MLB Player News

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.

Manoah (elbow) hopes to be ready to pitch for the Blue Jays in August, Mike Wilner of the Toronto Star reports.

Manoah underwent a hybrid internal brace procedure to repair the UCL in his right elbow last June. The plan calls for Manoah to throw bullpen sessions in March, face hitters in June and go out on a rehab assignment in July before rejoining the Blue Jays in August. If the righty is able to hit those markers, he could spend most of the final two months of the 2025 campaign in Toronto's rotation.

The Rangers signed Buchanan to a minor-league contract Tuesday that includes an invitation to spring training, The Dallas Morning News reports.

Buchanan got into one game with the Reds in 2024, which was his first appearance at the major-league level since 2015. The 35-year-old will give the Rangers some organizational rotation depth.