MLB Player News

The Angels re-signed Teodosio to a minor-league contract Nov. 27.

Teodosio was non-tendered last month but will remain in the organization on a minor-league pact. The outfielder got his first taste of major-league action in 2024, picking up one hit in 12 plate appearances with the Halos.

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 Leonard to a minor-league contract Thursday that includes an invitation to spring training, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Leonard was non-tendered last month but is now back in the Detroit organization as a non-roster invitee. The 24-year-old slashed .263/.326/.455 with 10 home runs during an injury-shortened 2024 campaign for Triple-A Toledo and is likely headed back there to start 2025.

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.

Gowdy signed a minor-league contract with the Blue Jays on Tuesday and received an invitation to spring training.

Gowdy spent all of last season with the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate, where he logged a 4.56 ERA and 1.57 WHIP over 51.1 innings. The 27-year-old will almost certainly need to improve upon those numbers in spring training to have a shot at making Toronto's Opening Day roster. Otherwise, he'll fill in as organizational depth at Triple-A Buffalo.

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.

Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said Tuesday that expecting Varsho (shoulder) to be ready for Opening Day "could be unrealistic," Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Atkins noted that Varsho isn't behind schedule in his recovery after undergoing surgery on his right shoulder in late September. However, manager John Schneider's original prediction of Varsho being close to full participation for the start of spring training no longer seems likely. A clearer picture regarding the 28-year-old's timeline will emerge as the new season approaches.

Rogers has been training at Driveline Baseball in Arizona this offseason in hopes of regaining some velocity, Steve Melewski of MASNSports.com reports.

Rogers averaged just 91.9 mph with his four-seamer in 2024, which was down 1.3 mph from 2023 and nearly three mph from its peak in 2022. Testing at Driveline revealed that Rogers' lower-body strength was lacking, and he believes getting a stronger lower half will allow him to rediscover a few ticks on his fastball. The pitcher also noted that he entered the offseason fully healthy for the first time in a couple years, which has allowed him "to do things in the weight room that I have not been able to do." Rogers posted a 4.92 ERA and 97:56 K:BB over 124.1 innings between the Marlins and Orioles in 2024 and spent the final five weeks of the season in the minors. He'll have to compete for a job in Baltimore's rotation, but upping his velocity will give him a better chance to bounce back in 2025.

Rangers general manager Ross Fenstermaker said Tuesday that Higashioka and Jonah Heim will split time at catcher in 2025, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.

Texas announced the signing of Higashioka to a two-year, $13.5 million contract on Monday. The 34-year-old is coming off the best offensive season of his career, having posted a .739 OPS with 17 home runs over 84 games with the Padres. Higashioka's 263 plate appearances in 2024 were a career high, but it sounds like he'll have a good shot to eclipse that total in 2025.

Rangers general manager Ross Fenstermaker said Tuesday that Heim and Kyle Higashioka will receive equal playing time at catcher next season, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.

It's not a surprise to hear that Higashioka will play extensively after the Rangers announced a two-year, $13.5 million contract with the veteran catcher. Heim made the All-Star team and won a Gold Glove in 2023, but fell off to just a .602 OPS and also saw his defensive metrics dip significantly in 2024.