MLB Player News

Howard was acquired in a trade with the Giants earlier in the month, but the 27-year-old gave up four earned runs in each of his two appearances. He’s now on the waiver wire, and Cleveland could try and stash him in Triple-A if another team doesn’t claim him or trade for the right-hander.

Nunez Jr. is the 6th-ranked player in the international class, according to MLB.com. He hit .350 with 11 RBI in eight games for Colombia’s U15 team at the World Cup in August 2024. He has an advanced eye and feel at the plate and burgeoning power. He also seems like a lock to remain in center field and emerge as a plus defender, which gives him a safer floor than most international prospects.

Asigen is the second-ranked prospect in this year’s international class, according to MLB.com, and had an agreement with the Yankees until December when the Mets swooped in. The 16-year-old has a “special left-handed swing” and has reportedly produced exit velocities of 110 mph or higher. He has just an average arm, but is a plus runner and an elite athlete, which allows him to cover plenty of ground. He has the tools of an elite prospect.

The 28-year-old is a career minor leaguer who has yet to make his MLB debut. He was last with the Nationals after being drafted by the White Sox and has posted a 4.68 minor league ERA over 119 starts.

The 17-year-old was the top prospect in this year’s international signing class, according to MLB.com. Hernandez trained with former MLB infielder Carlos Guillen and possesses a long list of plus raw tools. He’s incredibly athletic, which makes him a strong defender despite having an average throwing arm. At the plate, Hernandez has “preternaturally gifted bat speed,” which has many scouts believing that he will have plus power at the next level as he fills out. He’s also an above-average runner with the potential to emerge as a yearly 30-30 threat if the scouting profile comes to fruition.

Kershaw officially retired from baseball after an 18-year career, but it seems like he’s hoping to make one final professional appearance. The future Hall of Famer has never pitched in the World Baseball Classic in his career, so this looks like a bucket list item for him. He’s unlikely to have a major role on a stacked pitching staff for Team USA. The 11-time All-Star posted a 3.36 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and 84/35 K/BB ratio in 112 2/3 innings for the Dodgers in 2025 and went out a World Series champion.

The 28-year-old hit .208/.259/.340 with two home runs, four RBI, and a 25/4 K/BB ratio across 58 plate appearances for the Giants last season. The former top prospect is just organizational catching depth at this point.

Passan notes that the Mets are offering $50 million a year, which confirms earlier reports that the Mets have a four-year, $200 million offer out for Tucker. The Blue Jays’ offer will obviously be for far less money each year, but the total sum is likely to be more, and he’d have more long-term stability in a longer contract. Passan believes Tucker will make a decision this week, and it seems like the choice comes down to whether he wants more money up front and another chance to enter free agency in four years or if he wants the security of a longer-term deal.

Details of where the Mets and Tucker are at keep leaking, but it’s still unclear what kind of proposals the Dodgers and Blue Jays have offered up or if there are any mystery teams lurking. It looks like we’ll be waiting a bit longer to find out.

Lantigua spent 2017-24 in the Blue Jays system before becoming a minor league free agent last year and signing with the Phillies. He was actually called up to the majors for the first time in September, but he was sent down three days later without having gotten into a game. The 27-year-old, who has experience everywhere besides catcher and first base, has hit .270/.381/.380 in 426 career Triple-A games.

Miller’s only major league experience came with the Angels in 2024, when he posted a 4.15 ERA in 13 innings out of the pen. He spent last season with the Tigers’ Triple-A club, amassing a 4.32 ERA in 50 innings. Given that the Rockies tend to run through a bunch of pitchers, there’s a good chance he’ll see some additional major league time this year.