MLB Player News

General manager Neal Huntington said Saturday that he views Lyles as "Plan A" for the fifth spot in the Pirates' rotation, Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic reports.

Huntington also mentioned Steven Brault and Nick Kingham as candidates for the rotation vacancy, but Lyles looks to have the early edge on the gig heading into spring training. So long as he stays healthy during camp and performs reasonably well in Grapefruit League action, Lyles should be able to lock down the starting spot, though it wouldn't necessarily make him a viable fantasy option outside of NL-only leagues. The right-hander has proven volatile during his stints with the Astros, Rockies, Padres and Brewers over the past eight seasons, compiling a 5.28 ERA in 635.2 career innings as a starter.

Bergman signed a minor-league contract with Chicago including an invitiation to spring training, Mariners Minors reports.

Bergman was let go by the Mariners at the end of the 2018 campaign, so he'll aim for a better outcome with the Cubs. His time in the major leagues has been limited so far in his career, as he's posted a 5.59 ERA and 1.47 WHIP with 130 punchouts over 215.2 frames across stops in Colorado and Seattle.

As part of Gray's deal to the Reds, he agreed to a three-year, $30.5 million extension along with a $12 million club option for 2023, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

This goes on top of the $7.5 million that Gray will make in 2019 with the Reds. In exchange, the Reds dealt second base prospect Shed Long and a competitive balance pick. Gray is the first of the Reds' significant additions that they committed to beyond this season. One might think that the move to Cincinnati won't help in terms of ballparks, but Gray's home/road split with the Yankees (6.98 at home, 3.17 on the road) was so extreme. Between that split, facing NL hitters and reuniting with his college pitching coach, Gray can't help but to improve.

Gray was traded from the Yankees to the Reds on Monday as a part of a three-team deal, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports. Following the trade, Gray signed a three-year, $30.5 million contract extension, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

It took a little longer than expected, but Gray is officially a member of the Reds. The right-hander will be reunited with his college pitching coach, Derek Johnson, who currently holds that position with Cincinnati. Gray will immediately slot into the middle of the Reds' rotation and will look to bounce-back from a lackluster 2018 that saw him post a 4.90 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 123:57 K:BBB across 130.1 innings.

Soroka (shoulder) won't be restricted during spring training but the Braves are expected to closely monitor him, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Soroka started five games during the 2018 campaign before being shut down due to a shoulder injury. While manager Brian Snitker has no intention of restricting Soroko, he'll likely take it slow with the 21-year-old right-hander to prevent any further issues.

Darvish (elbow) is slated to throw 20 pitches from 120 feet Saturday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

Darvish remains on track for a normal spring training, and it's good to see him ramp up his throwing activity already. He's slated to toss his first bullpen since Jan. 18 next Friday, assuming Saturday's throwing session goes as planned.

Scahill agreed to a minor-league deal with the Cubs on Friday, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Scahill spent 2018 with the White Sox but threw just five innings at the big-league level, the fewest in his seven-year career. His 5.64 ERA in 60.2 innings for Triple-A Charlotte doesn't make a good case for him earning a larger major-league role this season, though he did have a 3.23 FIP at that level, suggesting that there may still be some more good innings in the 31-year-old's arm. He'll face an uphill battle to win an Opening Day roster spot but could be called upon when injuries strike the Cubs' pen.

Nuno will compete for a rotation role in spring training, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.

The Nationals apparently see Nuno as a possible fit at the back of their rotation, something of a surprise considering he's started just one game since 2015. Between Joe Ross and Erick Fedde, the team doesn't have a player with a firm hold on the fifth starter job, so it's possible Nuno wins it in an upset, though a bullpen role is far more likely if he makes the team.

Nuno signed a minor-league contract with the Nationals on Thursday, Jon Heyman of FancredSports.com reports.

Nuno missed a good chunk of the 2018 season due to a hamstring injury, but he impressed when healthy, posting a 1.64 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 29:10 K:BB across 33 innings of relief for the Rays. The 31-year-old southpaw will compete for a spot on the team's Opening Day roster as a middle reliever who can eat innings if necessary.

Peterson was invited to the Mets' big-league camp Thursday.

Peterson still hasn't reached Double-A, so he isn't a real candidate to make the team's Opening Day roster. The 23-year-old made 22 starts between Low-A Columbia and High-A St. Lucie in 2018, posting a combined 3.16 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 115:30 K:BB across 128 innings.