MLB Player News

Blackmon is expected to move to left field for the 2019 season, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

The 32-year-old has been a staple in center field for Colorado, playing exclusively at that position the last three years. However, the Rockies want to reduce some wear and tear on his body, so they plan to move him to a less taxing outfield position. Ideally, less strenuous fielding will help Blackmon produce more at the plate, though anything near the .860 OPS with 29 home runs and 119 runs atop the Rockies batting order is still welcome. To accommodate the change, Ian Desmond is expected to handle primary center field duties in 2019.

Pederson and Alex Verdugo will compete for the starting gig in left field during camp, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com reports.

A.J. Pollock and Cody Bellinger are slated to spend most of their time in center field and right field, respectively, leaving Pederson and Verdugo to battle for the final outfield spot. Pederson likely has the upper hand, as he made 88 starts in the outfield last season and hit .248/.321/.522 with 25 homers across 443 plate appearances (148 total games). That said, even if he does beat out Verdugo, Pederson's continued struggles against left-handed pitching make a platoon situation likely.

Reyes (knee) will enter spring training with no restrictions, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports. "I don't anticipate we hold him back at all," manager Andy Green said.

Reyes has been cleared for full activity, though Green noted that the Padres may hold him out of some running drills early in camp as they ease him back into action following offseason surgery to repair a torn meniscus. The 23-year-old, who hit .280/.340/.498 with 16 homers in 87 games as a rookie in 2018, will be fighting for a starting gig in San Diego's crowded outfield this spring.

President of baseball operations John Mozeliak said Ozuna (shoulder) will begin his throwing program in early February, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports.

Ozuna was dogged by shoulder injuries throughout the 2018 campaign, though he still appeared in 148 games and hit a fine .280/.325/.433 with 23 homers. He opted for surgery at the end of October, and the Cardinals are apparently encouraged by the outfielder's progress thus far. Ozuna recently began taking batting practice and playing catch in the Dominican Republic, and Mozeliak noted that he's "looking strong." Barring any setbacks, the 28-year-old is on track to be 100 percent healthy heading into spring training.

Pederson agreed to a one-year contract with the Dodgers on Friday, avoiding arbitration, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.

It seems like just yesterday that Pederson was breaking into the majors, but this is already his second year of arb eligibility. While he hasn't blossomed into a superstar, Pederson had a really good 2018 season by most measures. The one big problem is that he continued to struggle in a major way against lefties, making a platoon situation likely even after the Dodgers moved both Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp.

Ozuna and the Cardinals agreed to a one-year deal Friday, avoiding arbitration, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports.

Ozuna was a bit of a disappointment in his first season for the Cardinals, failing to repeat his numbers from his breakout 2017 campaign. His homers fell from 37 to 23 while his wRC+ dropped from 144 to 106. His .280/.325/.433 line was still decent, though, and he'll line up to play almost every day heading into the season.

Cespedes has no timetable for his return from heel surgery this season, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports. "If he gives us anything this year, that is great," special assistant to the general manager Omar Minaya said Wednesday.

Cespedes was shut down with heel problems in mid-July after appearing in just 38 games last season. He underwent a procedure to remove calcifications in his right heel in August and a similar procedure on his left heel in October. Reports around the time of that second surgery suggested that he would resume baseball activities in late February and would have a chance to return around the All-Star break, but the team is now backtracking. It's hard to justify taking a chance on Cespedes if the team isn't confident that he'll receive even a single at-bat this season.

Dickerson (elbow) inked a minor-league deal with the Padres on Thursday.

Dickerson has spent the past few seasons within the Padres' system, though he failed to play in 2018 after undergoing Tommy John surgery in the spring. He should be fully operational for spring training as the 28-year-old aims to win a spot on the Opening Day roster. In 84 games with the big-league team in 2016, he slashed .257/.333/.455 with 10 home runs and 37 RBI.

McCutchen agreed to a three-year, $50 million contract with the Phillies on Tuesday, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

McCutchen will be returning to Pennsylvania -- albeit with a different team -- after spending time with the Giants and Yankees in 2018. The veteran outfielder hit a combined .255/.368/.424 with 20 homers and 14 stolen bases across 155 games between San Francisco and New York. He should immediately step into a starting role for the Phillies, hitting in a favorable spot in the order.

Colon agreed to a minor-league contract with Cincinnati on Monday, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Colon failed to emerge in the big leagues last season, spending the 2018 campaign at the Triple-A level (98 games). He figures to begin the 2019 season with Triple-A Louisville.