MLB Player News

So ungrateful. The 13 free agents who received them have until 4 p.m. EST today to accept their qualifying offers. Nick Martinez already decided to take the Reds up on it. With Luis Severino indicating he’ll turn it down and Nick Pivetta receiving significant interest, it appears unlikely that any others will accept.

Polanco makes a ton of sense as a short-term first base and DH stopgap option for the Mets in the aftermath of losing middle-of-the-order force Pete Alonso to the Orioles earlier this week. Durability will always be the caveat — chronic knee issues have limited him at an average of just 118 games per season over the last four years — but last year’s resurgence with the Mariners was real, as he produced a robust .821 OPS with 26 homers and six steals across 138 games. With eligibility at second base, one of the thinnest positions in the fantasy landscape, Polanco quietly carries late-round intrigue thanks to his counting-stats upside in New York’s strong lineup.

Shuster has presumably been cut loose to pursue an opportunity to pitch overseas after being jettisoned from the Athletics’ 40-man roster last month. The 27-year-old southpaw has posted a recorded an underwhelming 5.27 ERA — 4.70 FIP — and 15.5 percent strikeout rate across 141 2/3 innings over 62 appearances (17 starts) between the White Sox and Braves dating back to 2023.

Stevens heads to Colorado as extra middle infield depth entering next year after going 2-for-13 with seven strikeouts during his first taste of big-league action with the Angels this past season. The 26-year-old shortstop batted .290/.375/.480 with 18 homers and 20 steals in 528 plate appearances over 126 games at the Triple-A level in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League this past season.

Duarte augments New York’s relief depth entering spring training after spending most of the past two seasons recovering from Tommy John surgery. The hard-throwing 29-year-old righty holds a serviceable 3.99 ERA — 6.11 FIP — and 28/24 K/BB ratio across 38 1/3 innings between the Mets and Twins since 2022.

Sánchez hasn’t resurfaced in the majors since the 2022 campaign and is merely emergency organizational depth at the Triple-A level entering his age-33 season. He batted .246/.357/.329 with four homers and nine steals in 120 games for Triple-A Salt Lake this past season.

Martinez has yet to reach the big leagues and represents a depth addition for New York after slashing .255/.357/.388 with six homers and one steal in 80 games for Triple-A Nashville this past season. The 26-year-old will get plenty of run on the doorstep of the majors but will be hard-pressed to break into the Yankees’ overcrowded outfield mix.

No word yet on the financial terms of the deal. The 31-year-old southpaw had a rough season in 2025, posting a 5-14 record, 4.98 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and an 82/30 K/BB ratio across 97 2/3 innings in 52 appearances between the White Sox and Brewers. He’s likely to function in his traditional swingman role for the Rangers.

It’ll be a big league deal for the 29-year-old former closer, though the financial terms are not yet known. Díaz posted a miserable 8.15 ERA, 1.53 WHIP and a 17/12 K/BB ratio over 17 2/3 innings between the Reds and Dodgers in 2025. Given his experience in the ninth inning, he should find himself in the mix to open the season as the Rangers’ closer.

The deal includes incentives that could take it as high as $15.5 million. The 30-year-old backstop slashed an underwhelming .215/.321/.399 with 14 homers and 36 RBI in 337 plate appearances between the Rays and Brewers in 2025. When he takes the field on Opening Day, he’ll be playing for his fifth different ballclub since the start of the 2024 campaign.

There had been some thought that the Tigers would pull back on their interest after bringing Finnegan back, but it looks like they are set on bolstering their bullpen as much as possible. The Angels have also been linked to bringing the 38-year-old right-hander back for another season. With the relief pitching market in full swing at the moment, Jansen could find a landing spot sooner rather than later.