MLB Player News

Leibrandt signed a minor-league contract with the Yankees on Friday.

Leibrandt elected free agency after being dropped from Cincinnati's 40-man roster in October, and he'll now join the Yankees organization to help fill out the roster at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The 31-year-old southpaw put up a 4.41 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in 87.2 minor-league innings last season across 18 starts.

Mushinski signed a minor-league contract with the Guardians on Friday and received an invitation to spring training, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Mushinski allowed eight earned runs over 11 innings in the big leagues with Houston last season. However, most of his time was spent at Triple-A, where the 28-year-old southpaw posted a 5.44 ERA over 44.2 frames. He will most likely fill in as organizational bullpen depth for the Guardians.

The Rockies claimed Herget off waivers from the Cubs on Friday.

Herget has now gone from Atlanta to Chicago to Colorado since September. The righty was one of the better relievers in the American League in 2022 with the Angels when he posted a 2.48 ERA and 0.91 WHIP while notching nine saves, but he has a 4.57 ERA and 1.38 WHIP over the last two seasons and has spent substantial time in the minors.

Athletics general manager David Forst said this week that the team isn't considering moving Miller back into a starting role, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

When the Athletics announced last offseason that Miller would be used as a reliever, they didn't rule out the right-hander eventually returning to the rotation. However, it appears that ship has now sailed and Miller's future is in the bullpen. He was one of the best closers in baseball in 2024, posting a 2.49 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 104:21 K:BB over 65 innings. Given his past health issues, it's not a surprise that the team has opted to leave Miller in a role in which he's proven he can stay heathy and effective.

The Angels designated Miller for assignment Thursday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Miller made his big-league debut in 2024 as a 28-year-old, maintaining a 4.15 ERA and 1.62 WHIP across 13 innings while working in relief. He'll remain in the Angels' organization and could have the chance to return to the majors at some point in 2025.

Hoffman is being pursued by some teams in free agency as a starting pitcher, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

Hoffman, who turns 32 in January, broke out as a full-time reliever the last two seasons with the Phillies, posting a 2.28 ERA and 158:35 K:BB over 118.2 innings. He does have plenty of past experience as a starter and throws four pitches, so some clubs are intrigued by the possibility of giving him another shot to start. It's not clear what Hoffman's preference is -- or if he has one -- but he should be able to land a nice multi-year contract either way.

McFarland signed a one-year contract with the Athletics on Thursday.

McFarland put up a 3.81 ERA and 1.24 WHIP over 56.2 innings last year and tallied 19 holds while pitching in high-leverage situations fairly often. He's likely to retain a similar role in his second year with the A's, though opportunities for saves will be limited as long as Mason Miller is still on the team.

Martinez is expected to accept the Reds' one-year, $21.05 million qualifying offer, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Martinez being extended a qualifying offer came as a bit of a surprise, and it sounds like the right-hander will happily accept the deal and return to Cincinnati. He held a 3.10 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 116:18 K:BB over 142.1 innings for the Reds this year before declining his $12 million player option for 2025. Martinez split time between the rotation and bullpen for Cincinnati but would figure to be a full-time starter if he does indeed return to the Reds.

Brown will undergo a scan on his neck in mid-November, with the hope that he will be cleared to throw without restrictions this offseason, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Brown didn't pitch after early June this season due to a benign area of concern in his neck. The Cubs seem optimistic that he will head into spring training healthy, but they won't know for sure until the results of the exam are in. Brown split time between the rotation and bullpen with the Cubs in 2024, holding a 3.58 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 64:19 K:BB over 55.1 innings. If healthy, he would likely compete for a spot in the rotation in 2025.

Cabrera cleared waivers and opted for free agency Monday.

Cabrera served as one of Toronto's more reliable bullpen arms during the 2024 season, cruising to a 3.00 ERA and 1.40 WHIP with a 48:29 K:BB in his first 66 appearances (60.0 innings) before surrendering five runs in his final three outings of the year to inflate his ERA to 3.59. He shouldn't have much trouble latching on elsewhere heading into his age-28 season.