MLB Player News

Robert Jr. will get the finale off against the Tigers. Dominic Fletcher is starting in center and hitting seventh while Robert Jr. gets a rest.

Covey will most likely elect free agency instead of accepting the outright minor-league assignment after passing through waivers unclaimed, but could wind up sticking around with New York. The 33-year-old righty signed a one-year deal with the Mets back in late October after missing all of last season due to injury. He should be able to latch on somewhere this spring as extra relief depth if he opts to leave New York.

De Los Santos will presumably stick around as extra organizational infield depth heading into spring training, but has the option to elect free agency. The 26-year-old was claimed off waivers back in November after getting into 13 contests last season for the Blue Jays.

Passan adds that $1 million of the agreement is non-guaranteed. Gamel returns to Houston where he posted a .739 OPS with one homer in 20 contests last year before suffering a season-ending fractured fibula in mid-September. The 32-year-old veteran, who has gotten into 723 contests at the highest level dating back to 2016, provides the Astros with some extra corner outfield depth to pair with in-house right field options Chas McCormick and Taylor Trammell.

Marte signed a minor league contract with the Mariners back in November but will head overseas in favor of a more lucrative opportunity. The 30-year-old righty made 23 relief appearances last year for the Phillies and holds a pedestrian 5.64 ERA, 1.61 WHIP and 105/54 K/BB ratio across 113 1/3 innings (102 appearances) in the big leagues since 2022. He’ll attempt to rebuild his long-term value overseas in Japan.

Festa returns to Texas just a few days after passing through waivers unclaimed and rejecting an outright minor-league assignment from Chicago. The 31-year-old right-hander made 18 relief appearances last year for the Rangers and figures to have a decent shot at making their season-opening roster in a low-leverage role.

Jones is the most prominent name among New York’s non-roster invitees despite his fantasy stock tumbling considerably in recent years due to persistent strikeout issues in the upper minors. He remains one of the more intriguing talents in the game due to his massive frame, athleticism and light-tower pop. The 23-year-old slugger struck out nearly 40 percent of the time last year at Double-A Somerset, but we’re not ruling out the possibility that an adjustment or two transforms him into an impact fantasy contributor.

Winans is removed from the 40-man roster to make room for Owen White after White was claimed off waivers. Winan will now hit the waiver wire again, and he’ll likely report back to Triple-A if he’s unclaimed.

White was designated for assignment after the Reds picked up Taylor Rogers. The former top prospect will battle for a roster spot with the Yankees, and he faces an uphill battle.

Shewmake was designated for assignment Friday, and spent just a month in the Kansas City organization. He now joins the Yankees, and assuming he sticks around, he provides some depth in the infield; likely at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

It’ll be a one-year deal with a mutual option for the 2026 season. Bader was an everyday option for the Mets in 2024 but struggled to a .234/.298/.373 slash with 12 homers and 17 stolen bases. He’s still a solid defensive player, however, and he’s shown spurts of offensive upside during his career. He’ll likely see playing time at all three outfield spots for Minnesota this summer.