MLB Player News

Colabello will play for Team Italy in the upcoming World Baseball Classic, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Following last season's suspension for a failed drug test, Colabello will begin his climb back to the majors with the 2017 WBC. The tournament will serve as an opportunity for the first baseman to repair his image and make a good impression on his new team (he signed a minor league deal with the Indians in December). Although he received an invite to spring training, Colabello will likely begin the season at Triple-A Columbus as Carlos Santana and Edwin Encarnacion are entrenched at his position.

Santana will once again suit up for the Dominican Republic in the upcoming World Baseball Classic, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Indians management believed the 2013 WBC had a positive effect on Santana, and the team hopes the event will do the same in 2017. Santana has historically been a slow starter in April, but following the 2013 WBC, he hit .389 in the season's first month -- the best mark for any month in his six-year career. The slugger mashed a career-high 34 homers last season, but hit just .192 with a .696 OPS during the Tribe's postseason run through the World Series.

Diaz will likely begin the year at Triple-A Columbus, Fox Sports reports.

The Indians do not have a clear-cut backup option at third, and they'll need one so that manager Terry Francona can utilize Jose Ramirez's versatility on the infield. They'll have plenty of options and Diaz is probably the best of the bunch. However, giving the third baseman increased at-bats to develop makes the most sense. The team's No. 10 prospect hit .318/.408/.446 with 11 stolen bases between Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus in 2016. Diaz is not far from reaching the big league club and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him make his MLB debut by mid-summer. For now though, his value is limited to dynasty formats.

Walker arrived in Sarasota early to get a head start on spring training and continue his transition to a new position, Eduardo Encina of the Baltimore Sun reports.

With a logjam at first base, Walker's regular position, the Orioles' fourth-round pick in 2012 made a position switch to left field last spring. He climbed the ranks quickly, but without an opening at first, Walker's been stuck at Triple-A Norfolk for the past two seasons. The 25-year-old has smashed 62 homers over his last three minor league seasons and ranks as the organization's No. 15 prospect. There's not a ton of room in the outfield, but Walker will get a fair chance this spring to earn an Opening Day roster spot.

Solano agreed to a minor league deal with the Yankees on Tuesday.

Solano elected free agency following the 2016 season but is now set to return to the Yankees organization for the upcoming campaign after signing a contract that includes an invitation to spring training. The 29-year-old spent most of 2016 at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he slashed .319/.349/.436. Although he did make his way up to the majors, Solano's numbers at the plate didn't translate as he went just 5-for-22 (.227) over nine games.

Malm signed a minor league contract with the Rangers on Monday, Matt Eddy of Baseball America reports.

The southpaw put up impressive numbers between High-A and Double-A in 2016, recording a 2.06 ERA and 57 strikeout across 48.0 innings. It's only his third year pitching, after being drafted as a first baseman and corner outfielder and making the transition to pitcher in 2015.

Calhoun (core muscle injury) signed a three-year, $26 million contract extension with the Angels on Wednesday, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports.

The contract extension buys Calhoun out of his remaining three years of arbitration, and includes a $14 million player option for 2020, when he would become a free agent for the first time. The Angels have struggled to surround Mike Trout with quality complementary bats in recent seasons, but Calhoun is one of the few exceptions. Though he saw an eight-homer reduction from the 26 he slugged in 2015, Calhoun didn't surrender any power, as his ISO held steady last season, while his .271/.348/.438 slash line represented an improvement in each area. The 29-year-old was also a picture of durability, missing five games or less for the second year in a row. Calhoun is still recovering from offseason surgery to address a core muscle injury, but he's expected to be ready to go for spring training.

Calhoun (abdomen) agreed to a one-year, $6.35 million contract with the Angels on Friday, avoiding arbitration, Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reports.

Calhoun's home run total fell back into the teens last year, but his hard-hit (35.3 percent) and flyball (39.9) rates suggest a return to 20-plus homers is possible, if not likely. Further, he greatly improved his strikeout and walk rates, which would seem to give him a higher batting average floor moving forward. The 29-year-old underwent surgery in October to repair a bilateral core muscle injury but is expected to be 100 percent for spring training.

Hague signed a minor league contract with the Twins on Wednesday that includes an invitation to spring training.

The 31-year-old spent 2016 in Japan, but after only producing a .685 OPS with the Hanshin Tigers, Hague decided to come back stateside to play. He's only a year removed from being the International League MVP, so he could be a cheap source of power if he can translate any of that Triple-A success to the big leagues this spring.

Colabello signed a minor league deal, which includes a spring training invite, with the Indians on Tuesday, Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com reports.

The 33-year-old has spent the last two seasons with the Blue Jays organization, but he appeared in only 10 games for the big league club in 2016, due in part to serving an 80-game PED suspension. In 45 minor league contests, mostly at Triple-A, Colabello compiled a meager .185/.254/.293 slash line with 12 RBI and 51 strikeouts. Expectations will be low for Colabello, but the Indians will hope he can regain the form that saw him hit .321 with 54 RBI in 101 major league games in 2015.