MLB Player News

McCullers (forearm) said Saturday that he expects to return toward the end of the summer, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

McCullers missed all of 2023 while dealing with a right forearm injury and opted to undergo surgery to repair a torn flexor tendon in June. McCullers resumed throwing on flat ground from 80 feet out during the offseason and has yet to run into any issues. The 30-year-old righty still has a long way to go in his rehab process, but he could provide a significant boost to Houston's rotation or give the team another multi-inning relief option late in the season.

Mize signed a one-year, $840,000 contract with the Tigers on Friday to avoid arbitration Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

Mize's deal also includes a $3.1 million club option for 2025, though he would remain under team control if Detroit declined to pick up the option. Mize sat out all of last season while recovering from a Tommy John procedure, but he's been deemed healthy and should be ready to go for the start of spring training. The 26-year-old right-hander holds a 4.29 ERA and 1.21 WHIP through 188.2 career big-league innings.

Twins manager Rocco Baldelli named Lopez the team's Opening Day starter Wednesday, Lexi Schweinert of Twins Radio reports.

It's on the early side to be naming an Opening Day starter, but Baldelli evidently saw no reason to wait with Lopez representing an obvious choice. The right-hander's first season in Minnesota was the best of his career, with Lopez collecting a 3.66 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 234:48 K:BB over 194 innings. Minnesota opens its regular season on March 28 in Kansas City.

Urena signed a minor-league contract with the Rangers on Tuesday that includes an invitation to spring training.

Urena made a combined 10 starts for the Rockies and White Sox last season, producing an ugly 6.45 ERA and 29:22 K:BB over 44.2 innings. The 32-year-old veteran will probably begin the 2024 season as part of Triple-A Round Rock's rotation.

Irvin signed a one-year deal with the Orioles on Thursday to avoid arbitration.

Irvin had an underwhelming 2023 season, during which his role fluctuated between starting and relief. He also spent a considerable amount of time at Triple-A Norfolk, and he'll likely have to earn a roster spot with Baltimore by performing well in spring training heading into the 2024 campaign.

Schmidt signed a one-year, $2 million contract with the Yankees on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.

Schmidt got his first substantial chance as a starter in the majors last season, and he posted an uninspiring 4.64 ERA and 1.35 WHIP across 159 frames. His primary problem was the long ball (1.4 HR/9), though he managed a decent 14.8 K-BB%. That suggests there's some chance for him to see improved results in 2024, assuming he can stick in the rotation.

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.