MLB Player News

Cron is the likely candidate to start the season at first base if Albert Pujols has to miss time while recovering from foot surgery, Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com reports.

The Angels are still hopeful that Pujols will be able to suit up on Opening Day, but manager Mike Scioscia made it clear that the aging slugger will not be rushed back into action. Cron was already set to see his share of at-bats as the team's DH, but he could see a bump in the batting order if the team needs to compensate for the loss of power. While he will hit his home runs, it is a bit concerning that Cron's ISO fell nearly 20 points last season, as he doesn't offer much upside apart from his ability to leave the yard.

Bour will get a chance to prove himself as an everyday player in 2016, the Miami Herald reports.

Bour clobbered 23 home runs in 446 plate appearances during his first extended action in Miami, but notably struggled with a .221/.279/.294 slash line in 68 at bats against left-handed pitching. New manager, Don Mattingly, is willing to give the 27-year-old slugger a clean slate heading into 2016, however, and does not plan to platoon Bour out of the gates. If the team does decide to sit Bour against tougher lefties, Chris Johnson -- a .326 hitter against left-handed pitching in 2015 -- could see a boost in playing time at first base.

Swanner received an invitation to spring training Thursday.

Swanner spent 2015 with Double-A New Britain and showed off his power with 17 home runs. Although the invitation is promising, he'll likely start the season in the minors to develop more.

Solano received an invitation to spring training Friday, Jared Diamond of the Wall Street Journal reports.

This comes as no surprise, as Solano has appeared in the majors in parts of the last four seasons. That being said, his hitting numbers have tapered off since his debut in the bigs, so he'll likely head back to the minors after spring training if he can't get his bat going against major league pitching.

Flores (ankle) is working out at full strength and said he'll be 100 percent for spring training, Newsday's Marc Carig reports.

Flores removed his walking boot just over a week ago, which is a good sign that he's progressing fairly quickly. He'll likely serve in a super utility role to open 2016 with Asdrubal Cabrera taking over at shortstop.

Terdoslavich cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk on Thursday, Eduardo Encina of the Baltimore Sun reports.

The 27-year-old slashed just .214/.254/.375 with only one home run in 28 games with Atlanta in 2015. With Chris Davis holding down first base for the Orioles it is unlikely that Terdoslavich contributes much in 2016.

Flores, who fractured a bone in his left ankle after getting hit by a pitch in winter ball on November 26, has shed his walking boot and is working out in the Mets' complex in Port St. Lucie, ESPN New York reports.

Flores is slated to be a super-utility player, seeing time at all four infield positions, following the acquisitions of Neil Walker and Asdrubal Cabrera. In addition, he would likely replace David Wright at third base if Wright's bad back forces him out of action for any extended period of time. Flores could end up with 400+ plate appearances, giving him solid value in NL-only leagues and some value in mixed ones.

Calhoun agreed to a one-year, $3.4 million deal with the Angels on Tuesday, avoiding arbitration, SB Nation's Chris Cotillo reports.

The club had offered $2.35 million, and Calhoun had asked for $3.9 million, so the player was able to do better than the midpoint in this case. Of course, both sides know this is still a great bargain for the team, as Calhoun has been worth 7.5 fWAR over the past two seasons. He should occupy the No. 2 spot in the order in 2016, right in front of Mike Trout, and should be a solid OF3 in standard leagues.

Freeman (wrist) took 30 "dry swings" and hit 25 balls off a tee Thursday, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. "Nice to finally swing a bat with no pain after seven months," Freeman said.

Freeman's wrist problems date back to about June of 2015, so you'll want to track his health carefully during the walk-up months to the fresh season. He also has to deal with a mediocre Atlanta supporting cast; the Braves could easily have the worst offense in the National League.

Terdoslavich was designated for assignment by the Orioles on Thursday.

The Orioles made their signing of Chris Davis official, which required a corresponding move to make room on the 40-man roster. Terdoslavich ended up being the odd man out after being claimed off waivers by the Orioles just under two weeks ago. The 27-year-old has appeared in 92 games in the majors since 2013, most recently batting .214 in 59 plate appearances last season with the Braves. He could be a good fit for a team looking for first base and/or corner outfield depth.