MLB Player News

The Indians are encouraged by Brantley's (ankle) progress in his rehab from right ankle surgery, Zack Meisel of The Athletic Cleveland reports.

Brantley underwent right ankle surgery in the middle of October and was initially given a recovery timetable of 4-5 months, leaving his status for the start spring training up in the air. While he's apparently making solid progress, the Indians won't know more until he's able to resume agility and running drills.

The Yankees officially announced Monday that they acquired Stanton and cash from the Marlins in exchange for Starlin Castro, Jorge Guzman and Jose Devers.

As expected, Stanton approved the move to New York and the deal was made official Monday morning. The 2017 NL MVP, who hit .281/.376/.631 with 59 homers and 132 RBI in 159 games last season, will join an already potent lineup that led the majors in homers and was second in runs scored and RBI last year.

Ohtani (ankle) will not play the outfield in 2018, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

While the Angels confirmed that Ohtani will play both ways, GM Billy Eppler said definitively that Ohtani will not play the outfield this upcoming season. It doesn't come as a huge surprise given that Ohtani hasn't played the outfield regularly in several years. He figures to DH a couple times per week, likely pushing Albert Pujols to first base on occasion, while perhaps operating as part of a six-man starting rotation.

Stanton will approve a trade to the Yankees and is on his way to New York to complete his physical, Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reports.

News broke Saturday morning that an agreed-upon deal would send Starlin Castro and prospects to the Marlins in exchange for Stanton and cash, but the trade hinged upon the slugger's approval due to his no-trade clause. According to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com, the Bronx Bombers will be taking on $265 million of Stanton's $295 million deal. At this point, there has been no word on which prospects will head to Miami, but it sounds like the package will entail a couple of lower-level minor leaguers.

The Yankees and Marlins have agreed to a trade that would send Stanton to New York for Starlin Castro and prospects, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports. Stanton must still approve the deal, Jon Heyman of Fanrag Sports reports.

It's assumed Stanton will approve the deal since the Yankees were on a list of four teams he reportedly said he'd be willing to be traded to. It's not clear what prospects may be involved. The deal will also need players to pass physicals before being finalized.

Ohtani (ankle) agreed to sign with the Angels on Friday, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports.

His agent, Nez Balelo, said Ohtani felt a "true bond" with the Angels and saw it as the best environment to develop and attain his career goals. It seems Ohtani will be in line to get some starts at DH when he is not pitching, even with Albert Pujols on the team, as the Angels are pretty well set in the outfield, although he could theoretically get occasional starts over Kole Calhoun in right field. We should get a better idea about how his playing time will shake out once the team begins to comment. As a pitcher, he has SP1 potential right away, and has drawn comparisons to Noah Syndergaard, due to his power fastball/slider combination. As a hitter, Ohtani has monster power and has been clocked as an 80-grade runner, so if he hits, he has legitimate five-category potential. Various websites are handling the two-way star's eligibility differently, so make sure to investigate where he will qualify and how he can be deployed before drafts begin. He had ankle surgery in October but will be ready when pitchers and catchers report.

Colon signed a minor-league contract with the Braves on Wednesday which includes an invitation to spring training, Robert Murray of FanRag Sports reports.

Colon played in 24 major-league games between the Royals and Marlins this past season, slashing .160/.236/.180 (eight hits in 57 plate appearances). The 28-year-old will look to latch on as a utility infielder with Atlanta for the upcoming season, but may wind up spending a decent amount of time in the minors yet again.

Ohtani (ankle) whittled down his list of suitors to seven teams Monday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

The Japanese phenom is scheduled to meet with the Dodgers, Angels, Padres, Mariners, Giants, Rangers and Cubs as he looks to find a home in the MLB. After the Nippon-Ham Fighters officially posted Ohtani on Friday, the 23-year-old pitcher, who also boasts plus power and baserunning, will have a three-week window to sign with a team. Ohtani underwent surgery on his right ankle in October, but it's not believed to be anything that will inhibit him once spring training arrives.

Goins has not been tendered a 2018 contract by the Jays.

Goins is merely a utility infielder, having never been one to rack up stats at the plate to push him onto the mixed-league radar. It's possible he will find work elsewhere in a similar role, though his viability from a fantasy standpoint is unlikely to change regardless of where he lands.

Ohtani (ankle), who was officially posted Friday, will have until Dec. 22 to reach an agreement with an MLB team, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.

MLB owners unanimously ratified the new Japanese posting agreement, and now the top two-way player of the era will have three weeks to sign with a club. Ohtani is currently in Los Angeles and is expected to begin meeting with clubs as soon as next week. The three teams with the most international bonus pool money available are the Rangers ($3.535 million), Yankees ($3.5 million) and Twins ($3.07 million), but with all 30 teams relatively close in what they can offer Ohtani, his decision is not likely to be significantly impacted by the money he gets on this initial agreement. He has the potential to be an SP1 immediately, thanks to a Noah Syndergaard-esque power fastball/power slider combination. Additionally, he has plus-plus raw power and has been clocked as an 80-grade runner, so there is seemingly nothing he can't do. That said, some evaluators think he could struggle, at least initially, to hit for a high average, due to a power-oriented approach. Ohtai is believed to desire to pitch and play either the field or DH in the majors. He underwent ankle surgery in October but should be ready for spring training.