MLB Player News

Snell agreed to a two-year, $62 million contract with San Francisco on Monday, which includes an opt-out after the 2024 season, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Snell finally has a landing spot after several teams balked at his asking price over the offseason and into spring training. He'll benefit from one of the more pitcher-friendly home ballparks in Oracle Park and join 2023 National League Cy Young finalist Logan Webb at the top of the Giants' rotation to form one of the deadliest one-two punches in all of baseball. It remains to be seen how soon Snell will be able to ramp up for the 2024 season with only 10 days remaining before Opening Day, but he just tossed four simulated innings Friday and could make an appearance in a game situation later this week, per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Smyly could start the regular season in the rotation with Jameson Taillon (back) set to miss some time into April, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Taillon could return as soon as April 8 in San Diego, but the Cubs will have to fill his rotation spot until then. Justin Steele is set to start Opening Day on March 28, and Chicago gets an off day after that. However, the Cubs then have games on five straight days, so a full rotation will likely be needed. Beyond Steele, Kyle Hendricks and Shota Imanaga should be locked into starting spots, and Jordan Wicks is making a strong case in camp. That could leave Smyly, Javier Assad and Hayden Wesneski to compete for the No. 5 spot, at least until Taillon returns.

Hendricks appears to be lined up to start Chicago's second game of the regular season, behind Opening Day starter Justin Steele, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

The southpaw Steele has emerged as the team's definitive ace, but the rotation gets a little more jumbled after that. Hendricks makes sense in the No. 2 spot, particularly as a veteran righty with Shota Imanaga, Jordan Wicks and possibly Drew Smyly joining Steele as left-handed starting options. Hendricks won't wow with strikeouts, though he's a steady pitcher who recorded a solid 3.74 ERA across 24 starts last season, giving him some fantasy appeal in the right matchups.

Lodolo (tibia) is expected to be ready to make his season debut April 10 against the Brewers, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Lodolo is behind schedule after he reported that his leg still didn't feel 100 percent entering spring training, which led to the team ordering another round of scans. Nothing new turned up, and despite still not feeling at full strength, the left-hander has cruised through his two Cactus League starts (one run, five strikeouts in 4.2 innings). The tibia will remain a lingering concern given a recurrence of the injury ended his 2023 season, but Lodolo looks on track to be ready relatively early on in 2024, barring a setback. Andrew Abbott and Brandon Williamson (shoulder) are competing to fill Lodolo's rotation spot to begin the campaign.

Reds manager David Bell said Monday that Williamson (shoulder) is competing with Andrew Abbott for the fifth spot in the rotation, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

Bell also added that Williamson is feeling better after having to exit an appearance Sunday with a sore left shoulder, although it's not clear when he might be cleared to pitch again. Whoever wins the fifth spot might just be keeping the seat warm for Nick Lodolo (lower leg), who could be back by April 10.

Reds manager David Bell said Monday that Abbott is competing with Brandon Williamson (shoulder) for the fifth spot in the rotation, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

Frankie Montas, Hunter Greene, Graham Ashcraft and Nick Martinez are locked into the first four rotation spots, leaving Abbott and Williamson to battle for the final slot. It might be only temporary, though, as Nick Lodolo (lower leg) could be ready for his season debut by April 10. Abbott has been roughed up this spring, giving up seven runs on 14 hits and a walk over eight innings. The lefty also faded badly down the stretch last season with a 6.09 ERA in his final 10 starts.

Butto has touched 97 mph with his fastball this spring and shown a slider and cutter to go along with his changeup and curveball, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.

The deeper and stronger arsenal has led to good results -- Butto has allowed only one earned run over 10 Grapefruit League innings with a 9:2 K:BB. The 25-year-old has also been more aggressive in attacking the strike zone, a sign of his confidence in his new repertoire. "A light switch went off in the middle of [last] year, and he's really turned into a monster on the mound and an aggressive, come-at-you, want-to-get-you-out type of guy," pitching coach Jeremy Hefner said of Butto earlier this spring. After posting a 3.29 ERA and 28:9 K:BB over five September starts and 27.1 innings in 2023, Butto is behind Tylor Megill in the battle for the one available spot in the Mets' Opening Day rotation, but he's likely to be the next man up should a starter get hurt or falter.

Garrett (shoulder) threw live batting practice Sunday to Jazz Chisholm and Jake Burger and showed no issues, Paige Leckie of MLB.com reports.

The southpaw sat 90-92 miles per hour with his fastball and gave Chisholm fits with his slider and changeup. Garrett won't be ready for Opening Day, but the shoulder soreness he reported at the beginning of camp appears to be gone, and he can begin to ramp up in earnest. He's expected to miss the first few weeks of the regular season, dealing another blow to a Miami rotation that will be without Sandy Alcantara (elbow) throughout 2024 and could also be down Edward Cabrera (shoulder) and Eury Perez (elbow/finger) to kick off the campaign.

The Diamondbacks optioned Walston to Triple-A Reno on Monday.

Walston was dispatched to minor-league camp along with right-handers Slade Cecconi and Corbin Martin after all three pitchers fell short in their bids for spots on Arizona's Opening Day roster. Unlike Cecconi and Martin, Walston has yet to make his MLB debut, but the Diamondbacks saw enough potential in him to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft this winter and add him to their 40-man roster. The 22-year-old southpaw will be returning to Reno, where he posted a 4.52 ERA and 1.57 WHIP over 149.1 innings while pitching mostly in hitter-friendly venues in the Pacific Coast League.

The Diamondbacks optioned Cecconi to Triple-A Reno on Monday.

Cecconi's dismissal from big-league camp leaves Ryne Nelson, Tommy Henry and Bryce Jarvis as the likely candidates for the fifth and final spot in Arizona's Opening Day rotation. While making seven appearances (four starts) for the big club in 2023, Cecconi submitted a respectable 4.33 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 20:4 K:BB in 27 innings. He should open the upcoming season as a member of Reno's rotation and will likely be on the short list for a call-up if Arizona requires a spot starter or a pitcher capable of covering multiple innings out of the bullpen.