MLB Player News

McKenzie signed a one-year, $1.6 million contract with the Guardians on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

McKenzie was limited to only 16 innings in 2023 due to an elbow injury, though he did end the campaign healthy. Assuming he can get through spring training unscathed, he should pair up with Shane Bieber as the two veteran leaders of the Guardians' rotation in 2024.

Cortes (shoulder) signed a one-year, $4 million contract with the Yankees on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Cortes was limited to only 12 starts and 63.1 innings during 2023 due to a shoulder injury. Though he finished the year with a 4.97 ERA and 1.25 WHIP, he still maintained an impressive 17.7 K-BB% and should get better results in 2024 if he can stay healthy.

Stroman signed a two-year, $37 million deal with the Yankees on Thursday, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports. The contract also includes a vesting option for 2026.

Stroman opted out of the final year of his contract with the Cubs worth $21 million to become a free agent this offseason. Though he'll sacrifice a bit from that mark in annual value, he locked in at least one additional year of security. Stroman has dealt with injuries the last two seasons, but he has maintained an ERA of 3.50 or below in three of the last four campaigns and is a strong addition to a rotation that already features Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon.

Valdez signed a one-year, $12.1 million contract with the Astros on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Valdez has proven to be among the most durable pitchers in the league, throwing a combined 399.1 innings across the last two campaigns. His results have also been strong in that span, and he managed a 3.45 ERA with a 1.13 WHIP and 200:57 K:BB in 2023. Valdez will nearly double his salary as a result and will be a key piece of the Astros' rotation once again for the upcoming campaign.

Wells signed a one-year, $1.9625 million contract with the Orioles on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Wells will receive a salary increase of roughly $1.23 million after turning in a 3.64 ERA and 0.99 WHIP through 118.2 frames last season. Wells struggled badly coming out of the All-Star break and was quickly demoted to the minors, but he was able to work his way back to the Orioles' bullpen before the end of the year. The 29-year-old should return to Baltimore's rotation to begin 2024.

Rasmussen (elbow) signed a one-year, $1.8625 million contract with the Rays on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

A right flexor strain put an early end to Rasmussen's season in May, and the 28-year-old righty underwent an internal brace procedure in July that will cause him to miss the first half of 2024. Rasmussen has been a key part of the Rays' rotation since joining the team in 2021, but his fantasy value going forward will be dependent on how well he's able to perform post-injury.

Littell signed a one-year, $1.85 million contract with the Rays on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

After getting DFA'd by the Giants in May, Littell was claimed off waivers by Tampa Bay and recorded a 3.93 ERA and 1.15 WHIP through 87 innings with the Rays. He projects to be the fourth or fifth man in Tampa Bay's rotation in 2024, though he also has plenty of experience coming out of the bullpen.

Toussaint agreed to a one-year, $1.3 million deal with the White Sox on Thursday, avoiding arbitration, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

The 27-year-old righty would be a reliever for most clubs, but he could compete for a rotation spot this spring with Chicago. Toussaint had a 5.45 ERA and 1.53 WHIP in 74.1 innings as a starter last season, but he has shown he can be more productive in the bullpen, which is where he should eventually end up.

The Rays and Civale avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $4.9 million contract Thursday, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.

It's a substantial salary bump for Civale, who was arbitration-eligible for a second time. The right-hander held a 5.36 ERA over 45.1 innings after being acquired via trade by the Rays at last year's deadline, but a 58:11 K:BB provides reason for optimism. He'll be a key piece in the Rays' rotation in 2024.

Kopech (knee) agreed to a one-year, $3 million deal with the White Sox on Thursday, avoiding arbitration, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

He ended the year on the shelf with knee inflammation but will presumably be ready for spring training. Kopech, 27, logged a career-high 129.1 innings last year, but he also had a career-worst 5.43 ERA and 1.59 WHIP.