MLB Player News

Even though Díaz threw 26 pitches Sunday, the Mets turned to him with five outs to go in a 6-3 game in the eighth today. He immediately made a huge miscue, failing to cover first base of Jarred Kelenic’s grounder and giving up a run and an out. Later, an Ozzie Albies three-run double put the Braves ahead. In spite of that, Diaz was sent back out for the ninth after the Mets reclaimed the lead. He gave up a single with one out, but he retired the other three batters he faced and was credited with his sixth win to go along with his seventh blown save. It’ll be fascinating to see whether the Mets are willing to turn to him tomorrow in Game 1 of a Wild Card series. His 40 pitches today topped his previous season high by 10 and put him at 66 pitches over two days.

It’s a pretty interesting wrinkle for the Pirates as Strom played a pivotal role last decade in building the Astros juggernaut before a three-year stint with the Diamondbacks. He brings a wealth of experience to a talented Pittsburgh staff headlined by the tandem of Paul Skenes and Jared Jones with top prospect Bubba Chandler on the doorstep of the big leagues.

Briceño is the first prospect to launch double-digit homers in the AFL since Mike Olt accomplished the feat back in 2011. The 20-year-old backstop was limited to just 40 games last season at Low-A Lakeland and figures to open up next year back in the lower minors. His over-the-fence pop is unquestioned and he figures to hit for plenty of power once he arrives in the big leagues. That’s unlikely to happen in 2025, but he’s definitely increased his long-term dynasty appeal with his AFL performance.

Duarte remains with Minnesota shortly after being removed last week from the club’s 40-man roster. The 27-year-old righty, who has made 36 relief appearances in the big leagues since 2022, is expected to miss the vast majority of next season as he recovers from UCL revision surgery.

Curvelo officially joins the Rangers after it was reported Sunday that the 24-year-old would be joining the Rangers. He’s coming off a fantastic season in Double-A Arkansas with a 2.57 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and a 78/18 K/BB ratio over his 66 2/3 innings of work. He’ll get a chance to win a spot in the Texas bullpen, and he may have the stuff to be a high-leverage reliever.

Fink was the Guardians’ minor league hitting coordinator the last three years, so he’ll have some familiarity with some of the Cleveland hitters. He replaces Chris Valaika, who left the Guardians to join Terry Francona’s staff in Cincinnati.

Romero mentions some of the teams that have monitored the infielder are the Blue Jays, Yankees, and Mariners. Moncada is a free agent after the White Sox declined his $25 million option for the 2025 season. The former top prospect does have a career .756 OPS and offers the ability to play both third and second base, but has struggled mightily over the last few seasons both on the field and to stay healthy. He’s likely looking at a one-year “prove it” deal this winter.

Jax arrived in the majors as a starter in 2021, but he had a 6.37 ERA in 82 innings that season and hasn’t done anything but relieve since. Especially given that he still uses five pitches, it’d be fascinating to see what he could do as a starter now. He was outstanding late in games last season, racking up a 95/15 K/BB in 71 innings.

Okert heads to Houston as extra left-handed relief depth after struggling to a lackluster 5.09 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 33/16 K/BB ratio across 35 1/3 innings (44 appearances) last season with the Twins. The 33-year-old veteran southpaw has made 272 appearances in the big leagues dating back to 2016. He’ll compete in spring training for a spot in the Astros’ season-opening bullpen.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported earlier this week that the Blue Jays and Red Sox are in line to meet with Soto at the outset of free agency. That doesn’t necessarily mean the Giants won’t be involved in the Soto sweepstakes at some point, but it’s an unexpected wrinkle considering they were expected to be in the mix.

Crochet is the most appealing trade target for any franchise looking to significantly upgrade their starting rotation mix and the White Sox are looking to capitalize with his trade value seemingly at an absolute apex. The 25-year-old southpaw, who has two years left before reaching free agency, finished last year’s breakthrough campaign with a strong 3.58 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 209/33 K/BB ratio across 146 innings (32 starts). He’ll command an astronomical prospect haul, but there should be several organizations willing to meet Chicago’s asking price.