MLB Player News

Grube signed a minor league contract with Toronto on Monday, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet reports.

Grube is an unlikely candidate to make the big league squad, but part of the deal includes an invite to spring training. The 35-year-old posted a 3.92 ERA in 26 minor league outings in 2016. Grube, a righty, has logged just 0.2 major league innings (back in 2014 with the Angels).

Eovaldi was designated for assignment by the Yankees on Friday.

Eovaldi was the victim of a need for 40-man roster spots in advance of the deadline for Rule 5 draft protection, though he was also reported to be non-tendered a week ago. Currently recovering from Tommy John surgery, he could be a lottery ticket enticed by his velocity and willing to wait as he rehabs.

Thompson was traded to the Rays on Friday along with Andrew Kittredge and Dalton Kelly in exchange for Richie Shaffer and Taylor Motter, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

Thompson has made just 12 appearances (six starts) in rookie ball in two professional seasons, including just three in 2016. His secondary pitches are still coming along but both his slider and changeup have shown promise. He's a long-term project for Tampa Bay.

Jorge was added to Minnesota's 40-man roster Friday.

In his age-22 season, Jorge managed to work his way up to Double-A. Although he struggled in 11 starts at Chattanooga, his excellent command and sneaky ability to miss bats could help him continue to progress up the organizational ladder at a solid pace.

Blackburn was added to the A's 40-man roster Friday.

The 22-year-old had to be added for Rule 5 protection. He was traded from Seattle to Oakland last week in exchange for Danny Valencia -- marking the second time Blackburn was traded in less than a four-month span. The results were strong for Blackburn at the Double-A level in 2016 (3.27 ERA, 1.21 WHIP), but he doesn't have dominant stuff as evidenced by his career 6.2 K/9 in the minors.

Morton (hamstring) signed a two-year, $14 million contract with the Astros on Wednesday, the Houston Chronicle reports.

A torn hamstring limited Morton to just four starts in 2016, but his 6-to-8 month recovery timetable puts him on track to be ready by spring training, and his contract makes him a favorite to open the season with one of the back-end spots in the Astros' rotation. Health will be a key factor in him both winning and hanging onto a job, as he has averaged just 16 starts per season since making a career-high 29 starts in 2011.

Blackburn was traded to the A's on Saturday in exchange for Danny Valencia, Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports reports.

Acquired by Seattle in the Mike Montgomery trade this summer (along with Dan Vogelbach), Blackburn posted a 3.54 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 27:9 K:BB in 40.2 innings with the Mariners' Double-A Jackson affiliate. The right-hander may not have a true plus offering, but his fastball, curveball and changeup are all serviceable pitches. He could be a rotation option for the A's in the second half of 2017.

Eovaldi (elbow) will be non-tendered by the Yankees, the New York Daily News reports.

General manager Brian Cashman broke the news, although it was really just a formality with Eovaldi set to miss all of next season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in August. Eovaldi earned $5.6 million this season in his second year of arbitration eligibility. Another team may be interested in bringing Eovaldi aboard on a low-cost, two-year deal with hopes of reaping the benefits in 2018.

McCullers' agent, Scott Boras, said Wednesday that he does not believe there will any lingering effects come next season of the shoulder and elbow injuries that limited McCullers in 2016, the Houston Chronicle reports. "There's nothing from the doctors that we've heard that would suggest that there's going to be any problem for '17," Boras said.

Boras went on to clarify that he expects McCullers to be 100 percent healthy for the start of spring training. McCullers hit the DL in early August with elbow discomfort but progressed to throwing off a mound by late September, so it seems likely he'll be able to have a normal offseason. A shoulder issue delayed McCullers at the start of the 2016 season, and between the two injuries, he only made 14 starts for the Astros.

Ramirez will stretch out as a starter during spring training, Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Ramirez has pitched exclusively out of the bullpen at the major league level and hasn't started at any level since 2011. He turned in the best year of his career in 2016, posting a 2.91 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in 43 appearances for the Angels (46.1 innings). His season-high pitch count was 42. Even if the conversion to a starting role works for Ramirez, the right-hander doesn't have the strikeout upside to warrant much attention outside of AL-only leagues.