MLB Player News

Urias will be a starting pitcher next season, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Urias was always expected to be a starter long term, but injuries have limited him to a total of 13 starts over the last three seasons. He had an excellent 2.01 ERA in 29 relief appearances last year, though his 3.26 ERA in eight starts was quite good as well. Don't expect him to suddenly pitch 200 innings in 2020, however, as he threw just 81.2 frames in 2019.

Wainwright and the Cardinals agreed to terms on a one-year contract Tuesday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

The 38-year-old had a bounce-back season in 2019, starting 31 games (equaling his combined total from the previous two seasons) while posting a respectable 4.19 ERA. He's far from the elite arm he was when he was younger, but he's a good bet to hold down a spot in the back of the Cardinals' rotation in his 15th season in the majors. The terms of the deal are not yet clear.

The Giants claimed Oaks off waivers from the Royals on Tuesday.

Oaks was designated for assignment by the Royals on Oct. 29 after missing all of 2019 with a hip injury, and he'll now report to San Francisco heading into 2020. The 26-year-old has been effective at Triple-A, recording a 3.23 ERA over 128.1 innings in 2018, but he struggled in his only major-league action, amassing a 7.24 ERA with a 10:6 K:BB in four appearances (two starts).

Martinez (shoulder) would prefer to be a starter next season, David Solomon of 590 The Fan reports.

Martinez has multiple routes to fantasy relevance next season. He was a very good starting pitcher for the first several years of his career and could certainly be one again in 2020. He pitched exclusively out of the bullpen in 2019, moving into the closer role and recording 24 saves. He'll come with a large amount of risk, however, as he underwent a shoulder cleanup procedure in October and battled shoulder issues early in the season as well.

Nix (elbow) was designated for assignment by the Padres on Monday.

Nix will head to waivers after being booted from the 40-man roster. He failed to appear in the big leagues during the 2019 campaign due to a torn UCL.

Rea's contract was selected by the Cubs on Monday.

Despite not pitching in the big leagues since 2016, the 29-year-old will be protected from the Rule 5 draft. Rea spent the 2019 season with Triple-A Iowa, where he finished with a 3.95 ERA in 26 starts.

Lugo will be a candidate for a rotation spot next season, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Lugo pitched exclusively out of the bullpen for the first time in 2019 and thrived, saving six games with a 2.70 ERA. He struck out 33.1 percent of opposing batters, smashing his previous career high of 25.1 percent. His numbers would likely decline somewhat if he returns to pitching longer outings, but there's reason to believe he's a better pitcher than he was when he was last a full-time starter back in 2017, when he finished the season with a 4.71 ERA. Lugo's role will likely be determined in part by what starters the Mets are able to bring in this offseason.

Quintana's $10.5 million club option was picked up by the Cubs on Saturday.

Quintana wasn't great in 2019, finishing the year with a career-worst 4.68 ERA. He's still worth his comparatively low salary even if he remains at that level next season, and his 3.80 FIP suggests that a fair amount of positive regression is due.

Darvish will not opt out of his contract and will remain with the Cubs in 2020, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.

The 33-year-old posted a 0.81 WHIP with a 118:7 K:BB in 81.2 innings pitched over the second half of last season, but won't test free agency in the offseason. If Darvish can continue to limit the number of walks allowed, he could be a big difference maker again in the Cubs' 2020 rotation.

Melville was outrighted to Triple-A Albuquerque on Wednesday.

Melville recorded a decent 4.86 ERA in seven starts for the Rockies last season. That number came with a 6.63 FIP, however, so it's no surprise that the 30-year-old passed through waivers unclaimed.