MLB Player News

Pederson agreed to a one-year contract with the Dodgers on Friday, avoiding arbitration.

Last season was a trying one for Pederson, as he missed time due to injury and struggled at the plate, even earning a demotion to Triple-A for a while in the second half. He finished on a high note with two homers in the World Series, but Pederson will likely be platooned heavily again to begin 2018, and he could lose out on playing time against righties to Alex Verdugo if he gets off to a slow start.

Miller (groin) agreed to a one-year, $4.5 million deal with Tampa Bay on Friday, avoiding arbitration, Roger Mooney of The Tampa Bay Times reports.

This was the second offseason as an arbitration-eligible player for Miller, as the 28-year-old collected a $975,000 bump from 2017. During this past season, he was unable to repeat his lofty numbers from 2016, slashing just .201/.327/.337 with nine home runs and 40 RBI. Recently, he underwent offseason core muscle surgery in November, but is expected to be fully operational come spring training.

Ozuna agreed to a one-year, $9 million contract with the Cardinals on Friday, avoiding arbitration, Jon Heyman of FanRagSports.com reports.

Ozuna will receive a huge raise from the $3.5 million he made last season in his first year of arbitration eligibility. Ozuna, acquired from the Marlins in a December trade, will step into the heart of the order for St. Louis this season after slashing .312/.376/.548 with 37 homers and 124 RBI in 2017.

Blackmon agreed to a one-year, $14 million deal with the Rockies on Friday, avoiding arbitration, Jon Heyman of FanRagSports.com reports.

This was Blackmon's final offseason as an arbitration-eligible player, as he will hit the open market next winter. He received almost double the $7.3 million he received last offseason. Blackmon, who turns 32 in July, has been a fantasy stud for several years due to his stolen-base totals and Coors-aided batting averages, but last season he set career bests in most relevant offensive categories and also had his best year in the field since 2012. He is a surefire first-round pick in re-draft leagues.

Martinez, who has been offered a five-year contract by the Red Sox and may have an offer from at least one other club, is reportedly willing to "hold out" into spring training in order to earn a more desirable deal, according to Jon Heyman of FanRagSports.com.

Martinez received the offer from Boston weeks earlier and remains in a stalemate in negotiations with the club, perhaps opening the door for other teams to court the outfielder, who is regarded as one of the top available hitters on the market. Sources informed Heyman that Martinez is seeking $30 million-plus annually in any contract, but it's believed that teams interested in him have fallen well short of meeting those demands. Until Martinez adjusts his contract expectations or teams are willing to improve their offers, it appears the 30-year-old won't find a new home anytime soon, thereby clouding his fantasy outlook a bit for early drafters.

General manager Billy Eppler said Ohtani (ankle, elbow) is scheduled to throw off a mound in the next two weeks, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Ohtani is steadily ramping up his throwing program as he continues to work his way back from a grade one sprain of his ulnar collateral ligament. The two-way superstar also underwent ankle surgery in October, though the team remains unconcerned about both issues and expect him to be fully ready to go by the start of spring training.

Ford was selected by the Mariners with the 11th overall pick in the Rule 5 draft Thursday.

Rule 5 picks rarely end up contributing in fantasy, but Ford might have the best chance of this year's class. He is a 25-year-old first baseman who has never played in the majors, but his numbers last year were awfully impressive. Ford had a .270/.404/.471 slash line with 20 home runs and a 72:94 K:BB in 126 games between Double-A and Triple-A. Entering the season, Ryon Healy and Daniel Vogelbach are ahead of Ford on the organizational depth chart, but they are not imposing figures, relative to the rest of the league's first basemen. Ford will need to be kept on the active roster all season, otherwise he will be exposed to waivers and offered back to the Yankees.

Ozuna was traded to the Cardinals from the Marlins on Wednesday in exchange for Sandy Alcantara, Magneuris Sierra, Zac Gallen and Daniel Castano , Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com reports.

After failing to secure Giancarlo Stanton, the Cardinals will snag a different outfielder from Miami, as Ozuna is heading to St. Louis following five seasons in the big leagues with the Marlins. During his breakout 2017 campaign, Ozuna slashed .312/.376/.548 with 37 home runs and 124 RBI, with all stats checking in as career highs. Ozuna is the impact bat that the Cardinals were searching for at the winter meetings, and he will be a mainstay in the No. 3 or 4 spot in the order for St. Louis during this upcoming season. As for defensive positioning, Ozuna will probably remain in left field while Tommy Pham transitions to right.

Ohtani has a first-degree sprain of his right ulnar collateral ligament and underwent a platelet-rich plasma shot in October to treat elbow pain, Yahoo Sports reports. Ohtani is also returning from ankle surgery in October.

A physical obtained by Yahoo Sports also notes that Ohtani will be able to start throwing about a month after receiving the PRP injection. While it sounds like this injury won't keep him from throwing in spring training, it does increase some risk that he could have a setback and further tear his UCL. And while many pitchers play through ligament tears, the PRP may indicate this injury could be more than minor.

General manager Jerry Dipoto said he expects Lewis (knee) to be fully ready for spring training, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

Lewis is continuing to rehab the knee issue that forced him out of the Arizona Fall League at the end of October. Barring any setbacks, he should be fully healthy heading into next season. The highly touted 22-year-old will look to bounce back in 2018 after appearing in just 38 games and hitting .255/.323/.403 with High-A Modesto last season.