MLB Player News

Stephens elected free agency Wednesday, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Stephens appeared in position to win a spot on Atlanta's Opening Day roster as spring training neared its conclusion, but he became expendable when the club was able to bring aboard veteran right-hander Jesse Chavez on a one-year deal. After being moved off the 40-man roster and clearing waivers, Stephens could have stuck in Atlanta's organization and reported to Triple-A Gwinnett, but he'll instead test his options on the open market. Stephens performed reasonably well in Grapefruit League play, striking out 11 and allowing four earned runs over 12 innings while giving up 13 hits and issuing five walks.

The Marlins acquired Smith from the Rays on Wednesday in exchange for cash considerations and selected Smith's contract from Triple-A Jacksonville, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Smith exercised the upward mobility clause in his minor-league deal with Tampa Bay. The 33-year-old will appear in the majors for the first time since 2021, assuming he gets into a game. Smith holds a career 6.03 ERA over 102 appearances (13 starts) across parts of five major-league seasons. He figures to operate in long relief in Miami.

Durate will travel with the Twins for their opening series at Kansas City and is likely to be added to the active roster with Josh Staumont suffering a knee injury, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Duarte is not on the 40-man roster, so the Twins will need to make a move to add him to the active roster. Duarte has had a good spring with a 2.92 ERA and a 12:0 K:BB ratio in 12.1 innings. He'd likely be used in low-leverage situations initially.

Zuniga earned the final bullpen spot on the Angels' roster, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

Zuniga gave up seven earned runs over 9.2 innings during Cactus League play, but he will remain in the majors to begin his first season with the Angels. The right-hander spent most of last season with the Cardinals' Triple-A affiliate, accumulating a 7.63 ERA and 1.72 WHIP across 30.2 frames. His command issues will almost certainly cause him to pitch exclusively in low-leverage situations.

Martin (groin) struck out one over a scoreless inning in Tuesday's exhibition game against Texas.

Martin wrestled with a groin injury and made just his third appearance of spring training, with all coming within the last week. The Red Sox are comfortable with him being ready for Opening Day despite having worked just 2.1 innings, per Drew Davison of MLB.com. He's expected to be the bridge to closer Kenley Jansen.

Miller recorded a 2.70 ERA and 10 strikeouts across 6.2 innings this spring and is set for an Opening Day bullpen role in Detroit.

Miller didn't see a ton of work this spring, though he was effective. The veteran righty joined the Tigers on a one-year, $3 million contract in December, and he should slot into a fairly high-leverage role. While Alex Lange is set to close games for now, he struggled with command in 2023, meaning that Miller could emerge as an option for saves at some point if he pitches well. At the very least, he should be a decent source of holds and solid ratios.

Jansen struck out one over a scoreless inning in Tuesday's exhibition game against the Rangers.

Jansen, who was bothered by back issues this spring, made just four appearances with the final 12 days of spring training. Red Sox manager Alex Cora said the pitcher is ready to go for the regular season, per Drew Davison of MLB.com.

Chafin recorded a 5.06 ERA across 5.1 innings this spring and is set for an Opening Day bullpen role in Detroit.

The veteran lefty didn't need a ton of work in spring training, and despite so-so results, he'll slot into a high-leverage role for the Tigers. Chafin struggled a bit last year, posting a 4.73 ERA across 63 games for the Diamondbacks and Brewers, though he was better in 2022, when he recorded a 2.83 ERA across 64 games with this same Detroit squad. His ability to pitch frequently and not wear down has served him well across a 10-year MLB career, and he should once again see plenty of work in 2024.

Cuas will begin the regular season in the Cubs' bullpen, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Cuas was solid last year, compiling a 3.99 ERA and 71 strikeouts across 65.1 innings with the Royals and Cubs, and he looked sharp in spring training as well. The righty will parlay that into an Opening Day role, and while he should slot in behind Adbert Alzolay and Hector Neris, he could still see some high-leverage innings for Chicago.

The Marlins placed Brazoban (personal) on the restricted list Tuesday, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Brazoban missed all of spring training and remains in the Dominican Republic after he was unable to acquire a work visa that would have allowed him to re-enter the United States. The Marlins haven't provided a timeline for when Brazoban's visa issue might be resolved. His placement on the restricted list will open a spot on Miami's 40-man roster, which may be used on another reliever to replace Brazoban.