MLB Player News

The Astros claimed Gage off waivers from the Blue Jays on Monday.

The addition of Gage fills the final opening on the Astros' 40-man roster. Before the Blue Jays designated him for assignment earlier this month, Gage posted a 1.38 ERA over 13 innings with the big club to go with a 2.34 ERA in 41 appearances at Triple-A Buffalo in 2022. The lefty will get a chance to win one of the final spots in the Houston bullpen during the Grapefruit League.

Puk was traded from the Athletics to the Marlins in exchange for JJ Bleday on Saturday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

Puk was expected to compete for a rotation spot with the Athletics this spring, but now will head to the Marlins, and will likely be a member of the Miami bullpen. The left-hander is not long removed from being considered among the top left-handed pitching prospects in baseball, but he has battled injuries and worked exclusively in relief since he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2017. He was effective in that role in 2022 with a 3.12 ERA and 76:23 K:BB over 66.1 innings for the A's. Puk could battle for a high-leverage role for the Marlins in 2023.

De La Rosa agreed to a minor-league contract with the Dodgers on Saturday.

De La Rosa has spent the last four seasons with the Yomiuri Giants in Japan, and posted a 2.53 ERA with 33 saves over his 137 appearances in the NPB. The right-hander hasn't appeared in an MLB game since 2017 as a member of the Diamondbacks. He will provide Triple-A Oklahoma City with some depth for the 2023 campaign.

Reyes (shoulder) signed a one-year, $1.1 million contract Saturday with the Dodgers, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

It comes with a $3 million club option for 2024, and there are performance-based escalators that could push the total value of the deal up near $10 million. Reyes has battled a range of different injuries throughout his career, and he did not pitch at any level in 2022 because of a shoulder issue that required surgery in May. The 28-year-old right-hander is a former top-10 overall prospect and he racked up 29 saves as the Cardinals' primary closer in 2021. Toribio notes that Reyes will likely miss "at least a few months" to begin the 2023 campaign but has generally "looked good in his recovery" from the shoulder procedure.

Chafin signed a one-year, $6.25 million contract Saturday with the Diamondbacks, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

The deal carries another $1 million in performance-based bonuses, per Rosenthal. Jon Heyman of the New York Post adds that there is also a club option for 2024, which comes in at $7.25 million with a $750,000 buyout. Chafin turned down a $6.5 million player option with the Tigers back in November after posting an impressive 2.83 ERA and 67:19 K:BB over 57.1 innings in 2022. The 32-year-old lefty already looks like one of the best high-leverage options in Arizona's patchwork bullpen and he could very well contend for save chances as the 2023 campaign plays out.

Adam won his arbitration case Saturday against the Rays and will make $1.775 million in 2023, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The team filed at $1.55 million when arbitration figures were exchanged in November. Adam is still believed to be a candidate for a springtime contract extension. He registered a sparkling 1.56 ERA, 0.76 WHIP and 75:17 K:BB over 63.1 regular-season innings for the Rays in 2022. He earned eight saves along the way and is expected to get even more opportunities at closer this year.

Joyce was invited Friday to MLB spring training by the Angels, Sarah Valenzuela of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Joyce was a third-round pick by the Angels out of Tennessee, and the right-hander is renowned for a fastball that has been clocked as high as 105 mph. The 22-year-old made 13 appearances for Double-A Rocket City after being drafted, and he recorded a 20:4 K:BB with a 2.08 ERA over 13 innings. Joyce isn't likely to make the Angels out of spring training, but his electric stuff gives him a chance to help before 2023 ends, and he just might be the closer of the future in Los Angeles.

Naile cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment Friday to the Cardinals' Triple-A affiliate in Memphis.

The right-hander was pushed off the Cardinals' 40-man roster earlier this week following the acquisition of Anthony Misiewicz. Naile, 30, surrendered five earned runs over his first nine major-league innings with St. Louis in 2022.

Fulmer agreed to a contract with the Cubs on Friday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

The terms of the deal are not yet known. Fulmer's velocity and strikeouts were down a bit in 2022 but he remained mostly effective, posting a 3.39 ERA and 61:28 K:BB over 63.2 innings for the Tigers and Twins. The 29-year-old has some closing experience and could be in the mix to get some saves as part of a Cubs bullpen which lacks established high-leverage options.

Sadzeck signed a minor-league contract with the Twins on Friday.

Sadzeck holds a 2.75 ERA over 35 appearances at the major-league level, although that's come with 27 walks over 36 innings. The 31-year-old has spent the majority of the last two seasons in the minors and figures to begin 2023 at Triple-A St. Paul.