The Yankees selected Castro's contract from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Thursday.

Castro dominated minor-league hitters in 2025, turning in a 1.53 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 52:22 K:BB across 47 innings with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He'll be rewarded with a place on New York's 40-man roster as a result of his performance, and he'll have a chance to win a spot in the Yankees' bullpen during spring training.

The Rays activated Van Belle (elbow) from the 60-day injured list and designated him for assignment Thursday.

Van Belle suffered a UCL sprain in September, and it's unclear if the injury will be addressed via rest and rehab or surgery. Regardless, the 29-year-old will be placed on waivers. He appeared in four games with Tampa Bay in 2025, marking his first MLB action.

The Rays activated Lavender (elbow) from the 60-day injured list and designated him for assignment Thursday.

Lavender underwent surgery in late August or early September to remove a bone spur from his left elbow. It's possible he'll be available for the start of spring training. However, he'll be exposed to waivers after Thursday's move. Lavender, who turns 25 in January, has yet to make his MLB debut.

The Rays designated Seymour for assignment Thursday.

Seymour saw extended big-league action to close the regular season, and he slashed .205/.253/.282 with a 38.6 percent K rate across 83 plate appearances. It was a disappointing MLB debut for the first baseman who launched 30 homers at Triple-A Durham before being called up. He'll now be exposed to waivers, though he could remain with the Rays if he goes unclaimed.

The Rays designated Misner for assignment Thursday.

Misner will hit waivers after a lackluster 2025 campaign. The outfielder, who turns 28 in January, slashed .213/.273/.345 with a 31.8 percent K rate across 217 big-league plate appearances in 2025, and he also slashed .210/.333.442 at Triple-A.

Tampa Bay claimed Fraley (oblique) off waivers from Atlanta on Thursday.

Fraley suffered a right oblique strain in mid-September, and after being exposed to waivers, he'll get a fresh start in Tampa Bay. Fraley slashed .241/.332/.382 during the 2025 season, spending the bulk of the year with Cincinnati before ending the campaign in Atlanta.

The Twins declined Topa's $2 million option for 2026 on Thursday, Bobby Nightengale of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.

Topa remains in the organization, as he has another year of team control via arbitration eligibility. The righty reliever collected a 3.90 ERA and 49:18 K:BB over 60 innings out of the Twins' bullpen in 2025, notching four saves along the way. Topa could see high-leverage innings again in 2026 as part of an unsettled Minnesota relief corps.

The Tigers claimed Little off waivers from the Pirates on Thursday.

Little went from the Dodgers to the Pirates via waivers in August but never made an MLB appearance in Pittsburgh. The 27-year-old allowed two runs in three innings with the Dodgers in 2025 and held a 4.06 ERA and 53:22 K:BB over 62 frames at the Triple-A level.

The Angels claimed Laweryson off waivers from the Twins on Thursday, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.

Laweryson made his MLB debut in September, and the 27-year-old right-hander yielded merely one run across 7.1 innings in the closing weeks of the regular season. He struck out seven batters and didn't record a walk. He'll have a chance to build on his strong debut with a new organization.

The Orioles exercised Kittredge's $9 million option for 2026 on Thursday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

The Orioles reacquired Kittredge from the Cubs earlier this week after dealing him to Chicago at the deadline, so it was a foregone conclusion that the reliever's option would be picked up. Kittredge posted a 3.40 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 64:11 K:BB over 53 regular-season innings between the Orioles and Cubs in 2025. He'll be a high-leverage reliever for Baltimore in 2026 and could even serve as closer, depending on what else the Orioles do with their bullpen this offseason.