MLB Player News
-
Richard Lovelady RP | TB
Rays' Richard Lovelady: Removed from 40-man roster
The Rays designated Lovelady for assignment Tuesday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Lovelady is a roster casualty as the Rays look to clear space on Rule 5 Draft protection day. The lefty reliever holds a career 4.98 ERA and 90:36 K:BB over 99.1 innings covering parts of five big-league seasons.
-
Cole Sulser RP | TB
Rays' Cole Sulser: Avoids arbitration
The Rays and Sulser avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year contract Monday, Tricia Whitaker of Bally Sports Sun reports.
Sulser had been eligible for arbitration for a second time. The 34-year-old reliever holds a career 3.74 ERA and 158:71 K:BB over 149 innings covering parts of six big-league seasons.
-
Justin Wilson RP | CIN
Red Sox's Justin Wilson: Agrees to deal with Boston
The Red Sox signed Wilson to a one-year, $2.25 million contract Thursday, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports.
He will have the ability to earn an additional $750,000 in incentives. After missing the 2023 season following Tommy John surgery, Wilson held a 5.59 ERA but a 51:13 K:BB across 46.2 frames for the Reds in 2024. The 37-year-old will give the Red Sox another lefty in the bullpen alongside Brennan Bernardino.
-
Griffin Jax RP | MIN
Twins' Griffin Jax: Move to rotation not ruled out
Twins bench coach Jayce Tingler indicated in a recent interview that the team is open to the possibility of moving Jax into the rotation, Mike Ferrin of MLB Network Radio reports.
Jax came up through the minors as a starting pitcher and made 14 starts for the Twins in 2021, posting a 6.10 ERA. He's since turned into a lockdown reliever, most recently collecting a 2.03 ERA and 95:15 K:BB over 71 innings this season. With a five-pitch mix and past starting experience, Jax would seem more equipped for a shift to the rotation than most relievers. The question is whether the uptick in stuff since his move to relief would translate back to a starting role.
-
Steven Okert RP | MIN
Astros' Steven Okert: Signs minors deal with Houston
Okert signed a minor-league contract with the Astros on Nov. 5.
Okert appeared in 44 games for the Twins in 2024, putting up a 5.09 ERA and 1.50 WHIP across 35.1 innings -- his worst statistical season since 2017. The 33-year-old southpaw will have an opportunity to bounce back with the Astros organization, though he will likely need to redeem himself at Triple-A Sugar Land before getting a chance to pitch for Houston.
-
Guillermo Zuniga RP | LAA
Angels' Guillermo Zuniga: Departs 40-man roster
The Angels designated Zuniga for assignment Tuesday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
The move clears a spot on the 40-man roster for the addition of Travis d'Arnaud, who was signed to a two-year deal Tuesday. Zuniga, 26, posted a 5.09 ERA and 12:8 K:BB over 17.2 innings this season while notching a pair of saves.
-
Brandon Leibrandt RP | CIN
Yankees' Brandon Leibrandt: Nets minors deal from Yankees
Leibrandt signed a minor-league contract with the Yankees on Friday.
Leibrandt elected free agency after being dropped from Cincinnati's 40-man roster in October, and he'll now join the Yankees organization to help fill out the roster at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The 31-year-old southpaw put up a 4.41 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in 87.2 minor-league innings last season across 18 starts.
-
Parker Mushinski RP | HOU
Guardians' Parker Mushinski: Inks deal with Cleveland
Mushinski signed a minor-league contract with the Guardians on Friday and received an invitation to spring training, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Mushinski allowed eight earned runs over 11 innings in the big leagues with Houston last season. However, most of his time was spent at Triple-A, where the 28-year-old southpaw posted a 5.44 ERA over 44.2 frames. He will most likely fill in as organizational bullpen depth for the Guardians.
-
Mason Miller RP | OAK
Athletics' Mason Miller: Remaining in bullpen
Athletics general manager David Forst said this week that the team isn't considering moving Miller back into a starting role, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
When the Athletics announced last offseason that Miller would be used as a reliever, they didn't rule out the right-hander eventually returning to the rotation. However, it appears that ship has now sailed and Miller's future is in the bullpen. He was one of the best closers in baseball in 2024, posting a 2.49 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 104:21 K:BB over 65 innings. Given his past health issues, it's not a surprise that the team has opted to leave Miller in a role in which he's proven he can stay heathy and effective.