MLB Player News

General manager David Stearns said Monday that Blackburn (back) is on track to be ready for Opening Day of the 2025 season, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Blackburn was diagnosed with a cerebrospinal fluid leak in mid-September, which required him to undergo surgery Oct. 11. Barring any setbacks, the timeline for that surgery typically takes 4-to-5 months, and based on Stearns' comments Monday, it appears the 31-year-old right-hander will be ready to pitch for the start of the regular season. Blackburn started 14 regular-season games between the Mets and A's last season and posted a 5-4 record with a 4.66 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 59:21 K:BB across 75.1 innings, though whether he works out of the Mets' rotation or bullpen next year has yet to be determined.

The Tigers have agreed to a one-year contract with Cobb, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

Cobb has a connection with president of baseball operations Scott Harris, as the two were both with the Giants during the 2022 season. The veteran right-hander was limited to just 16.1 regular-season innings and 5.2 postseason frames with the Guardians in 2024 due to a variety of injuries but has typically been a solid mid-rotation starter when healthy. Cobb will get to pitch half his games in a pitcher-friendly venue at Comerica Park.

The Giants re-signed Teng to a minor-league contract Nov. 29.

After being non-tendered last month, the right-hander has returned to the organization on a minor-league pact. Teng, 26, spent most of the 2024 season at Triple-A Sacramento, where he put up an 8.60 ERA and 1.81 WHIP over 75.1 innings.

The Angels signed Hudson to a minor-league contract Monday, Aram Leighton of Just Baseball reports.

Hudson posted an ugly 6.17 ERA in 18 starts this past season for the Rockies. The 30-year-old holds a 5.08 ERA and 1.53 WHIP since the start of the 2022 season and seems likely to begin the 2025 campaign as rotation depth at Triple-A Salt Lake.

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.