MLB Player News

The Marlins traded Burger to the Rangers on Tuesday in exchange for Echedry Vargas, Max Acosta and Brayan Mendoza, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com reports.

The Marlins will plunge even further into their full-scale rebuild by trading away Burger, who slashed .265/.315/.472 and launched 38 home runs during his 190-game tenure in Miami. Now with the Rangers, the 28-year-old slugger's easiest path to playing time is likely as Texas' third baseman, though his subpar defense could cause him to move into the DH spot.

The Pirates traded Kennedy, along with Luis Ortiz and Josh Hartle, to the Guardians on Tuesday in exchange for Spencer Horwitz, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Kennedy spent time in Single-A and High-A ball in 2024, posting a 3.53 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in 79 innings between the two levels. The 20-year-old southpaw has been largely successful at every level he's played in so far in his career, and he could receive a promotion to Double-A in 2025 if he continues at his current pace.

The Pirates traded Ortiz, along with Josh Hartle and Michael Kennedy, to the Guardians on Tuesday in exchange for Spencer Horwitz, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Ortiz took a massive leap in 2024, posting a 3.32 ERA and 1.11 WHIP alongside a 107:42 K:BB in 135.2 innings. The Pirates used him as both a starter and reliever last year, though Shane Bieber's (elbow) injury and a general lack of starter depth could prompt Cleveland to keep Ortiz in its rotation full time.

Eovaldi agreed to a three-year, $75 million contract with the Rangers on Tuesday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Eovaldi turned down his $20 million player option earlier in the offseason, but he'll officially remain in Arlington on a multi-year deal that will pay him $5 million more in 2025 than if he had exercised his option. The 34-year-old righty has been fairly consistent during his time with the Rangers, posting a 3.72 ERA and 1.12 WHIP over the last two seasons, and he'll presumably follow Jacob deGrom as the second man in Texas' rotation.

The Tigers designated Baddoo for assignment Tuesday, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

With the signing of Alex Cobb becoming official Tuesday, the Tigers needed to create room on their 40-man roster, so Baddoo will end up as the roster casualty. Baddoo slashed just .137/.220/.301 in 31 big-league games last season, though his .758 OPS and 29 stolen bases in Triple-A could be enough to attract attention from another organization.

The Blue Jays traded Horwitz and Nick Mitchell to the Guardians on Tuesday in exchange for Andres Gimenez and Nick Sandlin, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

In 97 games with the Blue Jays last year, Horwitz slashed .265/.357/.433 while mashing 12 homers and driving in 40 RBI. With second base now open in Cleveland following Gimenez's move to Toronto, Horwitz's clearest path to playing time is likely at the keystone, though he could also be used at first base and DH over the course of the season.

The Guardians traded Sandlin to the Blue Jays on Tuesday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

Spencer Horwitz and Nick Mitchell were sent to the Guardians in return for Sandlin and Andres Gimenez. Sandlin departs Cleveland after playing for the Guardians for the first four seasons of his career, finishing his tenure with a 3.27 ERA across 195.1 innings, including a 3.75 ERA across 68 appearances in 2024.

The Guardians traded Gimenez to the Blue Jays on Tuesday alongside Nick Sandlin in exchange for Spencer Horwitz and Nick Mitchell, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Gimenez had a down year offensively in 2024, slashing just .252/.298/.340 with 63 RBI in 152 games. However, the 26-year-old infielder is coming off his second consecutive 30-steal campaign and has developed into one of the game's best defenders. His glove will almost certainly keep him in the lineup everyday for Toronto, and he still has potential to bounce back at the plate after posting an .837 OPS just two seasons ago.

Fried agreed to a eight year, $218 million contract with Yankees on Tuesday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

After coming up short on re-signing Juan Soto, the Yankees set their sights on the best remaining left-handed starter on the market. The deal is pending a physical, but Passan notes it's the largest guarantee in baseball history for a southpaw. There are no deferrals nor opt-outs in the contract, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports. Fried ends his Atlanta career with a 3.07 ERA in 168 appearances (151 starts). In his eighth and final season with the team in 2024, the 30-year-old posted a 3.08 ERA across 29 starts.

Cobb passed his physical with the Tigers on Tuesday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

The Tigers agreed to a one-year contract with Cobb on Monday, a deal which includes $15 million for 2025 with incentives of $1 million apiece for reaching the 140- and 150-inning thresholds. Cobb dealt with injuries during his one season with the Guardians in 2024, but he logged 149.2 and 151.1 innings during the 2022 and 2023 seasons, respectively, as part of the Giants' rotation.