MLB Player News

Sarfate, who was acquired from Milwaukee on Sept. 11, has allowed just two hits, walked one and struck out 11 in seven scoreless innings for Houston. There’s little doubt that he’ll last on the 40-man roster this winter. Still, his usual lack of command makes him a mediocre bet going forward.

Farmer hit just .227/.280/.365 with eight home runs in 300 plate appearances for the Rockies in 2025 before his $4 million team option was declined. He has been a useful bench piece for a few years since he can play anywhere on the field and is a .247 career hitter. He’ll try to win a spot on Atlanta’s bench.

Ramos was traded to the Orioles earlier this week and then designated for assignment just a couple of days later. The 23-year-old hit .216/.309/.396 in Triple-A last season, but he posted impressive exit velocities and could get a chance at playing time on a rebuilding Cardinals team.

Ibáñez signed a one-year, $1.2 million contract with the Dodgers in the middle of January, but was designated for assignment less than a month later. The 32-year-old hit .239/.301/.352 for the Tigers last season and could platoon with Jeff McNeil this upcoming season, getting his starts mainly against left-handed pitchers.

Brasier pitched just 26 innings for the Cubs last season, thanks to a groin injury. He posted a 4.50 ERA, but his underlying metrics were more promising, and he was undone by an elevated .321 BABIP. If Brasier is healthy following his groin injury, he has a good chance to win a bullpen job.

Olson strained his shoulder in July and had resumed throwing in December, but it now appears that he may not be ready to start the season. If Olson were to be delayed to start the season, that would mean that Drew Anderson and Troy Melton would battle for the fifth starter spot in Detroit.

The 29-year-old is a .238/.287/.342 hitter with 15 homers and a 21.3 percent strikeout rate in 1,032 MLB plate appearances, but he can play a few positions around the infield and has been a solid minor league hitter over his career. He could provide infield depth at a few spots if he wins a minor league job.

After trading Blaze Alexander to the Orioles on Thursday, the Diamondbacks opened the door for Lawlar or Tim Tawa to get starts in left field. Lawlar had previously been only an infielder as a prospect, but he played center field during winter ball and seems to be moving to the outfield in 2026. “You’re going to see him work in the infield some as we move into spring training,” explained Hazan. “I think the majority of his work is going to come in the outfield.” The 23-year-old top prospect battled through injuries in 2025 and failed to produce in his brief MLB at-bats, but continued to show good skills in the minors and could finally get a shot this season.

Worth a flier. The Astros had Rodgers try swinging harder last year, and it did lead to improved exit velocity but also a lot more strikeouts in the 43 games in which he was healthy. Whether things might have gotten better is hard to say, since injuries wiped out the final 3 1/2 months of the season for him. He’s pretty obviously a weaker bet than Romy Gonzalez as a right-handed second base option at this point, but perhaps there’s still some potential to be tapped into after he spent his first nine years as a pro in baseball’s most backwards organization.

Cedeño, a former Cardinals prospect, spent the last three years in Japan and played in a total of 229 games with a .246/.297/.412 line. He’s still only 27, but he seems more like a Triple-A guy than someone who will be of much help in the majors.

Báez received an unannounced two-year ban from international play that expires in April. This has nothing to do with his MLB status, as recreational marijuana usage isn’t banned by the league. Báez was hoping to suit up for Puerto Rico for the third time this year.