MLB Player News

Sclafani didn’t do much this spring in the Grapefruit League and he had an underwhelming .709 OPS in 75 games last season between Double-A and Triple-A. The 25-year-old second baseman will have to settle for a minor league contract on the open market.

Both teams have acquired starters (Mike Burrows in Houston, Shane Baz in Baltimore) since engaging the Marlins prior to the winter meetings. Miami is still open to parting with Cabrera, but no one has been willing to meet the team’s demands just yet. The Marlins are planning on holding on to Sandy Alcantara, according to Jackson.

He’ll likely get a camp invite, but that will be announced later. Baumann had a 4.95 ERA in four starts and 130 relief appearances, most of them with the Orioles, from 2021-24. He went to Japan last season, but he pitched just 15 innings for the Swallows and finished with a 4.20 ERA. The Mets will most likely stash him as relief depth in Triple-A.

These was thought Mervis’s declining EV numbers during a rough 2024 were the product of a broken hamate bone, so the Marlins gave him a chance last season. However, he hit just .175/.254/.383 in 134 plate appearances before being cast off. He went on to hit 19 homers in 65 Triple-A games, and his EV numbers were better at the end of the year. Still, he mostly just seems like a Triple-A slugger at the moment.

Miami wanted a ninth-inning guy anyway, but they became especially motivated after losing Ronny Henriquez to elbow surgery. As a result, Fairbanks is getting $2 million more than he would have received had the Rays picked up his option. And that doesn’t include the $1 million buyout he received from Tampa Bay. Fairbanks had a 2.83 ERA in a career-high 60 1/3 innings last season. With a closing gig assured, he rates as a top-20 fantasy RP for 2026.

Nick Sanzeri recently posted training video of Snelten topping out at 102.5 mph off a mound, which surely piqued some interest in the 33-year-old. Snelten’s only major league experience came in the form of four relief appearances with the Giants back in 2018. He pitched in indy ball the following year, but in large part because of injuries, he’s rarely been seen since. He actually signed minor league deals with the Angels two years ago and the White Sox last season, yet he never pitched in games in either organization. Hopefully, this works out better.

The deal includes $500K in performance bonuses in each season. It’s another solid move for the Pirates, who also acquired Brandon Lowe and Jake Mangum just last week. The 32-year-old O’Hearn rejuvenated his career in Baltimore over the last three years and hit .281/.366/.427 in 144 games for the Orioles and Padres last year while clubbing 17 home runs. He does struggle against lefties, so the Pirates will likely need to platoon him with somebody like Jhostynxon Garcia or Nick Yorke, but O’Hearn should be the regular starter against right-handed pitching and hit in the middle of what is becoming a deeper lineup in Pittsburgh.

Mayo is just 24 years old and a one-time top prospect, who has yet to put it together at the big league level. Yet, he hit .301/.393/.548 with three doubles and five home runs in 24 games in September to end the season, so it would make sense for the Orioles to try and find a way to get him into the lineup. They could use Mayo and Ryan Mountcastle at DH, which would mean no room for Samel Basallo, or they could give Mayo a chance to earn starts in the corner outfield, something that they had been hesitant to do in the past.

The contract has incentives that can push the deal to $2 million and also has a club option for $2.5 million for 2027. Webb pitched well for the Rangers last year, posting a 3.00 ERA and 58/19 K/BB ratio in 55 appearances. He also has a 2.99 ERA over 247 MLB appearances with the Braves, Angels, Orioles, and Rangers. It’s a good addition to the Cubs’ bullpen.

Burch missed all of 2025 after undergoing elbow surgery, but he will be ready to go in 2026. The 28-year-old has yet to throw a pitch above Double-A, but he does have a 3.71 ERA in 174 2/3 career minor league innings.

The White Sox just claimed Rolison off waivers from the Braves on December 12th, but they will now waive him to make room for newly signed Sean Newcomb. The 28-year-old Rolison posted a 7.02 ERA in 31 appearances for the Rockies in 2025 and will try to latch on with another team to get another crack at an MLB job.