Cubs sign Austin Wynns to minors contract

The deal won’t be made official until the Tigers clear the requisite room on their 40-man roster which could take a day or two. Cheng, 25, appeared in 14 games with the Red Sox in 2026, slashing .256/.318/.282 with zero homers and five RBI in 44 plate appearances. He’ll add infield depth for the Tigers.

Once the move is made official, the club will have five days to trade him or to put him through waivers. Stubbs, 33, played in 35 games for the Phillies during the 2026 campaign, slashing .153/.215/.153 with zero homers, three RBI and a 15/3 K/BB ratio over 65 plate appearances.

Instead, he’ll receive a $500,000 buyout and will look for a lucrative multi-year deal on the open market. The 29-year-old righty made 31 starts between the Cardinals and Brewers in 2026, posting a 4.70 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and a 144/50 K/BB ratio across 145 2/3 innings during the regular season. He then logged 11 innings in five appearances out of the Brewers’ bullpen as they marched to their first World Series title in franchise history. May shouldn’t have any trouble finding a landing spot in free agency.

The Mets had to clear a spot on their 40-man roster for the addition of Kyren Paris on Thursday and unfortunately for Pache, he was the odd man out this time. The 27-year-old defensive specialist received just eight plate appearances with the Mets in 2026, going 1-for-8 with four strikeouts. There’s a possibility that other clubs could take a chance on him on waivers.

Paris burst onto the scene with an impressive power display at the start of the 2025 season but has come crashing back to reality since then. In 2026, he saw just 18 plate appearances with the Angels, going 0-for-15 with eight strikeouts. He’ll give the Mets another intriguing utility option.

Bichette could have opted out and tried for more on the open market, but he’ll return to the Mets for a second season instead. The 28-year-old infielder slashed an underwhelming .260/.312/.390 with 18 homers, 78 RBI and a pair of stolen bases in 696 plate appearances in 2026. The expectation is that he’ll once again function as the team’s primary third baseman in 2027.

Like teammate Ronald Acuna Jr., Albies is on a very team-friendly contract which made this option an easy decision for the club to exercise. The 29-year-old second baseman hit .237/.293/.392 with 22 long balls, 73 RBI and four stolen bases in a massive 683-plate appearances while playing in all 162 games for the Braves in 2026.

This one was an absolute no-brainer as the 28-year-old outfielder remains on a very team-friendly contract. While not elite, he had a solid all-around season in 2026, slashing .255/.345/.451 with 20 homers, 55 RBI and 21 stolen bases in 469 plate appearances across 107 ballgames. Even with his extensive injury history, he’s likely to be a top-30 selection in all fantasy drafts next spring.

The 29-year-old outfielder will receive a $2 million buyout before he hits the free agent market. Once considered among the brightest up-and-coming stars in the game, Robert has struggled through injury and ineffectiveness for the past three seasons. In 2026, he slashed a meager .221/.300/.407 with 11 homers, 26 RBI and two stolen bases in 230 plate appearances between the Mets and Orioles. He’ll be one of the most intriguing names available on the open market this winter.

Instead, they’ll pay the 33-year-old right-hander a buyout of $2 million. After a brilliant 2025 season in which he notched a league-leading 42 saves and posted a 2.45 ERA across 66 innings of work, Estévez was limited to just one appearance in 2026 due to recurring shoulder issues. He finally underwent surgery in early September, which puts his outlook for the start of the 2027 season in jeopardy.