, but not in a year when the top three hitters -- Miguel Cabrera, Ryan Braun and Mike Trout -- are so far ahead of everyone else. Would getting Cliff Lee as your ace be such a travesty?

The Twins made a slew of roster moves Thursday, including optioning pitchers Kyle Gibson and Caleb Thielbar to Triple-A Rochester. They also reassigned pitcher Anthony Slama, catcher Kyle Knudson and infielder James Beresford to minor-league camp. 

The Twins announced Thursday starting pitcher prospect Kyle Gibson was optioned to Triple-A Rochester. Gibson made four appearances (two starts) this spring, posting a hardy 9.00 ERA in eight innings. He allowed 14 hits and recorded eight strikeouts.