MLB Player News

Wainwright held the red-hot Orioles offense at bay until the fifth inning after allowing a leadoff walk followed by two singles and a fielder’s choice, which scored three runs. With the Cardinals holding a one-run lead, he was removed from the game as St. Louis attempted to give the veteran his best chance of collecting a win. It was the right move as the veteran won his first game since June 17 and now has 199 wins for his career. He’ll take a 7.95 ERA back home to face the Brewers on Monday.

He’ll get a $250,000 buyout. Williams made $7 million last season and would have cleared $10.5 million in arbitration next year had he not hurt his back and missed the first half. As is, the Brewers think he’ll have to settle for a lesser salary in his final year before free agency, and they’re not really worried about maintaining goodwill with the two-time All-Star, as it’s quite doubtful he’ll still be around in 2026. It’s entirely possible he’ll be traded this winter.

Wacha, who would have become a free agent by opting out of a $16 million salary next year, is guaranteed $51 million, and the deal can top out at $72 million if the option is picked up, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Wacha is 33 and had had quite a bit of trouble staying healthy, but he’s avoided major injuries the last half-dozen years and been quite effective three seasons in a row (38-14, 3.30 ERA in 428 IP). A two-year deal seemed more appropriate here, but the Royals are getting a lower AAV with the extended pact. With Wacha back, Kansas City’s rotation is pretty well taken care of. He’ll join Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo, Brad Singer and then one of Kyle Wright, Alec March or maybe Kris Bubic.

The Marlins got Pintar as the second player along with Deyvison De Los Santos in the A.J. Puk deal with the Diamondbacks. A 2022 fifth-round pick, Pintar struggled mightily with his two Double-A teams this year, hitting just .190/.287/.239 in 191 plate appearances. He was very successful before that, though, batting .304/.403/.516 in 254 PA for high-A Hillsboro, and he’s bounced back somewhat in the AFL, coming in at .286/.368/.381 in 20 games. He’s also 30-for-31 stealing bases if one combines the minor league and the AFL seasons. He’s going to need to find some more pop to make it in the big leagues, but the raw strength is there.

Avila is making a strong case to be added to the Royals’ 40-man roster in advance of the Rule 5 draft. The 23-year-old had a 3.81 ERA and an 82/43 K/BB in 82 2/3 innings over 19 starts for Double-A Arkansas last season, and he has a 3.07 ERA through five AFL outings.

Durbin is now 22-for-23 stealing bases in 18 games for the Rafters. He’s also struck out just four times while hitting .265/.393/.456 in 84 plate appearances. The Yankees now will almost surely have to add him to the 40-man later this month if they don’t want him getting picked in the Rule 5 draft.

Katoh was a second-round pick of the Yankees in 2013, and he briefly surfaced in the majors with the Blue Jays in 2022, collecting a double and walking three times in 11 plate appearances. He signed with the Nippon Ham Fighters after that season, but after not experiencing much success in Japan, he’s chosen to call it a career at age 30.

This was likely an easy one, as Rojas was a .283 hitter with a .748 OPS over 103 games while playing quality defense up the middle. Even if Rojas is more of a utility player than someone who is in the lineup every single day — probably somewhere in-between — that makes his $5 million salary for 2025 a pittance.

Robertson is now a free agent. The 39-year-old was a solid part of the Texas bullpen with a 3.00 ERA over 68 appearances and a 99/27 K/BB across 72 innings. He should see interest on a short-term deal from a variety of bullpen-needy clubs.

A no-brainer of sorts, even with the Dodgers having some young talent at the catching position in the minors that could help in 2025. Barnes got on at a .331 clip, and while there’s no power in his bat as seen in one total homer and a .307 slugging mark, his work with the pitching staff is well worth that contract and then some as the backup to Will Smith.

They’re facing a Sunday deadline to make the call. The Athletic’s Jim Bowden also has a Yankees source indicating that the team will likely retain Cole. The Yankees would be paying $180 million for Cole’s next five seasons through age 38. It’d be an easy call if not for the 34-year-old’s elbow injury last season. As is, it’s pretty risky. Still, Cole was the AL Cy Young winner in 2023, and his stuff looked plenty good in the playoffs last month.