MLB Player News

Misiewicz signed a minor-league contract with the Twins on Saturday that includes an invitation to spring training, Darren Wolfson of Channel 5 Saint Paul reports.

Misiewicz appeared in just one game for the Yankees last season while spending most of the year in Triple-A, where he finished with a 3.90 ERA and 1.29 WHIP over 55.1 innings. He'll attempt to win a spot in the Twins' bullpen during spring training, but there's a better chance he begins the year with Triple-A St. Paul.

The Athletics designated Klein for assignment Friday.

The transaction clears a spot on the 40-man roster for Jose Leclerc, who was signed Friday. Klein, who was acquired from the Royals at the trade deadline as part of the return for Lucas Erceg, allowed nine runs with a 7:6 K:BB over 7.1 innings in his first go-round in the majors in 2024. However, the big righty throws hard and has 30.4 percent strikeout rate at the minor-league level, so he figures to draw some interest via trade or waivers.

The Athletics signed Leclerc to a one-year, $10 million contract Friday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Although he finished with a 4.32 ERA, Leclerc also posted a 30.9 percent strikeout rate in 2024, his highest mark since 2019. The 31-year-old has never had a single-season walk rate in the single digits, so the A's are likely just hoping he can miss enough bats to overcome the inevitable lapses of control. Leclerc will be a setup man ahead of star closer Mason Miller.

The Mariners signed Fujinami to a minor-league contract Friday that includes an invitation to spring training, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports.

Fujinami dealt with a shoulder injury this past season and posted a 6.68 ERA and 38:33 K:BB over 32.1 innings for Triple-A Syracuse in the Mets organization. The 30-year-old struck out 83 in 79 frames between the Athletics and Orioles in 2023 but also walked 45 and held a 7.18 ERA.

Wantz (elbow) signed a minor-league deal with the Rays on Jan. 2.

Per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, it's a two-year contract, as Wantz is recovering from right elbow surgery and the earliest could be ready to pitch for the Rays is late in the 2025 season. Wantz has a career 3.88 ERA and 126:48 K:BB over 118.1 frames covering parts of four major-league seasons.

Kitchen cleared waivers Thursday and was sent outright to Triple-A Tacoma.

Kitchen never made an appearance for the M's after being claimed off waivers in September, though he did make four appearances for the Marlins, surrendering 11 earned runs in just seven frames. He'll now serve as organizational depth in the Rainiers' bullpen.

The Yankees acquired Arias from the Cubs on Wednesday in exchange for cash considerations.

Arias was designated for assignment earlier this week and is now on the move to a new organization. The 23-year-old held a 4.77 ERA and walked 48 over 60.1 innings between Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa in 2024, but he also struck out 72 and offers good stuff from a sidearm delivery. The Yankees will be tasked with getting him to throw more strikes, and if they're able to, he might be a sneaky addition.

The Red Sox designated Shugart for assignment Wednesday, Hunter Noll of Beyond the Monster reports.

The transaction clears a spot on the 40-man roster for the addition of Blake Sabol, who was acquired from San Francisco via trade. Shugart, 28, made his major-league debut in 2024, allowing four runs over 8.2 frames out of Boston's bullpen. He should stand a good chance of passing through waivers unclaimed.

Hoffman on Wednesday confirmed that Baltimore and Atlanta backed away from pursuing him over concerns about his physical, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Speaking to reporters following his signing with the Blue Jays, Hoffman said he was surprised his physicals raised red flags about his right shoulder, adding that he feels healthy and the shoulder is a "non-issue." Based on the size of his contract, Hoffman should head into spring training as the favorite to be Toronto's closer after posting a 2.28 ERA and 158:35 K:BB over 118.2 regular-season innings across the last two seasons. If healthy, the righty has elite potential as a fantasy closer.

The Mariners designated Kitchen for assignment Monday, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

The transaction clears a spot on the 40-man roster for Donovan Solano, who was signed Monday. Kitchen was a September waiver claim of the Mariners and didn't make an appearance for them. He allowed 12 runs (11 earned) over seven innings with the Marlins in 2024.