MLB Player News

Conforto didn’t even start the game with left-hander Robbie Ray on the hill for the Giants, but he entered as a pinch-hitter in the fifth inning and delivered a two-run single that extended the Dodgers’ lead to 5-1. Conforto also singled in the sixth inning and then added an RBI single off of J.T. Brubaker in the eighth inning. With his three-hit attack, the 32-year-old outfielder is now hitting .200/.305/.336 with 11 homers and 34 RBI over 453 plate appearances in what has been a disappointing season with the Dodgers.

Bickford split last year between the Triple-A affiliates of the Cubs and Phillies, finishing with a 3.52 ERA and a 53/17 K/BB in 46 innings out of the pen. He has a 4.62 ERA in 189 innings as a major league reliever since debuting with the Brewers in 2020.

Beltrán, who hit .279/.350/.486 with 435 homers and 312 steals over 20 big-league seasons, most likely would have been a first-ballot HOFer if not for the cheating scandal that arose his world championship season with the Astros in 2017. As is, the nine-time All-Star had to wait until his fourth year of eligibility, receiving 84.2% of the vote. Jones, who topped the 75% threshold with 78.4% of the vote, is getting in on his ninth try after barely clinging to the ballot with 7.3% and 7.5% percent of the vote in his first two years. Jones won 10 straight Gold Gloves with the Braves from 1988-97 and finished his career with a .254/.337/.486 line and 434 homers in 17 seasons. Beltran and Jones will be officially inducted alongside Jeff Kent in Cooperstown on July 26. Among those falling short of the 75% needed for induction this year were Chase Utley (59.1%), Andy Pettitte (48.5%), Felix Hernández (46.1%) and Alex Rodríguez (40.0%). Manny Ramírez got 38.8% in his final year of eligibility. Cole Hamels was the only ballot newcomer who will remain in play next year, having debuted at 23.8%. Next year’s top newcomers will be Buster Posey, Jon Lester, Ryan Zimmerman and Brett Gardner.

Fitzgerald clears waivers his second time through, as no front office decided it was worth sticking it to the Dodgers by stealing him away. He’ll be in camp as a non-roster player, though it would probably take a couple of injuries in front of him for him to make the team.

Realmuto is guaranteed $15 million per season under the terms of his three-year deal with the Phillies, so he’ll be fine. However, the bonuses that would get him to a maximum of $20 million per season will be tough to reach. He’d earn $2 million each for finishing in the top 10 of MVP balloting or being voted to start the All-Star Game. He’d make $1 million each for an All-Star selection, a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger, up to a maximum of $5 million in total. None of Realmuto’s last three seasons would have qualified him for any of these bonuses. He was last an All-Star in 2021, though he would have collected $4 million in 2022 for finishing seventh in the NL MVP balloting and winning both a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger. That was his lone top-10 MVP finish to date.

Junis passed his physical after agreeing to terms on Sunday. The 33-year-old finished with ERAs of 2.69 for the Brewers and Reds in 2024 and 2.97 for the Guardians last season, even though his velocity and strikeout rates have both dropped. It would have been interesting to see him as a full-time starter a few years back, but middle relief is where he belongs now.

Hamel, 26, was claimed on waivers from the Orioles on the next-to-last day of the 2025 season. The former Mets prospect had a 5.32 ERA in 11 starts and 20 relief appearances for Triple-A Syracuse last season.

Sborz, 32, excelled for the Rangers during the World Series run in 2023, but he’s largely been a non-factor since because of shoulder problems. He spent all of last season on the major league IL and was shut down in September after a 5.25 ERA in 12 minor league rehab appearances. He was non-tendered in November, but now he’ll have a chance to compete for a bullpen spot if healthy.

Miller had been the only Mariners player not to agree before arbitration figures were exchanged. Miller, a Super Two player, filed at $2.625 million, with the Mariners coming in at $2.25 million. The option, which includes a $15,000 buyout, is for $6 million but is also voided if Miller finishes in the top five of the AL Cy Young voting, which is the kind of thing that would have to happen for Miller to approach $6 million in arbitration next year. It has no real chance of being applied and is only here because it keeps up appearances of the Mariners being a so-called “file and trial” team.

The 30-year-old Gasper has hit an impressive .303/.406/.512 in 117 games in Triple-A over the last three years, but he came in at just .133/.250/.195 in 13 games with the Red Sox in 2024 and 45 with the Twins last season. That he’s a legitimate catcher also capable of handling first and second gives him some utility as a 26th man, but he needs some of that Triple-A offense to surface.

Rushed to the majors because of his team’s misfortunes, Lara debuted as a 22-year-old for the Nationals last season, posting an 8.79 ERA in 14 1/3 innings out of the pen. He didn’t show much upside as a minor league starter, in part because of his lack of velocity, but he might be interesting as a reliever. We imagine he’ll be claimed, even if it’s just by a team (hey, Orioles) that will DFA him again a couple of days later.