MLB Player News
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Gregory Soto RP | PIT
Pirates' Gregory Soto: Latches on with Pirates
Soto signed a one-year, $7.75 million contract with the Pirates on Tuesday, Jorge Castillo of ESPN.com reports.
Soto improved in nearly every major statistical category in 2025, finishing the regular season with a 4.18 ERA and 1.43 WHIP alongside 22 holds and a 70:24 K:BB over 60.1 innings between the Orioles and Mets. He'll receive a $2.4 million raise upon moving to the Pirates and is likely to remain in a high-leverage role; however, the majority of save opportunities will presumably continue going to Dennis Santana.
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Zack Thompson RP | STL
Cardinals' Zack Thompson: Expected to be ready for spring
Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom said Tuesday that Thompson (lat) should be ready for the start of spring training, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Thompson missed the entirety of the 2025 season due to a left lat strain, encountering multiple setbacks along the way. He was removed from the Cardinals' 40-man roster last month, but the southpaw remains in the organization and will compete for a roster spot in spring training.
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Reynaldo Lopez RP | ATL
Braves' Reynaldo Lopez: Will be stretched out as starter
Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said Tuesday that Lopez (shoulder) will be stretched out as a starting pitcher during spring training, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
Weiss noted that Lopez could eventually become a bullpen option if that's the route the team ultimately decides to take, but for the time being Lopez will prepare to be in Atlanta's 2026 rotation. The right-hander missed nearly the entire 2025 season following arthroscopic shoulder surgery in April, but he was throwing off a mound by September and should be ready for the start of spring training.
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Brusdar Graterol RP | LAD
Dodgers' Brusdar Graterol: Will be ready for spring training
Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes has said that Graterol (shoulder) will be "full-go" for spring training, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
Graterol missed the entire 2025 season following November 2024 labrum surgery on his right shoulder. He experienced a setback with the shoulder during the second half, but it appears the hard-throwing reliever is back on track now. Graterol has hardly pitched the last two seasons because of injury, but he held a 1.20 ERA over 68 appearances in 2023, his last full season.
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Edwin Diaz RP | LAD
Dodgers' Edwin Diaz: Leaving Mets for Dodgers
The Dodgers signed Diaz to a three-year, $69 million contract Tuesday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
For the second straight offseason the Dodgers have inked the top closer on the free-agent market. The $23 million average annual value sets a new record for a reliever. Diaz will turn 32 in March but is coming off one of his best seasons, having collected a 1.63 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and 98:21 K:BB over 66.1 innings while notching 28 saves. He will take over as closer for the two-time defending World Series champs.
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James Karinchak RP | CHW
Braves' James Karinchak: Lands deal with Atlanta
Karinchak signed a minor-league contract with Atlanta on Monday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.
Karinchak will receive a new opportunity with Atlanta after failing to make his way to the big leagues while with the White Sox during the 2025 campaign. His last major-league action dates back to the 2023 campaign while with Cleveland, posting a 3.23 ERA with a 52:28 K:BB across 39.0 innings. Karinchak will presumably begin the 2026 campaign at Triple-A Gwinnett and serve as organizational depth.
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A.J. Minter RP | NYM
Mets' A.J. Minter: Questionable for Opening Day
Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said Monday that Minter (lat) is questionable for Opening Day, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
Minter underwent season-ending left lat surgery in early May and it's unclear where exactly he is in the rehab process. Stearns noted that if Minter is not ready for Opening Day, his absence is expected to be brief. The southpaw exercised his $11 million player option for 2026 and is poised to fill a key setup role for the Mets, if healthy.
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Adrian Morejon RP | SD
Padres' Adrian Morejon: Will stay in relief role
Padres manager Craig Stammen said Monday that Morejon will remain in the bullpen next season, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com reports.
Morejon has past starting experience and the Padres had considered moving him into their rotation in 2026. However, it's been decided to keep the lefty in a relief role instead. Morejon has posted a 2.42 ERA and 141:38 K:BB over 137.1 regular-season innings as a full-time reliever since the start of the 2024 campaign. The Padres are also keeping Mason Miller in a relief role, so Morejon likely won't see many, if any, save chances unless Miller gets injured.
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Daison Acosta RP | SD
Padres' Daison Acosta: Grabs MLB deal from Padres
The Padres signed Acosta to a one-year contract Monday.
Acosta has never pitched in the big leagues but received a major-league deal from the Padres after holding a 2.42 ERA and 72:27 K:BB over 52 innings across three minor-league levels in the Nationals organization in 2025. The 27-year-old has minor-league options remaining and will likely begin the 2026 season at Triple-A El Paso.
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Carl Edwards RP | NYM
Mets' Carl Edwards: Gets NRI pact from Mets
The Mets signed Edwards to a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training Monday, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.
The Mets plan to stretch Edwards out to use him as rotation depth at Triple-A Syracuse, per Sammon and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Edwards made four appearances between the Angels and Rangers in 2025, allowing three runs over six innings. The 34-year-old hasn't spent a significant amount of time in the majors since 2023, when he posted a 3.69 ERA over 32 outings with the Nationals.