MLB Player News

The Royals selected Lovelady's contract from Triple-A Omaha on Thursday.

Lovelady sat out most of 2022 while he rehabbed from Tommy John surgery, but he returned to game action in September with Double-A Northwest Arkansas and Omaha. The left-hander had a 3.48 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 23:6 K:BB across 20.2 innings prior to the injury in 2021 and could be a bullpen piece for Kansas City to open next season.

The Yankees selected Krook's contract to the major-league roster Thursday.

Krook has yet to make his big-league debut but is now on the roster heading into 2023. The 28-year-old spent last season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and had a 4.02 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 155:73 K:BB across 138.2 innings.

Lawrence was outrighted to Triple-A Buffalo on Wednesday.

Lawrence had a brief stint with the major-league club to close out the regular season but was left off the Blue Jays' wild-card roster. He'll lose his spot on the 40-man roster now that the season is complete.

The Rangers exercised Leclerc's $6 million team option for 2023 on Wednesday.

Leclerc missed most of the first two and a half months of the 2022 campaign while he recovered from last year's Tommy John surgery, but he re-emerged as a serviceable late-inning arm for Texas once he returned from the injured list. Over his 47.2 innings with Texas, Leclerc tallied a 2.83 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 54:21 K:BB. He finished the season as the Rangers' preferred end-game option and raked in seven saves in the process, and while he tentatively sits atop the bullpen depth chart at this early stage of the offseason, expect Texas to add some competition at the back end of the bullpen rather than handing Leclerc the closing gig outright.

The Mariners claimed Speier off waivers from the Royals on Wednesday.

Speier provides the Mariners with an extra left-handed option out of the bullpen heading into 2023, though he's likely to settle for a low-leverage role if he earns a spot on the Opening Day roster. He made 19 appearances for Kansas City in 2022, logging a 2.33 ERA and 1.09 WHIP while striking out 14 in 19.1 innings.

The Rays reinstated Anderson (foot) from the 60-day injured list Wednesday and designated him for assignment, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Tampa Bay didn't plan on tendering Anderson a contract for 2023 after injuries cost him most of the past two seasons, so he'll lose his spot on the 40-man roster and will now be available to MLB's other 29 teams via waivers. Anderson is arbitration-eligible for the next three years and likely won't be in store for a major salary increase after earning $845,000 in 2022, potentially making him an appealing flier for a team with less bullpen depth than the Rays. Anderson is just two years removed from collecting six saves and six holds while pitching to an 0.55 ERA and 0.49 WHIP over 16.1 innings in relief during the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign.

Jimenez (back) is expected to be ready for the start of spring training in February, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Jimenez closed the 2022 campaign on the 15-day injured list with a right lumbar spine strain before the Tigers reinstated him one day after the regular season ended. He's still not fully healthy, however, as he's spent the past month focusing on strengthening his core muscles to regain stability in his spine. Jimenez should start throwing later this winter and will likely enter the spring with no restrictions, but it's unclear if he'll be joining the Tigers for camp. The team will first have to decide whether or not to extend Jimenez a contract for 2023 prior to the Nov. 18 tender deadline.

Detroit announced Tuesday that Brieske (forearm) is fully healthy and participating in his normal offseason program, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.

Brieske went down with forearm soreness in July and experienced biceps tendinitis while going through his rehab program, but he's now healthy after he missed the final three months of 2022. The young right-hander had a 4.19 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 54:25 K:BB across 81.2 innings during his rookie campaign last year, and he should be in the mix for a rotation spot at spring training.

The Blue Jays will exercise Bass' $3 million club option for 2023 on Tuesday, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

The veteran right-hander was acquired from the Marlins at the trade deadline and will stick with the Blue Jays in 2023. Bass finished the year with a 1.54 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 73:20 K:BB across 70.1 innings, and he should fill a high-leverage role again for Toronto next year.

Pressly pitched a scoreless ninth inning during Saturday's 4-1 win over the Phillies in Game 6 of the World Series, allowing one hit, striking out none and walking none.

Pressly remained spotless for the postseason, finishing with a 0.00 ERA and just one unearned run allowed across 11 innings. He surrendered a one-out single to J.T. Realmuto, but was able to force two flyouts to secure the World Series victory. The 33-year-old ended his 2022 campaign with 18 consecutive saves -- his last blown save was July 30 against the Mariners. Pressly was extended through 2024 at the beginning of the season in what looks like a great decision for the Astros after the closer was dominant to finish the year.