Mets, d'Arnaud avoid arbitration

Catcher Travis d'Armaud and the New York Mets settled at $1.875M to avoid arbitration.

In d'Arnaud's 73 games behind the plate this season, Mets pitchers had a 4.27 ERA (292 earned runs/615.2 innings pitched) with opposing batters hitting .275. The Mets went 35-35 when d'Arnaud started at catcher.

He hit .247 (24-97) with three doubles, two home runs and nine RBI prior to the All-Star break, and batted .247 (38-154) with four doubles, two home runs and six RBI after the All-Star break.

d'Arnaud batted .264 (51-193) with seven doubles and four home runs off righthanded pitching, and hit .190 (11-58) with no extra-base hits off lefthanded pitching this season.

Alex Wilson signs with Tigers, avoids arbitration

Alex Wilson agreed to a $1.175M deal to avoid arbitration with the Detroit Tigers on Friday.

Wilson established career highs in wins (4), appearances (62), innings pitched (73.0) and strikeouts (49).

He was placed on the 15-day disabled list on 4/2, retroactive to 3/25, with right shoulder soreness. He wasn't activated until 4/16.

Wilson began an injury rehab assignment with Single A Lakeland on 4/7 – appeared in four games, including one start, between Triple A Toledo and Lakeland during the injury rehab assignment and posted a 0-1 record with a 7.20 ERA (5.0IP/4ER) and seven strikeouts.

Indians, Zack McAllister settle on $1.825M

Pitcher Zack McAllister and the Cleveland Indians settled on a  $1.825M contract on Friday.

McAllister was a steady member of the Indians bullpen, finishing the season on a positive note after a mid-season stint on the disabled list. He recorded scoreless outings over each of his first 8 games (7.1 IP) after being limited in spring training
due to an illness. 13 of his 51 relief outings on the season were scoreless.

He was on the 15-day Disabled List from July 7-28 with right hip discomfort after making a spot start (1.0IP, 1H, 3R/ER) on July 2 at Toronto which was the result of a 19.0-inning contest the previous day. McAllister recorded a relief ERA of 3.10 (49.1IP, 51H, 17ER, 51SO) in 2016 and averaged 9.3 strikeouts per 9.0 IP on the season. He Rehabbed at AA Akron and AAA Columbus, July 18-28.

Upon his activation from the D.L. he recorded an ERA of 1.40 (25.2IP, 25H, 4ER, 8BB, 26SO) the remainder of the season and from August 5 thru the end of the season posted an ERA of 0.82 (22.0IP, 17H, 2ER, 6BB, 22SO, .207 avg). Over his last 12 outings after August 25 he allowed 2 runs (1ER) over his last 12.2IP (0.71)...Recorded 7 holds on the season. Batters hit .272 (28-103) off him with runners on base, .236 (17-72) with RISP and .162 (6-37) with RISP-2outs. He allowed an OPS of .788 (122PA's) vs. righties on the year.

Right-handed batters struck out 17 times in 50 PA (34.0%) against McAllister in the second half of the season. His final outing of the season was a rain-shortened spot start at Detroit on Sept 28 (2.0IP 1H, 0R, 1BB, 1K) and was a candidate to start game #162 at Detroit if required.

Rays, Xavier Cedeno agree to $1.3M

Pitcher Xavier Cedeno and the Tampa Bay Rays settled at a $1.3M contract on Friday.

The Rays also settled with Tim Beckham at $885K.

Cedeno appeared in 54 games, but none after Aug 29 at BOS as he was sidelined by neck stiffness. Prior to the injury he led Rays relievers in appearances.

Cedeno has made 115 appearances in less than two seasons with the Rays. From the date of his Rays debut (April 28, 2015) through his final game of 2016 (Aug 29), only one AL lefty made more appearances: NYY/DET Justin Wilson (119).

He limited left-handed batters to a .197 avg. (15-for-76) with only 2 extra-base hits—both doubles on April 21 vs. BOS (David Ortiz, Travis Shaw). After that, he faced 80 lefty batters with-out yielding an extra-base hit through the end of the season.

In his Rays career, Cedeno has faced 184 lefty batters and yielded only one home run, to MIN Eddie Rosario on Aug 25, 2015. Since then, he has faced 105 lefties without allowing a homer, including 87 PA in 2016.

Cedeno Had a stretch of 18 apps from July 19–Aug 8 where he had a 7.50 ERA (12-IP, 10-ER), but otherwise pitched to a 2.15 ERA (29.1-IP, 7-ER).

Cedeno as charged with a team-high 5 blown saves, the last coming on Aug 2 vs. KC, when he yield-ed a go-ahead, 2-run homer to Salvador Perez.

He finished his season with 8 consecutive score-less apps, beginning Aug 16 vs. SD.

Marlins invite nine non-roster players to Spring Training

On Thursday, the Miami Marlins announced that left-hander Dillon Peters and third baseman Brian Anderson are among nine non-roster invitees to Spring Training.

The Marlins also invited left-handers Nick Maronde and Matt Tomshaw, infielder Matt Juengel and catchers Chris Hoo, Cam Maron and Rodrigo Vigil. They signed Minor League catcher Ramon Cabrera, who has a big league camp invite. Miami now has 63 players on its Spring Training roster.

