MLB Player News

The Nationals have yet to officially announce the signing. Reyes, 27, was designated for assignment by the Royals last week after hitting just .186/.231/.228 with two home runs overs 19 games. He’s not far removed from being a potent middle-of-the-order bat, so it’s a worthwhile gamble for Washington.

Rodon last pitched on Saturday in Game 5 of the ALCS against the Guardians and allowed two runs in 4 2/3 innings. He was solid in both of his ALCS starts after allowing four runs in 3 2/3 innings against the Royals in Game 2 of the ALDS. Rodon will start opposite Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Saturday.

Hyers spent the last three seasons as the hitting coach for the Texas Rangers, winning a World Series with the team in 2023. He also served as the hitting coach for the Red Sox from 2018 to 2021 and won a World Series with Boston in 2018. An Atlanta native, Hyers will now be staying close to home with the Braves.

Baez is the Brewers’ No. 27 prospect. As of Thursday, he leads the AFL with a .519 batting average, a .594 on-base percentage, and a 1.483 OPS. He also ranks second in slugging percentage, fifth in hits, and seventh in total bases. The 21-year-old had a strong start to the season in 2024 but injured his shoulder in May and then struggled upon returning to the lineup at the end of July. Baez doesn’t strike out a lot which gives him the profile of a high batting average hitter who can play multiple positions around the infield. The Brewers moved him to second base specifically this season and that figures to be his home moving forward. He will likely start 2025 in High-A.

Acosta signed with the Rangers for $1.65 million in 2019 but has had a bumpy transition to pro ball. However, he put together a solid year in 2024 where he slashed .288/.353/.425 with eight home runs and 26 stolen bases in 104 games. At just 21 years old, there is plenty of time for Acosta to blossom into an MLB regular and another strong start at Double-A could make him a more realistic middle infield option for the big league team.

Ramirez pitched for the Pirates in 2022 and 2023 and had a 3.67 ERA in 61 1/3 innings. He spent this year with the Dodgers, Red Sox, Orioles, and Mets. compiling a 5.97 ERA and a 1.54 WHIP with 38 strikeouts in 37 2/3 innings. He will likely serve as organizational relief depth.

Valaika served as Cleveland’s hitting coach this season, leading them to finishes of 5th in strikeout rate, 12th in home runs, 14th in runs, and 17th in OPS. Despite putting together a solid season, Valaika, who was a former Reds player, will be moving to Cincinnati to join his former boss, Terry Francona, who was hired as the Reds’ manager this offseason. Valaika will also now serve as the director of hitting, which will give him a bit more authority or decision-making power.

Gilbert missed three months of the 2024 season with a hamstring injury and then hit just .215/.313/.393 in 56 games at Triple-A when he returned, so he’s coming off a bit of a lost season. However, he did have 10 home runs in those 56 games, and he has a pull-heavy approach that has led to decent power despite a smaller frame. He makes solid contact and has a good feel for the strike zone, so he could be a 20 home run bat that hits .260-.280 at the MLB level. With a good Arizona Fall league and solid Spring Training, he could push for a spot on the Mets’ Opening Day roster.

Baldwin spent most of 2023 at High-A Rome, where he posted a .385 on-base percentage with 14 homers and an .851 OPS in 92 games. He started 2024 at Double-A and then went on a heater after being promoted to Triple-A, hitting .298 with 12 homers and a .891 OPS in 72 games to end the season. He has continued that hot stretch into a strong performance in the Arizona Fall League and Braves General Manager Alex Anthpoulos has taken note: “The way he’s played, he’s definitely a phone call away at this point...He hits left-handed. The makeup’s off the charts. If we would have had injuries, he absolutely could have been in the mix. But yeah, him being in Gwinnett next year (puts him) definitely in play.” It seems like if one of Sean Murphy or Travis d’Arnaud were to get hurt in 2025, Baldwin would be first in line for an opportunity to show what he can do.

The Braves “payroll exceeded luxury-tax thresholds each of the past two seasons” and they will return Chris Sale, Reynaldo Lopez, Spencer Schwellencebach, Spencer Strider, AJ Smith-Shawver, and others, which means they might not feel the need to pay big money to bring back their top left-handed pitcher. The Braves certainly want Fried back, but the big question will be whether or not they can afford him.

Rojas missed the first few months of the year with a shoulder injury but returned to High-A in early July and posted a 2.59 ERA with 69 strikeouts and 14 walks in 62 2/3 innings. The 21-year-old is now up to the mid-90s on his fastball while also featuring a plus changeup, gyro slider, and cutter. He is an intriguing arm in the Blue Jays system and will likely start the 2025 season in Double-A.