MLB Player News

Thompson strengthens New York’s outfield depth heading into spring training and will be vying for a spot on their season-opening roster in a bench role. The well-traveled 32-year-old outfielder split last season between the White Sox and Dodgers, finishing with a .579 OPS to accompany six homers and two steals across 179 plate appearances. He’s merely extra organizational depth at this stage of his career, but he’s a perfectly capable emergency stopgap.

All three players had been designated for assignment on Tuesday as the Tigers attempted to clear some room on their 40-man roster, so it’s not shocking that none of the players were tendered contracts. Leonard actually had a decent season in 67 games at Triple-A Toledo in 2024 — hitting .263/.326/.455 with 10 homers, 26 RBI and seven swipes in 282 plate appearances — but never got an opportunity at the big-league level. It may need to be a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training, but Leonard shouldn’t have any difficulty finding another opportunity.

Reid-Foley had a 1.66 ERA in 23 relief appearances before missing the final 3 1/2 months of last season with a shoulder impingement. The 29-year-old has pitched in parts of seven big-league seasons, but in part because of injuries, he’s totaled just 131 2/3 innings.

The 23-year-old right-hander was once considered an intriguing pitching prospect for the Tigers but he struggled to a cringe-inducing 7.84 ERA, 1.97 WHIP and a 29/25 K/BB ratio over 31 innings across three minor league levels in 2024. It’s possible that they still attempt to bring him back on a minor league deal, but there could be other teams interested in what was once a very promising young arm.

All three players might have been non-tendered if they hadn’t agreed to terms today. ESPN’s Jesse Rogers said Merryweather will make $1.225 million next season. Thompson and Thaiss were both due something similar.

No word just yet on the financial of the deal, but the 31-year-old infielder had been projected by MLBTradeRumors.com to earn $1.5 million through arbitration. Ibáñez excelled as a masher of left-handed pitching and pinch-hitting specialist for the Tigers during their miraculous playoff run in 2024, so expect him to operate in a similar role in 2025. Unfortunately, that doesn’t give him much value from a fantasy perspective.

The 27-year-old hurler was designated for assignment already earlier in the week as the club needed to free up a few spots on their 40-man roster. Gillispie broke through to the big leagues for the first time in 2024, posting a 2.25 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and an 8/5 K/BB ratio across eight innings. Don’t be surprised if the Guardians attempt to bring him back on a minor league deal and he excels as a member of their bullpen at some point in 2025.

Valera had already been designated for assignment on Tuesday as the Guardians tried to make some room on their 40-man roster, so it’s not shocking to see that he wasn’t tendered a contract. It’s possible that they could still attempt to bring the 24-year-old outfielder back into the fold on a minor league contract.

The 32-year-old right-hander was a mainstay in the Guardians’ rotation in 2024, going 13-10 with a 3.81 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and a 118/49 K/BB ratio over 151 innings of work. If they’re able to get anything close to that level of production again in 2025 — at just $2.25 million — it would be a massive win for the Guardians.

No word yet on the financial details of the pact, but Brubaker had been projected by MLBTradeRumors.com to earn $2.275 million via arbitration. The 31-year-old hurler was shut down in July with an oblique issue that ultimately sidelined him for the remainder of the season. Brubaker hasn’t pitched in a game at the big-league level since the 2022 season.

Because he gave up eight homers, Hughes had an 8.15 ERA in 17 2/3 innings for Arizona last season. He was far more successful in a tough environment at Triple-A Reno, posting a 2.03 ERA in 48 2/3 innings. He’ll compete for a spot in some team’s pen next spring.