Peters is close to being big league-ready, and some project he could be promoted during the 2017 season. The lefty combined for a 14-6 record with a 2.38 ERA with Class A Advanced Jupiter and Double-A Jacksonville in '16. In 128 2/3 innings, he struck out 105 and walked 20. He will likely open the season at either Jacksonville or Triple-A New Orleans. He combined for a slash line of .265/.348/.389 with 11 home runs and 65 RBIs. In the Arizona Fall League, he belted five home runs and drove in 12 in 22 games.

Anderson made big strides in 2016 at both Jupiter and Jacksonville. He combined for a slash line of .265/.348/.389 with 11 home runs and 65 RBIs. In the Arizona Fall League, he belted five home runs and drove in 12 in 22 games.

Cabrera posted ac .246/.279/.357 slash line in 2016, along with 10 doubles and three home runs in 61 games with the Cincinnati Reds.

Maronde posted a 0-1 record with a 3.19 ERA in 48.0 innings pitched the minors in 2016. He allowed 49 hits and 19 runs, along with a 1.31 WHIP and a 2.65 AVG.

Tomshaw posted an 5-5 record with a 3.23 ERA in the minors in 2016.

Maron posted a .302/.392/.370 slash line with Double-A Jacksonville in 2016, along with 8 doubles and 1 home run in 61 games.

Hoo posted a .210/.291/.262 slash line in the minors in 2016, while Vigil posted a .261/.303/.365 slash line in the minors as well.

Juengel, who played winter ball in Mexico, played in 110 games this past year at New Orleans. He hit 11 home runs and drove in 53.

MLB announces 2017 Spring Training schedule

The 2017 Spring Training exhibition schedule will begin on Wednesday, February 22nd as the Arizona Diamondbacks host Grand Canyon University at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale, Arizona, Major League Baseball announced today. Official Grapefruit League and Cactus League games will begin on Friday, February 24th, while the first full slate of games involving all 30 Major League Clubs will take place on Saturday, February 25th.

The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, the new Grapefruit League home of the Houston Astros and Washington Nationals in West Palm Beach, Florida, will host its first game on Tuesday, February 28th, when the Nationals host the Astros. The Astros will play their first home game in the new facility on Wednesday, March 1st against the Miami Marlins.

The teams competing in the Miami, Florida pool (Pool C) and the Jalisco, Mexico pool (Pool D) of the 2017 World Baseball Classic will participate in exhibition games against Major League Clubs from Tuesday, March 7th through Thursday, March 9th. Teams representing the countries of Canada, Colombia, the Dominican Republic and the United States will each play two games at Grapefruit League sites, while the teams of Italy, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Venezuela will each compete in two contests at Cactus League sites. In addition, the two Semi-Finalist teams to advance from the second round in Tokyo, Japan (Pool E) will play exhibition games at Cactus League sites on Saturday, March 18th and Sunday, March 19th before heading to Los Angeles for the Championship Round of the World Baseball Classic from Monday, March 20th through Wednesday, March 22nd.

Among games being played outside of traditional Spring Training sites, split squads of the Cleveland Indians and Texas Rangers will play two games in San Antonio, Texas on Friday, March 17th and Saturday, March 18th; split squads of the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs will have two contests in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday, March 25th and Sunday, March 26th; and select exhibition games at Major League and Minor League ballparks will be played from Thursday, March 30th through Saturday, April 1st.

ESPN will provide national coverage of seven 2017 Opening Day games on Sunday, April 2nd and Monday, April 3rd. The seven games on Sunday and Monday will include the participation of six Clubs that participated in the 2016 Postseason, including an exclusive ESPN "Sunday Night Baseball" national opener from Busch Stadium in St. Louis that will feature the defending World Series Champion Cubs visiting their NL Central division-rival St. Louis Cardinals at 8:30 p.m. (ET)/7:30 p.m. (CT).

- Major League Baseball

Indians sign free agent Edwin Encarnación to a three-year contract

The Cleveland Indians officially announced the signing of free agent 1B/DH Edwin Encarnacion (#10) to a three-year Major League contract with a club option for the 2020 season on Thursday, and the designation LHP Edwin Escobar for assignment.

Encarnación, 33, has split his professional career between the Cincinnati Reds and Toronto Blue Jays, compiling a 12-year Major League career average of .266 (1439-5409) with 311 doubles, 310 home runs and 942 RBI in 1513 games. He is a three-time American League All-Star selection (2013-14, '16) and over the last five seasons since 2012 he has averaged 90 runs, 29 doubles, 39 home runs and 110 RBI per campaign. He is second in Major League Baseball over that five-year span in homers (193) and RBI (550) and is the only MLB player with at least 30 home runs over each of those seasons and the only player with 30HR/100 RBI in four of the last five seasons.

He recently completed his eighth season in Toronto in 2016, batting .263 (158-601) with 34 doubles, 42 home runs and 127 RBI in 160 games. He collected single-season career-bests in hits (158), runs (99), extra-base hits (76), RBI (127) and total bases (318) and equaled his career-best in home runs (42). He finished tied for first in the American League in RBI (with David Ortiz), tied for third in home runs, sixth in extra-base hits and 10th in OPS. The 127-RBI marked the fifth-highest single season total in Blue Jays history as he finished his Toronto career third in career home runs (239) and sixth in RBI (679) in franchise history. He will donate $100,000 annually during the life of the contract that will be split between Cleveland and Dominican-based organizations.