MLB Player News

Wada is currently sidelined due to left elbow soreness. The 31-year-old had the elbow drained Sunday and also received a cortisone shot, but he has downplayed the severity of the issue.

Ort was claimed off waivers from the Astros in early January but will now be let go to make room for Michael Siani. Ort posted a 4.89 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, and a 49/27 K/BB ratio across 46 innings out of the Astros’ bullpen in 2025 and should get a look with another organization.

Siani was claimed by the Braves off waivers from the Cardinals in November and then claimed by the Dodgers off waivers from the Braves in December, but was then waived by the Dodgers earlier this week to make room for Kyle Tucker. The 26-year-old outfielder will now join his fourth team this offseason. He has just a .688 career OPS in the minors, but is a good defender and baserunner, which makes him good depth for an organization.

Taylor was designated for assignment by the Mariners on January 15th and was not claimed on waivers. He has decided to become a free agent rather than stay in the Seattle organization. He has slashed .205/.272/.260 line in 83 plate appearances but has a .281/.373/.432 line with 160 steals in the last four years in the minor leagues.

Passan also notes that Dominguez is expected to close for the White Sox this upcoming season. Dominguez pitched to a 3.16 ERA in 62 2/3 innings with the Orioles and Blue Jays last season with a 79/36 K/BB ratio. The 31-year-old also has experience at the end of games with 40 career saves. The White Sox aren’t likely to win many games, but Dominguez has been reliable enough to push for 20 saves if he keeps the role over the full season.

In 46 1/3 innings across eight starts this winter, Sanchez had a 1.55 ERA, which has led to him “attracting interest from clubs,” according to Ken Rosenthal. Sanchez was an All-Star back in 2016 but has not pitched in the major leagues since 2022 due to injuries and ineffectiveness. Still, he is only 33 years old, so there could be a chance he gets another shot in 2026.

As Ken Rosenthal reports, “Throughout the offseason, [David] Stearns has expressed interest in leaving the door open for Benge to crack the Opening Day roster out of spring training.” To that end, Benge “was never seriously on the table during trade conversations” and could be the favorite to break camp as the Mets’ starting left fielder. He also spent time in the offseason hitting with the Holliday family after he was one of only three players in the minors with at least 15 home runs, 20 steals, a 150 wRC+, and a strikeout rate below 20 percent. If he does win the starting job, he could be a fantasy contributor right away.

That makes sense. The Brewers only need a cheap backup with William Contreras in house and Jeferson Quero hopefully ready to step in if disaster strikes, and McGuire is a plus defender, if nothing else. He hit .226/.245/.444 in 140 plate appearances for the Cubs last season, and his EV numbers did not back up the surprising power spike.

Castro is getting $6.4 million per season, which matches his 2025 salary in his final year of arbitration. If the Rockies treat him like a regular — and they don’t seem to the type to pay $6.4 million for a backup — then he’ll probably offer some value in deeper leagues. It will hinge on how much he runs; he’s totaled 24 steals the last two years after finishing with 33 in 2023 alone. But his average is due for a nice bump in Coors, and he’ll probably prove to be one of the team’s best options at the top of the lineup, as sad as that might be.

Acton was a waiver claim from the Rays in November after returning from Tommy John to post a 3.68 ERA and a 71/27 K/BB in 58 2/3 innings for Triple-A Durham last season. He’ll probably be stashed by another team and then DFA’d again before you know it.

Scherzer was heavily linked to the Giants after they hired his good friend Tony Vitello as their new manager, but San Francisco preferred Adrian Houser and Tyler Mahle. Scherzer quite probably will be in greater demand when pitchers start going down in spring training, so it wouldn’t hurt to wait.