MLB Player News

Giles is expected to be the closer in 2018 despite his problems during the 2017 postseason, Brian McTaggart of the Astros' official site reports.

Giles was good throughout the regular season, successfully converting 34 of 38 save chances, but the postseason was a disaster. He allowed 10 runs on 12 hits and five walks over 7.2 innings in the playoffs and was completely ignored in the final three games of the World Series, when manager A.J. Hinch leaned on starters to finish games. The manager doesn't have that luxury in the regular season, so relievers will have to pitch the final three outs. If Giles wavers at all, Will Harris and Chris Devenski are first in line for opportunities. Of course, the Astros should be a postseason player for a second straight season, so they would likely explore the trade market for an established closer should Giles' postseason performance carry over to the 2018 regular season.

Castro will compete this spring for a spot in the Orioles' starting rotation, MASN's Roch Kubatko reports.

He hasn't thrown yet at the Orioles' pitching minicamp, but is preparing to make the transition from reliever to starter. Once a high-upside pitching prospect for the Blue Jays earlier this decade, Castro was moved to the bullpen to expedite his ascent to the majors, and was then shipped to Colorado in the Troy Tulowitzki deal. He joined the Orioles last season and logged a 3.53 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 38:28 K:BB in 66.1 innings, making 38 of his 39 appearances out of the bullpen. While he didn't record many strikeouts, his fastball and slider can be quality pitches, and his changeup is passable. The key for the 23-year-old righty will be holding up physically with an increased workload, as his 90.2 innings between Double-A and the majors last season marked a career high. The Orioles might have the worst starting pitching depth in the American League, so Castro has a good shot to win a rotation spot, making him a worthwhile target in deep formats.

Scott will continue to be developed as a starting pitcher and will open the year at Triple-A Norfolk, Jon Meoli of The Baltimore Sun reports.

The 23-year-old lefty has the stuff to be a dominant reliever (big fastball, power slider), but the Orioles have very few high-upside starting pitching prospects in their system, so they will shoot for the moon with Scott. He notched a 2.22 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 87 strikeouts in 69 innings at Double-A last season, but he was held to three innings per start. Developing a quality third pitch and sufficient command will be imperative for him to make it as a starter.

Harvey, who has added some muscle this offseason, won't be on a strict innings limit this season, Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports reports.

Manager Buck Showalter said the team will monitor how Harvey looks and feels throughout the season as a means of determining when to pull him from starts and when to possibly skip starts or eventually shut him down. A decision has not been made as to where the Orioles' top pitching prospect will start the season, but it will likely be High-A or Double-A. Showalter said it brought a smile to his face to watch Harvey throw a bullpen session this week, as it has been a long road back from Tommy John surgery. He has reportedly added 6.5 pounds of muscle this offseason. Harvey still has No. 2 or No. 3 starter upside, but his missed development due to arm injuries makes him an extremely risky proposition. He turned 23 in December but has not yet pitched above Low-A.

Smith signed a one-year, $850,000 contract with the Red Sox on Monday, Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston reports.

It turns out Smith and the Red Sox will avoid arbitration after settling on a one-year deal to bring the reliever back. The 28-year-old righty missed most of the 2017 season while working his way back from Tommy John surgery, though he was able to make his season debut in September and finished the year with a 1.35 ERA and seven strikeouts across 6.2 innings of work. Smith has pitched just 9.1 innings over the past two seasons due to injuries, but if he's able to return to his pre-surgery form, he should easily work his way back into a setup role for the Red Sox in 2018.

Povse will enter camp as a starter, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

The Mariners were hoping to convert the 6-foot-8 Povse into a multi-inning reliever last season, but he struggled significantly, giving up five runs over 3.2 innings in the major-league pen and stumbling to a 7.39 ERA in 31.2 innings at Triple-A Tacoma. There's no reason to believe that Povse is a favorite to win a rotation spot out of camp, but if he performs well in the Triple-A rotation he could be a candidate to earn some starts later in the summer for a Mariners team which lacks quality starting pitching depth.

Krook was traded to the Rays, alongside Denard Span, Christian Arroyo and Stephen Woods, in exchange for Evan Longoria on Wednesday, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reports.

Krook spent the past season with the Giants' High-A affiliate, posting a 5.12 ERA and 1.55 WHIP, while sporting a 105:66 K:BB over 91.1 innings. During 25 appearances, the 23-year-old started 17 games, and will likely remain at the High-A level as a starter within the Rays' system at the beginning of the 2018 season.

Aumont agreed to a minor-league contract with the Tigers on Monday, Emily Waldon of The Athletic reports.

Aumont, who was once a top prospect for the Mariners and then the Phillies, is looking to return to the majors after pitching in Canada last season (4.51 ERA and 103:30 K:BB across 17 starts). He was never able to put it together at the highest level, posting a 6.80 ERA and 1.99 WHIP over 43.2 innings with the Phillies. The soon-to-be 29-year-old will likely serve as organizational pitching depth next season.

Scott (elbow) was able to throw the ball around for the first time since undergoing arthroscopic surgery in mid-October, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Scott reiterated that he was feeling good and on track for spring training, which aligns with the initial timetable concerning his recovery. During the 2017 season, Scott appeared in 57 games out of the bullpen for Boston, posting a 3.79 ERA and 0.98 WHIP with a 31:13 K:BB in 35.2 innings.

The Giants traded Moore to the Rangers on Friday, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The Giants are expected to receive low-level prospects in return for the Rangers taking on the left-hander's full remaining contract. The deal will be finalized pending physicals for all players involved. Moore finished the 2017 season with a 6-15 record to go along with a 5.52 ERA. It remains to be seen how the Rangers plan on using the southpaw, but he figures to compete for a rotation spot next spring.