MLB Player News

According to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, McClanahan will make $3.6 million once again. That’s what he earned each of the last two years as part of a $7.2 million contract signed when he was first eligible for arbitration as a Super Two player in 2024. Of course, he hasn’t pitch in the majors since, having undergone Tommy John prior to the deal and then going down with a nerve issue as he completed his TJ rehab last spring. McClanahan is expected to be fully back for spring training. He’ll have one more year of arbitration eligibility in 2027.

Kent was designated for assignment by St. Louis after the Cardnals acquired Justin Bruihl. The 27-year-old reliever should compete for one of the final spots in the Rangers’ bullpen if he doesn’t become victim of a roster crunch before spring training.

The substance that Kepler tested positive for is Epitrenbolone, using which violates Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. The 32-year-old free agent outfielder will need to find a team willing to sign him first before he’s able to even begin serving that suspension. After a miserable season with the Phillies, that looks like a tall task at the moment.

The Jays attempted to sneak Schultz through waivers following their addition of Kazuma Okamoto on Saturday, but the Nationals were ready to pounce. The 28-year-old hurler compiled a 4.38 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and a solid 28/8 K/BB ratio across 24 2/3 frames for the Blue Jays in 2025. He should have a strong chance of cracking the Nats’ Opening Day bullpen in a middle relief role.

The 33-year-old hurler was designated for assignment last week when the Astros had to clear a spot on their 40-man roster for the addition of Tatsuya Imai. The Yankees had a spot available on their 40-man roster, so a corresponding move was not required. Ort posted a 4.89 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and a 49/27 K/BB ratio across 46 innings out of the Astros’ bullpen in 2025. He’ll give the Yankees another option to work in middle relief.

The versatile 31-year-old infielder broke through to the big leagues for the first time in 2025, slashing .196/.302/.457 with four homers and an 8/7 K/BB ratio in 53 plate appearances. He’ll add infield depth for the Dodgers in the upper minors.

Henderson elaborated, “I could never get to the spot that I wanted to get to with my swing... I just wasn’t able to hold the plane and my body was adjusting to it, not feeling great, so that didn’t really set up me in the right spot to leverage the ball like I normally do... Looking forward to being healthy this year and getting back to my normal self.” It’s strange that nothing about the shoulder issue came out at all from the Orioles during the 2025 campaign, but it could help to explain the 24-year-old superstar’s significant falloff at the plate, especially in the power department — falling from 37 long balls to just 17. Assuming full health, look for Henderson to bounce back in a big way in 2026.

Hampson had an absolutely miserable time in limited big league action between the Reds, Cardinals and Diamondbacks in 2025 — slashing .143/.250/.169 with zero homers, one RBI and a 29/11 K/BB ratio over 91 plate appearances. He’ll add depth for the Reds.

The 33-year-old backstop spent the 2025 campaign with the Brewers where he slashed an underwhelming .229/.289/.357 with two homers and nine RBI in 77 plate appearances. He’ll add organizational catching depth for the Giants.

Diamondbacks’ general manager Mike Hazen said last week that he wanted to resolve Marte’s status in the near future, and while he was willing to listen to offers on his 32-year-old superstar, nothing came close to materializing. Of course, Hazen isn’t bound to anything here and this could very well just be a leveraging ploy to see if he can get any potential suitors to up the ante. The most likeliest scenario is still that Marte opens the season as the Diamondbacks’ starting second baseman.

Bird came over from the Rockies at the deadline and was brutal for the Yankees, allowing seven runs (six earned) on four hits in two innings. He has shown the ability to miss bats during his years in Colorado, so he remains an intriguing arm in the middle relief for the Yankees.