MLB Player News

McGowan was designated for assignment by the Mets on Wednesday, Matt Ehalt of The Bergen Record reports.

The Mets needed to clear a spot on their 40-man roster for the signing of Jay Bruce, and it appears McGowan was the roster casualty. The 26-year-old spent most of his time in 2017 with Triple-A Las Vegas, compiling a 4.15 ERA and 1.35 WHIP across 65 innings. He did appear in eight games for the big club, though he posted a lackluster 5.19 ERA and 1.62 WHIP in 8.2 innings. McGowan will report to Las Vegas if he goes unclaimed.

Nelson (shoulder) will begin a throwing program Friday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

This is very encouraging news for Nelson and the Brewers, as the 28-year-old was originally expected to be shut down from throwing until the start of spring training. Still, while the righty is well ahead of schedule in his rehab, he remains without a firm timetable for his return, and likely won't have one until he's further along in his throwing program.

Reyes (elbow) is expected to head to Florida next week in preparation for spring training and begin throwing bullpen sessions when he arrives, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports.

A candidate to open last season in the Cardinals' rotation, Reyes' bid was foiled after he required season-ending Tommy John surgery Feb. 16. The 23-year-old was able to resume throwing by last September, but he'll have to continue building up his arm again in preparation for a return to game action in 2018. Assuming Reyes hits no major snaps in his recovery, he'll open the upcoming season on the disabled list while he continues to progress through his throwing program. The organization is tentatively targeting May 1 for Reyes' reinstatement from the DL, with the team likely to deploy him out of the bullpen at that time in order to better control his workload. Reyes' return from a major arm injury in addition to his projected relief role limits his fantasy upside in single-season formats in 2018, but since the Cardinals still envision him as a starter over the long haul, he remains one of the more attractive young hurlers in dynasty settings.

Hand agreed to a three-year extension with the Padres on Saturday which includes a club option for the 2021 season, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

Although Hand had been involved in various trade rumors over this offseason, it appears as though the club will move forward with the the left-hander as its closer for 2018 and beyond. At this point, the specifics on the deal haven't been announced, but Rosenthal stated that the monetary figures would be within the $18-to-20-million range. During this past year, Hand posted a 2.16 ERA and 0.93 WHIP with 21 saves once he took over the ninth-inning role in July. He ranked in the top 15 of all relievers with an 11.5 K/9 and cut down on his free passes as well, trimming a 3.6 BB/9 mark in 2016 to 2.3 last season. With a rebuilding Padres club, he may not receive the same amount of save chances as other closers in the game, but Hand should provide strong value heading into the upcoming campaign.

Robles agreed to a one-year, $900,000 deal with the Mets on Friday, avoiding arbitration, Jon Heyman of FanRagSports.com reports.

This was his first offseason as an arbitration-eligible player. The 27-year-old reliever can be electric at times, but has yet to harness his stuff. He notched a 4.92 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 60 strikeouts in 56.2 innings. Look for him to work in middle relief for the Mets in 2018.

Gearrin agreed to a one-year deal with the Giants on Friday, avoiding arbitration, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The terms of the deal were not made available by the team, but he likely received a slight raise from the $1.05 million he made in the first year of arbitration. Gearrin, who turns 32 in April, notched an impressive 1.99 ERA last season, but his 1.25 WHIP and 64 strikeouts in 68 innings suggest that ratio is unsustainable. He will work in the mid-to-late innings again for the Giants in 2018.

Yates agreed to a one-year deal with the Padres on Friday, avoiding arbitration.

The terms of the deal were not made available by the team. Yates, who turns 31 in March, had by far his best year in the majors in 2017, posting a 3.97 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 88 strikeouts in 56.2 innings. He is one of the top options, along with Phil Maton and Carter Capps (shoulder), to compete for saves if closer Brad Hand struggles or gets traded this summer.

Smith (elbow) agreed to a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the Giants on Friday, avoiding arbitration, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

Smith's salary will hold firm after he missed the entire 2017 season following Tommy John surgery. The 28-year-old resumed throwing last September and is expected to be ready for Opening Day. He will likely serve as the top lefty in the San Francisco bullpen.

Kontas agreed to a one-year, $2.725 million contract with the Pirates on Friday, avoiding arbitration, Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

The right-hander turned in a 1.84 ERA in 15 appearances after coming over to Pittsburgh on a waiver claim in early August, compared to a 3.83 ERA in 50 appearances with San Francisco. He altered his pitch mix a bit after the move and what resulted was fewer walks (1.8 BB/9) and homers allowed (0.61 HR/9). Kontos will likely fill a setup role to begin 2018.

Vizcaino agreed to a one-year, $3.4 million deal with the Braves on Friday, avoiding arbitration, Jon Heyman of FanRagSports.com reports.

Vizcaino receives a substantial raise over the $1.55 million he earned in his first year of arbitration. He will enter this season as the Braves' closer after going 14-for-17 on save chances last season. Vizcaino is a decent fantasy option for 2018, but the Braves have a plethora of electric arms in their bullpen, in the minors and in their starting rotation, many of whom could profile as potential ninth-inning options at some point in the coming years. He will have to pitch well to hold onto the job.