MLB Player News

Kelly (shoulder) indicated on The Dodgers Bleed Los Podcast on Jan. 7 that he will either re-sign with the Dodgers or retire.

Kelly also revealed that he's not yet recovered from the right shoulder injury which prematurely ended his 2024 season. It's not clear what the Dodgers' level of interest in re-signing Kelly is, but if the 36-year-old is able to get over the hump with his shoulder, it sounds like he's only interested in staying in Los Angeles. Kelly posted a 4.78 ERA and 35:16 K:BB over 32 innings during the 2024 regular season.

The Mariners designated Kitchen for assignment Monday, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

The transaction clears a spot on the 40-man roster for Donovan Solano, who was signed Monday. Kitchen was a September waiver claim of the Mariners and didn't make an appearance for them. He allowed 12 runs (11 earned) over seven innings with the Marlins in 2024.

Atlanta had a contract in place with Hoffman that fell apart after he failed a physical, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Robert Murray of FanSided.com also reported previously that the Orioles had a three-year, $40 million deal in place with Hoffman that was nixed due to concerns over his right shoulder. It's not clear whether it was the shoulder which caused Hoffman's potential contract with Atlanta to fall apart, but it's a safe assumption. The righty has had two shoulder-related injured list stints during his career but has not experienced any known shoulder problems since 2021. Hoffman ultimately reached a three-year, $33 million deal with the Blue Jays which could get up to $39 million through incentives. He's slated to serve as Toronto's closer, but with Hoffman having a health red flag, fantasy managers might want to consider Yimi Garcia and/or Chad Green as a handcuff.

The Pirates signed Smith to a minor-league contract Monday that includes an invitation to spring training.

Smith, 34, collected a 4.95 ERA and 46:12 K:BB across 56.1 innings between the Marlins and Orioles this past season. The veteran right-hander will compete for a bullpen job in spring training.

Diaz signed a minor-league contract with the Giants on Dec. 28.

The Astros released Diaz in late May after he started the Triple-A season with a 9.64 ERA through 14 innings. He then signed with the Tigers and finished the year allowing just seven earned runs over 32 minor-league frames. If the 30-year-old righty is able to continue his dominant run in 2025, he may have a chance at contributing to the Giants' bullpen throughout the year.

The Nationals designated Willingham for assignment Saturday, Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports.

With Jorge Lopez (groin) signing a one-year deal with the Nats on Saturday, Willingham will end up as the odd man out of a roster spot. The 26-year-old righty spent most of his time last season with Triple-A Rochester, where he logged a 3.69 ERA and 1.35 WHIP alongside a 71:31 K:BB across 68.1 innings.

Lopez (groin) signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the Nationals on Saturday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

After being unceremoniously cut by the Mets midway through last season, Lopez signed with the Cubs and immediately went on one of the best statistical runs of his career, turning in a 2.03 ERA and 1.09 WHIP across 26.2 innings with Chicago. The 31-year-old reliever still holds a 5.25 ERA over his nine-year career, but his recent performance and a lack of depth in Washington's bullpen could allow him to appear regularly in high-leverage situations.

Whitlock (elbow) said Saturday that he will move back to the bullpen in 2025, Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald reports.

Whitlock moved to the Red Sox's rotation last season, but he made just four starts before undergoing season-ending elbow surgery in May. He had already been expected to return shortly after the start of the 2025 campaign, but now that he'll no longer need to build up to a starter's workload, the 28-year-old righty could make his season debut earlier than anticipated.

The Blue Jays designated de Geus for assignment Friday, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Kicking de Geus off the 40-man roster creates space for Jeff Hoffman, who agreed to a three-year deal with the Blue Jays on Friday. De Geus owns a 7.48 ERA and 1.71 WHIP over 61.1 career big-league innings and finished 2024 with a 5.31 ERA in Triple-A.

Hoffman signed a three-year, $33 million contract with the Blue Jays on Friday, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

After bouncing between Colorado, Cincinnati and Philadelphia over his first nine years in the majors, Hoffman will reunite with the organization that originally drafted him back in 2014. The 32-year-old reliever is coming off the best statistical season of his career, as he reached the 10-save mark for the first time and finished the year with a 2.17 ERA and 0.96 WHIP over 66.1 innings with the Phillies. It's likely he receives a chance to close in Toronto, with Chad Green and Yimi Garcia (elbow) also in the mix to replace Jordan Romano (elbow).