MLB Player News

Singleton, who was removed from the Astros' 40-man roster during the offseason, may find playing time at Triple-A Fresno difficult to come by, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Singleton dropped off the map last season, hitting just .202 at Fresno and never reaching the majors. A former top prospect, the 25-year-old first baseman will be challenged by younger prospects A.J. Reed and Tyler White, both of whom are expected to start the season with the Grizzlies.

Indians manager Terry Francona said he is not sure whether Santana or Edwin Encarnacion will be the primary first baseman for Cleveland this season, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Santana played 64 games at first base and 92 as the designated hitter last season, but hit the same amount of home runs (17) at each position. The DH position could be a limiting fantasy value in some leagues, but Francona says he still needs to reassess the situation this spring and talk to the sluggers individually. Either way, both Santana and Encarnacion provide powerful offensive weapons within the Cleveland lineup and will likely receive equal playing time throughout the course of the season.

Cron (thumb) is expected to begin a season-long competition for playing time with Luis Valbuena as spring training begins, the Orange County Register reports.

There are a few variables in play, including the health of Albert Pujols, Cron's health following October thumb surgery, and the Angels' defensive plans around the infield with the addition of Danny Espinosa via trade this winter. Nevertheless, Cron has 20-25 homer pop if he finds a way into the lineup on a daily basis, while the improvement he showed in his strikeout rate last season (dropped from 20.3 percent to 16.9 percent) bodes well for his chances of sustaining his 16-point increase in batting average to last season's .278 mark.

Gurriel, who played mostly at third base in 2016, will play first base this coming season.

Gurriel, the Cuban defector who signed a five-year deal during the middle of the 2016 season, is a bat looking for a home in Houston's lineup. In addition to third base, he played some outfield as well before getting introduced to first base late last season. The Astros added multiple outfielders during the offseason and expect prospect Alex Bregman to man third base. That leaves first base for Gurriel, who showed decent power in Cuba but should be challenged here in the states.

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.