MLB Player News
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A.J. Puk RP | ARI
Diamondbacks' A.J. Puk: Agrees to deal
Puk (elbow) agreed to a one-year, $3.1 million deal with the Diamondbacks to avoid arbitration Thursday, Jack Sommers of DBacks on SI reports.
Puk was limited to only eight appearances in 2025 and underwent Tommy John surgery in mid-June. He's expected to miss most of 2026 but might be able to contribute down the stretch if he can avoid any setbacks in his rehab program.
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Kevin Ginkel RP | ARI
Diamondbacks' Kevin Ginkel: Reaches deal with D-Backs
Ginkel (shoulder) agreed to a one-year, $2.7 million deal with the Diamondbacks to avoid arbitration Thursday, Jack Sommers of DBacks of SI reports.
Ginkel is in the final year of arbitration eligibility, and he earned a modest raise of $300,000 from 2025. He was shut down for the season in early August, and it's unclear whether he'll be ready to throw at the start of spring training. If healthy, he should be in the closer mix for Arizona.
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Javier Assad RP | CHC
Cubs' Javier Assad: Set to earn $1.8 million
Assad and the Cubs agreed to a one-year, $1.8 million deal to avoid arbitration Thursday, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Assad was eligible for arbitration for the first time in his career, and he'll get a $1 million raise relative to his 2025 salary. He missed most of last year with an oblique injury and looks likely to begin the new campaign working out of the bullpen, barring significant injuries to the Cubs' rotation.
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Brock Burke RP | CIN
Angels' Brock Burke: Set to earn $2.3 million
Burke signed a one-year, $2.3 million contract with the Angels to avoid arbitration Thursday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
Burke is in the final year of arbitration eligibility and will see about an $800,000 raise from 2025. He figures to be a key member of the Angels' bullpen after logging 15 holds across 70 appearances last season.
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Jose Soriano RP | LAA
Angels' Jose Soriano: Settles with Angels
Soriano (forearm) agreed to a one-year, $2.9 million contract with the Angels on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
Soriano worked as a starter for the entirety of the 2025 season, though he landed on the injured list with a forearm contusion in mid-September. X-rays came back clean, so he'll presumably be ready to roll once spring training begins. Soriano should slot into the middle of the rotation after posting a 4.26 ERA and 1.40 WHIP over 31 starts during 2025.
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Yennier Cano RP | BAL
Orioles' Yennier Cano: Agrees to terms for 2026
Cano and the Orioles agreed to a one-year, $1.6 million contract to avoid arbitration Thursday, Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun reports.
Cano turned in the worst season of his career in 2025, posting a 5.12 ERA and 1.48 WHIP with only 53 strikeouts across 58 innings. Nevertheless, he still got plenty of high-leverage usage and racked up 17 holds, but he'll likely need to get back on track to maintain that role in 2026. This was his first year of arbitration eligibility.
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Fernando Cruz RP | NYY
Yankees' Fernando Cruz: Agrees to deal with Yanks
Cruz signed a one-year, $1.45 million contract with the Yankees to avoid arbitration Thursday, Jack Curry of YES Network reports.
Cruz spent the entire 2025 season with the Yankees and earned two saves with 16 holds across 49 regular-season appearances. He posted an even more impressive 72:24 K:BB, so he should be in line for a high-leverage role once again in 2026.
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Jacob Bird RP | NYY
Yankees' Jake Bird: Agrees to deal with Yankees
Bird signed a one-year contract with the Yankees to avoid arbitration Thursday.
The official terms of the deal haven't been announced, but this was Bird's first year of arbitration eligibility. The Yankees acquired him from the Rockies at the summer deadline, but he was dispatched to Triple-A after giving up six earned runs in his first three outings for New York, and he spent the rest of the season in the minors.
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Gabe Speier RP | SEA
Mariners' Gabe Speier: Reaches deal
Speier signed a one-year contract with the Mariners to avoid arbitration Thursday,Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.
The terms of the deal aren't yet known, though Speier is likely getting a decent raise after making $845,000 during his first year of arbitration eligibility in 2025. He's coming off of an excellent campaign, maintaining a 2.61 ERA and 0.87 WHIP across 62 frames while also earning 24 holds during the 2025 regular season.
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David Bednar RP | NYY
Yankees' David Bednar: Gets $9 million with Bronx Bombers
Bednar agreed to a one-year, $9 million contract with the Yankees on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.
Bednar had a rocky start to the 2025 season with Pittsburgh, which resulted in a brief demotion to Triple-A. His trip to the minors did the trick, as he reclaimed his closer role in the Pirates' bullpen and pitched well before being traded to the Yankees in late July. Bednar served as the preferred closer for the Bronx Bombers toward the tail end of the regular season, and in 22 outings with the Yankees, he logged a 2.19 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 10 saves (on 13 opportunities) and a 35:9 K:BB across 24.2 innings. Bednar figures to reprise his role as the Yankees' top closer for the 2026 season.