MLB Player News

Detmers agreed to a one-year, $1.825 million contract with the Angels on Thursday, avoiding arbitration, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

The left-hander spent much of 2024 in the minors and finished with a 6.70 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and 109:38 K:BB in 17 starts with the Angels. Detmers may need a strong showing during spring training in order to break camp with the big-league club in 2025.

Baz and the Rays avoided arbitration Thursday by agreeing to a one-year, $1.45 million deal, Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Baz was limited to 14 starts with Tampa Bay in 2024 after spending the early part of the season completing his recovery from September 2022 Tommy John surgery as well as an oblique injury that cropped up during spring training. Once he joined the big-league rotation in early July, Baz struggled to regain his pre-surgery velocity but achieved strong results nonetheless, posting a 3.06 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in 79.1 innings. Though Baz needed a .229 BABIP and a 9.6 HR/FB% to achieve the shiny ERA, now that he's further removed from elbow surgery, there's reason to hope that the 25-year-old can improve upon his 21.6 K% to help stave off the ERA correction that might otherwise be headed his way in 2025.

Littell and the Rays avoided arbitration Thursday, agreeing to a one-year, $5.72 million contract, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

Littell will receive a raise of just under $4 million in his second year of arbitration, coming off a solid showing in his first season as a full-time starter in the big leagues. He tossed 156.1 innings across his 29 outings with Tampa Bay in 2024, pitching to a 3.63 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 141:31 K:BB. Littell's lack of premium stuff will likely limit his strikeout upside once again in 2025, but his ability to keep walks in check while using of a variety of off-speed offerings to keep hitters off balance may allow him to find continued success as a back-end arm in the Tampa Bay rotation.

The Orioles and Rogers avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $2.6 million contract Thursday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Rogers managed a disappointing 4.92 ERA, 1.58 WHIP and 97:56 K:BB across 124.1 innings in 2024 between the Marlins and Orioles. The left-hander finished the season in the minors and would appear to currently be on the outside looking in for a rotation spot in Baltimore.

Mize and the Tigers avoided arbitration after agreeing to a one-year, $2.34 million contract Thursday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

The Tigers declined Mize's $3.1 million club option for 2025 earlier in the offseason, but the 27-year-old right-hander will stick around in Detroit at a more team-friendly price. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 First-Year Player Draft has struggled to bounce back from his June 2022 Tommy John surgery, which cost him the entire 2023 season. He broke camp last season as a member of Detroit's rotation but proceeded to turn in middling ratios (4.49 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 10.8 K-BB%) over his 102.1 innings with the big club spanning 22 appearances (20 starts), and the Tigers ultimately moved him to the bullpen down the stretch. Mize will likely have to compete for a back-end spot in Detroit's rotation once again this spring.

Garcia (elbow) signed a one-year, $1.875 million contract with the Astros on Wednesday to avoid arbitration, Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Garcia's salary won't change much from the $1.88 million he received last season, which makes sense considering he hasn't appeared in a big-league game since undergoing Tommy John surgery in May of 2023. However, the 28-year-old righty has been throwing live BP since September, so he figures to have a good chance at being ready for the start of spring training.

The White Sox signed Perez to a one-year, $3.5 million contract Wednesday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

The deal includes a $10 million mutual option or $1.5 million buyout for 2026, so Perez is guaranteed at least $5 million. Perez split his 2024 season between the Pirates and Padres, collecting a 4.53 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 107:49 K:BB across 135 innings covering 26 starts. The 33-year-old left-hander should open the season in Chicago's rotation but will have limited fantasy appeal.

The Rays and Rasmussen avoided arbitration Tuesday by agreeing to a two-year, $8 million contract extension, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The deal also includes an $8 million club option for 2027, which could escalate to as high as $20 million if Rasmussen reaches all of his health and innings pitched incentives. There's a $500,000 buyout attached to the option, so the right-hander is guaranteed a total of $8.5 million with the extension. Rasmussen looked sharp in 2024 in his return from an internal brace procedure, holding a 2.83 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 35:6 K:BB over 28.2 innings. He is expected to return to the rotation full time in 2025, though he will have significant workload restrictions in place after totaling just 80.2 frames since the start of the 2023 season.

The Royals re-signed Lorenzen to a one-year, $5.5 million contract Monday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

The deal also includes a $12 million mutual option or $1.5 million buyout for 2026. Lorenzen, 33, collected a 3.31 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 97:60 K:BB over 130.1 innings between the Rangers and Royals in 2024. He'll presumably begin the 2025 season in Kansas City's rotation, which would leave Alec Marsh and Kris Bubic competing for one spot. Lorenzen had been hoping to be used at designated hitter early in the season with the goal of earning a two-way roster designation, but that appears to be out the window now.

The Orioles signed Morton to a one-year, $15 million contract Friday.

Morton finished the 2024 regular season having gone 8-10 over 30 starts for Atlanta with a 4.19 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 23.8 percent strikeout rate across 165.1 innings. Despite turning 41 last November, Morton has pitched at least 150 innings in four of the last five seasons and will join an Orioles' rotation that lost Corbin Burnes to the Diamondbacks in free agency.