MLB Player News

The Royals activated the 33-year-old hurler from the restricted list and then cut him loose on Saturday without so much as an explanation. Lyles was placed on the temporarily inactive list back in late April as he was away from the club dealing with a personal matter. We wish him the best in whatever he’s dealing with at this time.

The 27-year-old backstop was picked up midway through the 2024 campaign and went on to hit .230/.289/.414 with four homers and 20 RBI in 97 plate appearances at Double-A Reading before having a cup of coffee at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He’ll add catching depth in big league camp for the Phillies.

Morosi also notes that the Cubs had been in the bidding for left-hander Tanner Scott before he ultimately signed with the Dodgers and are now moving onto their contingency plan in Estévez. The Blue Jays, Reds, Phillies, Yankees and Red Sox have all been linked to the 32-year-old hurler this winter and with Scott off the board, expect the remaining dominoes on the relief pitcher market to fall in line soon.

The 27-year-old hurler recently went viral on social media when a recent bullpen session was posted by Ben Brewster of Tread Athletics. Serwa features the fastest knuckleball ever recorded, averaging 87 mph and touching as high as 88.5 mph. He also mixes in a slower version of the knuckleball along with a 94-mph four-seam fastball to go with a sinker and curveball. The right-hander pitched for the Chicago Dogs of the independent American Association in 2024, posting a 4.22 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and a 103/23 K/BB ratio over 119 1/3 inning. The game certainly needs more knuckleballers, so fans around the world will be rooting for Serwa to have success with the Tigers.

Winn stole seven bases over the first two months of last season, but he stopped running after being moved into the leadoff spot by the Cardinals, going just 4-for-6 in 102 games atop the order. These types of proclamations often don’t last as the season progresses, but Winn clearly has the speed to make it happen.

Liberatore made six starts last season, the last of which came on July 24, and had a 6.35 ERA, compared to 3.69 in his 54 relief appearances. He’s no higher than sixth on the Cardinals’ SP depth chart at the moment, but injuries strike and there is some chance that Erick Fedde or Steven Matz will be traded.

Well, that’s one way to make sure he won’t be striking out Shohei Ohtani in October. Scott, 30, has been one of baseball’s best relievers the last two years, posting a 2.04 ERA in 150 innings. This probably settles the closer question in L.A.; though Scott doesn’t necessarily need to be in that role, the paycheck demands that he get the first try over Michael Kopech and Evan Phillips.

Goodrum played in just 13 games in 2024 at the highest level, and he slashed an awful .103/.188/.103 in his 33 plate appearances. He does offer the ability to play all over the infield and the corner outfield spots, so a good showing in the Cactus League gives him a chance of making San Diego out of spring training.

Plawecki last played in the majors in 2022 as a member of the Rangers. He spent eight seasons in the show — four of those with the Mets — and he hit .235/.313/.341 with 22 career homers over 447 games.

Misiewicz pitched one scoreless inning for the Yankees last season and had a 3.90 ERA with a 69/18 K/BB in 55 1/3 innings for their Triple-A club. The 30-year-old has a lifetime 4.67 ERA in 115 2/3 innings since debuting with the Mariners in 2020.

Following a miserable season with the Rockies in 2023, Castro, 31, spent last year hitting .320/.366/.447 in Mexico. That .813 OPS was barely above the league average of .800. While Castro can play a bunch of positions, he doesn’t offer much value at any of them. Making contact is his one major league skill at this point, and it’s probably not enough to justify a roster spot.