MLB Player News

Helsley said last week that he would arrive at spring training with the aim of competing for the No. 5 spot in the Cardinals' rotation, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

All of Jack Flaherty, Miles Mikolas, Dakota Hudson and Adam Wainwright appear locked in as members of the rotation if healthy, leaving a host of others to audition for the final job. Starter-turned-closer Carlos Martinez will be among the competitors and profiles as the favorite for the gig if the Cardinals believe his shoulder can still hold up to a hefty workload, though Helsley, Kwang-Hyun Kim and Ponce de Leon will also get the opportunity to showcase their stuff. Helsley's shallow repertoire and poor control have limited his effectiveness as a starter in the high minors, but his upper-90s fastball occasionally made him a dominant relief weapon across his multiple stints with the big club in 2020. That should give him a decent chance at claiming an Opening Day roster spot even if he fails to claim a starting role.

Reyes is expected to compete for a high-leverage role out of the Cardinals' bullpen during spring training, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

While Reyes stated earlier in the offseason that his long-term focus remains on becoming a regular member of the rotation, the Cardinals first want the talented righty to prove himself out of the bullpen before he's prepared to handle a more substantial workload as a starter. After injuries have ended his season early in each of the past three years, Reyes at least heads to spring training healthy, as he's spent most of the winter in the Dominican Republic throwing without restrictions. The 25-year-old made just four appearances in the majors in 2019, giving up five runs and walking six in three innings.

Miller re-signed with the Brewers on Monday as a non-roster invitee.

Miller was quite a good starter early in his career, but things haven't gone his way over the last four seasons. He's posted a 6.89 ERA in 183 innings over that stretch when not recovering from Tommy John surgery. A fixed version of Miller would be an interesting late-round flyer in fantasy drafts, but there hasn't been any indication in recent seasons that he's on the cusp of returning to his previous form, so there's no particular reason to believe he'll even win a roster spot. In 44 innings for the Rangers last season, he posted an 8.59 ERA and a 30:29 K:BB. He was picked up by the Brewers on a minor-league deal in mid-July but was released in late August without having made a big-league appearance.

Whalen signed with the Mets as a non-roster invitee Monday, Andersen Pickard of MLB Daily Dish reports.

Whalen announced his retirement prior to last season due to his battle with anxiety and depression, but his time away from the game will end up being temporary. In 36 career big-league innings, the 25-year-old owns a 5.75 ERA.

Hultzen agreed to a minor-league contract with the Cubs earlier this month, Chris Hilburn-Trenkle of Baseball America reports.

After several injury plagued years to begin his career, Hultzen, the second overall pick in the 2011 first-year player draft, finally reached the majors for the first time last season. Over six late-season relief appearances with the Cubs, Hultzen struck out five over 3.1 shutout innings. He'll likely get a crack at competing for a bullpen job in spring training, but his lack of a 40-man roster spot will likely hinder his chances of making the Cubs' Opening Day roster.

Jimenez joined the Diamondbacks as a non-roster invitee Tuesday.

Jimenez made his big-league debut for the Tigers last season but didn't do much of note. In 10.2 innings, he posted a 5.91 ERA and an 8:5 K:BB.

Grace signed with Arizona as a non-roster invitee Tuesday.

Grace spent parts of five seasons in the majors with the Nationals, recording a career 4.29 ERA. He wasn't at that level last season, stumbling to a 6.36 ERA in 46.2 innings for the Nats.

Bukauskas (elbow) will join the Diamondbacks' big-league camp, source reports.

Bukauskas was shut down by elbow soreness after making just two appearances in the Diamondbacks' system following his deadline-day move from Houston in the Zack Greinke trade. It's not clear whether the issue is expected to affect him heading into camp.

Lakins was traded from the Red Sox to the Cubs in exchange for a player to be named later or cash Tuesday.

Lakins was designated for assignment Friday, so the Red Sox's return is understandably low. In 23.1 innings in his big-league debut last year, Lakins posted a solid 3.86 ERA, though his 18:10 K:BB wasn't particularly impressive.

Mantiply signed a minor-league contract with the Diamondbacks on Jan. 5.

The 28-year-old southpaw surfaced in the big leagues for the first time since 2016 this past season, making one relief appearance for the Yankees before being outrighted off the 40-man roster in mid-August. He'll report to Triple-A Reno with his new organization and should prove to be a serviceable arm out of the Aces' bullpen. Over 126.1 career innings at the Triple-A level, Mantiply has compiled a 3.13 ERA and 7.7 K/9.