Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Tuesday that he's "100 percent confident if [Hoffman] is closing most games," Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

GM Ross Atkins said early in the offseason that the Blue Jays weren't committed to using Hoffman as their primary closer in 2026, but it appears that's how the club will enter spring training. Toronto inked submariner Tyler Rogers to a three-year, $37 million contract during the winter to bolster the bullpen, but he has just three saves across the past four seasons despite consistently working in a high-leverage role and may be better suited for setup work. Hoffman's first season with the Blue Jays in 2025 was an up-and-down affair, as he closed the regular season with a 4.37 ERA and 1.19 WHIP while converting 33 of 40 save chances.

Manager John Schneider said Tuesday that Garcia is feeling good and has thrown for numerous weeks following surgery in September to clean up scar tissue in his right elbow, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

The Blue Jays will remain cautious with Garcia's buildup, but the team hopes he will be ready for Opening Day. The surgery the right-hander had on his elbow effectively ended his 2025 season as he was placed on the 60-day injured list at the end of August.

The Rays placed Rodriguez (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Tuesday.

Rodriguez underwent surgery in July to repair the flexor tendon in his right elbow, and he will now return to the IL to begin 2026 while he finishes up his rehab. His place on the 40-man roster will be filled by Nick Martinez, who signed a one-year deal with the Rays on Monday.

Manager John Schneider revealed Tuesday that Francis is undergoing UCL reconstruction surgery on his right elbow and will miss the 2026 season, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.

Francis dealt with a right shoulder impingement during the 2025 season that landed him on the injured list in June. He was able to commence a throwing program in August after some prior setbacks and had managed to face hitters during live batting practice. However, with the right-hander set for Tommy John surgery, he may not pitch in a game for 12 to 18 months.

The Cardinals acquired Soriano from the Nationals on Tuesday in exchange for Andre Granillo, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

Soriano has been bouncing around via waivers this offseason and is now joining his fifth organization of the winter. The right-hander is out of minor-league options, so he's a good bet to open the season in the Cardinals' bullpen. Soriano holds a career 5.95 ERA and 117:55 K:BB across 118 innings at the big-league level.

Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said Tuesday that the team is targeting early May for Minter's (lat) season debut, Max Goodman of NJ.com reports.

Minter will get a late start to the season after undergoing left lat surgery last May. It's not clear where the veteran reliever is at in his throwing program, but he will be slow-played during spring training before eventually going out on a rehab assignment. Once healthy, Minter will fill a setup role ahead of closer Devin Williams.

Manager Kurt Suzuki said Joyce (shoulder) is playing catch, but it remains to be seen if the right-hander will be ready by Opening Day, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

The 25-year-old made just five appearances in 2025 due to shoulder issues, which necessitated surgery to repair a torn labrum in May. It's encouraging that Joyce has started up a throwing program, but he'll require a significant ramp-up period while coming back from major surgery. Once healthy, he could be part of the closer mix for the Angels, along with Robert Stephenson and Kirby Yates.

The Mets placed Garrett (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Tuesday.

The transaction frees up a 40-man roster spot for the addition of Bryan Hudson. Garrett underwent UCL reconstruction surgery in October and will miss the entire 2026 season.

The Diamondbacks placed Saalfrank (shoulder) on the 60-day injured list Tuesday.

A spot on the 40-man roster was needed for the addition of Carlos Santana. Saalfrank will miss the entire 2026 season after undergoing surgery Monday to repair the left labrum in his shoulder. It's unclear whether he will be ready for the beginning of the 2027 campaign.

The Mets acquired Hudson from the White Sox on Tuesday in exchange for cash considerations, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.

Hudson had been designated for assignment last week. The big left-hander spent much of 2025 in the minors and posted a 4.80 ERA and 19:13 K:BB over 15 frames during his time at the big-league level. However, he held a 1.73 ERA and 0.72 WHIP in 2024, so the Mets will try to coax that level of performance out of Hudson again.