MLB Player News

Atlanta signed Heim to a one-year contract Tuesday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Heim was non-tendered by the Rangers earlier in the offseason after slashing only .213/.271/.332 across 433 plate appearances in 2025, and his defensive metrics have also declined the last two years. Heim does have a good shot to break camp as the backup catcher behind Drake Baldwin while Sean Murphy (hip) recovers.

Padres manager Craig Stammen said in late January that Sheets is the team's top option at first base, Annie Heilbrunn of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Sheets' first year in San Diego was mostly a success, as he put up a .746 OPS with 19 home runs, 71 RBI, 57 runs and two stolen bases over 545 plate appearances. The former White Sox slugger made most of his appearances in left field (64 games) and at DH (63 games), but he came up through the minors as a first baseman and has played 92 games there in the majors. It sounds like Sheets is going to enter spring training with the inside edge to be San Diego's primary first baseman, though Stammen has also mentioned Jake Cronenworth, Will Wagner and Sung-Mun Song as options at the position, per 97.3 The Fan. Sheets showed last season that he can be a productive major-league hitter, and if he's able to hold down the first-base role and gain fantasy eligibility there to go along with his current outfield eligibility, he could be a useful fantasy asset this year.

Mills signed a minor-league contract with the Dodgers on Monday, which includes an invitation to spring training, Sonja Chen of MLB.com reports.

Mills is searching for a return to the major leagues after missing significant time while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. He returned to the bump a season ago pitching for Triple-A Worcester, posting a 3.12 ERA and 1.29 WHIP with a 49:30 K:BB across 52.0 innings (seven starts). Mills will have the chance to compete for a bullpen slot after signing on with LA.

De Paula will open spring training with the major-league team, Sonja Chen of MLB.com reports.

De Paula appeared in 98 games with High-A Great Lakes a season ago, slashing .261/.402/.414 with 12 home runs, 43 RBI, 32 stolen bases and 65 runs scored before getting a taste of Double-A Tulsa for four games. He'll get an opportunity to compete against big-league talent at least for the first part of camp before presumably getting ready to begin the 2026 campaign at Double-A.

Hope was invited to major-league spring training, Sonja Chen of MLB.com reports.

Hope will open spring training with the big-league club for a second straight season. As one of LA's top prospects, he spent 121 games at High-A Great Lakes a season ago but finished out the 2025 campaign at Double-A Tulsa (six games). It would make sense for the 21-year-old to open the 2026 season at Double-A after gaining valuable experience against big-league arms to start camp.

Rea will likely work in a bullpen role to begin the season, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Chicago's key offseason pitching addition was Edward Cabrera, and he will likely slot in near the top of the rotation. The Cubs will also start the year with Cade Horton, who made a splash in the majors after he debuted last May. Justin Steele (elbow) should return at some point as well. The deeper pitching staff figures to push Rea into more of a swing role, at least early in the season. The veteran righty appeared in 32 games for Chicago last year, making 27 starts, and posted a 3.95 ERA and 127 strikeouts across 159.1 innings. Rea is a serviceable starter when given the opportunity, but his fantasy value takes a hit in long relief.

The Cubs invited Long to major-league spring training on Monday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Long spent all of last season with Triple-A Iowa, where he sported a .307/.405/.480 slash line and mashed 20 home runs across 140 games. The 24-year-old is blocked at first base in the majors by Michael Busch, who had a breakout 2025 campaign. The offseason signing of Tyler Austin as a potential short-side platoon partner for Busch or Moises Ballesteros further blocks the righty-hitting Long, as the Cubs are unlikely to carry two righty-hitting first basemen at a time and Long isn't on the 40-man roster.

The Cubs invited Wiggins to Major League spring training on Monday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Wiggins is Chicago's top pitching prospect, and while the 24-year-old is likely to begin the season with Triple-A Iowa, he could make his MLB debut at some point in 2026. Cade Horton followed a similar route last year and ended up making a big impact in the majors once he got the call in May, so Wiggins is worth keeping an eye on early in the campaign. The righty posted a 2.19 ERA and 97 strikeouts over 78 innings across three minor-league stops in 2025, giving a glimpse at his upside.

Pagan and teammate Tony Santillan will likely see less work in spring training games this year, especially early in the spring, Charlie Goldsmith of The Dayton Daily News reports. "We'll slow play them a little," pitching coach Derek Johnson said. "We need to give them a bit of time on the front end to build and maybe not be in games right away.

Pagan and Santillan were heavily used by the Reds last season, particularly down the stretch as the team tried to make the playoffs. The Reds did acquire Caleb Ferguson, Pierce Johnson and Brock Burke this offseason to help lighten the load on the two returning high-leverage arms.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson said Monday that he doesn't anticipate Wheeler (shoulder) being ready for Opening Day, but he "doesn't think he'll be too far behind that," Paul Casella of MLB.com reports.

The declaration largely aligns with previous reports regarding Wheeler's timetable, though Thomson's words are the clearest indication yet that the Phillies don't plan on having the 35-year-old available for Opening Day. Recovering from venous thoracic outlet surgery -- which is the less severe of the two TOS diagnoses -- Wheeler began a throwing program in early December, and his rehab has gone off without a hitch to this point. More clarity on Wheeler's timeline could be available during spring training, but he seems to have a good shot at making his season debut sometime in April.