MLB Player News

The 27-year-old was designated for assignment by the Tigers three days ago and now has a new home. Lucas registered a 5.40 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, and a 2/2 K/BB ratio across 3 1/3 innings with the Tigers and figures to serve as organizational relief depth for the Blue Jays.

Kessinger has been removed from Houston’s 40-man roster to clear space for veteran slugger Christian Walker. The 27-year-old got into 48 contests for the Astros over the last two years, batting .131/.243/.213 with one homer in 70 plate appearances.

Gose oscillated back and forth between Cleveland’s bullpen and Triple-A Columbus last year, making three relief appearances for the eventual AL Central champions. The 34-year-old southpaw has had a remarkable career arc, successfully making the transition from big-league center fielder to legitimate hard-throwing lefty reliever. He’ll bolster New York’s organizational relief depth heading into next season and will probably open the year back at Triple-A Syracuse.

The deal is now official. Ross heads to Philadelphia to fill a versatile swingman-type role in addition to providing additional starting pitching depth behind fifth starters Jesús Luzardo and Taijuan Walker. The 31-year-old righty posted a respectable 3.77 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 66/29 K/BB ratio across 74 innings (25 appearances, 10 starts) last year for the Brewers in his return from Tommy John surgery. There isn’t a ton of intrigue for fantasy purposes, but Ross figures to gobble up plenty of frames next year for the Phillies as a relief weapon.

Cuas has been jettisoned from Philadelphia’s 40-man roster to make room for veteran righty Joe Ross. The 30-year-old reliever was claimed off waivers back in September from the Blue Jays and didn’t end up making an appearance for the Phillies.

Ross provides the Phillies with a capable swingman and insurance policy behind Jesús Luzardo and Taijuan Walker at the back-end of their rotation mix. The 31-year-old righty posted a respectable 3.77 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 66/29 K/BB ratio across 74 innings (25 appearances, 10 starts) last year for the Brewers in his return from Tommy John surgery.

The deal is now official. Sandoval boasts one of the most dynamic changeups in the game and represents a worthwhile low-risk reclamation project for the Red Sox. The 28-year-old southpaw underwent Tommy John surgery back in late June and isn’t expected to be an option for Boston’s starting rotation mix until the late stages of next season. It’ll be fascinating to see how he fares in another organization’s pitching development engine, especially one like the Red Sox, who place an emphasis on off-speed pitches.

Armstrong is on the 40-man roster, so the Rangers had to designate Sam Huff for assignment to make room. Armstrong was waived by the Cubs back in September after registering a 4.86 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, and 66 strikeouts in 66 2/3 innings for the Rays, Cardinals, and Cubs in 2024. The 34-year-old does have a 4.15 career ERA in 347 1/3 innings, so he will bring some stability and experience to a Rangers bullpen that is in dire need of it.

The Rangers needed an extra spot on the 40-man roster after signing reliever Shawn Armstrong, so Huff was the odd man out. The one-time Top 100 prospect has never quite figured it out at the big league level and his deficiencies behind the plate make him more of a DH-only. He had just four at-bats for the Rangers in 2024 and hit .246 with 13 home runs in 111 games at Triple-A. Some team will give the 26-year-old another chance at a minor league deal or he’ll choose to take a gamble and remain in the Rangers’ organization.

Young mentioned that the Rangers “really enjoyed our time, but that’s about the extent of anything I will say on that today.” The Rangers are now the fourth team we can confirm has met face-to-face with Sasaki out in Los Angeles, with the Cubs, Mets, and Yankees being the other three. The Padres and Dodgers are still the rumored frontrunners, but the Rangers would be an appealing destination given their strong lineup and solid rotation of veterans, led by Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi. If Sasaki were to decide to head to Texas, that would immediately put the Rangers among the favorites in the AL.

The deal was originally reported on Friday, and it’s now official. The 33-year-old hit 26 homers with an .803 OPS in 130 games in 2024 with Arizona and is a perfect fit for Houston’s short porch in left field. He should be in for a big year with the Astros.