MLB Player News

The Mets signed Alzolay to a two-year minor-league contract Friday, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.

Alzolay underwent Tommy John surgery in late August and was non-tendered by the Cubs in November. He's expected to miss the entire 2025 season while rehabbing, but the 29-year-old right-hander will have an opportunity to earn a spot in the Mets' bullpen for the 2026 campaign if he makes a full recovery. Alzolay appeared in 18 games for the Cubs during the 2024 regular season and posted a 4.67 ERA and 1.44 WHIP across 17.1 innings with four saves and a hold.

The Nationals designated La Sorsa for assignment Friday, Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reports.

The move creates space on the 40-man roster for the addition of Shinnosuke Ogasawara. La Sorsa, 26, sports a 4.47 ERA and 42:12 K:BB over 50.1 innings covering parts of two seasons at the major-league level. The lefty reliever has a good chance of passing through waivers unclaimed.

The Padres acquired Marinaccio from the White Sox on Friday in exchange for cash considerations.

Marinaccio went from the Yankees to the White Sox via waivers back in September and is now on the move to the Padres. The 29-year-old has posted a 3.22 ERA and 137:61 K:BB over 114.2 relief innings at the big-league level and could fill a middle relief role in San Diego.

Winder signed a minor-league contract with the Diamondbacks on Thursday that includes an invitation to spring training, Alex D'Agostino of Sports Illustrated reports.

Winder appeared in four games for the Twins last season, allowing three runs and striking out 10 batters over nine innings. He didn't have nearly the same amount of success in the minors, however, finishing the Triple-A season with a 6.15 ERA and 1.66 WHIP across 41 frames. Until he can get back to finding consistent success, most of his time will likely be spent at Triple-A Reno.

Atlanta designated Gillispie for assignment Thursday, Lindsay Crosby of AthlonSports.com reports.

Gillispie signed a one-year deal with Atlanta earlier this winter with hopes of earning a spot in the team's starting rotation or in the bullpen as a long reliever. Instead, he'll be put on waivers to make room for Jurickson Profar, who agreed to a three-year deal with Atlanta on Thursday. The 27-year-old Gillispie fared well in a small sample size with the Guardians last season, allowing just two earned runs over eight innings, and he finished with a 4.05 ERA in Triple-A over 113.1 frames.

Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said Thursday that while he anticipates Scott receiving plenty of save chances, he will not be the team's set closer, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Scott might very well be the favorite to nab the most saves for the Dodgers after inking a four-year, $72 million contract, but the team plans to play matchups in the late innings rather than have a dedicated closer. In addition to Scott, Kirby Yates, Blake Treinen and Michael Kopech (forearm) also figure to be in the mix for save opportunities.

The Brewers outrighted Bukauskas to Triple-A Nashville on Thursday, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Bukauskas has been outrighted previously, so he has the ability to decline the assignment and become a free agent if he wants. The right-handed reliever holds a career 5.04 ERA and 27:11 K:BB over 30.1 innings covering parts of three major-league seasons.

Diaz began his throwing program at home in Puerto Rico in order to get off to a better start in the 2025 season, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports. "I started throwing or loosening up my arm at the end of October," Diaz said. "I feel like since then, I've been able to work on my throwing and get my arm loose and ready for spring training. I think just my physique and how I've been able to work as well has been much better."

Diaz's ERA soared like a jet airplane early in the season, peaking at 7.47 after a terrible outing against the Dodgers in May. Over the final four months of the season, Diaz posted a 2.83 ERA and 1.14 WHIP, though his K% remained lower than his previous seasons. The Reds haven't added any real competition to the back end of the bullpen to date, so it appears that Diaz will get a full chance to redeem himself to start 2025.

The Dodgers reached a contract agreement with Yates on Tuesday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

Just a couple days after signing the top free-agent relief arm in Tanner Scott, the Dodgers have further fortified their bullpen with the addition of Yates. Slated to turn 38 in March, Yates collected a microscopic 1.17 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 85:28 K:BB over 61.2 innings while notching 33 saves for the Rangers in 2024. It's not an ideal landing spot from a fantasy perspective, as he will have lots of competition for saves in the Dodgers' bullpen.

The Cubs signed Richards to a minor-league contract Monday, Aram Leighton of Just Baseball reports.

Richards had a 4.55 ERA in 2024 between the Blue Jays and Twins and saw his strikeout rate dip from 33.3 percent to 22.4 percent year-over-year. That said, as a versatile arm with some swing-and-miss ability, he's a solid get on a minor-league contract. Presumably, he'll receive an invitation to spring training, where he'll compete for a bullpen gig.