MLB Player News
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Kevin Kelly RP | TB
Rays' Kevin Kelly: Reaches deal with TB
Kelly agreed to a one-year, $925,000 contract with the Rays on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Kelly missed more than a month toward the start of the 2025 season due to a glute strain and struggled to be effective on the mound after returning, finishing the year with a 5.90 ERA and 1.36 WHIP across 39.2 frames. He'll take just a $149,000 pay raise as a result and will likely be limited to middle-relief duty until he recaptures his previous form.
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Ryan Pepiot RP | TB
Rays' Ryan Pepiot: Avoids arbitration with Rays
Pepiot agreed to a one-year, $3.025 million contract with the Rays on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Pepiot made a career-high 31 starts for the Rays in 2025 but finished the season with a career-worst 3.86 ERA over 167.2 innings, largely due to his allowing 26 homers. The 28-year-old righty will receive a $2.25 million raise from Tampa Bay during his first year of arbitration eligibility and projects to be one of the top starters in the Rays' rotation in 2026.
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Camilo Doval RP | NYY
Yankees' Camilo Doval: Reaches deal with Yankees
Doval agreed to a one-year, $6.1 million contract with the Yankees on Thursday, avoiding arbitration, Jorge Castillo of ESPN.com reports.
After a disappointing 2024 campaign, Doval bounced back over 69 regular-season appearances between the Giants and Yankees last year, finishing with a 3.58 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 72:35 K:BB in 65.1 innings while recording 16 saves and 10 holds. The right-hander is likely to open 2026 as New York's top setup man ahead of closer David Bednar.
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Jhoan Duran RP | PHI
Phillies' Jhoan Duran: Settles with Philadelphia
The Phillies and Duran avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $7.5 million contract Thursday, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Duran notched a career-high 32 saves in 2025, posting a 2.06 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 80:19 K:BB over 70 regular-season innings between the Twins and Phillies. The hard-throwing reliever should be one of the top closers in fantasy baseball again in 2026.
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Steven Wilson RP | TB
Rays' Steven Wilson: Receives $1.52 million from TB
Wilson signed a one-year, $1.52 million contract with the Rays on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Wilson joined the Rays in November via trade and will now receive a $570,000 raise from his new club after posting a 3.42 ERA and 1.30 WHIP over 55.1 innings with the White Sox in 2025. Although he made several appearances in high-leverage situations with Chicago, the 31-year-old righty will likely be relegated to a middle-relief role in the Rays' bullpen this upcoming season.
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JoJo Romero RP | STL
Cardinals' JoJo Romero: Settles with Cardinals
The Cardinals and Romero avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $4.26 million contract Thursday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
It was the final year of arbitration eligibility for Romero, who is slated to hit the free-agent market next winter. The lefty reliever held a 2.07 ERA and 55:29 K:BB over 61 innings in 2025, picking up eight saves. Romero could be in the mix for saves again if he's still with the Cardinals on Opening Day, but a trade to a contender -- where he'd likely fill in a middle-relief role -- is likelier.
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Will Vest RP | DET
Tigers' Will Vest: Avoids arbitration with DET
Vest agreed to a one-year, $3.95 million contract with the Tigers on Thursday, avoiding arbitration, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.
The right-hander will more than double his salary from 2025, during which he posted a 3.01 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 75:22 K:BB over 68.2 regular-season innings while converting 23 of 30 save chances. Vest should see some save opportunities in 2026, but he could be used more often as a setup man given that Detroit signed Kyle Finnegan and Kenley Jansen this winter.
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Huascar Brazoban RP | NYM
Mets' Huascar Brazoban: Settles with Mets
The Mets and Brazoban avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $1.05 million contract Thursday, Ari Alexander of 7 News Boston reports.
The 36-year-old was in his first year of arbitration eligibility. Brazoban collected a 3.57 ERA and 57:27 K:BB over 63 frames for the Mets in 2025 and is slated for a middle-relief role again in 2026.
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Angel Zerpa RP | MIL
Brewers' Angel Zerpa: Gets one-year deal from Milwaukee
The Brewers and Zerpa avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $1.095 million contract Thursday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.
Zerpa was acquired via trade from the Royals earlier in the offseason and had been eligible for arbitration for the first time. The lefty held a 4.18 ERA and 1.38 WHIP across 64.2 innings in 2025 and could be stretched out as a starting pitcher in his first spring training with the Brewers.
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Trevor Megill RP | MIL
Brewers' Trevor Megill: Settles at $4.7 million
The Brewers and Megill avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $4.7 million contract Thursday, Ari Alexander of 7 News Boston reports.
It's a nice raise for Megill, who was eligible for salary arbitration for the second time. The 32-year-old notched a career-high 30 saves in 2025, collecting a 2.49 ERA and 60:17 K:BB over 47 regular-season innings. Megill should open the 2026 campaign as the Brewers' closer, but Abner Uribe could also be in the mix to save games.