MLB Player News

Richards was among 20 non-roster players invited to spring training by the Cubs on Friday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Richards joined the Cubs last month on a minor-league deal, and he will now officially participate in spring training, where he'll compete for a bullpen job. The righty compiled a 4.55 ERA and 1.21 WHIP across 65.1 innings for Toronto and Minnesota last season. If Richards does make the team, he'll likely have a low-leverage role and figures to be mostly off the fantasy radar.

Diaz cleared waivers Friday and elected to become a free agent.

Diaz ended up as the Mariners' roster casualty following the acquisition of Casey Legumina. After going unclaimed off waivers, Diaz will now exercise his right to leave the organization and explore other options. The 28-year-old righty owns a 4.80 ERA and 1.73 WHIP across 45 career MLB innings.

The Twins designated Henriquez for assignment Friday, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Minnesota needed to clear spots on its 40-man roster for the signings of Harrison Bader and Danny Coulombe. Henriquez, 24, has made 19 appearances at the major-league level, posting a 2.90 ERA and 24:8 K:BB over 31 innings. He does not have minor-league options remaining, which could limit his appeal on waivers.

The White Sox designated Wilson (shoulder) for assignment Friday.

The move frees up a spot on the 40-man roster for waiver claim Brandon Eisert. Wilson posted a 5.71 ERA and 34:26 K:BB over 34.2 innings with the White Sox in 2024 and missed much of the final two months of the season with back and shoulder problems. It's not clear if he's fully recovered ahead of camp.

The White Sox claimed Eisert off waivers from the Rays on Friday.

Eisert has now gone from the Blue Jays to the Rays to the White Sox since late January. The left-hander should have a good shot to win a spot in the Chicago bullpen, although he does have minor-league options remaining. Eisert allowed three runs over 6.2 frames during his brief time in the big leagues in 2024.

Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said Friday that Nardi (elbow) will be behind at the start of spring training after something flared up over the offseason, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

McCullough didn't disclose the nature of the injury, but it's probably safe to assume it's related to the left elbow injury that caused Nardi to miss the final five-plus weeks of the 2024 season. The skipper noted that the team is still waiting for further clarity on the severity of Nardi's injury. If healthy, Nardi could be in the mix for saves in 2025. He held a 5.07 ERA but a 70:18 K:BB over 49.2 innings last season.

The Giants re-signed Del Pozo to a minor-league contract Friday that includes an invitation to spring training, Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Del Pozo inked a minor-league deal with the Giants last June as he continued his rehab from Tommy John surgery but never pitched in a game in 2024. He appears healthy now and will look to return to the majors for the first time since 2021, although an initial assignment to Triple-A Sacramento is likely.

The Tigers designated Englert for assignment Friday, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

A 40-man roster spot needed to be freed up with Jack Flaherty's deal becoming official. Englert has collected a 5.45 ERA and 57:22 K:BB in 77.2 innings over the last two seasons with Detroit. The 25-year-old has a 29.1 percent strikeout rate and 7.4 percent walk rate in the minors and has minor-league options left, so he could draw some interest via trade or waivers.

The Nationals signed Poche to a minor-league contract Friday that includes an invitation to spring training, Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports.

It's a bit of a surprise that Poche had to settle for a minor-league deal, as the left-hander has collected a 3.27 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 158:59 K:BB over 156.2 innings across the last three seasons. He has a good chance to make the Opening Day roster and could even get high-leverage opportunities in a Nationals bullpen that lacks established arms.

Wesneski is expected to begin the 2025 season in Houston's rotation, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

The Astros have four clear starters in their rotation, though none of Lance McCullers (forearm), Cristian Javier (elbow) and Luis Garcia (elbow) will be ready to begin the campaign. That will open the door for Wesneski, who the club acquired as a part of the Kyle Tucker trade. Wesneski has pitched primarily as a reliever during his time in the big leagues, but he has a respectable 4.21 ERA paired with 14.8 K-BB% across 109 innings as a starter. His status could change if the Astros acquire another starter late in the offseason, though McTaggart suggested that is unlikely.