MLB Player News

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.

Frias became a free agent Monday after clearing waivers.

Frias failed to draw any interest while on the waiver wire, so he'll set his sights on finding a new club. He failed to settle in at the big-league level in 2024, accruing a 13.97 ERA and 2.69 WHIP with 12 strikeouts across 9.2 innings between stops in Arizona and Toronto.

Petersen was claimed off waivers by the Blue Jays on Monday.

Petersen has bounced between the Dodgers, Marlins and now the Blue Jays within the last few months. He closed out the 2024 campaign with Miami, posting a 4.76 ERA and 1.76 WHIP with three strikeouts over 5.2 innings (five appearances).

The Diamondbacks declined McGough's $4 million mutual option on Saturday, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

He receives a $750K buyout in the transaction. McGough logged a 5.59 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 111 strikeouts over 103 innings in two seasons with Arizona. He was much more effective in 2023 than in 2024, as his K-BB% dropped from 18.6 percent to 2.7 percent and he moved back and forth between Triple-A and the majors this past season after spending all of 2023 in the big leagues.

Jimenez is expected to mis the next 8-to-12 months while recovering from surgery to repair damaged cartilage in his left knee, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

This news came out of the blue for Jimenez, who was one of Atlanta's top relievers during the 2024 campaign. A timeline for his return should come into focus as he begins to progress in his rehab, but it appears he'll be sidelined for the first half of the 2025 season if not longer.

Simpson cleared waivers and was outrighted off the Marlins' 40-man roster Monday.

A 27-year-old southpaw, Simpson had surgery in April to repair the ulnar nerve in his left elbow and was able to return late in the year with a rehab assignment before being assigned to Triple-A. Simpson logged a 7.62 ERA, 1.77 WHIP and a 19:7 K:BB in his final 13 innings last season and has never reached the big leagues.

Rucker elected free agency Monday, Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports.

The Nationals booted Rucker from their 40-man roster and he has decided to try out free agency rather than accepting an outright assignment. The 30-year-old spent the entirety of the 2024 campaign in the minors, holding a 6.16 ERA and 39:11 K:BB over 30.2 innings.