MLB Player News

May agreed to a two-year, $15 million contract with the Mets on Tuesday, Andy Martino of SNY.tv reports.

Among pitchers who threw at least 10 innings last season, May ranked 11th in K-BB% (32.3) while also logging a 3.86 ERA and 1.16 WHIP in his final year with the Twins. He has a 3.19 ERA since returning from Tommy John surgery in 2018. May joins a Mets bullpen that already features righties Edwin Diaz, Dellin Betances, Jeurys Familia, Miguel Castro and sometimes Seth Lugo, so it's not clear if he will be the go-to setup man for Diaz to start the season. He is good enough from a skills standpoint that he should get plenty of high-leverage chances.

Cimber was traded from Cleveland to Miami on Monday for cash, Craig Mish of SportsGrid.com reports.

He was designated for assignment last week, but Miami swooped in to add Cimber to its bullpen mix. The 30-year-old righty has excelled at generating groundballs in his three-year MLB career (56.2 GB%), but he has never missed bats at a high clip. Last year he struck out five in 11.1 innings, so he is unlikely to work his way into high-leverage situations.

The Rockies acquired Stephenson and outfielder Jameson Hannah from the Reds on Wednesday in exchange for pitchers Jeff Hoffman and Case Williams, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

The deal features two MLB pieces in Stephenson and Hoffman and two prospects in Hannah and Williams changing organizations. Like Hoffman, Stephenson is a former first-round draft pick who transitioned from starting to relief duty early on during his big-league career. A back strain limited Stephenson to just 11 innings with the Reds in 2020, but when he was healthy late in 2019, he showed some signs of dominance as a late-inning arm. However, even if Stephenson is able to avoid the injured list in Colorado, pitching at Coors Field will likely hurt his chances of delivering the type of ratios that will be useful in fantasy.

Hoffman was traded from the Rockies to the Reds on Wednesday in exchange for Robert Stephenson and Jameson Hannah, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

Hoffman spent the first five seasons of his career with the Rockies, but he was never able to generate much major-league production. The right-hander transitioned to a bullpen role in 2020, but he continued to struggle, posting a 9.28 ERA and 1.92 WHIP over 21.1 innings. It's unclear whether he'll remain a reliever with his new club or whether he'll move back to the rotation.

Santos' contract was purchased by the Giants on Friday.

Santos logged a 2.86 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 26:9 K:BB in 34.2 innings (eight starts) at Low-A in 2019. He is working on improving his third-pitch changeup and his command, which will determine whether he ends up as a back-end starter or reliever. Look for him to open the year at High-A or Double-A.

Doval's contract was purchased by the Giants on Friday.

A 23-year-old relief pitching prospect, Doval spent 2019 at High-A and was at the alternate training site this past summer. He misses a lot of bats but needs to refine his command. It's possible he could debut in the majors in the second half of 2021 or in early 2022.

Jackson's contract was purchased by the Dodgers on Friday, Eric Stephen of SBNation.com reports.

A 24-year-old righty, Jackson logged 15 starts at High-A in 2019 before spending this past summer at the alternate training site. He can miss bats at a high clip, but has struggled with his command and control, which could limit him to the bullpen long term. Look for him to open the year at Double-A or Triple-A.

Uceta's contract was purchased by the Dodgers on Friday, Eric Stephen of SBNation.com reports.

Uceta has a slight 6-foot, 155-pound frame, but he has the stuff to start long term. He was suspended by the team this past summer for breaking a security protocol, but he obviously didn't wear out his welcome. He could open the year at Triple-A, but this will be a tough big-league rotation to crack during the upcoming season.

Kranick's contract was selected by the Pirates on Friday.

A 23-year-old righty, Kranick made 20 starts at High-A in 2019, logging a 3.79 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 78:30 K:BB in 109.1 innings. He doesn't throw very hard, so he wouldn't be a great candidate to shift to relief. Kranick could open the year at Double-A or Triple-A.

Frias' contract was purchased by the Diamondbacks on Friday.

One of Arizona's most talented pitching prospects, Frias has a chance to develop into a high-strikeout starter or a late-inning reliever, depending on the development of his third pitch and his command. He has never pitched above Low-A but spent the summer at the alternate training site, likely setting up an assignment to High-A or Double-A in 2021.