MLB Player News

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.

Flores (wrist) will make $2.2 million in 2017 after winning his arbitration case, MLB Network's Jon Heyman reports.

Flores returns to the Mets following a relatively strong 2016 campaign in which he slashed .267/.319/.469 with 16 home runs in 358 at-bats. While he won't be an everyday player for the Mets, he figures to see plenty of playing time at second base, particularly against left-handed pitching. He hit .340 with 11 of his home runs against southpaws in 2016.

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.

Cabrera, who elected not to have surgery on his left knee this offseason, says he's feeling great as he prepares to play for Venezuela in the WBC, The NY Daily News reports.

He played some winter ball games over the past month without any issues, so barring a setback during the WBC, Cabrera's knee should be fine for Opening Day. The 31-year-old had a strong first season with the Mets in 2016, posting a career-high .810 OPS, but could find himself losing some playing time at shortstop to Jose Reyes as manager Terry Collins tries to juggle the pieces in a stacked infield.

Bell's status for Opening Day is up in the air after he underwent a minor knee procedure Wednesday, the Pittsburgh Tribune's Rob Biertempfel reports.

According to the team, it typically takes 2-to-4 weeks to return to baseball activities following a procedure to remove loose body from the knee. This means Bell may not be able to get into spring training games until mid-March, and it's possible the recovery is a bit slower than expected, which could result in Bell starting the year on the DL. He dealt with knee injuries in 2012 and 2014, so that also makes this latest flare-up somewhat concerning. His draft day value should be downgraded slightly as a result of this news.

Bell had surgery Wednesday to remove loose body from his left knee. He should return to baseball activities in 2-to-4 weeks.

These types of routine cleanups typically take place earlier in the offseason, so the loose body was likely just recently discovered. It sounds like he may not be ready for the team's first spring training game, but he should have enough time to get ready for the regular season. Bell can use all the reps he can get defensively at first base and at the plate against left-handed pitching, so this is untimely, but his fantasy value should not take much of a hit as a result.

Carter's agent, Dave Stewart, said Tuesday that his client might soon entertain offers from teams in Japan, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports. "I think at some point we have to make it a serious consideration," Stewart said. "It's getting late there, too. Those teams are filling their spaces, too."

Despite hitting 41 homers last season, Carter found himself non-tendered for the second straight offseason as Milwaukee decided he wasn't worth upward of $8 million. Of course, the value of the power and walks has been largely negated by the swing and miss in Carter's game -- he led the NL with 206 strikeouts last season -- and his defensive deficiencies. According to Stewart, the Rays appear to be Carter's best major-league possibility remaining.

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.

Joseph is fully recovered from the wrist tendinitis that forced him to cut his stint in the Dominican winter league short this offseason, Jim Salisbury of CSN Philadelphia reports.

Joseph remains on track to open this season as the Phillies' regular first baseman. He said his goal this season is to improve his on-base percentage after he posted a .308 OBP in 2016 while splitting time at first base with Ryan Howard. Joseph already showed some signs of improvement last season. He walked at a 3.7 percent clip in the first half, but improved that to 8.6 percent while also cutting his strikeout rate from 24.7 percent to 18.9 percent after the All-Star break. He has 30-plus homer upside this season with everyday playing time.