MLB Player News

Owings, who is competing for the D-backs' starting job at second base this spring, is healthy at the outset of spring training, the Arizona Republic reports.

He started hitting in late December, and is reportedly feeling great now that he's more than a year removed from shoulder surgery. Owings altered the follow-through on his swing last season in order to relieve stress on his shoulder, but his results at the plate (.227 average, 144 strikeouts in 515 at-bats) left plenty to be desired. Brandon Drury and Phil Gosselin will be his primary competition for playing time at second base, while Owings could also be used to spell Jean Segura at shortstop as needed if he's able to regain his stroke at the plate. Prior to suffering the injury in June of 2014, Owings was hitting .280/.323/.444 -- a far cry from the numbers he's delivered in the time since.

Pennington is part of an open competition for the Angels' starting second base job this spring, the Orange County Register reports.

Johnny Giavotella will likely win the job, but manager Mike Scioscia didn't want to anoint him as the starter at the outset of spring training. Pennington is the superior defender, which could ultimately help him make his case for the job if Giavotella scuffles with his glove in the coming weeks. Pennington is a career .245/.313/.344 hitter, so there is little reason to expect him to produce at a significantly better clip at age-31.

Navarro is part of an open competition for the Angels' starting second base job this spring, the Orange County Register reports.

With minor league options remaining, Navarro seems likely to get a taste of Triple-A Salt Lake to begin the season. Johnny Giavotella is the favorite to open 2016 as the starter, but Navarro will have a chance to compete with Cliff Pennington and Gregorio Petit for the job. Navarro posted a .261/.310/.372 line with six homers and four steals in 89 games at Triple-A Norfolk as a 25-year-old last season.

Baez is already working out with outfield coach Doug Dascenzo this spring, Carrie Muskat of the Cubs' official site reports.

Baez has a major league power, but there are holes in his swing and he doesn't quite have a spot to play. The Cubs are hoping he can handle center field and become something of a super sub. How he plays defensively this spring will go a long way toward earning a spot on the roster when the team heads north.

Nationals GM Mike Rizzo said Thursday that he would consider bringing Turner north as the team's starting shortstop if he wins the job in spring training, the Washington Post reports.

The current depth chart has Danny Espinosa at shortstop being backed up by Stephen Drew, with Turner beginning the season at Triple-A, but the 22-year-old is clearly the club's shortstop of the future and will be given a long look this spring. Even if he doesn't break camp on the 25-man roster, however, Turner could still get called up once service time considerations are no longer an issue. If you're looking for help in steals, Turner makes for an intriguing stash.

Baldoquin will be a non-roster invitee to major league spring training, Pedro Moura of The Los Angeles Times reports.

Baldoquin, a 22-year-old Cuban middle infielder, received an $8 million signing bonus from the Angels in November of 2014. He's a big part of the team's plans for the future, but last season's .235/.266/.294 slash line at High-A Inland Empire makes it clear that his bat is nowhere close to being big-league ready. Even when accounting for his strong defensive reputation, Baldoquin is unlikely to reach the majors at any point in 2016.

Noonan signed a minor league contract with the Padres on Wednesday that includes an invite to major league spring training, Dennis Lin of the Union-Tribune reports.

The former Giants infielder and San Diego native will be a non-roster invitee for Padres' upcoming spring training, where he'll compete against four other NRI infield candidates in addition to more established players for a spot on the roster. Noonan's left-handed bat would theoretically be a nice addition to the Padres' predominantly right-handed lineup, but the offseason signing of Alexei Ramirez makes Noonan a long shot at making the Opening Day roster.

Herrera received an invitation to spring training Thursday.

Herrera spent another season with High-A Modesto, but considering he only batted .260 last season, he'll likely head back to the minors for more seasoning after spring training.

Featherston was traded to the Phillies for a player to be named later or cash considerations on Wednesday.

In his first MLB season, Featherston hit for a .162/.212/.247 slash line in 101 games last season. After his rapid ascent through the Angels' minor league season, the 25-year-old seemed to hit a ceiling in the majors last year and it will be interesting to see how his role changes with the Phillies.

Martinez will attend Orioles' spring training as a non-roster invitee, Eduardo A. Encina of The Baltimore Sun reports.

The 27-year-old Puerto Rican has played 942 games at the minor league level but only 34 in the big leagues. In 2015 with Double-A Bowie, he hit .252 with 48 runs and 30 RBI in 477 plate appearances. The journeyman will have a difficult time finding playing time given his limited production in the MLB, even if he receives a roster spot.