MLB Player News

Spence gave up eight hits, but he also allowed just that single run — a Riley Greene single in the fifth — while striking out six. The 26-year-old has been up-and-down in his first season with the Athletics, and a 4.42 ERA is evidence of that. He’ll make one of his final starts of the year against the Astros on Thursday.

No word yet on the financial terms of the deal. The 34-year-old hurler hit the free agent market in November after the Braves declined their $7 million option on him. Johnson was a key cog in the Braves’ bullpen in 2025, posting a solid 3.05 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and a 59/19 K/BB ratio across 59 innings. He makes for a terrific addition to the Reds’ bullpen.

The 35-year-old hurler hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since the 2019 season. He spent the 2025 campaign toeing the slab for the Chiba Lotte Marines of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball where he registered a 3.60 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and a 46/23 K/BB K/BB ratio across 50 frames. He’ll add bullpen depth for the Red Sox.

Brown, 24, was a third-round selection by the Blue Jays from the 2019 draft class and spent his first seven years in the minors in their organization. In 2025, Brown slashed a miserable .174/.285/.260 with four homers, 15 RBI, 36 stolen bases and an 86/34 K/BB ratio over 291 plate appearances. We’ll see if a change of scenery can get his career back on track.

The 32-year-old hurler opened the 2025 season pitching at the Triple-A level for the Twins, posting an 8.00 ERA, 2.33 WHIP and a 7/9 K/BB ratio over nine innings before being let go. He then logged 21 1/3 innings for the Long Island Ducks in the independent Atlantic League and 13 1/3 frames in the Mexican League. He’ll add organizational bullpen depth for the Cubs.

Rosenthal also notes that the annual luxury tax charge for the Cubs will be less than $35 million and that the present-day value is expected to land in the $30-$31 million range. What an unbelievable evening it must have been for sports fans in Chicago with the Bears rallying to defeat the Packers in the Wild Card round while the Cubs announced their pact with Bregman simultaneously. The 31-year-old represents a massive upgrade to the middle of the Cubs’ lineup.

Along with a full no-trade clause, he gets $20 million more than Pete Alonso and $25 million more than Kyle Schwarber over the same timeframe. Outfield might have been the bigger priority for the Cubs, but Bregman still seems like a big upgrade from Matt Shaw at third, and the Cubs could see what Shaw looks like in the outfield. Trading Nico Hoerner is another possibility. For the Red Sox now, it’s Bo Bichette or bust.

Olney’s report comes on the heels of The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty noting earlier this week that the Yankees and Bellinger remain far apart on the length of a potential deal. The 30-year-old slugger has been connected to more than a half-dozen clubs — including the Mets, Dodgers, Giants, Phillies, Blue Jays, Angels and Reds — since the offseason began. It increasingly sounds like he’s headed elsewhere, with Olney adding that the two sides are at an impasse in negotiations, despite the Yankees’ efforts to bring him back.

Toglia will get a fresh start in another phenomenal home ballpark after being non-tendered by the Rockies earlier this offseason. The 27-year-old slugger’s all-or-nothing approach resulted in 42 home runs and a staggering 373 strikeouts across 1,067 plate appearances for the Rockies over the past four seasons. His stratospheric power potential makes him a fascinating lottery ticket but he’ll need to make some strides in the contact department to regain any semblance of fantasy appeal.

The deal, which is now official, includes a $1.25 million buyout, which guarantees Kinley at least $4.25 million to return to Atlanta’s high-leverage mix just a few weeks after the club declined his $5.5 million option for 2026. The 34-year-old veteran reliever finished last season with a respectable 3.96 ERA — 3.69 FIP — 1.18 WHIP and 73/33 K/BB ratio across a career-high 72 2/3 innings split between the Rockies and Braves. He’ll help bridge the gap to Atlanta closer Raisel Iglesias along with new high-priced setup man Robert Suarez.

Guerra returns stateside after spending the past two seasons pitching overseas in Japan for the Hanshin Tigers. The hard-throwing 30-year-old righty last appeared in the majors for the Brewers and Rays when he made 17 relief appearances during the 2023 campaign. He’s an interesting zero-risk lottery ticket for Atlanta as a spring training flyer.