The Yankees selected Castro's contract from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Thursday.

Castro dominated minor-league hitters in 2025, turning in a 1.53 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 52:22 K:BB across 47 innings with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He'll be rewarded with a place on New York's 40-man roster as a result of his performance, and he'll have a chance to win a spot in the Yankees' bullpen during spring training.

The Rays activated Van Belle (elbow) from the 60-day injured list and designated him for assignment Thursday.

Van Belle suffered a UCL sprain in September, and it's unclear if the injury will be addressed via rest and rehab or surgery. Regardless, the 29-year-old will be placed on waivers. He appeared in four games with Tampa Bay in 2025, marking his first MLB action.

The Rays activated Lavender (elbow) from the 60-day injured list and designated him for assignment Thursday.

Lavender underwent surgery in late August or early September to remove a bone spur from his left elbow. It's possible he'll be available for the start of spring training. However, he'll be exposed to waivers after Thursday's move. Lavender, who turns 25 in January, has yet to make his MLB debut.

The Twins declined Topa's $2 million option for 2026 on Thursday, Bobby Nightengale of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.

Topa remains in the organization, as he has another year of team control via arbitration eligibility. The righty reliever collected a 3.90 ERA and 49:18 K:BB over 60 innings out of the Twins' bullpen in 2025, notching four saves along the way. Topa could see high-leverage innings again in 2026 as part of an unsettled Minnesota relief corps.

The Tigers claimed Little off waivers from the Pirates on Thursday.

Little went from the Dodgers to the Pirates via waivers in August but never made an MLB appearance in Pittsburgh. The 27-year-old allowed two runs in three innings with the Dodgers in 2025 and held a 4.06 ERA and 53:22 K:BB over 62 frames at the Triple-A level.

The Angels claimed Laweryson off waivers from the Twins on Thursday, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.

Laweryson made his MLB debut in September, and the 27-year-old right-hander yielded merely one run across 7.1 innings in the closing weeks of the regular season. He struck out seven batters and didn't record a walk. He'll have a chance to build on his strong debut with a new organization.

The Orioles exercised Kittredge's $9 million option for 2026 on Thursday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

The Orioles reacquired Kittredge from the Cubs earlier this week after dealing him to Chicago at the deadline, so it was a foregone conclusion that the reliever's option would be picked up. Kittredge posted a 3.40 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 64:11 K:BB over 53 regular-season innings between the Orioles and Cubs in 2025. He'll be a high-leverage reliever for Baltimore in 2026 and could even serve as closer, depending on what else the Orioles do with their bullpen this offseason.

The Red Sox activated Guerrero from the 60-day injured list and designated him for assignment Thursday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Guerrero missed a significant chunk of the 2025 season with an elbow issue, but he's healthy now, having made four appearances in the Dominican winter league. The 25-year-old has an uninspiring 19:16 K:BB over 27.1 innings at the big-league level, but he has a 29.8 percent strikeout rate in the minors and has minor-league options remaining, so Guerrero could draw interest on waivers.

The Mariners claimed Loutos off waivers from the Washington Nationals on Thursday.

Loutos, a 26-year-old right-hander, made 12 MLB appearances during the 2025 season, split between stints with the Dodgers and Nationals. He posted a 12.75 ERA and a 2.33 WHIP with an 8:8 K:BB over 12 innings. He fared significantly better with the Nationals' Triple-A affiliate in Rochester, posting a 4.32 ERA and a 27:13 K:BB across 25 innings. He'll join the Mariners' 40-man roster.

Criswell signed a one-year, $800,000 contract with the Red Sox on Thursday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

Criswell appeared in seven games for Boston in 2025, finishing the regular season with a 3.57 ERA and 1.58 WHIP through 17.2 innings. He put up similar numbers at Triple-A Worcester (3.70 ERA, 1.35 WHIP) before elbow inflammation put an early end to his season in late August. The 29-year-old righty doesn't have any more minor-league options remaining, so he will have to make the Red Sox's Opening Day roster to avoid losing his 40-man spot.