MLB Player News

McCoy was non-tendered as the Padres needed to free up a couple of spots on their 40-man roster in late November, but he’ll rejoin the fray on a minor league pact. The 29-year-old hit just .204/.278/.245 with no homers, three RBI and a 19/5 K/BB ratio over 57 plate appearances with the Padres in 2024.

McGuire augments Chicago’s catching depth heading into spring training. The 29-year-old backstop lost his starting job last year in Boston to Connor Wong before being shipped to the minors by early August after the club acquired Danny Jansen. He’s a decent early-season emergency depth option for the Cubs behind Miguel Amaya and Carson Kelly in case top prospect Moises Ballesteros isn’t ready to ascend to the majors right away.

Matzek made 11 relief appearances last year for the Braves before hitting the injured list in early May with left elbow inflammation. The 34-year-old veteran southpaw should be able to latch on somewhere as extra organizational relief depth, especially if he shows that he’s healthy in his showcase. He was a key component of Atlanta’s World Series title run back in 2021 but has struggled with injuries ever since.

Edwards has been dealing with a lingering shoulder issue since the 2022 season when he suffered a right shoulder impingement. He told MLB.com earlier this month that he’s feeling the best he’s felt in years thanks to working with Maxx Garrett, the Marlins director of catching who previously worked at Driveline Baseball, on a brand-new throwing program. He was outstanding last year when he finally got a chance with Miami, hitting .328 in 70 contests. His batting average would’ve ranked second in the majors, behind Royals superstar Bobby Witt Jr. (.332) had he qualified. His 31 thefts were seventh on the senior circuit, despite only playing a few months following a mid-June call-up. The 25-year-old projects as an impact fantasy contributor in the batting average and stolen base departments, but the fact that he’s only going to contribute a handful of homers likely limits his potential upside from reaching the upper-echelon stratosphere. The fact that he’s feeling healthy entering spring training is undoubtedly a positive, but we’re not forecasting a power breakthrough.

Pint will head to the minor-league side of camp, according to a team statement. The 27-year-old righty was the fourth overall selection in the 2016 MLB Draft and put together a remarkable comeback to reach the majors with Colorado during the 2023 season after retiring two years prior. He’s merely extra organizational depth at this stage of his career, but he’s heading to the right organization as a reclamation project given their recent success in that department.

The deal is now official. Sewald provides Cleveland with some experienced high-leverage relief depth in a setup role ahead of elite stopper Emmanuel Clase. The 34-year-old veteran lost his grip on the closing role last year in Arizona during a second-half slide, but he represents a worthwhile low-risk gamble for the Guardians’ pitching apparatus. He’s compiled 84 saves in the big leagues since 2018 and would be the clear favorite over outstanding youngster Cade Smith to take over as Cleveland’s ninth-inning option should Clase wind up missing any time due to injury.

Avila gets the boot from Cleveland’s 40-man roster to free up a spot for veteran high-leverage relief arm Paul Sewald. The 28-year-old righty was a revelation last year for the Guardians, posting a strong 3.25 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 73/30 K/BB ratio across 74 2/3 innings (50 appearances). He’s a virtual lock to be claimed off waivers in the coming days.

The contract has a guaranteed one year at $7 million which also includes a $1 million signing bonus, and a $10 million team option for 2026 with a $1 million buyout. Sewald will also earn an extra $100k escalator as he hits any of his 40, 45, 50, 55, 60 appearance benchmarks in 2025. Obviously, Sewald is not going to close in Cleveland, but he provides a tremendous setup option in front of Emmanuel Clase and makes this Guardians bullpen a strength year again in 2025. If Clase were to miss any time, Sewald could also be a huge waiver add for fantasy managers.

The 29-year-old Lovelady had a 4.46 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, and a 26/11 K/BB ratio over 34 1/3 innings between the Cubs and Rays during the 2024 season. For his career, he has allowed a .232 average and .653 OPS to left-handed hitters with a 24 percent strikeout rate, so he will try to compete for a job in the Blue Jay’s bullpen as a lefty specialist.

It wasn’t a great 2024 season for Bethancourt, who hit .209/.241/.367 in 147 plate appearances for the Cubs and Marlins. The 33-year-old was productive in 2022 and 2023 so he has a chance to earn the backup role in Toronto, but he will need to beat out Tyler Heineman in spring training.

Well, the Angels certainly have a type. The 31-year-old Anderson saw his production fall off a cliff in 2023 and, unfortunately, 2024 was no better as he posted a .214/.237/.226 line in 241 plate appearances with the Marlins. After being a perennial .300 hitter with 15/15 upside, Anderson has not hit over .245 in either of the last two seasons and has just one home run and 17 steals in 765 plate appearances. With Zach Neto potentially starting the year on the IL as he recovers from off-season surgery, there is a chance for Anderson to earn a starting job for a few weeks, but he will need to show far more production than he has over the last two seasons.