MLB Player News

After being acquired from the Guardians at the tender deadline last winter, Morgan went on to miss most of 2025 with elbow problems, and he gave up 10 runs in 7 1/3 innings during his brief time in the majors. In moving on from Morgan and Andrew Kittredge, the Cubs don’t have a single true reliever due to make over $1 million next season (Javier Assad, who might wind up in the pen if he fails to win a rotation spot, will probably make about $2 million).

There’s also an option for a third year. Houser, who turns 33 in February, experienced a velocity spike last season and posted a nice 3.31 ERA in 21 starts for the White Sox and Rays, though that came with a modest 18% strikeout rate. The salary isn’t out of line with expectations, but given his age and his lack of any truly impressive seasons previously, it’s kind of surprising to see him get the second guaranteed year. He’ll join Logan Webb and Robbie Ray in a Giants rotation that still probably needs one more vet in the mix.

It was bound to happen at some point: Schunk grew up in Georgia and was drafted by the Rockies out of the University of Georgia in 2019. The 28-year-old hit .222/.246/.302 in 131 plate appearances for the Rockies the last two seasons. Unfortunately, his bat just doesn’t seem good enough to make him more than a quad-A player.

Areinamo was playing about as well as anyone in the Venezuelan Winter League until Nov. 30, when he had to leave La Guaira to apply for an extended visa. That came through and he was set to rejoin the team today, but the Rays decided to deny permission for that to happen. The 22-year-old Areinamo was hitting .364/.420/.693 with 13 homers in 36 games for the Tiburones. He leads the circuit in OPS and was tops in homers when he departed, with only Balbino Fuenmayor having overtaken him since.

It’s worth $1 million, according to MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer. Knizner secures a big-league deal after hitting .221/.299/.299 in 33 games for the Giants last season. Somewhat interesting is that he had the best defensive numbers of his career during that span. He also struck out at half of his career rate (10/7 K/BB in 88 plate appearances). He’s the clear backup to Cal Raleigh at the moment, though the Mariners still might have interest in a Mitch Garver reunion if the price proves right.

Foley, the Tigers’ primary closer in 2024, didn’t pitch in the majors last season and ended up undergoing shoulder surgery that’s expected to cost him the first half of 2026. The 30-year-old has a career 3.16 ERA and a strong 54% groundball rate in 199 2/3 innings as a major leaguer. While this is just a one-year deal, the Giants could control him for three years through arbitration.

Rodón, who had a procedure in October to shave a bone spur and remove loose bodies from his elbow, thinks he’ll be back pitching in games in spring training, though he knows he’ll open up on the injured list. “I’ll be a little behind. I’m not sure exactly when my first start will be, but I’m hoping sooner rather than later,” he said.

He can make an extra $1 million in incentives. Griffin, 30, had a 1.62 ERA and a 77/18 K/BB in 78 innings as a starter for the Yomiuri Giants last season. A first-round pick of the Royals in 2014, he briefly pitched in the majors for Kansas City and Toronto before going to Japan in 2023. His velocity is well below average, but both his slider and cutter performed very well in the NPB. The Nationals will likely give him every opportunity to win a rotation spot.

Navaretto, 30, has played in 10 big-league games: two with the Marlins in 2020 and eight with the Marlins last season, though he spent most of the intervening years in the Milwaukee farm system. He might have a chance of making the team out of spring training if the Marlins want to carry three catchers with Agustin Ramírez and Liam Hicks both likely to do some DHing. However, if that is the plan, the Marlins probably could do a little better.

For a shortstop with nice pop — he’s collected 68 doubles and 41 homers in Triple-A with the Astros and Braves the last two years — Bastidas has never really any prospect attention. Still, he might surface in the majors as a utilityman at some point. The 27-year-old, who can also handle second and third, is currently playing winter ball for the first time and has hit .373/.417/.588 in Venezuela.