MLB Player News

President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Barnes is a candidate to close for the Red Sox in 2019, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

With Craig Kimbrel still a free agent, Dombrowski named Barnes, Ryan Brasier, Steven Wright and Tyler Thornburg as internal options who could potentially take over as Boston's closer in 2019. Barnes and Brasier are apparently the two frontrunners for the gig, though the Red Sox could also bring in another capable back-end arm prior to the start of the season. The 28-year-old righty compiled a 3.65 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 61.2 innings of relief in 2018.

President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Brasier is a candidate to close for the Red Sox in 2019, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Dombrowski also mentioned Matt Barnes, Steven Wright and Tyler Thornburg as potential internal options for closer, though he noted Brasier and Barnes are the two frontrunners for the gig. Brasier is coming off an impressive 2018 campaign that saw him post a 1.60 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and 29:7 K:BB across 33.2 innings of relief with the Red Sox. Assuming Boston doesn't sign a capable ninth-inning arm prior to Opening Day, Brasier will compete for the closer's role in spring training.

Ottavino agreed to a contract with the Yankees on Thursday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports. According to Jon Heyman of FancredSports.com, the deal is worth $27 million over three years.

Ottavino joins an impressive relief corps in New York that already features the likes of Aroldis Chapman, Dellin Betances and Zach Britton, among others. The veteran right-hander should immediately slot into a high-leverage setup role after posting a shiny 2.43 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 13.0 K/9 across 77.2 innings of relief with the Rockies in 2018.

Curtiss was traded from the Twins to the Angels on Tuesday in exchange for minor-league infielder Daniel Ozoria.

Curtiss was cast off the Twins' 40-man roster Monday after Minnesota signed Blake Parker. The righty has thrown 15 major-league innings over the last two innings, allowing 12 runs, though his 2.77 ERA in 55.1 frames at the Triple-A level last season gives at least some reason for optimism. He'll be competing for one of the final bullpen spots in Los Angeles. Parker Bridwell was designated for assignment in a corresponding move.

Ames signed a minor-league contract with the Twins on Tuesday, Brandon Warne of ZoneCoverage.com reports.

Ames is 27 years old and has yet to reach the majors, so this is very much an organizational depth signing. At the two highest levels of the minors last season in the Brewers' and Nationals' organizations, Ames posted a 4.74 ERA in 38 innings. He did strike out a good number of batters, posting a 29.7 percent strikeout rate, but his 13.3 percent walk rate holds him back from having a real major-league future.

Curtiss was designated for assignment by the Twins on Monday, LaVelle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Curtiss was removed from Minnesota's 40-man roster in order to free up a spot for reliever Blake Parker, who was officially signed to a one-year deal Monday. The 25-year-old spent most of the 2018 season with Triple-A Rochester, posting a 2.77 ERA, 9.9 K/9 and 5.0 BB/9 across 55.1 innings. Over parts of the past two seasons, Curtiss owns a 7.20 ERA across 15.0 big-league frames.

Garcia signed a one-year, $1.675 contract with the Angels on Friday, avoiding arbitration, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Garcia had a down year in 2018, accruing a 6.07 ERA and 1.46 WHIP with a 51:18 K:BB in 59 appearances (46 innings). With his contract sorted out for the upcoming campaign, he'll shift his focus to spring training, where he'll have a chance to prove himself as one of the top arms in the Angels' bullpen.

Robles agreed to a one-year, $1.4 million contract with the Angels on Friday, avoiding arbitration, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Robles saw his salary increase from six to seven digits after posting a 3.70 ERA and 1.39 WHIP with 39 strikeouts over 56 innings a season ago. He figures to be utilized as one of Los Angeles' top arms during the 2019 campaign after avoiding an arbitration hearing.

Kahnle signed a one-year contract with the Yankees on Friday, avoiding arbitration.

Kahnle had a rough season out of the bullpen for the Yankees in 2018, posting a 6.56 ERA with a 1.63 WHIP and 30 punchouts across 23.1 innings. The 29-year-old does own a career 3.89 ERA and 1.35 WHIP and found success in 2016-17 with the White Sox.

McHugh and the Astros avoided arbitration Friday by agreeing to a one-year contract, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The exact terms of the agreement are not yet known. McHugh had been purely a starter for four straight seasons but transitioned full-time to the bullpen last year with excellent results, posting a 1.99 ERA and a 33.2 percent strikeout rate in 72.1 innings. With the Astros having lost a good chunk of last year's rotation to injury and free agency, however, McHugh could well transition back into a starting role in 2019.