Rea could pivot between the rotation and bullpen this season as a swingman for the Cubs, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

This basically confirms the assumption when Rea signed with Chicago back on Jan. 10, which was that there isn't a clear spot for him in the rotation. The veteran righty has mostly served as a starter the past few seasons, however, and he made 27 starts for the Brewers last year. Rea's experience gives the Cubs some depth in case another starter stumbles or goes down with injury. For now, Javier Assad figures to slot in as the team's fifth starter, though that could change during camp. If Rea doesn't snag a rotation spot right away, he figures to pitch in long relief or make some spot starts.

New Marlins manager Clayton McCullough believes Cabrera can take a big step forward this season, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports.

The 26-year-old has never been lacking in raw arm talent and has struck out 225 batters in 196 innings over the last two seasons, but Cabrera's shaky control and command have been the main thing holding him back so far during his big-league career, along with an inability to stay healthy. Despite McCullough's enthusiasm, it's hard to get too excited about Cabrera as a fantasy asset given his 4.95 ERA, 4.68 FIP and 1.40 HR/9 in 2024, but the Marlins are in dire need of quality innings and the right-hander is locked into a rotation spot as long as he can avoid another trip to the IL.

Perez (elbow) is hoping to rejoin the Marlins' rotation by the All-Star break, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports.

The 21-year-old right-hander underwent Tommy John surgery last April, so a July 2025 return would be right on schedule. Perez displayed his considerable upside over 19 starts during his big-league debut in 2023, striking out 108 batters over 91.1 innings en route to a 3.15 ERA and 1.13 WHIP. but a Marlins team that's highly unlikely to be in playoff contention in 2025 won't have much incentive to be aggressive with his recovery timeline.

Alcantara (elbow) is expected to be ready to take the mound Opening Day, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports.

The 29-year-old right-hander didn't pitch at all in 2024 after undergoing Tommy John surgery the prior October, but he was facing live hitters last September and should have no restrictions when spring training begins. Alcantara won the NL Cy Young Award in 2022 on the strength of a 2.28 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 207:50 K:BB over 228.2 innings, but he'll carry plenty of risk as a fantasy asset this season until he can demonstrate he's fully recovered from the surgery and has something close to his pre-injury command and control.

Scott (elbow) said Wednesday that he's about a month away from beginning a throwing program, SNY.tv reports.

Scott is nearly five months removed from a hybrid Tommy John surgery and internal brace procedure on his right elbow. He will miss the entire 2025 campaign, but assuming all goes well with his rehab, should be ready to go for the start of the 2026 season.

Brewers manager Pat Murphy indicated in a recent interview that he does not expect Woodruff (shoulder) to be ready by Opening Day, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Woodruff underwent surgery in October of 2023 to repair the anterior capsule in his right shoulder. His rehab had to be paused in August when he wasn't progressing as hoped, and while things have gone well with his recovery since then, he will be behind at the start of camp. A clearer timetable for when Woodruff will be ready for his season debut could be available at some point during spring training.

Phillips recorded a 2.49 ERA while striking out 24 over 21.2 innings in his last five starts in 2024.

Phillips, who made his major-league debut in 2023, was rocked at Triple-A Louisville last year. The Reds sent him to the Arizona Complex League in late June after 14 starts with a 10.11 ERA, 7.9 BB/9 and 2.4 HR/9 with the top affiliate. After a two-month reset in the desert, the 23-year-old right-hander returned to Louisville, where he finished strong. Phillips then pitched in the Arizona Fall League and, apart from one clunker, was effective. He needs to find the strike zone with more consistency -- he walked 14 batters in 19.1 innings in the AFL -- but he made adjustments and is trending in a positive direction again following the lowest point of his professional career.

The Brewers signed Jay to a minor-league contract Monday that includes an invitation to spring training, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Jay was designated for assignment by both the Brewers and Mariners in January and is now back in the Milwaukee organization as a non-roster invitee. The left-handed reliever allowed five runs (four earned) over five appearances between the Mets and Brewers in 2024.

Wicks said he has focused on cardio this offseason in order to be able to pitch deeper into games in 2025, as he will potentially start the year in the rotation, Matt Danielewicz of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Wicks dealt with a handful of injuries in 2024, including an oblique strain in late September that ended the lefty's season. With Kyle Hendricks now gone, the Cubs have some rotation spots to fill, and Wicks and Javier Assad are options for the back end behind Justin Steele, Shota Imanaga and Jameson Taillon. However, Chicago also added veteran Matthew Boyd in the offseason, and he will most likely snag a starting spot. That could leave Wicks to handle a long-relief role out of spring training, though he could certainly make starts at some point.

Glasnow (elbow) indicated Saturday that his most recent MRI came back clean and that he's been throwing as usual during the offseason, Rowan Kavner of FOX Sports reports. "I've been throwing normal, throwing bullpens, and I feel as good as I've ever felt," Glasnow stated.

Speaking at the team's DodgerFest event, Glasnow explained that the elbow injury that ended his 2024 season turned out to be just tendinitis. The veteran right-hander stated back in November that he was planning to throw twice per week throughout the offseason without an extended break, and it appears that his work this winter has gone smoothly. Given Glasnow's comments, it seems likely that he will be ready to pitch by the time Los Angeles kicks off its season in Tokyo, Japan on March 18, though it's not yet clear if he'll be one of the team's starters for the two-game set against the Cubs.