MLB Player News

Crawford is working on a split-finger fastball that he feels would complement his existing repertoire, Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe reports. "All my stuff is moving glove side, away from righties and into lefties. The splitter would open up the other side of the plate," Crawford said.

Crawford, who was projected as a rotation lock earlier last week by Abraham, got a thumbs-up Saturday from starting catcher Connor Wong, who served as a batter during the pitcher's live BP session. "As a catcher, I see a lot. But the perspective as a hitter is different because you get a real feel for the breaking pitches," Wong said. "Kutter brings so much to the table and it's getting better." The right-hander opened the 2023 season as part of the rotation, then moved to the bullpen before rejoining the starters in early June. Crawford had a 4.20 ERA (3.64 FIP) over 21 starts while limiting opponents to a .226 batting average and .679 OPS after re-entering the rotation.

Sandlin sustained an oblique strain in July last year that cut short his season, but he's fully recovered heading into spring training, Jen McCaffery of The Athletic reports.

The Red Sox acquired Sandlin from the Royals on Saturday, and the organization feels the right-hander is on the rise, per chief baseball officer Craig Breslow. "We've seen the stuff take a pretty big step forward," Breslow said. "It was a combination of raw stuff, projection and a chance to maybe tweak the usage a little bit and improve performance." Sandlin was sharp when healthy in 2023, posting a 3.38 ERA and 33 percent strikeout rate in Low-A before a promotion to High-A. He made two starts for Quad Cities before the oblique injury. Sandlin, who turns 23 on Wednesday, experienced a jump in velocity, going from the low-90s in college to sitting at 95-97 mph during his first professional season. His repertoire also includes a slider, curve and a changeup that some evaluators feel is his best pitch, according to Julian McWilliams of the Boston Globe.

The Twins plan to have Varland stretch out as a starting pitcher this spring, although moving him to the bullpen remains an option, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. He's been working on an improved two-seam fastball and slider in the offseason to help him win a spot in the rotation.

Varland's improved velocity turned him into a late-season weapon out of the bullpen last year after working as a starter the first five months. As a reliever he had a 1.50 ERA in 12 innings with a 17:1 K:BB while throwing a fastball that touched triple digits. He'll be in the mix for the final spot in the rotation this spring. If Varland loses out on the fifth starter role to Anthony DeSclafani, it will be interesting to see if the Twins move him to the bullpen or keep him as a starter at Triple-A. He could be an impact fantasy asset as a starting pitcher this season given his improvement last season and if a new pitch can broaden his arsenal.

The Mariners claimed Stoudt off waivers from Cincinnati on Saturday, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Stoudt had been part of the trade package that sent Luis Castillo from Cincinnati to Seattle in 2022, and Stoudt will now reunite with the organization that drafted him. The 26-year-old righty struggled to find his footing in 2023, allowing 11 earned runs in 10.1 major-league innings while also putting up a 6.23 ERA across 82.1 frames in Triple-A. He'll presumably start the season with Triple-A Tacoma and would need to show significant progress from last year before getting another run in the big leagues. Canaan Smith-Njigba was designated for assignment in a corresponding move.

The Royals placed Wright (shoulder) on the 60-day injured list Saturday.

Wright is set to miss the entire 2024 campaign after undergoing shoulder surgery in October, so it was only a matter of time before he landed on the IL. Wright's spot on the 40-man roster will be given to John Schreiber, who was acquired from the Red Sox on Saturday.

The Royals traded Sandlin to the Red Sox on Saturday in exchange for John Schreiber, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Sandlin spent time with the Royals' Single-A and High-A affiliates last season, logging a 3.51 ERA and 1.22 WHIP while striking out 88 batters across 66.2 total innings. The 22-year-old righty will likely return to High-A to begin the 2024 campaign with hopes of reaching Double-A Portland at some point in the summer.

Bello threw his slider during a live batting practice session Thursday, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Adding a slider was a point of emphasis for Bello during the winter. "I felt more comfortable with that pitch," Bello said. "I feel like I can throw it in any count. [Thursday] in live BP, I used it and felt really good about it. So it was a good offseason for that pitch." The slider could be a good third pitch to go with a filthy sinker and changeup. The right-hander said he also plans to use a four-seamer outside the zone to elicit chase. Additionally, the 24-year-old worked on his lower half and back during the offseason, hoping not to wear down over the course of the season. Bello hit a wall late in 2023, losing his final three starts, including the final two outings in which he allowed 13 runs over nine innings. That brought his overall record to 12-11 and swelled his ERA from 3.68 to 4.24.

Soroka (forearm) is penciled into a rotation spot, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Soroka ended the 2023 season on the injured list but threw about 40 pitches in a bullpen session Friday without issue. Problems staying on the mound are nothing new for Soroka, as he has managed only 46 big-league innings across the last four seasons. If he manages to stay healthy for the rest of spring training, he'll get a chance to take a consistent turn in a big-league rotation for the first time since 2019.

Bradley is a favorite to win a rotation spot in camp, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Bradley got his first taste of the majors in 2023 and suffered through some inconsistency. However, he's more comfortable heading into 2024 and has also made tweaks to his cutter to make it a more effective pitch. The right-hander is projected to slot in at the back of the Rays' rotation behind Zach Eflin, Aaron Civale and Zack Littell.

Baz (elbow) expects to begin the season in extended spring training before starting a rehab assignment, Kristie Ackert of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Baz threw around 20 pitches in his first bullpen session of spring training Friday and felt good afterward. The right-hander suggested afterward that he may not be able to contribute to the big-league club until the summer. The Rays have announced no formal plan, but it appears to be a near certainty Baz won't begin the regular season on the 26-man roster.