MLB Player News

Garrett signed a minor-league contract with the Nationals on Wednesday, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.

Garrett spent the last two seasons in Japan but has joined the Nationals for spring training. The right-hander hasn't appeared in the majors since 2019, when he logged 13 relief outings for the Tigers. He'll likely serve as organizational depth for Washington once the season gets underway.

Payano signed a minor-league contract with the Reds on Feb. 1.

Cincinnati has since assigned Payano to Double-A Chattanooga, where he'll likely open the 2022 campaign. The 27-year-old right-hander previously made six appearances (four starts) for the Rangers during the 2020 season, but he spent all of 2021 in the minors while he was a member of Detroit's organization. Between stops at Triple-A Toledo and Double-A Erie, Payano submitted a 4.65 ERA and 1.41 WHIP across 124 innings.

Neal signed a minor-league deal with the Rockies on Thursday, according to his representation at MSM Sports.

Neal has played the last three season in the Nippon Professional Baseball league with the Seibu Lions. He worked exclusively as a reliever and maintained a 4.85 ERA to go along with only 185 strikeouts across 337.2 innings. Neal will have the chance to earn a bullpen role in Colorado, though even if he sticks with the team he isn't likely to serve in a high-leverage role.

The Giants signed Ortiz to a minor-league contract Tuesday.

Ortiz spent the 2021 season in the Rangers organization, pitching exclusively at Triple-A Round Rock and submitting a 4.60 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 44:17 K:BB in 43 innings. The 26-year-old right-hander previously made three appearances at the MLB level with the Orioles between 2018 and 2019, giving up eight earned runs on 11 hits and eight walks in 5.2 innings.

Guzman's (elbow) agency announced Jan. 15 via its personal Instagram account that the right-hander signed a two-year, minor-league contract with the Giants.

Guzman will move on to the fourth organization of his career after he signed with the Astros as a teenager in 2014 and then was traded to the Yankees and Marlins in 2016 and 2017, respectively. The 26-year-old appeared in two games in the big leagues in 2021, but Miami outrighted him off its 40-man roster in late October after he had been sidelined for the preceding two months with a right elbow injury. The Giants' decision to bring Guzman aboard on a two-year deal could hint that he may have undergone an offseason surgery on the elbow, putting his availability for the start of the 2022 season in question. San Francisco is unlikely to provide much clarity on Guzman's situation until the lockout ends and manager Gabe Kapler is available to speak to the media again.

Carasiti (elbow) signed a minor-league contract with the Giants on Thursday.

Carasiti joined the Red Sox on a minor-league deal last year but spent the entire season on the injured list after he underwent Tommy John surgery in March of 2020. It's not yet clear when he'll be ready to pitch, but it wouldn't be surprising to see him invited to major-league spring training in 2022 if he's healthy by then.

Tonkin signed a minor-league contract with Atlanta on Jan. 11.

Tonkin has thrown 146.1 innings at the highest level, posting a 4.43 ERA. The last of those came back in 2017, however. Since then, he's spent time pitching in Japan, Mexico and the independent Atlantic League, where he recorded an 0.53 ERA and a 21:5 K:BB last season in 17 innings as a member of the Long Island Ducks.

Palumbo (undisclosed) signed a minor-league contract with the Giants on Thursday, Chris Hilburn-Trenkle of Baseball America reports.

Palumbo was claimed off waivers by the Giants on Nov. 5, only to be non-tendered by the club 25 days later. Now back for a second stint with the team, he'll have to prove that he's healthy after being limited to only 6.2 innings in 2021 due to an undisclosed injury.

Williams said Wednesday in an interview with Will Sammon of The Athletic that he expects to be fully healthy for the start of spring training after undergoing right hand surgery in early October.

Williams' interview marked the first time he spoke to the media since he fractured his hand Sept. 26 after punching a wall while celebrating the Brewers' division title. The untimely incident kept Williams from pitching in the second straight postseason, after he was sidelined late in 2020 due to a shoulder injury. The shoulder issue lingered into this past spring and had a hand in Williams' early-season struggles, but before fracturing his hand, the right-handed setup man looked to have rediscovered the form that made him the National League's Rookie of the Year. Over his final 25.2 innings, Williams posted a 1.40 ERA and 41 strikeouts, offering hope that he'll be able to enter 2022 with some confidence, provided he continues to progress well in his recovery from hand surgery. Williams resumed throwing and lifting weights just before Thanksgiving, and he should gradually ramp up the intensity of his workouts as spring training approaches.

Blach signed a minor-league contract with the Rockies on Friday, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Blach pitched in the majors from 2016 to 2019, recording a 4.99 ERA while striking out just 12.7 percent of opposing batters. He missed most of the last two seasons due to Tommy John surgery, returning last in the year to throw 22 rehab innings in the lower minors. His past major-league experience gives him a shot at claiming a roster spot, but he's unlikely to provide much fantasy value even when pitching away from Coors Field.