MLB Player News

Howard signed with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of the Nippon Professional League in Japan on Sunday.

Howard appeared in nine major-league regular-season games between the Guardians and Giants in 2024, posting a 6.21 ERA and 2.00 WHIP over 29 innings. He didn't fare much better with Triple-A Sacramento with a 6.57 ERA and 1.57 WHIP over 61.2 frames, so a fresh start in Japan may help the 28-year-old right-hander regain some form.

Bieber (elbow) agreed to a one-year, $14 million contract with the Guardians on Friday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Bieber's new deal also includes a $16 million player option for 2026. The 29-year-old righty was dominant in two starts last season, pitching 12 shutout innings while striking out 20 batters and walking one against the A's and Mariners, but his campaign was cut short by Tommy John surgery in mid-April. He's expected to miss the first couple months of the 2025 season while he finishes up his rehab, but the 2020 AL Cy Young Award winner could be a strong fantasy asset once he returns.

The Athletics agreed to a three-year, $67 million contract with Severino on Thursday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Per Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the deal includes an opt out after the second year. It's an unexpected landing spot for Severino, to say the least, as the $67 million guarantee is the largest in Athletics history. Severino held a 3.91 ERA and 161:60 K:BB over 182 innings across 31 regular-season starts for the Mets in 2024. The A's will play the 2025-27 seasons in Sacramento before moving to their permanent home in Las Vegas in 2028.

The Tigers re-signed Flores to a minor-league contract Thursday that includes an invitation to spring training, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Flores was non-tendered by the Tigers in November following a 2024 campaign which saw him post a 7.84 ERA while being limited to just 31 innings because of shoulder trouble. The 23-year-old finished the season healthy and was considered a top-100 prospect a couple years ago, so retaining him on a minor-league deal looks like a no-brainer for the Tigers.

Lynn has lost 20 pounds this offseason after dealing with nagging right knee issues during the 2024 season, Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic report.

Lynn was limited to just 117.1 innings in 2024, which was his lowest full-season total other than in 2016 when he was recovering from Tommy John surgery. The 37-year-old went on the injured list twice with knee problems and decided he needed to drop some weight to take pressure of his knee if he wanted to continue pitching. A free agent, Lynn said he's been "surprised by the number of teams that have called" this offseason to express interest in signing him. The righty held a 3.84 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 109:44 K:BB in 117.1 innings across 23 starts for the Cardinals this past season.

The Royals intend to move Bubic back into their starting rotation in 2025, per Will Sammon, Katie Woo and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

After recovering from a Tommy John procedure he underwent in April 2023, Bubic appeared exclusively out of the bullpen during the final three months of the 2024 campaign. In 27 regular-season appearances, the lefty posted a strong 2.67 ERA and 1.02 WHIP alongside a 39:5 K:BB over 30.1 frames. Assuming the 27-year-old is able to turn in similar numbers during spring training, he should have little trouble securing a spot in the Royals' rotation, which lost some depth after the trade that sent Brady Singer to Cincinnati.

Rogers has been training at Driveline Baseball in Arizona this offseason in hopes of regaining some velocity, Steve Melewski of MASNSports.com reports.

Rogers averaged just 91.9 mph with his four-seamer in 2024, which was down 1.3 mph from 2023 and nearly three mph from its peak in 2022. Testing at Driveline revealed that Rogers' lower-body strength was lacking, and he believes getting a stronger lower half will allow him to rediscover a few ticks on his fastball. The pitcher also noted that he entered the offseason fully healthy for the first time in a couple years, which has allowed him "to do things in the weight room that I have not been able to do." Rogers posted a 4.92 ERA and 97:56 K:BB over 124.1 innings between the Marlins and Orioles in 2024 and spent the final five weeks of the season in the minors. He'll have to compete for a job in Baltimore's rotation, but upping his velocity will give him a better chance to bounce back in 2025.

The Cubs signed Boyd to a two-year, $29 million contract Monday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

He can earn an additional $1 million in incentives. Boyd didn't sign with the Guardians until June of this past season following rehab from Tommy John surgery but went on to collect a 2.72 ERA and 46:13 K:BB in 39.2 regular-season innings. He then added 12 frames of one-run ball in the postseason. Boyd -- who turns 34 in February -- hasn't made more than 15 regular-season starts since the 2019 campaign.

The Mets signed Montas to a two-year, $34 million contract Sunday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

The deal includes an opt out after the 2025 season. Montas held a 4.80 ERA over 30 regular-season starts between the Reds and Brewers in 2024, although he was much better after being sent to Milwaukee in a trade with a 70:25 K:BB across 57.1 innings. The right-hander will turn 32 in March and will fill one of multiple openings in the Mets' rotation.

The LG Twins of the Korea Baseball Organization signed Chirinos to a one-year, $1 million contract Tuesday, Dan Kurtz of MyKBO.net reports.

Chirinos, 30, made six starts for the Marlins in 2024, putting up a 6.30 ERA and 25:13 K:BB over 30 innings. The right-hander will get a nice little salary bump as he gives the KBO a shot.