MLB Player News

Berríos relied on plenty of called strikes on Saturday, getting 17 called strikes and just five total whiffs for a 35 percent CSW but 19 percent whiff rate. It wasn’t a particularly dominant outing, but the veteran was around the strike zone and perhaps benefitted from a Twins team that lacked much fight after being down 9-0 by the end of the second inning. Whatever the case may be, Berríos will take a 3.59 ERA into a tough matchup in Atlanta next week.

De Goti last appeared in the big leagues back in 2022 when he got into a pair of contests for the Astros. The 30-year-old journeyman infielder spent last year in the Rangers’ system, hitting .225/.323/.279 with one homer and 11 steals in 257 plate appearances between Double-A Frisco and Triple-A Round Rock. He’s merely extra organizational infield depth at this stage of his career.

Higgins returns to the fold with Cincinnati as emergency catching depth at Triple-A Louisville after hitting .259/.320/.385 with 11 homers in 568 plate appearances last year. The 31-year-old backstop got into 83 contests for the division-rival Cubs from 2021-2022, posting a respectable .639 OPS with six homers in 254 plate appearances during that span, but hasn’t been back up to the big leagues since.

Festa went unclaimed on waivers after being designated for assignment last week by the Cubs. The 31-year-old righty has the option to elect free agency and might opt to test the open market rather than accept the outright assignment. He made 19 relief appearances last year between the Mets and Rangers.

The deal is now official. Mayza supplements Pittsburgh’s left-handed relief depth after splitting last year between the Blue Jays and Yankees. The 33-year-old southpaw was a mainstay in Toronto’s bullpen for the previous few seasons before struggling last year to the point that he was released in early July.

Williams loses his spot on Pittsburgh’s 40-man roster following the addition of veteran lefty reliever Tim Mayza. The 25-year-old shortstop owns a lackluster .202/.257/.271 triple-slash line with zero homers and one steal in 208 plate appearances in the big leagues since 2023.

The deal, which also includes $2 million in incentives and an opt-out following the 2025 season, is now official. Kim is expected to take over as Tampa Bay’s primary shortstop in late April or early May once he’s completed his rehabilitation process from offseason shoulder surgery. It’s unclear whether the previously elite stolen base totals are coming back after he managed only 22 thefts last year in 121 games. The 29-year-old infielder’s plate skills remain at near-elite levels, but he simply doesn’t make enough consistent hard contact to forecast anything beyond 10-15 homers. If he’s not swiping 30-plus bases it’s difficult to envision him making a significant fantasy impact, but his path to relevance is exponentially easier at the keystone as opposed to shortstop.

It winds up being a short stay for Eisert on Tampa Bay’s 40-man roster as he winds up being jettisoned to make room for Ha-Seong Kim. The 27-year-old lefty was acquired last week from the Blue Jays in a small trade. He made three appearances last year for Toronto at the highest level.

Santos was limited to just eight late-season relief appearances last year during his Seattle debut due to lat and biceps issues. It’s a positive sign that the 25-year-old righty is feeling healthy in the lead up to spring training and he should help bolster the Mariners’ high-leverage mix behind incumbent closer Andrés Muñoz.

Dipoto added that Brash hasn’t experienced any setbacks during his rehabilitation process from last year’s persistent elbow issues and is expected to be ready to throw at the outset of spring training. There are zero guarantees until he gets into game action, but the 26-year-old righty should be ready to rejoin Seattle’s high-leverage mix behind stopper Andrés Muñoz by the end of April.

Taylor is going to be a bit delayed in his ramp-up process after suffering the injury last week during offseason workouts. The 23-year-old hurler posted a serviceable 3.72 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 25/7 K/BB ratio across 19 1/3 innings (21 appearances) last year for Seattle after getting called up directly from Double-A Arkansas. There should be a more definitive timetable for his return once spring training opens up.