Atlanta claimed Ragsdale off waivers from Baltimore on Thursday.

Ragsdale was DFA'd by the Orioles last Thursday after making two appearances with the O's, during which he gave up eight earned runs in only five innings. His fortunes were a bit better in Triple-A, as he finished the season with a 4.87 ERA and 1.47 WHIP across 88.2 frames. He'll have a chance to win a spot in Atlanta's Opening Day bullpen during spring training, but he's more likely to begin 2026 at Triple-A Gwinnett.

The Rays outrighted Van Belle (elbow) to Triple-A Durham on Thursday.

Van Belle was diagnosed with a UCL sprain in September, and Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports that the righty had surgery and will miss all of the 2026 season. It's unclear what specific procedure he had, but if it was Tommy John, it would be the second of his career. Van Belle will remain in the organization while he rehabs.

The Red Sox outrighted Guerrero to Triple-A Worcester on Thursday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Guerrero had been designated for assignment last week, and he will remain in the organization after somewhat surprisingly clearing waivers. The hard-throwing reliever has posted a 2.63 ERA but a problematic 19:16 K:BB across 27.1 frames covering parts of two major-league seasons.

The Rockies released Contreras on Wednesday.

It's the first official transaction by new president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta. Contreras was a late-season waiver claim of the Rockies, allowing eight runs over 8.1 innings before his season ended in late September due to a hand contusion.

General manager Chris Getz said Wednesday that Taylor will likely work as a multi-inning reliever in 2026, Kyle Williams of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Taylor posted a 4.91 ERA and 1.42 WHIP across 36.2 innings with the White Sox in 2025, although just five of his 36 big-league appearances lasted longer than one inning. It's possible Taylor's new role may be the next step in a plan to introduce him to the rotation down the line, but for now, the 23-year-old holds minimal fantasy value since he's out of the rotation and unlikely to receive late-inning work.

Lavender (elbow) cleared outright waivers Wednesday and was returned to the Mets.

The Rays acquired Lavender via the Rule 5 Draft last winter, so now that he's been outrighted off the Rays' 40-man roster, he'll return to the Mets' farm system. The 25-year-old lefty missed all of last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery with an internal brace, and he underwent another procedure in August to remove a bone spur in his left elbow. His availability for the start of spring training remains unclear.

General manager Dana Brown said Wednesday that Hader (shoulder) has thrown off a mound three times, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Hader's season ended in mid-August after he suffered a left shoulder strain, but he appears to be progressing well in his rehab program. The Astros have yet to establish a return timeline for the lefty closer, however, so his availability for the start of spring training remains unknown.

The Tigers claimed Darnell (hip) off waivers from the Pirates on Wednesday.

Darnell spent most of the 2025 season at Triple-A Albuquerque in the Rockies organization, holding a 3.19 ERA and 63:19 K:BB over 53.2 innings. He had surgery in September to repair a torn labrum in his left hip, but the Tigers appear confident in his ability to make a full recovery.

The Tigers designated Lange for assignment Wednesday.

The transaction clears a spot on the 40-man roster for waiver claim Dugan Darnell (hip). Lange recorded 26 saves for the Tigers in 2023 but was limited the last two seasons due to June 2024 right lat surgery. The 30-year-old has a career 27.2 percent strikeout rate but also a 13.5 percent walk rate. Lange is eligible for salary arbitration for the first time this offseason and should draw interest on waivers.

The Padres are considering moving Morgan into their rotation next season, Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic report.

Mason Miller and Adrian Morejon are the more high-profile names being mulled for a shift from the bullpen to the rotation, but Morgan is also under consideration. A former infielder and undrafted free agent who didn't begin pitching until 2022, Morgan posted a 2.66 ERA and 50:23 K:BB over 47.1 regular-season innings for the Padres in 2025. The 26-year-old had two opener assignments for the Padres, but the last time he made a traditional start came in 2022 at Hope International, an NAIA school.