MLB Player News

Martinez re-signed with the Tigers, Matt Eddy of Baseball America reports.

Martinez wasn't particularly effective last season, posting an ERA of 5.62 in 41.2 innings over 12 games with Double-A Erie in the Tigers system and a 6.23 ERA in 52 games over 12 games with Triple-A Rochester in the Twins system. He's likely to serve as organizational depth in 2017, but could find himself out of a job if he pitches poorly once again.

Pino agreed to a minor league contract with the Twins on Tuesday, Matt Eddy of Baseball America reports.

The right-hander most recently pitched in Korea, struggling to the tune of a 7.15 ERA over 39.0 innings, while posting a 23/15 K/BB ratio to go with it. He pitched with the Twins back in 2014, but posted a 5.07 ERA across 60.1 innings. The 33-year-old will likely provide organization depth at reliever for the Twins.

De Leon was traded to the Rays on Monday in exchange for second baseman Logan Forsythe.

This is a nice get for the Rays, as De Leon is regarded as one of the top pitching prospects in baseball. The young righty did struggle in his four starts with the Dodgers in 2016, posting a 6.35 ERA and 15:7 K:BB over 17 innings. He may begin the season in the minor leagues, but is likely to make his way to the big league club sometime during 2017.

VerHagen (shoulder) will throw off a mound this week, MLB.com's Jason Beck reports.

This will mark the first time he's thrown off of a mound since undergoing thoracic outlook syndrome surgery last July. Despite a rough year in 2016, posting a 7.11 ERA over 19.0 innings, the righty should be ready to compete for a roster spot come spring training.

Pomeranz received a stem cell injection in his pitching elbow in October, Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal reports.

The left-hander pitched through elbow soreness in the latter portion of the 2016 season, and while his condition didn't require surgery, he did require an injection to alleviate the issue. Red Sox President Dave Dombrowski recently said that Pomeranz will likely slot in towards the back of the rotation this season, which suggests that the elbow won't be an issue once pitchers and catchers report.

Fulmer needs more development, according to White Sox general manager Rick Hahn, Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Chicago's first-round draft pick in 2015 spent some time in the major league bullpen last season, but the organization is committed to Fulmer being a starter. The right-hander had a middling year in the minors at Double-A Birmingham, but finished up with three strong starts at Triple-A Charlotte. Hahn credited Charlotte pitching coach Rich Dotson with some minor tweaks in his delivery and they want to build off that late-season success.

Diekman (stomach) will undergo surgery to help alleviate ulcerative colitis Jan. 25 and will miss at least half of the season, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

This is unfortunate news for both Diekman and the Rangers, as the 29-year-old enjoyed a solid year in 2016, recording a 3.40 ERA while striking out 59 batters across 53 innings. He was also Texas' top southpaw setup man. The Rangers will likely turn to Alex Claudio to fill the left-handed void in the bullpen until Diekman is available to return.

Hendriks agreed to a one-year, $1.1 million deal with the Athletics on Friday, avoiding arbitration, Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reports.

When healthy, Hendriks was one of the most heavily-used relievers for the Athletics in 2016. Despite a rough start to the season in which he was hampered by an elbow injury, the 27-year-old was able to put together a solid campaign to the tune of a 3.76 ERA (2.85 FIP) over 64.2 innings pitched. He'll be a factor out of the bullpen again in 2017.

Diekman and the Rangers avoided arbitration with a one-year, $2.55 million deal, Jon Heyman of Today's Knuckleball reports.

Diekman enjoyed a strong year in 2016, recording a 3.40 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 53 innings. He even managed to pick up four saves, which might have helped him double his salary. The 29-year-old is on track to be a free agent after the 2018 season.

Layne agreed to a one-year deal with the Yankees on Friday, avoiding arbitration.

The terms of the agreement were not announced. He has settled in as a solid middle reliever over the past couple seasons, but does not bring much to the table from a fantasy perspective.