MLB Player News

Okert will compete for a spot on the 25-man roster this spring, CSN Bay Area reports.

Okert received a cup of coffee last September, striking out 14 batters over 14 innings. With Javier Lopez retiring Wednesday, there is one spot open for a left-handed specialist on the 25-man roster. Okert figures to compete with Josh Osich (knee) for that spot. The latter has more of a major league track record, but is also coming off of minor knee surgery. How they perform this spring should ultimately decide who wins the vacant job.

Law is expected to fall in either a seventh or eighth inning role to start the season, CSN Bay Area reports.

After posting an impressive 2.13 ERA in 55 innings as a rookie, Law is ready to compete for the setup role behind new closer Mark Melancon. He will compete with Hunter Strickland, who also had a strong campaign in 2016 (3.10 ERA in 61 innings). The latter has the ability to hit triple digits on the radar gun, while the former has better secondary pitchers to compliment his mid-to-high 90s fastball. Whoever wins the job out of spring will be the best source of holds in San Francisco and should get first crack at closing games should anything happen to Melancon.

De La Rosa (elbow) underwent a second injection of stem-cell therapy this December and is not expected to be ready for Opening Day, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

General manager Mike Hazen says the second injection was precautionary as De La Rosa attempts to avoid a second Tommy John surgery. The tentative plan is to ease the 22-year-old back as a reliever. De La Rosa is coming off an injury-plagued 2016 season, in which he posted a 4.26 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 54:20 K:BB in 50.2 innings.

Ellington will compete for a spot in the Marlins' bullpen during spring training.

Miami added plenty of right-handed relief depth this offseason, bringing in Brad Ziegler and Junichi Tazawa, so despite the fact that Ellington posted solid numbers in the majors last year and averages 98 mph with his fastball, he could find himself back at Triple-A New Orleans to begin 2017. The 26-year-old could force his way onto the 25-man roster with a big spring, though, especially if he shows signs of improving on his career 4.5 BB/9 rate.

Barraclough is expected to set up A.J. Ramos for the Marlins in 2017.

The team did bring in Brad Ziegler and Junichi Tazawa in the offseason to bolster their bullpen depth when they failed to lure a top-shelf closer, but Barraclough and his 14.0 K/9 rate should still take on a late-inning role. His control is still a work in progress, but the 26-year-old should be a strong source of strikeouts and holds this season, and if Ramos falters he could even see some ninth-inning action.

Floro (arm) was outrighted to Triple-A Iowa on Friday, Carrie Muskat of MLB.com reports.

Floro cleared waivers Friday after being designated for assignment Wednesday. Although he's no longer on the Cubs' 40-man roster, he will report to major league spring training. Floro made 12 appearances with the Rays in 2016, notching a 4.20 ERA with a 1.87 WHIP across 15.0 innings.

Miller lost his arbitration hearing and will receive $4.7 million for the 2017 season, FanRag Sports' Jon Heyman reports.

Miller had been asking for $5.1 million, but the arbiter sided with the team following a season when the righty posted a 6.15 ERA in 101 MLB innings. He will compete with Archie Bradley and Braden Shipley for one of the Diamondbacks' final two rotation spots this spring.

Wittgren will compete for a bullpen role with the Marlins in spring training.

He put together a strong major league debut in 2016 thanks to his plus control, but Miami signed Brad Ziegler and Junichi Tazawa in the offseason to bolster their bullpen, and Wittgren's somewhat pedestrian raw stuff leaves him with no guarantees that he'll break camp with a spot on the 25-man roster. He does have plenty of experience as a minor league closer, but Wittgren's role with the Marlins would be in much lower leverage situations if he does hang onto a job.

Garcia is expected to begin 2017 back in the minors.

Although he got a brief cup of coffee with the Marlins in 2016, he didn't see any game action and has yet to pitch above Double-A in his career. The team's offseason pitching acquisitions shut the door on any chance Garcia might have had of winning a rotation spot in spring training, so the 24-year-old lefty will have to head back to the minors, work on his craft and wait his turn.

Grace will compete for a spot in the Nationals' bullpen this spring.

He's spent the last two seasons bouncing between Washington and Triple-A Syracuse, and while the 28-year-old has shown the potential to be an effective LOOGY in the majors, the team already has Oliver Perez and Sammy Solis locked into two spots in their 'pen, leaving little room for a third lefty. Expect Grace to head back in the minors for now, but with Perez's contract up at the end of the season, he could become a regular bullpen member for the Nats in 2018.