MLB Player News

Scherzer will be sidelined until June or July after undergoing surgery Thursday to repair a herniated disc in his back, Jeff Wilson of RangersToday.com reports.

Scherzer was limited to 152.2 innings during the regular season and just 9.2 frames in the postseason in 2023 while dealing with a shoulder/back problem. He and the Rangers attempted several conservative treatments earlier this offseason, but the pain persisted so the decision to have surgery was made. As a 39-year-old who will miss at least a couple months following a back operation, Scherzer's fantasy outlook for 2024 is dicey.

Wacha signed a two-year, $32 million contract with the Royals on Friday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

The deal includes an opt out after the first year. Kansas City has been busy lately, adding Seth Lugo and now Wacha to its rotation in addition to Hunter Renfroe to its outfield and Will Smith to its bullpen. Wacha hasn't made 30 starts in a season since 2017, but he's been very effective when healthy over the last two seasons, collecting a 3.27 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 228:74 K:BB over 261.2 innings.

Mize is considered fully recovered from elbow and back surgeries and will enter spring training at 100 percent, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

We last saw Mize in game action in April of 2022, as he underwent both Tommy John surgery and back surgery in the summer of that year. The right-hander has proclaimed himself "ready to go" now, though, and will attempt to show the Tigers in spring training that he should break camp as a member of their rotation. Considering Mize didn't throw an inning in 2023 and just 10.2 frames in 2022, his workload figures to be monitored closely in 2024. It's possible the Tigers could choose to ease him back into things with some starts in the minors at the beginning of next season.

The Dodgers signed Glasnow to a four-year, $110 million contract extension Friday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

The extension will be added on to the $25 million Glasnow is set to earn in 2024, meaning the right-hander is poised to make a total of $135 million over the next five seasons. There is also a $30 million club option for 2029 which, if declined, converts to a $20 million player option. It's a big gamble for a pitcher who has never made more than 21 starts or thrown more than 120 innings in a major-league season, but the Dodgers were willing to pay a premium for Glasnow's undeniable upside.

Flaherty signed a one-year, $14 million deal with the Tigers on Thursday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Flaherty will look to rebuild his value in the market after a couple down seasons, during which he struggled with injury and his control. Over the last two years, he's posted a 4.84 ERA and 1.59 WHIP in 180.1 innings. However, if he can return to his early-career form, Flaherty would be a key peice of a promising Tigers rotation that also includes Tarik Skubal and fellow offseason addition Kenta Maeda.

Glasnow was traded from the Rays to the Dodgers along with Manuel Margot in exchange for Ryan Pepiot and Jonny DeLuca on Thursday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Glasnow was expected to be on the move this offseason as he enters the final year of a two-year extension. As a result of his contract status, the deal is contingent on Glasnow agreeing to an extension with the Dodgers, though that's likely a formality at this point. In five full seasons with the Rays, he maintained a stellar 3.20 ERA and 1.03 WHIP while piling up 678 strikeouts across 529.2 innings. The only concern will be Glasnow's ability to stay on the mound, as he's topped 100 innings only twice since making his debut in 2016.

Mahle (elbow) signed a two-year, $22 million contract with the Rangers on Thursday, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Mahle underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow this past May and is likely to miss the entire first half of the 2024 season, but he'll be an intriguing rotation option for the reigning World Series champions once he returns to full health. The 29-year-old right-hander has posted a 3.90 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 424 strikeouts over his last 374 innings dating back to the beginning of the 2020 campaign. This deal with Texas will pay him $5.5 million in 2024 and $16.5 million in 2025, and he can also earn another $5 million via performance-based bonuses.

Watkins is signing with a team in the Korea Baseball Organization, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Watkins made just one major-league appearance in 2023 with Oakland and leaves behind a career 5.97 ERA and 1.53 WHIP across 164.1 total big-league frames. Maybe the 31-year-old right-hander can find more success overseas.

Lugo finalized an agreement with Kansas City on Tuesday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com of MLB.com reports.

It's a three-year, $45 million contract, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post, with the third year of the deal coming in the form of a $15 million player option. Lugo was connected to a wide range of teams this winter -- including the Mets, Red Sox, Diamondbacks, Reds, Tigers and Atlanta -- but he has opted to join the Royals and should immediately jump to the top of their rotation depth chart. The 34-year-old right-hander worked as a full-time starter with the Padres in 2023 and registered a sharp 3.57 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 140:36 K:BB across 146.1 innings. He had a 3.56 ERA and 124:37 K:BB in 111.1 innings of relief with the Mets between 2021-22.

Greinke has communicated to teams that he plans to continue his pitching career in 2024, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports.

Greinke was said to be considering retirement as of a month ago, but he has begun to prepare for what will be his 21st major-league season and is now open to contract talks with any interested club. The 40-year-old right-hander struggled to a 5.06 ERA over 142.1 innings with the Royals in 2023, but he still has some of the best command in the game and is only 21 strikeouts away from reaching the 3,000-strikeout career milestone.