MLB Player News

Palumbo (undisclosed) signed a minor-league contract with the Giants on Thursday, Chris Hilburn-Trenkle of Baseball America reports.

Palumbo was claimed off waivers by the Giants on Nov. 5, only to be non-tendered by the club 25 days later. Now back for a second stint with the team, he'll have to prove that he's healthy after being limited to only 6.2 innings in 2021 due to an undisclosed injury.

Barraclough has signed a minor-league contract with the Angels, Chris Kilburn-Trenkle of Baseball America reports.

Barraclough made 10 relief appearances with the Twins in 2021 but spent most of the year in the minors. Across 32 outings at the Triple-A level, he logged a 2.75 ERA and 1.04 WHIP in 39.1 innings. The right-hander will likely compete for a spot in the major-league bullpen this spring.

Vizcaino signed a minor-league contract with the Royals on Thursday.

Vizcaino hasn't been called up to the majors in either of the last two seasons, but he's made big-league appearances across seven total seasons dating back to 2011. The right-hander missed most of the 2021 campaign due to injuries but recorded a 2.35 ERA and 0.97 WHIP in 7.2 innings across seven relief appearances at Triple-A Syracuse. He'll likely serve as a non-roster invitee this spring.

Rodriguez signed a minor-league contract with the Twins on Wednesday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

Rodriguez has made 51 big-league appearances with the Giants in three seasons, but he pitched exclusively in the minors during the 2021 campaign. He made 22 appearances (19 starts) at Triple-A Albuquerque and logged a 6.51 ERA and 1.65 WHIP in 85.2 innings. Given his past major-league experience, it wouldn't be surprising to see the right-hander serve as a non-roster invitee in 2022.

Nolin signed with the Kia Tigers of the KBO on Saturday.

This is Nolin's second time signing with a club on the other side of the Pacific, as he played with the Saitama Seibu Lions in Japan in 2020. He posted a passable 4.39 ERA in five starts and five relief appearances for the Nationals in 2021, but that came with a poor combination of a 16.3 percent strikeout rate and a 10.6 percent walk rate. The 32-year-old's MLB days may be over unless he catches fire in Korea.

Williams said Wednesday in an interview with Will Sammon of The Athletic that he expects to be fully healthy for the start of spring training after undergoing right hand surgery in early October.

Williams' interview marked the first time he spoke to the media since he fractured his hand Sept. 26 after punching a wall while celebrating the Brewers' division title. The untimely incident kept Williams from pitching in the second straight postseason, after he was sidelined late in 2020 due to a shoulder injury. The shoulder issue lingered into this past spring and had a hand in Williams' early-season struggles, but before fracturing his hand, the right-handed setup man looked to have rediscovered the form that made him the National League's Rookie of the Year. Over his final 25.2 innings, Williams posted a 1.40 ERA and 41 strikeouts, offering hope that he'll be able to enter 2022 with some confidence, provided he continues to progress well in his recovery from hand surgery. Williams resumed throwing and lifting weights just before Thanksgiving, and he should gradually ramp up the intensity of his workouts as spring training approaches.

Blach signed a minor-league contract with the Rockies on Friday, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Blach pitched in the majors from 2016 to 2019, recording a 4.99 ERA while striking out just 12.7 percent of opposing batters. He missed most of the last two seasons due to Tommy John surgery, returning last in the year to throw 22 rehab innings in the lower minors. His past major-league experience gives him a shot at claiming a roster spot, but he's unlikely to provide much fantasy value even when pitching away from Coors Field.

Gonsalves signed a minor-league deal with the Cubs in early December.

Gonsalves threw just 4.1 MLB innings in 2021, giving up two runs. His previous experience at the highest level saw him struggle to a 6.57 ERA and a 16:22 K:BB over 24.2 frames for the Twins back in 2018. He wasn't particularly impressive for Triple-A Worcester in the Red Sox's system last season, either, though his 4.68 ERA did at least come with a 31.2 percent strikeout rate.

Leiter signed a minor-league contract with the Cubs on Wednesday.

Leiter owns an unimpressive 5.53 ERA in 114 major-league innings, the last of which came back in 2018. The 30-year-old spent the 2021 season in the Tigers' system, where he cruised to a 3.34 ERA and an impressive 30.5 percent strikeout rate in 15 starts and two relief appearances for Triple-A Toledo.

Biddle signed with the NPB's Orix Buffaloes on Friday, Yahoo Japan reports.

Biddle was a first-round pick back in 2010 but didn't reach the majors until 2018 after a long slog through the minors which included Tommy John surgery. He cruised to a 3.11 ERA in 63.2 innings of relief in his debut season for Atlanta but has stumbled to an 8.24 ERA in 39.1 frames over the last three years. At age 30, the lefty's stateside career may be over, though it's still possible he earns another look if he impresses for the Buffaloes in 2022.