MLB Player News

He’s finally coming home. After nearly two decades with Cincinnati, the Ontario native will be in camp with Toronto for the remainder of the spring to compete for a spot on the club’s season-opening roster. The deal includes a $2 million salary and $2 million in additional incentives, if the 40-year-old veteran first baseman is added the the Blue Jays’ roster. He’s no longer a relevant fantasy contributor, but he remains an invaluable clubhouse presence and leader as he attempts to make it back for an 18th season in the majors.

McKenzie qualifies as a low-risk lottery ticket for San Diego’s pitching apparatus as a reclamation project after posting a calamitous 11.12 ERA across 5 2/3 innings for the Guardians before being designated for assignment by late April. The 28-year-old former impact stater went unclaimed on waivers and spent the rest of last season in minor league purgatory. He’ll be an interesting name to watch in spring training to see if the Padres can unlock something.

The deal is now official. Keller’s metamorphosis into an elite high-leverage reliever with the Cubs last season was fueled by a massive velocity uptick, which led to a sparkling 2.07 ERA — 2.93 FIP — 0.96 WHIP and 75/22 K/BB ratio across 69 2/3 innings. The 30-year-old journeyman fortifies Philadelphia’s setup mix leading to upper-echelon closer Jhoan Duran. He’s one of the few non-closing relief arms worthy of a roster spot in deeper mixed leagues.

The deal is now official. Morel arrives in Miami with the expectation that he’ll take over as their starting first baseman entering next season. The 26-year-old possesses an interesting blend of talent and raw power but he’s struck out just a shade over 30 percent of the time in 1,770 plate appearances in the majors since 2022. He struggled to an underwhelming .208/.277/.355 slash line with 11 homers and seven steals over 105 games this past season for the Rays. He’s the textbook definition of a low-probability lottery ticket for Miami as they search for a solution at the cold corner.

Alcala represents a low-risk lottery ticket for the Blue Jays entering next season after he was non-tendered last month by the Cardinals. The hard-throwing 30-year-old righty posted an uninspiring 6.22 ERA — 5.68 FIP — 1.75 WHIP and 61/30 K/BB ratio across 55 innings between the Twins, Red Sox and Cardinals this past season. The upper-90’s fastball ensures he’ll continue to get opportunities but lackluster control limits his effectiveness.

Cleveland continues loading up on experienced high-leverage relief arms this offseason with Armstrong becoming the latest addition to their setup mix. He figures to operate in a versatile setup role behind young stopper Cade Smith. The 35-year-old journeyman was outstanding for the Rangers this past season, converting a career-high nine saves to accompany a sparkling 2.31 ERA — 3.07 FIP — 0.81 WHIP and 74/20 K/BB ratio across 74 innings. His 26.1 percent strikeout rate was his highest single-season mark in nearly a half decade.

Kriske struggled to a lackluster 7.50 ERA — 4.36 FIP — 1.94 WHIP and 18/15 K/BB ratio across 18 innings between the Cubs and Twins this past season. The 31-year-old journeyman reliever has shown an ability to consistently miss bats but subpar control continues to hamper his ability to stick at the highest level. He’s a low-risk lottery ticket for the Athletics as a depth addition entering spring training.

Kuhnel augments the Athletics’ relief depth heading into next spring where he’ll compete for one of the final spots in their season-opening bullpen. The well-traveled 30-year-old reliever didn’t appear in the big leagues this past season after making six appearances between the Astros and Rays the previous year. He compiled a respectable 3.53 ERA – 3.37 FIP – and 56/11 K/BB ratio across 63 2/3 innings over 50 appearances at the Triple-A level this past season.

Guenther fortifies Detroit’s left-handed relief depth after being non-tendered last month by the club. The 29-year-old southpaw posted a 5.23 ERA — 3.04 FIP — 1.45 WHIP and 8/5 K/BB ratio over 10 1/3 innings across nine appearances for the Tigers this past season before undergoing season-ending hip surgery in early July.

Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports that De Jesus will earn $1.3 million if he reaches the majors. The 29-year-old southpaw spent the last two seasons pitching overseas in Korea with the Kiwoom Heroes and KT Wiz, respectively. He last appeared in the majors with the Marlins back in 2023. He represents low-risk gamble for the Tigers heading into spring training.

Little returns to Detroit’s relief mix a couple weeks after being non-tendered by the club. The 27-year-old righty made a pair of relief appearances for the eventual World Series champion Dodgers before being claimed off waivers by the Pirates in August. He landed with the Tigers on another waiver claim earlier this offseason.