MLB Player News

Perez accepted the Rangers' one-year, $19.65 million qualifying offer Tuesday, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports.

Most players who are extended qualifying offers decline them, but with Perez coming off a career year that kind of came out of nowhere, it's not surprising to see him take this significant one-year contract. The 31-year-old southpaw logged a 2.89 ERA, 3.59 xERA, 1.26 WHIP and 169 strikeouts in 196.1 innings (10th most in the majors) last season.

Marsh's contract was selected by the Royals on Tuesday.

The move means Marsh won't be available for selection in the Rule 5 draft. Marsh spent the bulk of last season with Double-A Northwest Arkansas, where he struggled to a 7.32 ERA in 25 starts despite a 27.4 percent strikeout rate.

Nix (elbow) elected free agency Thursday.

Nix hasn't pitched competitively since the 2019 season but should be fully healthy heading into spring training, when he'll be nearly two years removed from the Tommy John surgery he underwent in March 2021. The 26-year-old has previously made nine starts at the MLB level but will likely have to settle for a minor-league deal if he wants to continue his career.

Urena agreed to a one-year, $3.5 million contract with the Rockies on Friday, which includes a club option for 2024, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

The veteran right-hander began 2022 in a relief role for the Brewers but was let go in May and joined the Rockies. He worked as a starter in Colorado and had a 5.14 ERA, 1.57 WHIP and 60:38 K:BB across 89.1 innings.

Kershaw agreed to a one-year, $20 million contract with the Dodgers on Friday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Kershaw inked a $17 million deal for 2022 in the spring and will now be back with the Dodgers for a 16th season. The 34-year-old was limited to 22 starts but was lights out when available with a 2.28 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 137:23 K:BB across 126.1 frames. Kershaw shouldn't be expected to make 30 starts or approach 200 innings at this point in his career, but he should continue to be an effective rotation piece again in 2023.

Bassitt will decline the $19.65 million qualifying offer that was extended by the Mets on Thursday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

The veteran right-hander recently declined his portion of the $19 million mutual option for 2023, so it's hardly a surprise he also won't accept the qualifying offer. Bassitt will look for a mult-year deal in free agency after he finished last season with a 3.42 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 167:49 K:BB across 181.2 innings. The qualifying offer could affect his market price, since whichever team signs him will now need to give up a draft pick as compensation.

Garcia cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Toledo on Thursday.

Garcia joined Detroit for a start during the final week of the season, and he picked up the win against Seattle after he allowed three earned runs over 6.2 frames. He pitched well in limited action at the big-league level last year and had a 3.54 ERA and 1.18 WHIP across 20.1 innings.

The Mets exercised Carrasco's $14 million club option for 2023 on Thursday, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Carrasco produced a 3.97 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 152:41 K:BB across 152 innings for New York in 2022, leading the organization to pick up his option for next year. The veteran right-hander will provide some stability for the Mets' rotation with Jacob deGrom, Taijuan Walker and Chris Bassitt entering free agency.

Verlander declined his $25 million player option for 2023 on Thursday and became a free agent, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

After he missed the entire 2021 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, Verlander re-signed with the Astros last November on a one-year, $25 million deal that contained a conditional $25 million player option for 2023 if he tossed at least 130 innings in 2022. Not only did Verlander blow past that mark by covering 175 frames, but he finished the campaign as the odds-on favorite for the American League Cy Young Award by going 18-4 with a 1.75 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 185:29 K:BB. Though he'll be entering his age-40 season in 2023, Verlander has shown no signs of slowing down and shouldn't have much trouble securing a multi-year deal in free agency at well above the $25 million annual salary he would have due had he exercised his option. Given the great success Verlander has enjoyed since arriving in Houston in an August 2017 trade with the Tigers, expect the Astros to do everything they can to retain their ace this offseason.

The Angels announced Wednesday that Canning (back) has been cleared to start a throwing program, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

Canning missed the entirety of 2022 while he rehabbed from a stress fracture in his lower back, but he's now ready to throw for the first time since May. The 26-year-old had a 5.60 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 62:28 K:BB in 62.2 innings across 14 outings in 2021 prior to the injury. Even if he's healthy to begin 2023, he's likely to face some workload limitations.