MLB Player News

Liberatore was traded to the Cardinals from the Rays on Thursday in exchange for unnamed major-league players, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

The 20-year-old dealt with a back injury that kept him sidelined for just under two weeks in 2019, but he managed to record a 3.10 ERA with a 76:31 K:BB over 78.1 innings with Low-A Bowling Green. While he's likely still several years from his major-league debut, he is a 6-foot-5 lefty with at least mid-rotation upside.

Urena will enter camp competing for a bullpen role, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.

Urena moved to the bullpen for the final month of the 2019 campaign after recovering from a herniated disc. While he did save three games, he also posted a 9.00 ERA in 10.0 innings of relief after recording a 4.70 ERA in 74.2 innings as a starter. If he adds to his save total this season, it will be more a reflection of the Marlins' lack of alternatives than his own abilities. Per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, it's also possible Urena returns to the starting rotation, where he'd have more (but still quite limited) fantasy value.

Parsons signed a minor-league contract with the Rockies on Saturday, Kyle Newman of The Denver Post reports.

Parsons got his biggest taste of major-league experience in 2019 as he logged 34.2 innings with the Braves and Rockies, but he stumbled to a 5.45 ERA with a 26:29 K:BB. The bulk of his work will likely come at the Triple-A level next season, where he's been more effective over the past two seasons with a 3.11 ERA and 130:46 K:BB. The report doesn't explicitly say so, but it wouldn't be surprising to see the right-hander in major-league camp for spring training as a non-roster invitee.

Miley agreed to a two-year, $15 million contract with Cincinnati on Monday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

He could find himself in the No. 4 spot in the rotation with Luis Castillo, Trevor Bauer and Sonny Gray (elbow) likely filling the first three slots. The Reds have arguably the best rotation in the NL Central, although Miley is the lone southpaw. He enjoyed a 14-6 record in 2019 with the Astros, posting a 3.98 ERA and 1.34 WHIP with a 140:61 K:BB over 167.1 innings. Tyler Mahle probably gets squeezed into a swingman role, barring an injury or a trade.

Kaminsky signed a minor-league contract with the Cardinals on Thursday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Kaminsky advanced to Triple-A Columbus in 2019, where he recorded a 5.11 ERA with a 1.65 WHIP. While the report doesn't explicitly say so, it wouldn't be surprising to see the 25-year-old get the chance to compete in the Cardinals' big-league camp in spring training. However, the southpaw likely needs to develop more before making his major-league debut.

Wacha agreed to a one-year, $3 million contract with the Mets on Wednesday, Buster Olney of ESPN reports.

Wacha suffered a right shoulder strain in September that caused him to miss the Cardinals' postseason games, but he will likely perform as a back-end starter in the Mets' bullpen, pending a physical. The 28-year-old posted a 4.76 ERA with a career-worst 1.56 WHIP over 126.2 innings last season, but he has shown to be an effective starter in prior seasons.

Gausman agreed to a one-year, $9 million contract with the Giants on Tuesday.

Gausman can earn a further $1 million in performance bonuses, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports. The righty has alternated between above-average and below-average ERAs in each of his seven seasons in the league, but his 2019 campaign was a particularly poor one in that category, as he slumped to a 5.72 ERA in 102.1 innings for the Braves and Reds. His 25.3 percent strikeout rate, 7.1 percent walk rate and 3.98 FIP were all considerably more encouraging, however, so the Giants have good reason to bet on a bounceback season in Gausman's age-29 campaign.

Strasburg agreed to a deal to return to the Nationals on Monday, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.

Strasburg will make $245 million over the course of seven years, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports. The deal potentially means the 2009 first overall pick will remain in Washington for the entirety of his career. Heading into his age-31 season, Strasburg doesn't look to be slowing down, as he posted a 3.32 ERA in 33 regular-season starts last year and followed that up with a stellar 1.98 ERA over 36.1 postseason innings.

Flexen was designated for assignment by the Mets on Friday.

With Brad Brach returning to the club on a one-year deal, Flexen loses his 40-man spot and will now be subjected to waivers. Flexen was always a longshot to survive the winter on the Mets' roster, as he continued to struggle at the big-league level in 2019 despite an uptick in velocity and was not brought back in September when rosters expanded.

Crosby signed a minor-league contract with the Dodgers that includes an invitation to spring training, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.

The 31-year-old last played in the minors in 2018, when he amassed a 2.95 ERA with a 25:23 K:BB over 21.1 innings across rookie ball, Double-A and Triple-A. Crosby spent last season playing independent baseball and performed well by posting a 1.74 ERA with a 1.26 WHIP over 46.2 innings. The southpaw will get a chance to develop in spring training, but it would be surprising to see him play a role in the majors in 2020.