MLB Player News

ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports the Cubs and Gallen do not have a deal and are not close to finalizing one. The 30-year-old righty makes a ton of sense for Chicago on the heels of a disappointing final season with the Diamondbacks where he recorded a 4.83 ERA (4.50 FIP), 1.26 WHIP and 175/66 K/BB ratio across 192 innings over 33 starts. He’s fallen from the ranks of the upper-echelon fantasy starter class but remains a durable workhorse, making at least 28 starts in each of the last four seasons. He would represent a quality mid-rotation stabilizer for the Cubs to complement rookie Cade Horton veterans Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon and Colin Rea.

Butler is in the final stages of rehab after an offseason surgery to repair a partial tendon tear and debridement of chronic scar tissue. He’ll go cheaper in drafts this year and still maintains plenty of power/speed upside entering his age-26 season, but we’d sure like to see him in spring training games before giving him a full endorsement as a post-hype sleeper. Zack Gelof will also miss the start of Cactus League action as he builds up his swing progression.

He suffered a shoulder aneurysm that required the surgery. The Cardinals got Clarke in the Sonny Gray trade this offseason and at the time of the deal was Boston’s fifth-ranked prospect. Entering his age-23 season, this injury probably puts Clarke’s odds of making his major league debut in 2026 in jeopardy.

Muncy fractured his hand last season and posted a .214/.259/.379 line in 220 plate appearances split between third base and second base. The A’s were reportedly close to acquiring Nolan Arenado this offseason, so it makes sense that they’re not exactly handing the 23-year-old Muncy the job. Neither of the three has much of a major-league track record to this point, but Muncy would have the highest upside in AL-only leagues.

That doesn’t sound promising for Junk’s chances of being ready for the start of the season. He rolled the ankle in workouts on Tuesday. Should Junk’s absence linger, it could help Miami’s other fifth starter candidates such as Braxton Garrett, Ryan Gusto and Bradley Blalock nail down a roster spot.

Ohtani will not pitch during the World Baseball Classic, which concludes nine days before the Dodgers’ opener, so it’s unclear how built up he’ll be initially. Still, the Dodgers will just work with it, even if Ohtani isn’t ready to throw more than two or three innings initially. With early days off, they could have another starter piggyback off of him the first couple of times through the rotation.

The Padres needed to clear a spot on their 40-man roster for the official addition of Griffin Canning on Tuesday and unfortunately Ornelas drew the short straw this time around. The 25-year-old slashed a healthy .289/.384/.450 with 10 homers and 57 RBI in 371 plate appearances at Triple-A El Paso in 2025.

The deal also includes a mutual option for the 2028 season. The financial terms of the deal have still yet to be disclosed. Canning registered a 3.77 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and a 70/35 K/BB ratio across 76 1/3 innings with the Mets during the 2025 campaign. He should secure a spot at the end of the Padres’ rotation.

Lovullo noted Kevin Ginkel, Paul Sewald and Ryan Thompson as potential options that want the ball in the ninth inning. Then at some point during the season the Diamondbacks will get Justin Martinez and A.J. Puk back, which will cause further chaos at the back end of their bullpen. Fantasy managers who are trying to speculate for saves here may be better served looking elsewhere.

The Marlins noted that initial testing looked good and Junk isn’t dealing with any swelling yet, but they’re going to be extra cautious at this stage of the spring. As of now, there’s no reason to anticipate that the 30-year-old hurler won’t be ready for the start of the regular season.

The 29-year-old right-hander entered spring training fully healthy after missing the entirety of the 2025 season with knee and wrist injuries. The Red Sox are still taking a cautious approach and bringing him along slowly though. Crawford is expected to function in a swingman role for the Red Sox to open the 2026 season.