MLB Player News

Ober could begin the season at Triple-A St. Paul following the Twins' addition of Pablo Lopez, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

It's also possible the Twins could opt for a six-man rotation, something which might appeal to them as Kenta Maeda (elbow) works his way back from Tommy John surgery. Ober hasn't been a bastion of health himself but has pitched well when on the mound, including last season when he held a 3.21 ERA over 11 starts for Minnesota.

Lopez was traded from the Marlins to the Twins on Friday in exchange for infielder Luis Arraez, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

In addition to Lopez, prospects Jose Salas and Byron Chourio are also heading to Minnesota in the deal, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Lopez made 32 starts for the Marlins last season and had a 3.75 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 174:53 K:BB across 180 innings. The right-hander is under team control through the 2024 campaign and should slot in near the top of the Twins' starting rotation.

Paddack (elbow) signed a three-year extension with the Twins on Wednesday.

Paddack made five starts with the Twins last season and forged a 4.03 ERA before undergoing Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in May. The right-handed hurler is expected to miss the majority -- if not all -- of the 2023 season while recovering from the operation, but he should have a good chance of carving out a role in Minnesota's rotation beginning in 2024.

Schmidt is a candidate to spend the first month of the season as the Yankees' fifth starter, with Frankie Montas out until at least May due to shoulder inflammation, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports.

The Yankees have yet to announce their plans and could still bring in another arm from outside the organization, but unless that happens, the competition would appear to be between Schmidt and Domingo German. Schmidt outpitched German in terms of ERA (3.12 vs. 3.61) and FIP (3.59 vs. 4.43) last season, though all but three of the former's appearances came as a reliever. German, by contrast, started 14 games while appearing just once in relief.

German and the Yankees agreed to a one-year contract Friday, avoiding arbitration.

The deal has little bearing on German's fantasy value, as he would have remained a Yankee even if an arbiter were needed. His fantasy appeal did get a bump Saturday, however, with the news that Frankie Montas is expected to miss at least a month with shoulder inflammation. German appears to have the inside track to open the season as the Yankees' fifth starter, with Clarke Schmidt his primary competition.

Cortes signed a one-year deal with the Yankees on Friday, avoiding arbitration.

Cortes had an excellent 2022 campaign, his first as a full-time starter, finishing the year with a 2.44 ERA. A .232 BABIP indicates that he benefited from a fair amount of good fortune, but even if he slips back to his 3.12 FIP or 3.48 SIERA, he'll be a very valuable pitcher next season. His 26.5 percent strikeout rate and 6.2 percent walk rate were both solidly better than average, giving reason to have faith in him in 2023 despite his short track record.

Montas is dealing with shoulder inflammation and is expected to miss the first month of the season, Dan Martin and Jon Heyman of the New York Post report.

Montas struggled to a 6.35 ERA in eight starts for the Yankees after being acquired at the deadline last season, and he developed shoulder issues that wound up limiting him to a single one-inning relief appearance in the playoffs. Those shoulder troubles evidently haven't gone away, and he's reportedly 8-to-10 weeks behind in his offseason program as a result. Domingo German and Clarke Schmidt appear to be the top candidates to open the season as the Yankees' fifth starter in Montas' absence.

Montas signed a one-year, $7.5 million deal with the Yankees on Friday to avoid arbitration, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Montas was dealt to the Yankees this past season at the trade deadline. Overall, he struggled in his short time with the team, accumulating a 1-3 record, 6.35 ERA and 1.54 WHIP over 39.2 innings. He will look to turn things around in 2023, as he will be a free agent following the season.

Valdez signed a one-year, $6.8 million contract with the Astros on Friday, avoiding arbitration, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Coming off the heels of a 2.82 ERA, 1.16 WHIP season, Valdez earned himself a $3.8 million pay raise from last year after playing a big part in the Astros' title run. The 29-year-old southpaw has never been known to rack up strikeouts like other aces, though it's hard to argue with the results he's produced over the past few years.

Mahle (shoulder) signed a one-year, $7.5 million contract with the Twins on Friday to avoid arbitration, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.

Upon being traded from Cincinnati to Minnesota at the deadline, shoulder troubles kept Mahle from throwing more than 16.1 frames for the Twins. When he was healthy, he logged a disappointing 4.40 ERA and 1.22 WHIP, but did hold a solid 9.40 K/9. If Mahle can bounce back from his shoulder injury, he figures to be a solid piece of the Twins' 2023 rotation.