MLB Player News

He’ll likely start the nightcap, but this makes seven straight games out of the starting lineup for Carpenter, even though he was quite productive when the Cardinals used him more regularly last month. It’s possible he’ll soon lose his roster spot, as the Cardinals have Iván Herrera ready to come off the injured list and Tommy Edman on a rehab assignment.

Muñoz was the lone major league veteran chosen today. The Reds claimed him from the waivers from the Cardinals last month, non-tendered him and then re-signed him to a minor league contract. Since he wasn’t on the 40-man, that made him eligible to be swooped up here, and the Astros decided it was worth it. Muñoz has a 6.73 ERA in 17 starts and 10 relief appearances as a major leaguer. Used exclusively as a reliever for the first time last season, he struck out 76 in 57 2/3 innings for the Cardinals’ Triple-A club. He’ll probably battle for a spot in Houston’s pen.

Pushard is one of the older players selected in the winter draft, as he will turn 29 next October. The right-hander forged a 3.61 ERA in his time with Triple-A Jacksonville in 2025, and will compete for a middle-inning spot come February.

The 28-year-old Watson has been a steady minor league reliever for several years, but it wasn’t enough to get him a chance with the Orioles or with the Giants, who acquired him in Aug. 2024. He had a 4.26 ERA and a 64/16 K/BB in 50 2/3 innings for the Giants’ Triple-A club last season.

Baumler, 22, was very effective in his time in the Baltimore organization this summer as seen in a 2.08 ERA and 46/19 K/BB ratio while working for High-A Aberdeen and Double-A Chesapeake. The former fifth-round pick will need to stay on the active roster all year in order to remain with the Bucs, but a good showing in the Grapefruit League will give him that opportunity.

Susac, the 19th overall pick in the 2022 draft, was one of the biggest names available today. His stock steadily dwindled in 2023 and ’24, but he’s coming off a pretty solid season in which he hit .275/.349/.483 with 18 homers in 97 games in Triple-A. Barring an upgrade, the Twins would have the 24-year-old battle Alex Jackson to open up as Ryan Jeffers’ backup.

McGarry is a former top prospect who has struggled considerably over the past few seasons both in results and staying on the mound. The 26-year-old will get a chance to live up to his luster with the potential to join the Nationals relief staff with a good show in spring training.

Paez missed much of 2025, but he had a 2.79 ERA and a 23/3 K/BB in 19 1/3 innings over seven starts for High-A Greenville. While he’s been a starter in the minors, he’s yet to throw more than 85 innings in a season. The White Sox figure to try him as a reliever and see if he can make the jump at age 22.

Petit is massive, a 6-foot-8 hurler that is listed at 300 pounds. He forged a 2.68 ERA while reaching Triple-A Toledo in 2025 with a K/BB ratio of 79/22 over 66 1/3 innings. He has a good chance of being a relatively-significant part of the Colorado bullpen in 2026.

That’s probably the right plan. Rocchio played second, with Arias at short, after returning from the minors last July. Arias, though, just hasn’t looked like a big-league regular, and while Rocchio still has much to prove, too, he’s the more intriguing player at this point. The news suggests the Guardians could aim for a stopgap in second while waiting on 2024 first overall pick Travis Bazzana. Or perhaps Bazzana could have a shot of winning the job in spring training, even if his participation for Team Australia in the WBC probably won’t help there.