MLB Player News

Espinal cleared waivers and heads back to Triple-A as a 31-year-old depth arm. He could compete for a spot on the Reds’ roster in Arizona.

Julks went unclaimed after being designated for assignment. The 28-year-old outfielder hit just .214/.275/.306 in 2024 for Chicago last year, so it’s not a surprise other clubs didn’t have interest in adding him to their respective 40-man rosters.

Shewmake was designated for assignment by the White Sox after they traded for Tyler Gilbert. The 27-year-old was a first-round pick in 2019, and he’ll get a chance to compete for a utility role with Kansas City. Odds are that he’ll be depth in Omaha to open the 2025 season, assuming he isn’t designated for assignment before the year begins.

Garrett, 27, was diagnosed with a left elbow impingement at the end of the 2024 season, but unfortunately the southpaw will need to undergo the brace procedure. When healthy he’s shown the stuff to suggest he can be a mid-rotation starter or better, but he’s only been able to throw over 100 innings once in his career. The Marlins will likely need to add a veteran starter for the back of their rotation, even in a year where they’re unlikely to compete for a playoff spot.

On paper this one makes sense, even if New York fans won’t be too excited about Polanco after looking at his numbers in 2024. The 31-year-old would fill a need at second base with Gleyber Torres now a member of the Tigers, and he’s a good bounceback candidate after his previous success with Minnesota before his disastrous year with the Mariners. The Astros have also shown interest in Polanco, but that isn’t likely to be a fit anymore.

Pérez, 33, will likely pitch at or near the top of the White Sox rotation to begin 2025, which may not be the compliment it would be for some other cubs. The veteran southpaw split 2024 with the Pirates and Padres and finished with a 4.53 ERA over 26 starts with a 107/49 K/Bb in his 135 innings with Pittsburgh and San Diego. He wasn’t a good fantasy option with decent teams, he certainly won’t be one with the worst team in the sport.

After eight years in the Nationals system, Adon might be on the move. Our guess, though, is that he’ll clear waivers. The 26-year-old is just 3-16 with a 6.66 ERA in 26 starts and nine relief appearances at the major league level, and he hasn’t been very successful in Triple-A of late, either. He’s also out of options, making him less attractive to teams looking for pitchers they can move between the minors and majors easily.

Confirming the signing. Lorenzen stays put after ending last season with seven appearances, including six starts, with Kansas City. He should be back in the rotation initially this year, and if he can come close to matching last year’s 3.31 ERA, he’ll stay there. However, last year’s 97/60 K/BB in 130 1/3 innings wasn’t encouraging at all.

The New York Post’s Jon Heyman says it’s a $2 million deal. Rosario has not been getting much love from MLB teams of late, but he did hit a respectable .280/.306/.380 for the Rays, Dodgers and Reds last season. If the Nationals were to make him their third baseman, he could offer some mixed-league value with his ability to hit for average and steal bases. However, he’ll probably be more of a utilityman initially.

Kessinger lost his spot on Houston’s 40-man roster a couple weeks ago when the club signed veteran slugger Christian Walker. The 27-year-old offers a cornucopia of defensive versatility, but he simply hasn’t hit a lick at the highest level over the past two years, batting .131/.243/.213 with one homer in 70 plate appearances. He’s merely extra bench depth for Arizona heading into next season.

Linskey was Arizona’s 16th-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft out of Rice University in Houston and looked impressive last year in his full-season pro debut, posting a sterling 2.78 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 51/16 K/BB ratio across 32 1/3 innings (22 appearances) between three minor-league levels, finishing the year at High-A Hillsboro. The 22-year-old is an imposing presence at 6-foot-7 and represents an intriguing relief project for the Astros moving forward.