MLB Player News

The right-field fence at Angel Stadium has been lowered from 18 feet to eight feet, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

The Angels had one of the tougher parks for lefties to hit homers in last season, but this change should make things a bit easier for left-handers like Calhoun. With his above-average pull rate (44.7 percent last year), Calhoun could be the player most affected by this change. Don't expect a major boost, but he could show a little more power than the projections expect as a result of this change.

Calhoun won't necessarily operate in a right field platoon even after the signing of Chris Young, Jeff Fletcher of the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin reports.

Some thought that a platoon could be put in place given how much success Young had against lefties previously (.861 OPS versus lefties from 2015-2017), but a move like this doesn't seem to be imminent. Fletcher makes it seem like Young is purely a backup to all three outfield spots, implying that Calhoun will still get a fair amount of starts against southpaws. The 30-year-old struggled against lefties last season, but he is only a year removed from batting .290 in 155 at-bats against them. This situation will likely gain some clarity as Cactus League games are played.

Abreu showed up to camp 15 pounds lighter, and is aiming to become a better defender in 2018, Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com reports.

During Abreu's first four years in the major leagues, he's finished with 25-plus home runs and 100-plus RBI in each season with the White Sox. The 31-year-old first baseman slashed .304/.352/.552 in 2017 and worked hard in the offseason to cut weight in order become a better defender -- he also wants permission to swipe more bags, despite having just six career stolen bases. Expect more of the same from Abreu in 2018, as he's in a position to put up yet another impressive year.

Carter agreed to a minor-league contract with the Angels on Sunday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Carter started the 2017 season with the Yankees, but a disappointing performance led to him being designated for assignment and joining the A's on a minor-league deal. With New York, Carter played in 62 games and slashed .201/.284/.370. Carter, who typically sacrifices batting average in exchange for power, hit just eight home runs over that time. Should he appear in the majors with the Angels, Carter will likely act as a reserve option at first base.

The Angels traded Cron to the Rays on Saturday in exchange for a player to be named later.

Cron wasn't expected to see much playing time behind Albert Pujols and Luis Valbuena, so the Angels decided to ship him off to Tampa Bay, where he'll enter camp with a chance to emerge as the team's starting first baseman. The 28-year-old, who hit .248/.305/.437 with 16 homers in 100 games last season, will compete with Brad Miller for the starting gig in spring, though it's also possible the two settle into a platoon together. In a surprising corresponding move, Corey Dickerson was designated for assignment to clear a roster spot for Cron.

Kirilloff is fully recovered from Tommy John surgery that he underwent in March of 2017, Mike Berardino of Baseball America reports.

Berardino also reported that Kirilloff has added 30 pounds of muscle since the summer of 2016. The No. 15 overall pick in the 2016 draft, Kirilloff should not be forgotten in dynasty leagues, as he still has special offensive potential. He has plus raw power and excellent contact skills that could allow him to someday hit second or third in a big-league lineup. The fact that he missed all of 2017 may allow for a brief window to buy low. If he impresses in his first taste of full-season pitching this year, he will shoot up prospect lists.

O'Hearn is in the mix to fill the Royals' vacancy at first base, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

The 24-year-old struggled a bit in his first taste of Triple-A last season, batting just .252 to go with 18 homers and 53 RBI. This ultimately led to a demotion, although there's no denying his excellent raw power. Manager Ned Yost brought up the prospect's name when discussing potential options to play first if Eric Hosmer doesn't return, and it's not totally out of the realm of possibility given O'Hearn's ability to get take walks (9.7 percent walk rate at Triple-A last season) and extra-base power (.198 ISO at Triple-A). That said, he seems to be behind fellow prospect Hunter Dozier in the pecking order heading into spring training, so there's a good chance O'Hearn could head back to the minors for more seasoning. Things should become clearer once Cactus League action begins.

Wade has been invited to join the Twins' big-league camp for spring training, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

The 24-year-old reached Double-A Chattanooga last year, hitting for a strong .292/.397/.408 slash line. The invitation will allow the Twins' major-league staff to work with Wade this spring, though he's likely still at least a year away from contending for a big-league roster spot.

According to manager Buck Showalter, the Orioles will extend a spring training invitation to Mountcastle, Jon Meoli of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Mountcastle spent the last six weeks of the 2017 season with Double-A Bowie and went on to hit .222/.239/.366 with three home runs and 15 RBI in 39 games. Although he had a tough time during his first showing at the Double-A level, the 20-year-old tore through the Carolina League in High-A and should settle in and display his potential at the onset of the 2018 season when he returns to Bowie.

White (quadriceps) will start the 2018 season at either Low-A Clinton or High-A Modesto, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

White appeared in just 14 games for short-season Everett in 2017, hitting .277/.345/.532 before a quadriceps injury cut his season short in July. He's expected to be healthy heading into the 2018 campaign, where he'll report to a full-season league for the first time in his professional career as he continues to work his way through the Mariners' minor-league system.