MLB Player News

Braves starting pitcher Alex Wood said he felt fine two weeks after missing his final start of the 2014 season due to a sore left forearm, according to MLB.com. Wood said he began throwing off a mound Monday.

The 24-year-old Wood went 11-11 with a 2.78 ERA in 35 outings (24 starts) in 2014. He struck out 170 batters in 171 2/3 innings.

The Phillies and Rangers had in depth trade talks for pitcher Cole Hamels, according to FoxSports.com.

Texas had been mentioned as a possible landing spot for the 31-year-old pitcher, but money was thought to be an issue. Hamels is owed $96 million over the next four seasons, and the Rangers were hesitant to pay full price. 

The team's acquisition of Yovani Gallardo from the Brewers could signal that talks for Hamels are now dead. While the team didn't give up any elite prospects in the deal, it did take on an additional $9 million with Gallardo's salary. Gallardo will actually make $13 million next season, but the Brewers agreed to cover $4 million in order to complete the trade. 

Cardinals pitcher Carlos Martinez performed well in the Dominican winter league this offseason. The right-hander, who will compete for a spot in the Cardinals' rotation this spring, posted a 2.25 ERA with 26 strikeouts and just two talks in 24 innings (five starts). He even won three times, per MLB.com.

"I feel mentally, emotionally really good that I've had that chance to work real hard there and bring that to spring training," Martinez said. "I feel like, yes, this is my spot. I feel like I'm the pitcher I'm meant to be, and I have experience now. I'll be ready."

Martinez added he will dedicate "this year and every year" to fallen teammate and friend Oscar Taveras, who was killed in a car accident in October. Martinez will wear Taveras' No. 18.

"I spoke to [general manager] John Mozeliak, and I'm thankful they've given me the opportunity to wear it," Martinez said. "[Taveras] was a friend, a brother, and it's an honor for me to be able to wear it. I'll wear it for the rest of my career."

Cardinals pitcher Michael Wacha is ready to get back on the field. Mostly because he's been asked about his status "just a couple million times," according to The Associated Press.

With the Cardinals expecting Wacha to be able to handle a larger role on the pitching staff this season, the 23-year-old said Sunday he is optimistic he can handle it.

"Everything's been feeling good this offseason with my workouts, my training, my throwing program," Wacha said. "It's an exciting time for sure, feeling good and strong and excited about spring training coming up."

Wacha was restricted near the end of the season with a shoulder injury, which allowed him to make just four starts and last longer than five innings once. He also gave up the game-winning home run to the Giants in the NLCS.

"I wanted to be out there in that situation," Wacha said. "As a competitor, that's when you want to be out there, when the game's on the line and everyone's depending on you."

After an MRI revealed that his shoulder has healed properly, Cardinals pitcher Michael Wacha has been cleared to start throwing, reports the Belleville News-Democrat.

Wacha dealt with a stress reaction in his right shoulder toward the end of the 2014 season. In 2014, Wacha went 5-6 with a 3.20 ERA.

Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright played catch on Friday for the first time since undergoing surgery to trim cartilage in his throwing elbow in October, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. 

"It didn't sound like I had a baseball card stuck in the spokes of my bike when I threw," Wainwright said. "There was no pain. That's pretty good. That's good as far as signs go.

"I've been working out 100 percent now for the past two or three weeks, I was on a modified upper-body lifting schedule before that. Now all systems are go. Feels like a normal offseason again."

Wainwright won 20 games in 32 starts in the regular season, registering a 2.38 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP over 227 innings of work. He credited his postseason struggles to mechanical issues related to his release point, which caused him to opt for an offseason procedure.

Pirates pitcher Vance Worley has filed for $2.45 million in arbitration, while the team has offered $2 million, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports.

Worley is arbitration eligible for the first time this offseason. He went 8-4 with a 2.85 ERA and 79:22 K:BB ratio in 110 2/3 innings in 2014.

While Noah Syndergaard is still widely considered one of the Mets' top prospects -- and the subject of a few trade rumors -- some doubt has started to develop about how good the 22-year-old right-hander can be, according to FOX Sports reporter Ken Rosenthal.

Wally Backman, who is the manager of the Mets' Triple-A affiliate, told fans last week at he Queens Baseball Convention that he considers Steven Matz the team's top pitching prospect. According to reports, Backman said Syndergaard "has the stuff to win a Cy Young," but his "command is an issue and he's slow from the stretch, but he has the stuff."

Some rival scouts and executives have also expressed concerns about Syndergaard by saying his fastball lacks movement and he projects as a power reliever.

However, not everyone seems to share the same opinion about Syndergaard, who is coming off a down season at Triple-A Las Vegas. He went 9-7 with a 4.60 ERA in 26 starts last season.

"He's still young and has aptitude and work ethic," one scout said. "Because his numbers weren't great in the (Pacific Coast League) at altitude, people want to come off him some. But I think he has a chance to be a No. 2 and at worst a good No. 3."

The Marlins and starting pitcher Henderson Alvarez avoided arbitration Friday by agreeing to a $4 million salary for 2015, according to CBSSports.com Baseball Insider Jon Heyman. 

They also avoided arbitration with shortstop Dee Gordon and closer Steve Cishek. Gordon is set to make $2.5 million and Cishek will make $6.65 million in 2015.

The Dodgers and pitcher Juan Nicasio have avoided arbitration with a one-year, $2.3 million contract, according to CBSSports.com Baseball Insider Jon Heyman on Friday.

Nicasio was trade from Colorado to Los Angeles in November. He went 21-22 with a 5.03 ERA and 1.46 WHIP in four seasons with the Rockies. He made 88 appearances and 69 starts.