MLB Player News

The news isn’t unexpected, as Knebel had been diagnosed with ulnar collateral ligament damage and was seeking multiple opinions before making a decision. Obviously, he’s done for the 2019 campaign and he could get a late start in 2020, as well. Josh Hader got a two-inning save in the Brewers’ opener Thursday and might see more save opportunities, although the team likely prefers to keep him in his multi-inning fireman role. Matt Albers, Jacob Barnes, Alex Claudio, and Junior Guerra could also see opportunities, and Jeremy Jeffress (shoulder) might be the favorite for saves when he returns. There’s also the possibility that Milwaukee signs Craig Kimbrel, which has been rumored.

It’s a three-year, $54 million deal with easily reached bonuses that will net Imai an extra $3 million per season if he stays relatively healthy (he needs only to reach 100 innings each year). It includes opt outs after each season, so Imai will probably head right back to free agency if he performs as a rookie. The Astros needed to replace Framber Valdez, and Imai is plenty intriguing while coming off a season in which he posted a 1.92 ERA and a 178/45 K/BB in 163 2/3 innings for the Seibu Lions. The 27-year-old throws in the mid-90s and mixes in sliders and splitters from a low arm angle. With his command having taken a big step forward, he projects as a fine middle-of-the-rotation starter in MLB, though he’ll probably be a better bet in year two than in 2026.

It’ll be a two-year, minor league deal. The surgery was previously unreported, but it’s not a big surprise after the right-hander missed much of 2025 with elbow inflammation. The 27-year-old Winckowski had a 4.20 ERA in 21 starts and 100 relief appearances over four seasons with the Red Sox before being non-tendered last month.

Enright had Tommy John surgery in October, so he’s out for 2026. He also had to overcome Hodgkin’s lymphoma earlier in his career, but he pitched quite well in his major league debut last season, posting a 2.03 ERA and a 30/12 K/BB in 31 innings. He’ll be 30 when he returns in 2027, but he might yet turn out to be a quality reliever for a few years.

If all goes well, Eflin could be part of the season-opening rotation, but it’s also possible he’ll start off on the injured list. Eflin re-signed with the Orioles on Sunday after becoming a free agent at season’s end. He’s guaranteed $10 million next season, with a chance to earn up to an additional $5 million if he proves healthy.

MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand says it’s a done deal. Probably not what Giants fans were hoping for in the rotation after a similar addition in Adrian Houser, but maybe there’s still more to come. Mahle did put up a 2.18 ERA in his 16 starts for the Rangers last season, but his peripherals were unimpressive, and he again dealt with shoulder problems. Having undergone Tommy John in 2023, he’s made a total of 24 starts the last three years, and his velocity last season was down two mph from his one completely healthy and productive season with the Reds in 2021.

He can make an extra $1.5 million in bonuses, according to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman. When he wasn’t on the IL with shoulder and groin injuries, Harvey threw 10 2/3 scoreless innings for the Royals last season, though his velocity was down about two mph. He has a career 3.11 ERA in 185 innings since debuting with the Orioles in 2019. He’ll probably be helpful in a setup role when healthy.

The sixth overall pick in the 2018 draft, Kelenic was a consensus top-10 prospect five years ago, but he’s hit just .211/.282/.376 in 1,488 major league plate appearances with the Mariners and Braves. He spent most of last year in Triple-A and further drove down his stock by batting .213/.286/.309 with four homers in 95 games for Gwinnett. He’s still only 26, and there’s always the chance he could take a step forward. However, it’s hard to find much reason for optimism at this point.

The 31-year-old Hernandez, a slider specialist with an 89-92 mph fastball, has a 7.06 ERA in 21 2/3 major league innings with the Padres and Astros. He’ll compete for a spot in the A’s bullpen during spring training.

Things have been trending in the wrong direction for Azocar, who had 216 plate appearances in the majors as a rookie in 2022, but just 102, 79 and 21 the last three seasons. Overall, he’s hit .244/.290/.319 in 228 games, two of which actually came with the Braves last summer in between stints in the Mets organization. He seems destined to be Triple-A insurance for Atlanta.

Marte is still available in trade talks at the moment, but Hazen might shut down things soon if no one steps up with the offer the D-backs want. “But this isn’t going to continue to linger,” he said. “We need to focus our offseason. Again, my gut this whole time was that [a trade of Marte] wasn’t going to happen, and I think it seems likely that that’s the case and we want to focus on other things we need to do.” The Red Sox, Rays and Tigers are among the teams to have asked about Marte, who is entering the second year of a seven-year, $116.5 million extension.