MLB Player News

Cavalli (shoulder) is penciled into an Opening Day rotation role, Kyle Glaser of Baseball America reports.

The 2020 first-round pick made his big-league debut in late August but was knocked around in his lone start before missing the rest of the year with shoulder inflammation. He was able to resume throwing before the end of the season, and the Nationals are seemingly confident in both his health and his ability heading into next season. A secure rotation spot boosts Cavalli's appeal as a fantasy lottery ticket, and he has a fair amount of prospect pedigree, but he'll have to sort out his control before becoming an effective starter. He walked 10.7 percent of the batters he faced across 44 career starts in the minors.

Verlander and the Mets agreed Monday on a two-year, $86.66 million contract, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports. The contract includes a full no-trade clause and a $35 million vesting option for the 2025 season if he pitches at least 140 innings in 2024, according to Heyman.

After letting ace Jacob deGrom walk in free agency on a five-year, $185 million deal with the Rangers, the Mets secured about as strong of a replacement at the top of the rotation as they could have in Verlander, who took home his third Cy Young Award in 2022. Though he'll be turning 40 years old in February and missed the entire 2021 campaign while recovering from Tommy John surgery, Verlander demonstrated that he's still one of the game's elite starters by posting an 18-4 record, 1.75 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 185:29 K:BB in 175 innings this past season. The move from the reigning World Series champions to another team with title aspirations in the Mets shouldn't hurt Verlander too much from a wins standpoint, nor should the change in home ballpark from Minute Maid Park to Citi Field hinder his ratios. Expect Verlander to be one of the first pitchers off the board in 2023 fantasy drafts.

Teheran signed a minor-league contract with the Padres on Sunday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Teheran played in independent ball and the Mexican League last season, and he'll return to the affiliated ranks with San Diego for 2023. He appeared in only one game with the Tigers during 2021 but had a 10.05 ERA across 31.1 innings for the Angels during in the 2020 campaign.

Junk was traded from the Angels to the Brewers on Tuesday along with Elvis Peguero and Adam Seminaris in exchange for Hunter Renfroe.

Junk was acquired by the Angels from the Yankees at the trade deadline in 2021, and he's now on the move once again. The 26-year-old has a 4.74 ERA across 24.2 innings since he made his debut for the Angels in 2021. He worked as a starter at Triple-A last season and had a 4.64 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and 69:18 K:BB across 73.2 innings, but his cleanest path to a roster spot in Milwaukee will come as a reliever.

Soroka (elbow) signed a one-year, $2.8 million contract with Atlanta on Friday, avoiding arbitration.

Soroka has endured a number of injury setbacks in his career, most notably a pair of surgeries on his Achilles' tendon. Shortly after his return from the injured list last year, Soroka came down with elbow soreness, but it would seem Atlanta is confident the right-hander will be able to contribute to the major-league team in 2023.

Houser (groin) avoided arbitration by signing a one-year, $3.6 million deal with the Brewers on Friday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports

Houser finished 2022 with a 4.73 ERA and 1.46 WHIP through 102.2 innings, a major step down from his marks the season before (3.22 ERA, 1.28 WHIP). With the Brewers rotation already including Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff, Freddy Peralta and Eric Lauer, Houser will likely find himself in a battle with Aaron Ashby for the Crew's fifth rotation spot.

Alcantara was named the unanimous winner of the National League Cy Young Award on Wednesday.

The 27-year-old finished 2022 with a 2.28 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 207:50 K:BB across 228.2 innings and secured all 30 first-place votes. Alcantara led MLB in pitching bWAR (8.0) and innings pitched, and he was also second in the NL in ERA, sixth in WHIP and fourth in strikeouts. The right-hander inked a five-year, $56 million extension with the Marlins in November 2021, so he's not likely to be going elsewhere anytime soon.

Richardson (elbow) was added to the Reds' 40-man roster Tuesday.

Richardson hasn't pitched since 2021 after undergoing Tommy John surgery on his right elbow last offseason. He will still likely miss the first month or two of the 2023 season before he continues to work his way up the Reds' farm system.

Stoudt was added to the Reds' 40-man roster Tuesday.

After being traded to Cincinnati from Minnesota in July, Stoudt was promoted to Triple-A Louisville, where he put up a 3.32 ERA and 1.42 WHIP through 19 innings in six starts. He's been known to strike batters out at an excellent rate throughout his minor-league career, though walking batters at a high rate has typically been one of his biggest weaknesses. If Stoudt can dial back the walks and continue to produce solid numbers in Triple-A, it's possible he gets a call to the majors at some point in 2023.

Williamson was added to the Reds' 40-man roster Tuesday.

Williamson split time between Double-A Chattanooga and Triple-A Louisville in 2022, recording a 4.11 ERA and 1.56 WHIP between the two affiliates. Giving batters a free pass to first has been his biggest issue lately -- he put up an alarming 6.0 BB/9 in Triple-A last season. The 24-year-old lefty will need to bring that number down before he can be entrusted with regular work at the highest level.