MLB Player News

The Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball signed Sammons to a one-year contract Friday, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Sammons will have the ability to earn more than $1 million if he hits all of his incentives. The left-hander posted a 3.62 ERA and 18:9 K:BB over 27.1 frames with the Tigers in 2024 before being removed from their 40-man roster last month.

Altavilla signed a minor-league contract with the White Sox on Thursday and received an invitation to spring training.

Altavilla made five appearances for the Royals in 2024, giving up six earned runs over just 3.2 innings while striking out five batters and walking three. Most of his time was spent in Triple-A, however, where he logged a 3.51 ERA and 1.34 WHIP over 41 frames. The lack of depth in Chicago's bullpen will give the 32-year-old righty better odds at cracking the Opening Day roster, but Triple-A Charlotte remains his most likely destination.

The Padres could move Morejon into the rotation next season. AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

The Padres currently have only three starters locked into their 2025 rotation in Dylan Cease, Michael King and Yu Darvish, and they're entertaining trade offers on Cease. Morejon thrived out of the bullpen last season, posting a 2.83 ERA and 71:21 K:BB over 63.2 innings. However, he has past starting experience and throws five pitches, so stretching him out would make sense. What role the Padres ultimately decide on for Morejon could depend largely on what moves president of baseball operations A.J. Preller makes this winter.

The Nationals signed Weigel to a minor-league contract Dec. 6.

The 30-year-old righty held a 2.45 ERA and 25:12 K:BB over 22 innings between Double-A Chattanooga and Triple-A Louisville in the Reds organization in 2024. Weigel last pitched in the majors in 2021 and is likely to begin the 2025 campaign in the bullpen at Triple-A Rochester.

The Pirates signed Rainey to a minor-league contract Dec. 6 that includes an invitation to spring training.

Rainey was non-tendered by the Nationals in November after posting a 4.76 ERA and 44:29 K:BB over 51 frames in 2024 in his first year back from Tommy John surgery. The reliever's stuff hasn't looked the same post-op, but he's a fine gamble on a non-roster deal in hopes that he can rediscover it.

Loaisiga (elbow) signed a one-year contract with the Yankees on Wednesday, Jorge Castillo of ESPN.com reports.

Loaisiga's new deal also includes a team option for the 2026 season. The 30-year-old reliever made three appearances for New York last season, throwing four scoreless innings while striking out three batters and walking one, but his year was cut short by a torn UCL in early April. The surgery he received to repair his elbow wasn't a full Tommy John procedure, so his return timeline is a few months shorter than it could've been, but it's still unlikely Loaisiga is ready to return to the Yankees' bullpen by Opening Day.

The Rays signed Brentz to a minor-league contract Dec. 7.

Brentz hasn't been the same since coming back from Tommy John surgery, most recently posting an 11.40 ERA while walking 52 over 30 innings between Double-A Northwest Arkansas and Triple-A Omaha in the Royals organization. The lefty showed promise in his rookie season back in 2021 and the Rays will try to coax that back out of him.

The Rangers signed Webb to a one-year, $1.25 million contract Wednesday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

Webb was non-tendered by the Orioles last month but has landed on his feet with a major-league deal. The 31-year-old posted a 3.02 ERA and 1.18 WHIP across 56.2 regular-season innings with Baltimore in 2024.

The White Sox selected Smith with the first pick in the Rule 5 draft Wednesday, JJ Cooper of Baseball America reports.

Smith has a chance to be a viable rotation option for the White Sox as early as this season, and he'll need to be kept on the big-league roster (or injured list) all season, otherwise the White Sox would have to return him to the Brewers. Smith, who has a 93-mph fastball and throws a pair of breaking balls, logged 94.1 innings across Double-A and Triple-A, with all his work as a starter (16 starts) coming at Double-A. He logged a 2.96 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 74 strikeouts in 67 innings as a starter, and also struck out 39 in 27.1 innings as a reliever. Smith may be eased into his big-league career as a low-leverage multi-inning reliever, but he could also get some starts in the first half.

The Red Sox acquired Crochet from the White Sox on Wednesday in exchange for Kyle Teel, Braden Montgomery, Chase Meidroth and Wikelman Gonzalez, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

The Red Sox missed out on free-agent lefties Max Fried and Blake Snell but have reeled in a big rotation addition via the trade route. Crochet, 25, had a breakout 2024 season in his first year as a starter, collecting a 3.58 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 209:33 K:BB over 146 innings. He is projected to earn around $3 million in 2025 and will be under team control in 2026, as well.