MLB Player News

Morales’ season ended last year at Triple-A Memphis due to a shoulder issue, so this isn’t a good sign. The former second-round pick is not on the team’s 40-man roster.

Olivares was officially released by the Mets earlier this week to pursue the overseas opportunity after signing a minor league contract last month with New York. The 28-year-old struggled to a .624 OPS with five homers and one steal in 55 games last year for the Pirates. He’ll attempt to turn his career around and rebuild his long-term value over in

MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand adds that the deal is for $2 million and includes $1.3 million in performance based incentives. The 35-year-old speedster was hurt most of last year with the Yankees as a lingering calf issue limited him to just 25 games before being non-tendered back in late November. He’ll head to Chicago as a versatile bench option and could wind up being a temporary placeholder at the hot corner if the club decides in spring training top prospect Matt Shaw isn’t ready for the limelight.

Gomes downplayed a report from USA TODAY’s Bob Nightengale earlier this week in the wake of the Dodgers agreeing to terms with veteran stopper Kirby Yates that Kopech was likely to miss time at the outset of next season due to forearm inflammation. He elaborated that Kopech was grinding through a forearm issue during last postseason before adding, “I don’t think there’s anything of concern at this point.” At the very least, fantasy managers should closely monitor Kopech during upcoming Cactus League outings. He’s seemingly no longer in the mix to close for Los Angeles, but they’ll still need him to play a prominent role in their high-leverage mix.

No word on how close a potential deal might be to crossing the finish line, but Cincinnati has been linked to Estévez throughout the offseason. The 32-year-old stopper, who has 57 saves combined over the past two seasons for the Phillies and Angels, is one of the better relief arms left on the open market after the Dodgers scooped up both Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates in recent days. MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo adds that a source told him the Red Sox are among teams that have checked in on Estévez, but aren’t seriously pursuing him. He’s also been linked to the Cubs, Blue Jays, Phillies and Yankees earlier this offseason. Stay tuned.

McGuire augments Chicago’s catching depth heading into spring training. The 29-year-old backstop lost his starting job last year in Boston to Connor Wong before being shipped to the minors by early August after the club acquired Danny Jansen. He’s a decent early-season emergency depth option for the Cubs behind Miguel Amaya and Carson Kelly in case top prospect Moises Ballesteros isn’t ready to ascend to the majors right away.

Matzek made 11 relief appearances last year for the Braves before hitting the injured list in early May with left elbow inflammation. The 34-year-old veteran southpaw should be able to latch on somewhere as extra organizational relief depth, especially if he shows that he’s healthy in his showcase. He was a key component of Atlanta’s World Series title run back in 2021 but has struggled with injuries ever since.

Edwards has been dealing with a lingering shoulder issue since the 2022 season when he suffered a right shoulder impingement. He told MLB.com earlier this month that he’s feeling the best he’s felt in years thanks to working with Maxx Garrett, the Marlins director of catching who previously worked at Driveline Baseball, on a brand-new throwing program. He was outstanding last year when he finally got a chance with Miami, hitting .328 in 70 contests. His batting average would’ve ranked second in the majors, behind Royals superstar Bobby Witt Jr. (.332) had he qualified. His 31 thefts were seventh on the senior circuit, despite only playing a few months following a mid-June call-up. The 25-year-old projects as an impact fantasy contributor in the batting average and stolen base departments, but the fact that he’s only going to contribute a handful of homers likely limits his potential upside from reaching the upper-echelon stratosphere. The fact that he’s feeling healthy entering spring training is undoubtedly a positive, but we’re not forecasting a power breakthrough.

Pint will head to the minor-league side of camp, according to a team statement. The 27-year-old righty was the fourth overall selection in the 2016 MLB Draft and put together a remarkable comeback to reach the majors with Colorado during the 2023 season after retiring two years prior. He’s merely extra organizational depth at this stage of his career, but he’s heading to the right organization as a reclamation project given their recent success in that department.

The deal is now official. Sewald provides Cleveland with some experienced high-leverage relief depth in a setup role ahead of elite stopper Emmanuel Clase. The 34-year-old veteran lost his grip on the closing role last year in Arizona during a second-half slide, but he represents a worthwhile low-risk gamble for the Guardians’ pitching apparatus. He’s compiled 84 saves in the big leagues since 2018 and would be the clear favorite over outstanding youngster Cade Smith to take over as Cleveland’s ninth-inning option should Clase wind up missing any time due to injury.

Avila gets the boot from Cleveland’s 40-man roster to free up a spot for veteran high-leverage relief arm Paul Sewald. The 28-year-old righty was a revelation last year for the Guardians, posting a strong 3.25 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 73/30 K/BB ratio across 74 2/3 innings (50 appearances). He’s a virtual lock to be claimed off waivers in the coming days.