MLB Player News

Simpson has the option to elect free agency in the coming days, but he’s been officially removed from Miami’s 40-man roster for now. The 27-year-old lefty was limited to just a handful of appearances last year in the minors due to a left elbow injury.

The deal includes $500K in performance bonuses in each season. It’s another solid move for the Pirates, who also acquired Brandon Lowe and Jake Mangum just last week. The 32-year-old O’Hearn rejuvenated his career in Baltimore over the last three years and hit .281/.366/.427 in 144 games for the Orioles and Padres last year while clubbing 17 home runs. He does struggle against lefties, so the Pirates will likely need to platoon him with somebody like Jhostynxon Garcia or Nick Yorke, but O’Hearn should be the regular starter against right-handed pitching and hit in the middle of what is becoming a deeper lineup in Pittsburgh.

Mayo is just 24 years old and a one-time top prospect, who has yet to put it together at the big league level. Yet, he hit .301/.393/.548 with three doubles and five home runs in 24 games in September to end the season, so it would make sense for the Orioles to try and find a way to get him into the lineup. They could use Mayo and Ryan Mountcastle at DH, which would mean no room for Samel Basallo, or they could give Mayo a chance to earn starts in the corner outfield, something that they had been hesitant to do in the past.

The contract has incentives that can push the deal to $2 million and also has a club option for $2.5 million for 2027. Webb pitched well for the Rangers last year, posting a 3.00 ERA and 58/19 K/BB ratio in 55 appearances. He also has a 2.99 ERA over 247 MLB appearances with the Braves, Angels, Orioles, and Rangers. It’s a good addition to the Cubs’ bullpen.

Burch missed all of 2025 after undergoing elbow surgery, but he will be ready to go in 2026. The 28-year-old has yet to throw a pitch above Double-A, but he does have a 3.71 ERA in 174 2/3 career minor league innings.

The White Sox just claimed Rolison off waivers from the Braves on December 12th, but they will now waive him to make room for newly signed Sean Newcomb. The 28-year-old Rolison posted a 7.02 ERA in 31 appearances for the Rockies in 2025 and will try to latch on with another team to get another crack at an MLB job.

Newcomb had a mini breakout in 2025, posting a 2.73 ERA and 23.3 percent strikeout rate in 92 1/3 innings across 48 appearances (five starts) with the Red Sox and the Athletics. Boston cut back heavily on his four-seam fastball usage, adding a cutter to his arsenal and also increasing his sinker usage, and the three fastball variations worked wonders for Newcomb. He was one of the top left-handed relievers on the market and a good get for the White Sox.

The Mets are looking to add an outfielder, and while they would prefer a centerfielder, they are reportedly interested in seeing if Hays could play left field for them. The 30-year-old was good for the Reds when healthy last year, slashing .266/.315/.453 with 15 home runs and seven steals in 103 games. The issue is that he couldn’t stay healthy. Hays feels more like a fourth outfielder on a contender, and it remains to be seen just how interested the Mets are.

Like Munetaka Murakami, Okamoto seems to be viewed primarily as a first baseman by major league teams. The Pirates, though, figure to use Spencer Horwitz there against righties. Perhaps they’d be willing to give him a look at third and then utilize him as a first baseman against lefties and a DH if it doesn’t work out. At this point, it’s entirely unclear whether Okamoto will do better than the two-year, $34 million deal that Murakami got. He’s viewed as the safer signing of the two, but he probably doesn’t offer as much upside. Okamoto has until Jan. 4 to sign with an MLB team.

The two teams — Chaim Bloom’s former club and his current club — have already swung a decade’s worth of deals in the last five months, with the Red Sox acquiring Steven Matz at the deadline and Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras in separate trades in the offseason. The Athletic recently placed the Giants and Mariners as the frontrunners for Donovan. The Red Sox and Rays are among the teams that have also sought Ketel Marte for second base, but while Marte is the better player, Donovan has a more varied market because of his ability to play several spots. The Red Sox would probably put Donovan at second, but having him at third and Marcelo Mayer at second might make more sense for them.

Jordan Walker seemed like the biggest beneficiary of last night’s trade, and it still might work out that way, but it could hinge on whether this right-handed bat is someone who would start or someone who would fill in for Lars Nootbaar and/or Victor Scott II against lefties. Austin Hays and Chas McCormick are a couple of guys who could be in the Cardinals’ price range. Tommy Pham, too, but his second stint in the organization didn’t go so well.