MLB Player News
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Weilnton Herrera RP | COL
Rockies' Welinton Herrera: Placed on 40-man roster
The Rockies selected Herrera's contract from Double-A Hartford on Tuesday, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.
Herrera is a lefty hurler who advanced to Double-A for the first time last season. Over 37 relief appearances at that level, he posted a 70:19 K:BB over 46.1 innings along with a 3.69 ERA and 1.30 WHIP. Herrera notched a combined 16 saves between High-A and Double-A in 2025, and the Rockies may be eyeing him as a future closer at the major-league level.
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Brennan Bernardino RP | COL
Rockies' Brennan Bernardino: Moved to Rockies
The Red Sox traded Bernardino (lat) to Colorado on Tuesday in exchange for Braiden Ward, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.
Bernardino enjoyed a strong 2025 season with Boston, posting a 3.14 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 43:26 K:BB over 51.2 innings while notching one save and two holds. The southpaw ended the campaign on the IL due to a strained lat, but there's no reason at this point to think that the injury will affect his availability for the start of spring training. Bernardino should immediately become a key member of a Rockies bullpen that ranked second-to-last in the majors with a 5.18 ERA last year.
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Jorge Alcala RP | STL
Cardinals' Jorge Alcala: Designated for assignment
The Cardinals designated Alcala for assignment Tuesday, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
Alcala struggled to find his footing on the mound in 2025, finishing the regular season with a 6.22 ERA and 1.75 WHIP across 55 total innings between Minnesota, Boston and St. Louis. He'll have the right to elect free agency if he clears waivers, although he will likely have to settle for a minor-league deal if he does so.
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Dauri Moreta RP | PIT
Pirates' Dauri Moreta: DFA'd by Pirates
The Pirates designated Moreta for assignment Tuesday, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Moreta turned in a 3.24 ERA and 1.38 WHIP across 16.2 innings with the Pirates in 2025, and he also finished with a 2.43 ERA over 37 frames at Triple-A Indianapolis. Despite his strong performance, he'll lose his place on Pittsburgh's 40-man roster to make room for a wave of prospects, though another club may be interested in claiming Moreta off waivers.
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Colin Holderman RP | PIT
Pirates' Colin Holderman: Dropped from 40-man
The Pirates designated Holderman for assignment Tuesday, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
With the Pirates adding six prospects to their 40-man roster in preparation for the Rule 5 Draft, Holderman will end up as one of the casualties necessary to clear space. The 30-year-old righty wasn't quite his usual self in 2025, finishing the year with a 7.01 ERA and 1.95 WHIP across 25.2 innings after entering the season with a 3.58 ERA across his three years in the big leagues. His prior performance may draw some attention from other bullpen-needy teams browsing the waiver wire.
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Christian Montes De Oca RP | ARI
Diamondbacks' Christian Montes De Oca: Outrighted off 40-man roster
The Diamondbacks outrighted Montes De Oca (back) to Triple-A Reno on Monday.
The transaction frees up a spot on the Diamondbacks' 40-man roster. Montes De Oca is recovering from surgery to repair a stress fracture in his back and it's not clear when he will be ready to pitch again. The reliever tossed 2.2 scoreless frames in his lone appearance for Arizona in 2025 and held a 4.07 ERA and 26:6 K:BB over 24.1 innings at Triple-A Reno.
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Kyle Hart SP | SD
Padres' Kyle Hart: Re-ups with San Diego
The Padres re-signed Hart to a one-year, $1 million contract with a $2.5 million club option for 2027 on Monday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.
The Padres declined Hart's $5 million club option for 2026 earlier this month, but they've now brought him back at a lesser rate. Hart split his time between the majors and minors in 2025, finishing with a 5.86 ERA and 37:13 K:BB over 43 regular-season innings covering six starts and 14 relief outings with the big club. The southpaw will compete for an Opening Day roster spot -- perhaps in a swingman role -- but does have minor-league options remaining.
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Carson Ragsdale RP | BAL
Braves' Carson Ragsdale: Claimed by Atlanta
Atlanta claimed Ragsdale off waivers from Baltimore on Thursday.
Ragsdale was DFA'd by the Orioles last Thursday after making two appearances with the O's, during which he gave up eight earned runs in only five innings. His fortunes were a bit better in Triple-A, as he finished the season with a 4.87 ERA and 1.47 WHIP across 88.2 frames. He'll have a chance to win a spot in Atlanta's Opening Day bullpen during spring training, but he's more likely to begin 2026 at Triple-A Gwinnett.
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Nathan Lavender RP | TB
Mets' Nate Lavender: Returned to Mets
Lavender (elbow) cleared outright waivers Wednesday and was returned to the Mets.
The Rays acquired Lavender via the Rule 5 Draft last winter, so now that he's been outrighted off the Rays' 40-man roster, he'll return to the Mets' farm system. The 25-year-old lefty missed all of last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery with an internal brace, and he underwent another procedure in August to remove a bone spur in his left elbow. His availability for the start of spring training remains unclear.
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David Morgan P | SD
Padres' David Morgan: Candidate to move into rotation
The Padres are considering moving Morgan into their rotation next season, Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic report.
Mason Miller and Adrian Morejon are the more high-profile names being mulled for a shift from the bullpen to the rotation, but Morgan is also under consideration. A former infielder and undrafted free agent who didn't begin pitching until 2022, Morgan posted a 2.66 ERA and 50:23 K:BB over 47.1 regular-season innings for the Padres in 2025. The 26-year-old had two opener assignments for the Padres, but the last time he made a traditional start came in 2022 at Hope International, an NAIA school.