MLB Player News

Stassi opened the season on the injured list with left hip inflammation, but appears to be getting close to making his White Sox debut.

Woodward previously functioned as the team’s third base coach from 2016-2018 and he has been in the organization for the past couple of years as a senior advisor on the player development side. There was a vacancy at the position after Clayton McCullough left to become the new manager of the Miami Marlins.

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.