MLB Player News

Ugh. Kirilloff — who has been sidelined since mid-June with his back soreness — went 1-for-5 with a double in his first minor league rehab game on Friday. No word yet on how long he’ll be shut down for or when the Twins potentially envision him returning to action.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported earlier in the offseason that he believes it’s “finally time” for Robert to be traded, so we’re going to see a few teams being linked to him. What makes this report interesting is that there doesn’t seem to be a place for Robert in San Diego with Fernando Tatis, Jackson Merrill, and Ramon Laureano as the starting outfield. However, there have also been trade rumors surrounding Tatis Jr. as the Padres look to shed salary and add young, controllable starting pitchers. Perhaps there could be a few levers being pulled here.

May finally pitched over 60 innings in a season, throwing 132 1/3 innings for the Dodgers and Red Sox. However, he struggled, posting a 4.96 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, and 123/56 K/BB ratio. He has never quite delivered on his intriguing pitch shapes, but he would likely get another shot in the rotation if he landed with the White Sox.

The deal was announced last week and is now official. It includes a mutual option for the 2028 season as well. Kay is returning to the U.S. after two seasons in Japan with the Yokohama BayStars. Last season, he registered a 1.74 ERA and a 130/41 K/BB in 155 innings. He should get a shot to fill a spot in the White Sox rotation, but $6 million per season is not the type of money that guarantees him that spot if he doesn’t perform.

Schwarber played for Team USA back in 2023 and hit two home runs in five games. He’s coming off a season in which he hit 56 home runs and drove in 132 RBIs. The pending free agent will be joined on Team USA by fellow new additions second baseman Brice Turang, shortstop Gunnar Henderson, and catcher Will Smith, who were all announced today.

The Red Sox want to bring Alex Bregman back to play third base, but they are also pursuing Bo Bichette and Isaac Paredes for the same role. The Astros are in the market for young pitchers with multiple years of control, and the Red Sox have plenty, so the teams could align on a deal, especially since Carlos Correa can play third base in Houston now. Paredes missed much of the second half of the season with a hamstring injury, but he’s under team control for two more seasons, makes under $10 million per year, and has a pulled fly ball approach that would work well in Fenway Park.

Rosenthal highlighted some potential concerns with “clubhouse fit and the acquisition cost” that are preventing teams from making aggressive offers for Marte right now. As a result, the Diamondbacks might be wise to wait and let free agency play out a little more before trying to make a move. That being said, Marte will gain full no-trade protection after the tenth day of the 2026 season since he will have accrued 10 years of service and five consecutive with the same club. That might make it harder for Arizona to trade him.

The Red Sox allegedly would like to bring back Alex Bregman to play third base, but they appear to be seriously interested in adding Bichette as another option. If Bichette were to come to Boston, he could perhaps move to second base and allow Marcelo Mayer to play third, or the Red Sox could slide Trevor Story back to second base and put Bichette at short. Bichette’s plus contact ability and line drive approach would play really well against the Green Monster, but we are still in the early stages here.

Well, the Mets do love their converted relievers. King is one of the top starters on the free agent market, and the Mets are “hesitant to sign a starting pitcher to a long-term deal,” so that makes adding a pitcher like Framber Valdez less likely. King missed much of last season with a shoulder injury, and there are some durability concerns given his short track record as a starter; however, he posted a 2.95 ERA in 173 2/3 innings for the Padres in 2024 and has the raw ability to be a clear top-of-the-rotation starter.

Alexander specifies that the Tigers are actively interested in adding Jansen to their bullpen, while the Angels “have also checked in on Jansen.” The 38-year-old notched 29 saves last season for the Angels with a 2.59 ERA in 59 innings. His underlying metrics were not quite as kind, and the strikeout upside isn’t what it was before, but Jansen has remained a solid late-inning reliever. The Tigers are also interested in Kyle Finnegan, so they seem intent on adding a right-handed closer to pair with Will Vest.

Matz fortifies Tampa Bay’s relief depth after compiling a strong 3.05 ERA (3.46 FIP) and 59/11 K/BB ratio across 76 2/3 innings over 53 appearances between the Cardinals and Red Sox this past season. The 34-year-old southpaw has excelled since transitioning to a full-time relief role but his fantasy appeal is virtually non-existent since he’s mostly toiling away in middle relief. The Rays are expected to roll with a closer-by-committee strategy next season with Edwin Uceta, Griffin Jax and Garrett Cleavinger sharing the role.