MLB Player News

Yates was designated for assignment Tuesday, Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com reports.

With the Indians making their signing of Mike Napoli official Tuesday, the team cleared a spot on the 40-man roster by designating Yates for assignment. Yates, who was acquired from the Rays in November, has made 57 major league relief appearances over the past two seasons. The splits between those two campaigns are dramatic, as he posted a 7.97 ERA in 20 outings last year after notching a 3.75 mark the previous season.

Chapman was traded to the Yankees on Monday, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reports.

The Yankees gave up four minor-league prospects to acquire Chapman from the Reds, nearly four weeks after the planned trade to the Dodgers was nixed due to the closer's domestic-violence allegations stemming from an incident in late October. Chapman now joins Andrew Miller and Dellin Betances to form a devastating power-arm bullpen, but Chapman's presence does make Miller more expendable. While sources indicate the Yankees are expecting to lose Chapman's services for some portion of the season due the alleged domestic-violence incident, it doesn't appear as if he will miss the entire season. Thus his role will likely be decided once MLB officially makes its decision on the alleged incident.

Bundy signed with the Orioles on Wednesday, Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports reports.

Bundy had his 2015 season cut short after suffering a torn ACL in the spring. The specific parameters of Bundy's new contract have yet to be released, but given his injury history, it's no guarantee that he'll get an invite to Orioles Spring Training.

Reed will receive an invite to spring training, the Twins announced Thursday.

Reed has a big fastball and a serviceable slider that could allow him to pitch in high-leverage spots down the road. However, his 1.62 WHIP at Double-A last year speaks to his command issues. Look for him to spend most of 2016 back in the upper levels of the minors, where he will look to cut down on the walks.

Burdi will receive an invite to spring training, the Twins announced Thursday.

This is not surprising, as Burdi is one of the best relief pitching prospects in the minors. He can touch triple digits with his fastball, and has a devastating breaking ball that should serve as an out pitch at the highest level. Burdi finished the 2015 campaign at Double-A, and could be getting big outs for the Twins sometime this summer.

Boshers signed a minor league contract with the Twins Tuesday, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Boshers signed a minor league contract with the Rockies last December, but was released soon after spring training begun. The left-hander last pitched in an independent league, posting a 1.00 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and 11.8 K/9 in 54.0 innings pitched. He'll likely serve as organizational depth for the Twins organization.

Lamb was traded to the White Sox on Thursday in exchange for Myles Jaye, the Fort Worth Star Telegram's Stefan Stevenson reports.

This is as minor of a trade that will take place this offseason, as it involves two very unexciting pitching prospects. Last year Lamb, a lefty reliever, posted a 5.52 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 31 innings with the Rangers' Triple-A affiliate.

Giles was traded to the Astros on Wednesday in exchange for pitchers Vince Velasquez and Brett Oberholtzer, outfielder Derek Fisher, and another player, Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston reports.

The Astros are sending the Phillies two major leaguers and a promising prospect in exchange for Giles, so he will almost certainly step right into the closer's role in Houston. He blew just two saves after taking over as the Phillies' closer in late July last year and also struck out 87 batters in 70 innings, and he will now get to play on a team that will play with the lead more often. He figures to slot in somewhere among the second tier of closers in fantasy drafts.

The Yankees agreed to trade Wilson to the Tigers on Wednesday, Jon Morosi of FOX Sports reports.

Luis Cessa is one of the two prospects believed to be headed to New York in the deal. The 28-year-old Wilson has done well for himself since breaking into the majors in 2012, posting a 3.03 ERA and relatively even splits against left- and right-handed hitters. Chasen Shreve could step into the top lefty setup role for the Yankees in his absence.

Axford signed with the Athletics on Wednesday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Axford serves as the closer for the Rockies last season, notching 25 saves, his highest total since 2012. However, he posted a 4.20 ERA and a 1.58 WHIP with a 62:32 K:BB ratio in 55.2 innings. It's unclear as to what his role will be in Oakland, but he does have experience closing in addition to working before the ninth inning.