MLB Player News

Morton (lower leg) said Feb. 12 that he's "mostly caught up" with where he would normally be at in spring training if the MLB lockout wasn't in place, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

Though he acknowledged he wouldn't know exactly where he's at from a conditioning standpoint until the team formally begins spring workouts, Morton at least looks on track for the start of the season after fracturing his right fibula during Game 1 of the World Series against Houston this past October. Atlanta was able to cruise to its first title since 1995 in spite of Morton's absence, but the 38-year-old was unquestionably the team's most dependable starter from about mid-May onward last season. He wrapped up the 2021 regular season with a 3.34 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 20.9 K-BB% across 33 starts.

Lodolo (shoulder) threw a bullpen session Tuesday at the Reds' training site in Arizona without issue and isn't expected to face any limitations during minor-league spring training, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports. "He's been here, and we're trying to build him up and make sure we're beyond the shoulder issues," Reds vice president of player development Shawn Pender said Wednesday. "We were cautious last year. I think rightfully so, based on some of the other things that were happening...He looks completely healthy."

Lodolo finished the 2021 campaign on Triple-A Louisville's 7-day injured list with a strained left shoulder, but the 24-year-old southpaw has been throwing off a mound for most of the offseason without incident. The injury in question limited him to just three starts for Louisville following his promotion from Double-A Chattanooga in early August. Lodolo's limited experience at Triple-A along with his lack of a 40-man roster spot makes an assignment to Louisville his most likely outcome to begin the season, but once big-league camp opens, he'll at least have a chance to compete for the Reds' No. 5 starter job along with youngsters Hunter Greene, Reiver Sanmartin and Riley O'Brien. Cincinnati could also look to add a veteran to compete for the role once the free-agent market reopens when the lockout is lifted.

The Reds extended Ashcraft an invitation for major-league spring training Wednesday.

Ashcraft split 2021 between Double-A Chattanooga and Triple-A Louisville, and he found success at both levels with a combined 3.00 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 129:37 K:BB across 111 innings (22 starts). The 23-year-old will be a longshot to open the season in Cincinnati's starting rotation, but he is a likely bet to make his big-league debut at some point in 2022.

Lodolo was invited to major-league spring training by the Reds on Wednesday.

General manager Nick Krall said in November that Lodolo would be in the mix for a rotation spot in 2022, so it's not a major surprise the left-hander will be in big-league camp. The 23-year-old posted a 1.84 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 68:9 K:BB over 44 innings at Double-A Chattanooga last year before a late-season promotion to Triple-A Louisville.

Lively signed a minor-league contract with the Reds on Thursday.

Lively's deal with Cincinnati includes an invitation to major-league spring training this year. The right-hander has spent the last three seasons in the KBO, and he posted a 4.14 ERA and 1.17 WHIP in 202.1 innings across 36 starts with the Samsung Lions.

Stroman signed a contract with the Cubs on Wednesday, he confirmed on his personal Twitter account. It's a three-year, $71 million deal that includes an opt out after the second season, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN.com.

The 30-year-old righty logged a 3.02 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 50.8 percent groundball rate in 179 innings last season. He didn't pitch in 2020, but he has logged 32 or more starts in four of the last five seasons he has pitched. Stroman has never struck out more than 166 batters in a season, as he thrives on generating weak contact, and he is generally good at logging bulk innings and preventing runs.

Cobb agreed to a two-year, $20 million contract with the Giants on Tuesday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

According to Kerry Crowley of The San Jose Mercury News, the deal includes a $10 million team option for 2024 with a $2 million buyout. Cobb spent 2021 with the Angels and was limited to 18 starts by a wrist injury, but he was effective when healthy with a 3.76 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 98:33 K:BB in 93.1 innings. He should slot into the middle of San Francisco's starting rotation in 2022.

Lucchesi (elbow) threw Tuesday for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery back in June, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

The timing of Lucchesi's surgery means he's likely to miss most of the 2022 season, but he should still be able to pitch before the end of the year if all goes well. It's a good sign to see that he's already throwing, but he still has many hurdles to clear before he's ready for game action.

Eickhoff signed a minor-league deal with the Pirates on Monday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

Eickhoff was a perfectly competent starter in the first three years of his career, posting a 3.87 ERA over 65 starts from 2015 through 2017. He missed most of 2018 with injuries and hasn't pitched at anything close to that level since then, struggling to a 6.48 ERA across 83.1 innings over the last four seasons. If he spends a meaningful portion of the season in the Pirates' rotation it should be considered a pleasant surprise.

Alcantara signed a five-year, $56 million contract extension with the Marlins on Sunday, Craig Mish of SportsGrid.com reports.

Alcantara has spent the past four seasons in Miami, and he'll remain under team control for what would be his first two years of free agency. The right-hander tossed a career-high 205.2 innings across 33 starts last year and posted a 3.19 ERA and 1.07 WHIP.