MLB Player News

Martínez was a late addition to the ALDS after Tyler Freeman hurt his oblique. The 22-year-old had one plate appearance in the series against the Tigers but was carried primarily for defensive versatility off the bench. Instead, the Guardians will carry Pedro Avila as another key reliever in the bullpen.

Two-year minor league deals are typically for injured players set to miss a season, so we’re guessing that’s the case here. McGough, 27, got off to an awful start in the White Sox system last season and announced his retirement in May. He had a 1.98 ERA and an 88/28 K/BB in 81 2/3 innings for the Orioles and White Sox in 2024, with the team change coming because he was traded for Eloy Jimenez at the deadline.

The Braves tried to push Suarez through waivers after avoiding arbitration with him last week by signing him to a $900,000 deal. The 28-year-old Suarez had a 1.86 ERA in one start and six relief appearances after the Braves picked him up from the Angels last season. He previously posted a 5.47 ERA in 61 starts and 38 relief appearances for the Halos from 2019-24. He’s out of options, so unless he makes the Orioles out of spring training, he’ll go back on waivers again at the end of March. More likely, though, is that the Orioles just put him right back on waivers in the coming days.

Luciano lasted eight days on the Orioles’ 40-man, which is longer than most of their waiver pickups this winter. Maybe they’ll get lucky and sneak him through waivers, as they just did with Jhonkensy Noel.

Clarke, who was non-tendered by the Royals in November, returns to his original organization here; he had a 4.99 ERA in 20 starts and 58 relief appearances for Arizona from 2019-21 before being non-tendered for the first time. The Royals let him go even though he had a career-best 3.25 ERA in 55 1/3 innings last season, but he is homer-prone and probably a worse fit there with the team moving the fences in. The Diamondbacks figure to treat him as a middle reliever.

Varland was claimed off waivers from the White Sox in August but then spent the rest of the season in Triple-A. The 29-year-old has a 4.82 ERA and a 47/24 K/BB in 46 2/3 with the Brewers, Dodgers and White Sox the last two years.

He’ll get $12.8 million, according to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman. Castro seemed in line for a one-year pact after cratering with the Cubs following a deadline deal, but the Rockies needed to commit a little extra, even for a position player who will be lucky to take advantage of Coors Field. The switch-hitting Castro figures to be an everyday player for Colorado, though he could continue to be deployed all over the place. He’s hit .244/.328/.386 with 32 homers and 57 steals in 1,498 plate appearances over the last three seasons. Unfortunately, though, 33 of those steals came in 2023, and he’s gone just 24-for-37 since. Still, with Coors backing him and maybe more steal attempts on a bad team, he could be a factor in mixed leagues.

Guerrero, a 16-year-old shortstop, was MLB.com’s No. 19 international prospect and is reportedly getting a $1.95 million bonus. Guerrero’s dad played in the majors from 1996-2004, with the majority of his at-bats coming on Expos teams that also featured Wilton Jr.'s uncle Vladimir. Perhaps Wilton Jr. will one day share the field with his cousin Vlad Jr.

According to MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon, Johnson will make $5.5 million in 2026 and then get a $1 million buyout of his $8 million mutual option. Well, he didn’t actually say that, but that’s how it always works out. Johnson’s 3.05 ERA last season was his best mark in his five relatively full major league campaigns, but his strikeout rate fell for a second straight year; he came in at 32% from 2020-23, 28% in 2024 and 25% last year. He’s also a pretty big flyball pitcher while throwing his curve about 70% of the time, and GABP doesn’t seem like a great park for him. He figures to join Tony Santillan in a setup role in front of Emilio Pagán.

Zulueta has posted a 5.32 ERA over 23 2/3 innings in brief looks with the Reds the last two years, but his mid-90s fastball and slider helped him amass a 31.2% strikeout rate in Triple-A last season. Odds are that some team will decide to give him a look and claim him off waivers.

The Mets needed some extra pool money to sign top international prospect Wandy Asigen, who recently committed to them after a deal with the Yankees fell apart. That worked out great for the Guardians, who don’t like spending money. Gomez was the Mets’ No. 22 prospect, according to Baseball America. The 20-year-old, an international signing in 2022, had a 2.76 ERA in 71 2/3 innings for two A-ball teams last season.