The Cardinals will decline Middleton's (forearm) $6 million club option for 2025, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

He will be paid a $1 million buyout. Middleton was limited to just five rehab appearances in 2024 due to a right flexor tendon injury which eventually required surgery. The reliever is unlikely to be ready for Opening Day.

The Cardinals will decline Lynn's (knee) $11 million club option for 2025, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

The team will pay Lynn a $1 million buyout instead. Lynn posted a 3.84 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 109:44 K:BB through 117.1 innings across 23 starts for St. Louis in 2024. He ended the season on the 15-day injured list with right knee inflammation but should be healthy by spring training and the 37-year-old has said he intends to continue his career in 2025.

The Cardinals will decline Gibson's $12 million club option for 2025, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

He will be paid a $1 million buyout instead and allowed to test free agency. Gibson, 37, had a solid 2024 campaign in his lone year in St. Louis, collecting a 4.24 ERA and a 151:68 K:BB over 169.2 innings covering 30 starts, but with the Cardinals looking to trim payroll they've elected to move on from the veteran right-hander.

Kirilloff announced his retirement from professional baseball Thursday.

In a post on his Instagram account, Kirilloff wrote that the numerous injuries he's dealt with "have taken a toll on me mentally and physically" and he feels he's no longer able to give baseball "the total commitment it requires." Kirilloff, who turns 27 next week, is currently rehabbing a lower-back injury and has also had two wrist surgeries and back surgery. He slashed .248/.309/.412 with 27 home runs over 249 games covering parts of four seasons with the Twins.

Judge went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer and two walks in Wednesday's loss to the Dodgers.

Judge sent Yankee Stadium into a frenzy in the bottom of the first inning when he followed a one-out Juan Soto walk with a two-run homer to the opposite field. He also added a double and a pair of free passes. Judge's heroics were ultimately too little, too late as the Yankees blew a 5-0 lead, partly because of a key Judge misplay in the outfield amid a terrible defensive inning for the Yankees, and the Dodgers went on to capture the World Series title. He clubbed three home runs and drove in nine in 14 games this postseason, but Judge also batted just .184 with a 31.3 percent strikeout rate.

Weaver was saddled with a blown save Wednesday against the Dodgers, letting two inherited runners score while permitting one hit and one walk over 1.1 frames.

He was put into an impossible situation, taking over for Tommy Kahnle in the top of the eighth inning after Kahnle had loaded the bases with no one out. Weaver didn't permit a hit or a walk in the frame, but a pair of sac flies turned a one-run Yankees lead to a one-run deficit. He returned for the ninth inning and was pulled with one out and two runners on before Mark Leiter came on to escape the jam. The Yankees have a $2.5 million club option on Weaver for 2025, which they will undoubtedly pick up. He could open next season as the club's closer after finishing this year in the role.

Flaherty was tagged four runs on four hits and one walk over just 1.1 innings Wednesday against the Yankees, taking a no-decision. He struck out one.

It's not clear whether the hamstring issue which bothered Flaherty toward the end of his Game 1 start was an issue Wednesday, but he didn't have anything working for him in this one. A one-out walk to Juan Soto in the first inning was followed by back-to-back homers by Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm, and the Yankees tacked on another run with one out in the second before Flaherty was pulled. The early hook by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts proved to be a wise move, as the bullpen held the Yankees to just two runs over the next 7.2 frames and the offense did enough to pull out the victory. Flaherty had an uneven postseason, mixing in some stellar efforts with some clunkers and ultimately finishing with a 7.36 ERA and 15:9 K:BB over 22 innings covering five starts.

Cole took a no-decision Wednesday versus the Dodgers, getting charged with five runs (zero earned) on four hits and four walks over 6.2 innings. He struck out six.

All five unearned runs came in the top of the fifth inning on two singles, a double, a walk and two errors. One of the singles was credited to Mookie Betts on what should have been an inning-ending groundout, but Cole failed to cover first base. The first Dodgers run scored on that play and four more followed before Cole finally escaped the frame. Cole settled back in after that and was in line for the win when he was pulled with one on and two out in the seventh, but the Dodgers tallied a couple runs in the eight to go ahead for good. In five starts this postseason, Cole held a 2.17 ERA and 22:10 K:BB over 29 frames.

The Orioles outrighted Johnson to Triple-A Norfolk on Wednesday.

Johnson received one plate appearance with the Orioles this season in what was his first game in the majors since 2021. Because he's been outrighted before, he has the ability to elect free agency if he wants.

The Reds outrighted Leibrandt to Triple-A Louisville on Wednesday.

Leibrandt cleared waivers after the Reds designated him for assignment earlier this week. Because the lefty has been outrighted previously, he has the option to elect free agency.