MLB Player News

Sanó’s exit velocity numbers were strong after his year away from baseball, but his 38% strikeout rate left him with a .205/.295/.313 line in 95 plate appearances. There’s still the chance that he could be a net positive for a major league team given regular playing time, but his upside is pretty limited at this point.

As with the Ty Adcock signing last week, the Padres are again taking advantage of their 40-man roster openings to secure a priority minor league free agent. The 27-year-old Acosta had a 2.42 ERA and a 72/27 K/BB in 52 innings of relief work between Double- and Triple-A in the Nationals system last season. He throws in the mid-90s and gets his strikeouts with a mid-80s splitter. Control has always been an issue, but the stuff is there for him to become a useful reliever. This will be his first time on a 40-man roster, so he has all three option years available.

Albernaz, who is managing a major league team for the first time, appears to believe that closers are closers and shouldn’t be used earlier in games when the situation might warrant. That’s good news for Helsley’s value, because while he was already clearly going to be the Orioles’ closer, it’s nice to know he won’t lose the occasional save chance pitching the eighth in tight games.

Alonso lives in Tampa and the meetings are in Orlando, so he doesn’t have too far to go. It’s unclear if he’ll be meeting with the Mets, but there will always be time for that later.

The report from North Side Baseball’s Matthew Trueblood here is extra interesting, because it suggests the Cubs are looking for just one more reliever on a major league contract. If that’s the case, one would think they should try to do much better than the 34-year-old Stanek, who has finished with ERAs of 4.09, 4.88 and 5.30 while pitching for contenders the last three seasons. That said, his stuff numbers are still very good, and the Cubs might think they have a fix for him.

Fellow youngsters Kyren Paris and Denzer Guzman are also working out in preparation of playing some third base. Moore, the eighth overall pick in the 2024 draft, has thus far only played second base as a pro. He isn’t guaranteed to open 2026 in the majors, but he did hit the ball harder as a rookie than his .198/.284/.370 line suggests.

That same source also says that top pitching prospect Connelly Early wasn’t part of the trade deadline offer for Ryan. The Twins would presumably want either Early or Payton Tolle as part of a Ryan deal. The Red Sox would still surely love to have Ryan, but they have plenty of starting pitching depth at the moment and seem to be more focused on their lineup.

Good news for the Braves. Holmes should be in the mix for a rotation spot in the spring, but he might have a better chance of remaining healthy in the pen. The right-hander was 4-9 with a 3.99 ERA in 21 starts and one relief appearance before getting hurt last season.

On one hand, Abrams is coming off his best offensive season, slashing .257/.315/.433 with 19 home runs, 92 runs scored, and 31 steals. On the other hand, Abrams has had some off-field issues that led him to be sent to Triple-A by the last management team. With a new president of baseball operations, the Nationals could decide to move on from Abrams and start fresh. The shortstop is projected by MLBTR to make $5.6 million in arbitration next year and will be eligible for free agency after the 2028 season.

Stefanic was with the Blue Jays last season, going just 4-for-22 at the big league level and hitting .287/.403/.383 with six home runs and six steals in 106 games at Triple-A. He figures to serve as organizational depth for the Athletics, given his ability to play everywhere on the infield.

Could this be another bullpen-to-rotation transition for the Mets? Edwards has only ever been a reliever in the big leagues, posting a 3.56 ERA across 286 innings throughout his career, but he did start in Mexico last season and then in seven games at Triple-A for the Rangers, posting a 5.31 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, and a 26-percent strikeout rate. It seems more likely the Mets keep Edwards in the bullpen, and he’ll also likely only serve as organizational depth, but he’s an interesting name to watch in spring training.