MLB Player News

Carpenter agreed to a one-year, $3.275 million contract with the Tigers on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Carpenter didn't maintain the same efficiency in 2025 (.788 OPS) that he displayed during his injury-plagued 2024 campaign (.932), but he still managed to set a career high with 26 homers last year while driving in 62 runs and scoring 66. The 28-year-old outfielder holds value as a home-run threat against right-handed pitchers but is likely to ride the bench when matched up against most lefty starters.

O'Hoppe agreed to a one-year, $2.625 million contract with the Angels on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com reports.

It's the first year of arbitration eligibility for O'Hoppe, who has operated as the Angels' primary backstop the past two seasons. The 25-year-old will likely retain the role to begin 2026 but may need to improve upon his .629 OPS from last season to maintain the job all year.

The White Sox designated Cowles for assignment Thursday.

Cowles struggled to perform consistently at the Triple-A level in 2025, turning in a .679 OPS across 527 plate appearances between the Cubs' and White Sox's affiliates. He'll now lose his place on the Sox's 40-man roster to make room for Drew Romo, who was claimed off waivers.

Baz agreed to a one-year, $3.5 million contract with the Orioles on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

Baz is coming off a 2025 campaign with the Rays during which he posted a 10-12 record across in 31 starts with a 4.87 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 176:64 K:BB across 166.1 innings. He was shipped to the Orioles in mid-December, and the 26-year-old right-hander should benefit from the move from hitter-friendly Steinbrenner Field to Camden Yards.

The White Sox claimed Romo off waivers from the Mets on Thursday.

Thursday marks the third time that Romo has switched teams this offseason after previously being claimed by the Orioles and Mets following his departure from Colorado. With fellow backstops Kyle Teel, Edgar Quero and Korey Lee already on the White Sox's 40-man roster, Romo is likely destined to begin 2026 at Triple-A Charlotte.

Gonzalez agreed to a one-year, $1.6 million contract with the Red Sox on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

After enjoying a breakout season in his first year with the Red Sox in 2024, Gonzalez continued to improve in '25 and finished the regular season with a .305/.343/.483 slash line alongside nine homers, 53 RBI, 47 runs scored and six steals across 341 plate appearances. He'll receive an $826,000 raise as a reward for his continued progression and enters 2026 as the frontrunner for regular reps at second base for Boston.

Sanchez agreed to a one-year, $6.8 million contract with the Astros on Thursday, avoiding arbitration, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

The 28-year-old outfielder is entering his penultimate year of arbitration eligibility after being traded from Miami to Houston at last summer's deadline. Sanchez posted a .740 OPS for the Marlins in 2025 but scuffled to a .611 OPS after being dealt to the Astros.

Casas (knee) agreed to a one-year, $1.61 million contract with the Red Sox on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Casas' 2025 campaign was disappointing, to say the least, as he slashed just .182/.277/.303 across 112 plate appearances before suffering a season-ending knee injury in May. His path to regular playing time at first base has seemingly disappeared as well, following the Red Sox's acquisition of Willson Contreras (shoulder) from St. Louis in December. It's worth noting that Casas has minor-league options remaining, so the team may decide to send him back to Triple-A Worcester if his struggles continue into spring training.

Baker agreed to a one-year, $1.275 million contract with the Rays on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Baker didn't live up to the expectations the Rays had for him when they traded for him in July, as he put up a 4.75 ERA and 1.12 WHIP over 30.1 innings while working as a setup man. He'll get another chance to redeem himself in 2026, as the Rays are expected to open the campaign with Griffin Jax, Garrett Cleavinger and Edwin Uceta working as a closer committee.

Falter (biceps) agreed to a one-year, $3.6 million contract with the Royals on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

Falter failed to make a positive first impression with the Royals after being traded from Pittsburgh at the deadline, as he allowed 15 earned runs over just 12 innings before spending the final month of the season on the injured list due to a biceps contusion. He's likely to be fully recovered by the time spring training starts, at which point he'll compete for a spot in Kansas City's rotation.