MLB Player News

Kelly agreed to a two-year, $40 million contract with the Diamondbacks on Sunday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

The 37-year-old right-hander was dealt by the Diamondbacks to the Rangers at the trade deadline in July, and he'll now return to the desert for an eighth season. Kelly should step back in as Arizona's ace after posting a 3.52 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 167:48 K:BB across 184 innings last season.

May signed a one-year contract with the Cardinals on Saturday that includes a mutual option for 2027, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

May set a new career high with 132.1 innings pitched between the Dodgers and Red Sox in 2025, though his 4.96 ERA and 1.42 WHIP in the regular season both marked significant regression from previous years. Despite his recent struggles, the 28-year-old righty should have little trouble claiming a spot in a Cardinals rotation that doesn't feature much depth following the departure of Sonny Gray.

Frasso (undisclosed) signed a minor-league contract with the Dodgers on Saturday, Aram Leighton of JustBaseball.com reports.

After turning in a 5.49 ERA and 1.58 WHIP over 77 innings at Triple-A Oklahoma City this past season and being non-tendered by the Dodgers in November, Frasso will officially return to the organization for 2026. The 27-year-old is still waiting on his first promotion to the majors, but he will likely need to show significant improvement in the minors before getting called up for his MLB debut.

The Nationals and Gray (elbow) avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $1.35 million contract Friday, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.

Gray was limited to three rehab starts this season as he returned from UCL surgery and will receive the same salary he got in 2025. The right-hander is expected to be ready to go at the start of spring training, though he will likely face workload restrictions in 2026 after throwing a combined 35 innings over the previous two seasons.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell confirmed this week that Steele (elbow) will not be ready for the start of next season, Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic report.

Steele underwent UCL revision surgery on his left elbow in mid-April, so it's not a surprise that he'll be in line for a stint on the injured list to begin the 2026 season. Counsell noted that the team will have a better idea as to a timetable for the left-hander in spring training, with the skipper noting that "I think it will be the first half of the season." Steele has collected a 3.18 ERA over 82 regular-season starts since the beginning of the 2022 campaign.

The Phillies selected McCambley with the 12th pick of the Rule 5 Draft on Wednesday.

A third-round pick in 2020, McCambley spent the first five-plus years of his pro career in the Marlins organization. He reached Triple-A for the first time in 2025 as a reliever, logging a 3.32 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 52:15 K:BB in 40.2 innings across 36 appearances. His stuff isn't quite as good as his 2025 results might indicate, but he has a quality slider and cutter to help offset the fact his fastball sits in the 93-95 mph range with poor movement.

The Phillies acquired Curet from the Rays on Wednesday in exchange for Tommy McCollum, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

Curet had been designated for assignment and will now go on the Phillies' 40-man roster. The 23-year-old right-hander does have minor-league options remaining and will likely begin the season at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Curet has a big arm but held a 6.03 ERA and 1.93 WHIP over 31.1 frames at Triple-A Durham in 2025.

The Nationals selected McGarry with the third pick in the Rule 5 Draft on Wednesday.

McGarry has been a known prospect for several years due to his nasty stuff, but he has never thrown enough strikes as a starter. The 26-year-old righty logged a 3.44 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 124 strikeouts and 49 walks in 83.2 innings in 2025, primarily at Double-A. McGarry could be a late-inning weapon thanks to a devastating fastball/sweeper combination, but he'd need to improve his command to work in high-leverage spots.

The Rockies selected Petit with the first pick in the Rule 5 Draft on Wednesday.

Petit, a 6-foot-8 righty from Detroit's farm system, split the 2025 season between Double-A and Triple-A, working primarily as a reliever. The 26-year-old logged a 2.74 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 33:10 K:BB and 51 percent groundball rate in 23 innings at Triple-A, and while he was used in relief, Petit has the stuff to start. He throws multiple mid-90s fastballs, with his four-seamer touching 98 mph, along with a nasty slider and a solid changeup. Now that he's in Colorado, there isn't much fantasy appeal, regardless of role.

Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Monday that Wheeler (shoulder) began playing catch last week, Lochlahn March of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Wheeler underwent surgery in late September to address venous thoracic outlet syndrome, which had been preceded by an operation in mid-August to remove a blood clot near his right shoulder. Venous thoracic outlet syndrome is considered the less severe of the two TOS diagnoses, but Wheeler remains questionable to be ready for Opening Day. A clearer picture of his timetable should be available during spring training.