MLB Player News

Stassi will see playing time in the outfield during spring training, Matt Breen of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Stassi, who primarily plays first base, has emerged as a real shot to make the roster as a bench player. The 27-year-old hit .267 with 12 home runs and 58 RBI for Triple-A Lehigh Valley last season and could provide a formidable left-handed bat in the Philadelphia lineup. With the offseason departure of Ryan Howard, Stassi may land a backup role to Tommy Joseph, but could also be flexed into an outfield spot.

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.

Bour may not have a regular platoon partner at first base this season, requiring him to face left-handed pitchers more often.

He's a career .223/.273/.291 hitter against lefties with no home runs in 103 at-bats over three seasons, and that performance will have to improve if he's going to take advantage of any additional opportunities against them in 2017. Even so, the Marlins seem inclined to carry an extra arm in their bullpen rather than a bat on their bench, which could leave starting catcher J.T. Realmuto as Bour's primary backup -- and force the 28-year-old slugger to sink or swim against same-side pitching.

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.

Bell (knee) intends to be completely ready in time for Opening Day, Stephen Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

The top prospect underwent a minor knee procedure at the beginning of February that put some question into his status for the start of the regular season, but he seems to be fairly optimistic in his status moving forward. He began throwing Monday and plans to start hitting within the coming days, which hopefully should help him progress into spring game action relatively early. Should he be ready for Opening Day, Bell seems to be in line to start at first base for the Pirates.

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.

Cabrera announced Tuesday that he will not play for Team Venezuela in the upcoming World Baseball Classic, Jesus Ponte of Venezuela's Diario Meridiano (Venezuela) reports.

Cabrera said Tuesday that he was under the impression he would be selected for a spot on the team after talking to Team Venezuela manager Omar Vizquel, but was left off the roster nonetheless by general manager Carlos Guillen. The 31-year-old slashed .280/.336/.474 in addition to hitting 23 home runs with the Mets last season. His absence from the World Baseball Classic will presumably free him up to spend all of spring training with New York, where he will prepare for another season as the Mets' starting shortstop.

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.

Freeman will play for Team Canada in the WBC, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

The tourney's somewhat lax eligibility rules allow Freeman, an American, to suit up for Canada because his parents were Canadian. He's also the only real MLB star on a young roster, so it could be a quick exit and return to the Braves for the 27-year-old, who'll be looking to build on last season's career-high 34 home runs and .969 OPS in 2017.

Carter agreed to a one-year, $3 million deal with the Yankees on Tuesday, Bob Nightengale of the USA Today reports.

As long as he passes an upcoming physical, 2016's National League home run leader will join the Bronx Bombers. However, Carter will be joining a crowded depth chart. Given his struggles in the field, Carter doesn't have much of a case to start regularly over Greg Bird at first base, but the two players could platoon at the position. He could also spell Matt Holliday occasionally at DH.