MLB Player News

Ohtani is expected to be part of the Angels' six-man rotation next season, Maria Torres of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Ohtani has only thrown 53.1 innings over his three-year MLB career. Elbow issues limited him to just 10 starts in his 2018 debut, and he didn't pitch at all in 2019 after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He was set to be a two-way player again last season but was shut down from pitching again after making a pair of disastrous starts. 2021 could be the year Ohtani finally emerges as a true dual threat, though given his track record so far in North America there would seem to be little reason to expect things to go smoothly. The Angels remain committed to the project however, to the point of deploying a non-standard rotation in order to to help him manage his workload.

Alvarez (knees) posted a video of himself running the bases on his personal Instagram account Tuesday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The 23-year-old was running on an anti-gravity treadmill in mid-October, and he's continued to progress his running program over the past couple months. Alvarez underwent arthroscopic surgery on both knees in late August, and it's a good sign to see him on the basepaths with no obvious limitations. There's still a couple months before the start of spring training, and Alvarez is expected to be ready by that point.

Ruf signed a one-year, $1.275 million deal with the Giants on Wednesday to avoid arbitration, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The 34-year-old saw his first MLB action since 2016 and delivered for the Giants with a .276/.370/.517 slash line and five home runs in 40 games. Ruf is a solid bet to make the Opening Day roster with a decent showing in spring training.

Buxton signed a one-year, $5.125 million contract with the Twins on Wednesday to avoid arbitration, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

The 26-year-old appeared in 39 games during 2020 and showcased his power with 13 home runs, though he also saw his walk rate drop to a minuscule 1.5 percent. The end result was a marginal improvement to an .844 OPS. As always, the question for Buxton is his health, and he missed some time with head and shoulder injuries.

Vogelbach signed a one-year, $1.4 million deal with the Brewers on Wednesday, avoiding arbitration, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

The 27-year-old was claimed off waivers by the Brewers in September and and had a .987 OPS with four homers in his 19 appearances with the team despite his struggles earlier in the season. Milwaukee's situation at first base remains unsettled, but Vogelbach is clearly a better fit as a designated hitter, and it remains unclear if it will be back in the National League for 2021.

Soler agreed to a one-year, $8.05 million deal with the Royals on Wednesday, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

He will return as the Royals' primary designated hitter for the 2021 season. Soler, who turns 29 in February, hit .228/.326/.443 with eight home runs in 43 games last season -- a significant drop off from the .265/.354/.569 line and 48 home runs he logged in 2019. Even if he doesn't bounce all the way back to the statistics he put up in his career year, he should have a secure spot in the heart of the lineup this upcoming season.

Dickerson signed a one-year, $2.1 million deal with the Giants on Wednesday to avoid arbitration, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The 30-year-old had a .298/.371/.576 slash line with 10 homers, 10 doubles and 27 RBI over 52 games during the 2020 campaign, so it's not a surprise to see San Francisco bringing him back at such a modest price. Dickerson had only 12 plate appearances against left-handed pitching last season, and he's a strong bet to work in the strong side of a platoon in left field again in 2021.

Solak will likely win the starting job at second base if he can prove this spring that he can handle the position defensively, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

The main reason the Rays traded Solak to the Rangers for Pete Fairbanks a couple years ago was because he was seen as a player with limited defensive potential who fit best as a designated hitter. Solak hit .293/.393/.491 in 135 plate appearances as a rookie and .268/.326/.344 in 233 plate appearances in 2020. Rougned Odor would move to a utility role if Solak wins the job this spring, which seems to be the Rangers' preference. There will also be at-bats at third base available early in the season for whoever loses out on the second base job until prospect Josh Jung gets the call.

Rooker (forearm) was cleared to resume swinging a bat Monday, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Rooker appears to be making good progress since requiring surgery in late September to address a fractured right forearm. The 26-year-old will likely gradually ramp up the intensity of his workouts throughout the winter with the aim of receiving full clearance ahead of spring training. He'll likely be competing for a spot on the Twins' Opening Day roster in 2021 as a right-handed bench bat.

Morel's contract was purchased by the Cubs on Friday, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Morel has not played above Low-A, but as one of the Cubs' better position player prospects with any full-season experience, they will opt to shield him from the Rule 5 draft in advance of a potential rebuild. Morel hit .284/.320/.467 with six home runs in 73 games at Low-A in 2019 and should be assigned to Double-A this season.