MLB Player News

It was a curious decision by Reds manager Terry Francona to use Santillan on Sunday. Emilio Pagan has pitched just once since picking up his 15th save on June 3. Pagan threw a scoreless inning in a non-save situation on Friday, meaning he had a day of rest before the save situation arose Sunday. It’s unclear why exactly Pagan didn’t pitch, though it’s clear if the Reds make a change in the ninth inning Santillan would be an option to close along with Graham Ashcraft.

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.

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.

The deal also includes a vesting option for a fourth season that would bring the total contract to $48 million. The 34-year-old submariner delivered the finest season of his career in 2025, posting a minuscule 1.98 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and a 48/7 K/BB ratio over 77 1/3 innings in a league-leading 81 appearances between the Giants and Mets. He’ll add another weapon to a deep and talented Jays’ bullpen.

The 30-year-old was non-tendered by the Giants back in November after slashing a woeful .221/.299/.299 with one home run and five RBI in 88 games during the 2025 campaign. If it winds up being a major league deal, Knizner would be the favorite to open the season as the understudy to Cal Raleigh.

The Tigers needed to clear a spot on their 40-man roster for the addition of Kyle Finnegan on Friday and they accomplished that by flipping Lee to the Jays for Simon. The 24-year-old southpaw registered a 3.42 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and a 79/29 K/BB ratio over 71 innings across three minor league levels in 2025 culminating in six strong appearances at Double-A New Hampshire. He’ll add bullpen depth in the upper minors for the Tigers and could be poised to make his big league debut at some point during the 2026 campaign.

The side-arming right-hander broke through to the big leagues for the first time in 2025, posting a 4.10 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and a stellar 36/9 K/BB ratio over 37 1/3 innings for the Tigers. He should get an opportunity to compete for a spot in the Jays’ Opening Day bullpen.

The 27-year-old hurler elected free agency from the White Sox after he was removed from their 40-man roster in September. It’s unclear if it will be a major league contract or of the minor league variety with an invitation to big league camp. Wilson posted a disappointing 6.65 ERA, 1.82 WHIP and a 28/19 K/BB ratio over 47 1/3 innings in 20 appearances with the White Sox in 2025.