MLB Player News

Detroit manager A.J. Hinch said he is seriously considering playing Cabrera at first base one to two times per week this season, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.

Hinch said playing Cabrera at first gives him more roster flexibility, though he added that he doesn't want to "break" the veteran. Cabrera last appeared at first in 2019 and exclusively served as the designated hitter during the shortened 2020 season, but it appears he has a real chance at playing the field in 2021. The 37-year-old's fantasy value will of course depend on what he can do at the plate, though he could at least have some more positional eligibility to work with.

Torrens (back) is slated to operate in a near-even timeshare with Tom Murphy behind the plate in 2021, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.

The 24-year-old has reportedly impressed manager Scott Servais with his knowledge of the pitching staff, and he turned in a serviceable .257/.325/.371 line with five doubles, one home run and six RBI across 78 plate appearances after arriving via trade from the Padres last season. Murphy is returning from missing all of the 2020 campaign with a fractured foot, and although the veteran is back to full health, the team is expected to manage his workload and give Torrens plenty of opportunities for playing time in the process.

Ohtani worked with Driveline Baseball over the offseason as part of a plan to get back to his desired level on the mound, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

The two-way phenom has yet to fully deliver on his considerable promise, with Tommy John surgery limiting him to just 12 starts over his first three MLB seasons, including two disastrous outings after he got back on the mound last year. It's not clear exactly what he worked on at Driveline, though he was seen using the company's trademark weighted ball workouts in camp. There's no guarantee that working with Driveline will instantly vault Ohtani into a new tier as a pitcher, but the trip provides one explanation should he showcase a new skill set early in the season. Early reports from camp have been mostly negative, as he topped out at just 90 mph in his first bullpen session, but he didn't seem concerned with his velocity. Fantasy drafters may not share his optimism given his history, but there's every chance his velocity rebounds as his spring buildup continues.

Ohtani threw a 27-pitch bullpen session Thursday, topping out at 90 mph, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

The velocity is well below his career average of 93.2 mph, but it's probably far too early to be worried. Pitchers don't always throw at full intensity right at the start of camp, and Ohtani had reportedly touched 95 mph in recent sessions. Still, given the rocky nature of Ohtani's MLB pitching career thus far, it doesn't take much for the red flags to start to fly. After not pitching at all in 2019 as he recovered from Tommy John surgery, he was shut down following a pair of awful outings last year. Those looking to invest in him in fantasy drafts would certainly love to see his velocity return to normal before doing so.

Jimenez is still viewed as the everyday left fielder heading into spring training, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Jimenez played 54 games in the outfield during the 2020 campaign, but he's had some defensive issues to begin his major-league career. General manager Rick Hahn said Wednesday that Jimenez could still start some games as the designated hitter, but the 24-year-old is viewed as the team's everyday left fielder heading into 2021.

Cabrera has been doing defensive drills during the offseason and could play some at first base this season, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Cabrera is unlikely to take on a regular role at first after the 37-year-old exclusively served as the designated hitter during the shortened 2020 season. The veteran made 26 appearances at first in 2019, his and the team's last full season. Renato Nunez and Jeimer Candelario will likely absorb most of the playing time at the position, but Cabrera wants to show that he's more than just a DH as his career winds down.

Angels manager Joe Maddon confirmed Tuesday that Ohtani will be a "full go" for spring training and head into the 2021 season as a two-way player, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

There was little reason to believe Ohtani wouldn't be a two-way player this season, but it's still good to see some confirmation from the team after he was shut down from pitching following two disastrous starts last year. Despite his considerable hype, Ohtani has now spent three full seasons in the majors and has yet to be a full-time two-way player for the entirety of any of those campaigns. Elbow issues ended his time on the mound just 10 starts into his debut season and eventually led to Tommy John surgery, which kept him as purely a designated hitter in 2019. His awful outings on the mound in 2020 can be explained away by his recovery from that procedure, but it's still hard to have complete confidence that things will finally go well for him in his fourth MLB season.

Ohtani and the Angels avoided arbitration for this year and the next by agreeing to a two-year, $8.5 million contract Monday.

The agreement gives both sides stability for the near future, which could prove quite important given that Ohtani's outlook is rather uncertain. He's yet to truly establish himself as the two-way phenom he was billed as when he came over from Japan in 2018, as he was shut down from pitching just 10 starts into his rookie season and didn't throw at all the next year due to Tommy John surgery. A pair of awful outings on the mound to open 2020 made him just a hitter for the rest of the season, but that didn't go at all well as he struggled to a .190/.291/.366 line. If his struggles continue this year, he could look overpaid even at his modest salary, but if his breakout finally arrives he could wind up leaving quite a bit of money on the table.

Choi will earn $2.45 million this season after winning his arbitration case Friday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Choi will make significantly more than the $1.85 million the Rays had offered. He won his case despite hitting a mediocre three homers last season and producing a barely above-average 103 wRC+, the product of a .230/.331/.410 slash line. Choi lines up to continue his platoon role this year.

Stanton has scaled back his weightlifting this offseason in an effort to stay healthy, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Stanton has spent a combined 202 days on the injured last combined across the last two seasons with knee and hamstring injuries. While the shift in offseason work may not change Stanton's ability stay healthy, it's encouraging that both he and the Yankees' training staff are looking for different ways to help him remain on the field. Even with the recent frustrating campaigns, Stanton flashed his power upside during the Yankees' 2020 postseason run by slugging six home runs in only 31 plate appearances.