MLB Spring Training 2018: Latest Rumors and Injury News

Spring training is drawing to a close and Opening Day is now just a few short days away. The 2018 MLB season is almost here, folks.

With that in mind, now seems like as good a time as any for a quick rundown of the latest rumors and speculation surrounding the market's top free agents, as well as any notable injury news that could have an impact on Opening Day rosters.

So let's dive right in.

Top Remaining Free Agents

One of the free-agent market's top starters in Alex Cobb finally found a new home on Tuesday when he signed a four-year, $57 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles, according to Bruce Levine of 670 The Score.

Here's a look at some other notable players who remain unemployed and the latest rumors/speculation on where they might land:

1B Mark Reynolds

Michael Owen Baker/Associated Press

The 34-year-old slugger played his way into a role last season after signing a minor league pact with the Colorado Rockies. The end result was a 105 OPS+ with 30 home runs and 97 RBI, though his power-centric game resulted in just 0.9 WAR.

The Rockies have "remained in contact" with Reynolds, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network, as he'd serve as valuable insurance for rookie Ryan McMahon.

The Orioles have also been linked to Reynolds, though only loosely, with Roch Kubatko of MASNsports writing: "The Orioles appear set at the infield corners and right-handed designated hitter, assuming Davis has avoided a serious injury, but Reynolds intrigues because, well, he's out there."

At this point, waiting to sign until an injury opens up a spot might be his best course of action. Think James Loney joining the New York Mets in 2016.

OF Jose Bautista

Michael Dwyer/Associated Press

This might be the end of the road for Joey Bats.

The 37-year-old posted a dismal 76 OPS+ with 23 home runs and 65 RBI in 686 plate appearances on his way to minus-1.7 WAR last season for the Toronto Blue Jays while earning a hefty $18 million.

News has been sparse surrounding the six-time All-Star, though Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports did offer up this nugget at the beginning of March: "Jose Bautista had a couple seven-figure offers (probably $1 million, or just over), but he didn’t think they were commensurate with his value. So he may retire."

However, it didn't sound like retirement was on the table when Bautista talked to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports, saying: "Right now I'm just considering my options, and it depends on two criteria. That's winning and making sure that my family's in a good situation."

We shall see if he does, in fact, continue on in 2018.

RP Greg Holland

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

MLBTradeRumors predicted a four-year, $50 million deal for Greg Holland, while Heyman had him pegged for a four-year, $64 million pact.

So what happened?

Plenty of high-leverage relievers have cashed in this offseason, even in a slow-moving market, so it's hard to blame the circumstances of the winter.

The 32-year-old returned from Tommy John surgery last season and saved an NL-high 41 games for the Colorado Rockies.

However, he ran out of gas with a 7.58 ERA and three blown saves in 11 chances over the final two months of the season.

The Atlanta Braves and Arizona Diamondbacks are two teams who have recently kicked the tires on Holland, according to Heyman, who also lists the Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers as speculative fits.

Other Free Agents of Note: 1B Adam Lind, 1B/OF Brandon Moss, SS J.J. Hardy, OF Melky Cabrera, OF Andre Ethier, OF Jayson Werth, SP Scott Feldman, SP Matt Garza, SP John Lackey, SP Jake Peavy, RP Joe Blanton, RP Jason Grilli, RP Drew Storen.

Injury News

Phil Long/Associated Press

1B Yuli Gurriel, HOU: Gurriel underwent hamate bone surgery on his left hand in February, and he could be back a few weeks after the start of the regular season. The versatile Marwin Gonzalez will likely be the everyday first baseman until he returns, opening up playing time in the outfield for Derek Fisher and Jake Marisnick.

2B Dustin Pedroia, BOS: Still recovering from October knee surgery, Pedroia is not expected to be back until May at the earliest. Re-signing Eduardo Nunez gives the club a solid everyday option until Pedroia returns, at which time Nunez will return to the super-utility role he's thrived in the past few seasons.

3B Martin Prado, MIA: Prado saw his 2017 season end when he underwent surgery on his right knee, and he had a flare up in that same knee on March 13. That should open the door for prospect Brian Anderson to break camp as the starting third baseman. The 24-year-old is hitting .286/.388/.667 with four home runs in 49 plate appearances this spring.

SS Jorge Polanco, MIN: While he isn't hurt, Polanco will be missing from the Twins lineup for the foreseeable future after he was given an 80-game PED suspension. Utility man Eduardo Escobar would appear to be the most likely in-house replacement, while veteran Erick Aybar is also in camp as a non-roster invitee, and he could now find his way onto the roster as well.

SP Danny Salazar, CLE: The talented but oft-injured Salazar has been experiencing shoulder inflammation this spring, and it will likely mean an early trip to the DL. Salazar was battling with Josh Tomlin and Mike Clevinger for the final two spots in the Cleveland rotation, so his injury just brings some clarity to that situation for the time being.

SP Ervin Santana, MIN: Santana underwent surgery on his right middle finger in February, and he has not yet begun a throwing program, per Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press. The Twins went out an acquired Jake Odorizzi and Lance Lynn to fill out the rotation, and those two will join Jose Berrios and Kyle Gibson as the team hopes to go with a four-man rotation until Santana returns.

3B Justin Turner, LAD: Turner suffered a fractured left wrist when he was hit by a pitch on March 19. Per Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, he won't need surgery, but the injury will still sideline him for a handful of weeks. Expect the Dodgers to slide Logan Forsythe over to third base, with some combination of Chase Utley, Kike Hernandez and Chris Taylor manning second base.

Other Notable Players Expected to Open on the DL: RP Zach Britton (BAL), OF Michael Conforto (NYM), SP Anthony DeSclafani (CIN), OF Ben Gamel (SEA), SP Luiz Gohara (ATL), SP Jimmy Nelson (MIL), SP Carlos Rodon (CWS), DH Mark Trumbo (BAL), SS Troy Tulowitzki (TOR), SP Jason Vargas (NYM), C Stephen Vogt (MIL)

All regular-season stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, while injury news comes via MLB.com.