MLB Player News

Signed to a minor league contract after hitting .246/.319/.338 with the Orioles last season, Freire had been playing at Triple-A Ottawa.

The Orioles signed right-hander Charlie Morton to a one-year contract on Friday and had to clear a spot on their 40-man roster to do so. Unfortunately for Pinto, he was the odd man out this time around. The 28-year-old backstop is widely regarded as a strong defensive catcher, which could cause other teams to take a chance on him on waivers as a depth option.

The 41-year-old hurler took a while to make his decision to return for the 2025 and had a strong preference to pitch for a team that has its spring training in commuting distance of his family home in Bradenton, Florida, so the Orioles wound up being a perfect match. Morton registered an underwhelming 4.19 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and a 167/65 K/BB ratio over 165 1/3 innings in 30 starts during his final season with the Braves.

The Dodgers officially signed Hyeseong Kim to a three-year contract on Friday afternoon, but in doing so they needed to free up a spot on their 40-man roster and Cartaya became the unfortunate roster casualty. The 23-year-old backstop hit just .221/.323/.363 with 11 homers and 52 RBI over 400 plate appearances between Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A Oklahoma City in 2024. He’s talented enough that he may pique another team’s interest on waivers.

The deal also includes a two-year option for the 2028-29 seasons that would give Kim the opportunity to earn an additional $22 million. Dodgers’ general manager Brandon Gomes said that the plan for now is to use Kim in a utility role with Mookie Betts and Gavin Lux still slated to start in their middle infield. He’ll also add insurance in the event that Max Muncy isn’t fully healthy or can’t handle a full workload at third base. Ultimately, if he hits the way that he did in the Korea Baseball Organization, he’ll find his way into everyday at-bats with the Dodgers.

Kim cited the fact that the Dodgers won the World Series this past season and have many star players including Shohei Ohtani on their roster as reasons for choosing the Dodgers over their crosstown rivals. If only the Angels had a player like Ohtani. Expect the 25-year-old to thrive in whatever role the Dodgers choose to deploy him in.

The Dodgers were busy Friday, as they reportedly also agreed to terms with infielder Hyeseoung Kim as well. Hernández was a big part of the Dodgers’ championship run, and is coming off a 2024 where he slashed .272/.339/.501 with 33 homers, 99 RBI and 12 stolen bases in 652 plate appearances. He’ll hit in the middle of one of — if not the — best lineups in baseball, and should remain an excellent fantasy option for 2025.

Velazquez returns to the New York organization three years after joining the Yankees from the Orioles. The 30-year-old infielder can play anywhere on the dirt, but offers no offensive upside whatsoever. He’ll compete for one of the bench spots, but likely is going to provide depth in Triple-A.

A little bit of a surprise, but it’s another move that shows off the Dodgers’ international power. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports the deal will pay him guarantees Kim $12.5 million, with a two-year option for 2028-29 that gives him a chance to earn $22 million. The 25-year-old was one of the best hitters in the Korea Baseball Organization, and he’s coming off a season where he registered an .841 OPS and 30 stolen bases for the Kiwoom Heroes of the KBO. He should be a regular in the middle infield and could hit at the top of the Los Angeles order, but even if he hits at the bottom it provides opportunity to be driven in by MVP winners like Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman.

The 24-year-old slugger went undrafted out of Texas State then went on to wallop the pitching in the Pioneer League to the tune of a .370/.473/.640 slash line with 19 homers, 84 RBI, 11 stolen bases and a 75/57 K/BB ratio over 392 plate appearances with the Yolo High Wheelers. It’ll be interesting to see if he can carry any of that over to affiliated ball with the Astros.

The Brewers needed to clear a spot on their 40-man roster after acquiring Grant Anderson from the Rangers on Thursday and unfortunately Jay pulled the short straw this time around. The 30-year-old left-hander broke through to the big leagues for the first time in 2024, posting a 4.70 ERA, 1.96 WHIP and a 6/6 K/BB ratio over 7 2/3 innings in five appearances between the Mets and Brewers. There’s a chance that he’ll pass through waivers unclaimed and continue to serve as extra bullpen depth for the Brewers.