MLB Player News

Moreno has been bitten by the injury bug in consecutive seasons, but he did take a clear step forward offensively by hitting .285/.353/.433 last year. He seems well on his way to establishing himself as a top-notch catcher if the durability is there.

Montes de Oca is recovering from Tommy John surgery he underwent in September of 2024, and there’s a decent chance he won’t be ready for the start of the season. The 6-foot-7 right-hander has a chance to contribute to the Nationals’ bullpen when healthy, but will need to be added to the 40-man roster to join that group.

Roberts forged a 4.21 ERA in the minors with the Brewers and Marlins; with the latter acquring the right-hander in an August trade. He’ll provide org depth, and need to be added to the 40-man roster to pitch for Texas.

Díaz has made a couple of appearances for Seattle over the past couple seasons without much success. The left-hander is now off the 40-man roster and on the waiver wire to make room for the recently-acquired Cooper Criswell.

Criswell was designated for assignment by the Mets on Wednesday. The 29-year-old is capable of working multiple innings, and he’ll compete for one of the final bullpen spots for Seattle this spring.

Ort was claimed off waivers from the Astros in early January but will now be let go to make room for Michael Siani. 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 and should get a look with another organization.

Siani was claimed by the Braves off waivers from the Cardinals in November and then claimed by the Dodgers off waivers from the Braves in December, but was then waived by the Dodgers earlier this week to make room for Kyle Tucker. The 26-year-old outfielder will now join his fourth team this offseason. He has just a .688 career OPS in the minors, but is a good defender and baserunner, which makes him good depth for an organization.

Taylor was designated for assignment by the Mariners on January 15th and was not claimed on waivers. He has decided to become a free agent rather than stay in the Seattle organization. He has slashed .205/.272/.260 line in 83 plate appearances but has a .281/.373/.432 line with 160 steals in the last four years in the minor leagues.

Passan also notes that Dominguez is expected to close for the White Sox this upcoming season. Dominguez pitched to a 3.16 ERA in 62 2/3 innings with the Orioles and Blue Jays last season with a 79/36 K/BB ratio. The 31-year-old also has experience at the end of games with 40 career saves. The White Sox aren’t likely to win many games, but Dominguez has been reliable enough to push for 20 saves if he keeps the role over the full season.

In 46 1/3 innings across eight starts this winter, Sanchez had a 1.55 ERA, which has led to him “attracting interest from clubs,” according to Ken Rosenthal. Sanchez was an All-Star back in 2016 but has not pitched in the major leagues since 2022 due to injuries and ineffectiveness. Still, he is only 33 years old, so there could be a chance he gets another shot in 2026.

As Ken Rosenthal reports, “Throughout the offseason, [David] Stearns has expressed interest in leaving the door open for Benge to crack the Opening Day roster out of spring training.” To that end, Benge “was never seriously on the table during trade conversations” and could be the favorite to break camp as the Mets’ starting left fielder. He also spent time in the offseason hitting with the Holliday family after he was one of only three players in the minors with at least 15 home runs, 20 steals, a 150 wRC+, and a strikeout rate below 20 percent. If he does win the starting job, he could be a fantasy contributor right away.