MLB Player News

Festa was outrighted to Triple-A Iowa on Monday, per MLB's transactions log.

Festa was booted from the 40-man roster Tuesday to clear a spot for Ryan Pressly. The 31-year-old will report to Triple-A after failing to draw interest while on waivers.

Yorke will have to prove he can handle right field defensively to earn the starting role to begin the regular season, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.

The Pirates have an unresolved playing time situation in right field with Billy Cook and Joshua Palacios the other two primary options in addition to Yorke. Yorke could have the best bat after posting a 127 wRC+ at Triple-A last season, though he's played only four games in right field and 41 total in the outfield during his time as a pro. He's certainly in contention for regular at-bats in right field, but his ability with the glove will be key to monitor during spring training.

With the Cubs adding Carson Kelly earlier in the offseason, Amaya may have to settle for a smaller role behind the plate, Jordan Bastian and Adam McCalvy of MLB.com report.

Amaya went from 53 games played as a rookie in 2023 to 117 games last year, but he's yet to really make his mark at the plate, as he posted an OPS below .700 in each of the two seasons. Kelly also hasn't been a consistent offensive threat at the MLB level, though the 30-year-old does at least give the Cubs a veteran presence at catcher. Both players may end up splitting time until one of them seizes a larger role. The situation dampens Amaya's 2025 fantasy outlook to a degree, but he could still emerge as a useful player in his age-26 season if he starts to hit like he did in the upper levels of the minors in 2022 and 2023.

The Pirates designated Williams for assignment Monday, Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

The move frees up a spot on the 40-man roster for the addition of Tim Mayza, whose signing was officially announced Monday. Williams, who turns 26 in March, has managed just a .202/.257/.271 batting line with zero home runs over 208 plate appearances at the major-league level.

The Brewers signed Jay to a minor-league contract Monday that includes an invitation to spring training, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Jay was designated for assignment by both the Brewers and Mariners in January and is now back in the Milwaukee organization as a non-roster invitee. The left-handed reliever allowed five runs (four earned) over five appearances between the Mets and Brewers in 2024.

Lopez and the Cubs agreed on a minor-league contract Sunday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

Lopez spent the 2024 campaign with the White Sox, batting .241 with one home run, 21 RBI, 40 runs scored and five stolen bases over 398 at-bats in 124 games. The infielder will presumably receive an invitation to major-league spring training in the coming weeks, though that is not confirmed. If Lopez is able to crack the Cubs' 26-man roster this season, he'll earn $1.5 million.

Assad is likely vying for the Cubs' fifth rotation spot this spring, with Jordan Wicks among his top competitors, Tony Andracki of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Assad made a career-high 29 starts a season ago and held his own, compiling a 3.73 ERA and 124 strikeouts across 147 innings. A year earlier, the righty served in a swing role, as he made 10 starts and 22 relief appearances. The Cubs likely want Assad to stick in the rotation, though the top four spots seem spoken for by Justin Steele, Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon and new addition Matthew Boyd. That leaves Assad, Wicks and possibly others to compete for the No. 5 job. Given Assad's starting experience from 2024, he's likely the favorite at this point.

Happ is a top option to begin the regular season as the Cubs' leadoff hitter, Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic report.

Happ hit in a number of lineup spots last year, though he appeared most frequently (66 times) as the leadoff man. Pete Crow-Armstrong has the speed to be an effective leadoff hitter but has yet to display consistent on-base skills, and Chicago manager Craig Counsell said his "gut" tells him that Crow-Armstrong won't start the season atop the order. Happ is a natural option to turn to, though Nico Hoerner and others could be in the mix as well.+

Wicks said he has focused on cardio this offseason in order to be able to pitch deeper into games in 2025, as he will potentially start the year in the rotation, Matt Danielewicz of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Wicks dealt with a handful of injuries in 2024, including an oblique strain in late September that ended the lefty's season. With Kyle Hendricks now gone, the Cubs have some rotation spots to fill, and Wicks and Javier Assad are options for the back end behind Justin Steele, Shota Imanaga and Jameson Taillon. However, Chicago also added veteran Matthew Boyd in the offseason, and he will most likely snag a starting spot. That could leave Wicks to handle a long-relief role out of spring training, though he could certainly make starts at some point.

Chicago manager Craig Counsell said his "gut says no" when asked about Crow-Armstrong serving as the Cubs' leadoff hitter to begin the regular season, Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic report.

With Cody Bellinger now in New York, Crow-Armstrong seems to have center field all to himself in Chicago, though he may not slide into the leadoff spot despite his great speed on the bases. The 22-year-old flashed plenty of promise in 2024 with 10 home runs and 27 stolen bases in 123 games, but he also batted just .237 with a .286 on-base percentage. Crow-Armstrong will have to show more consistency in getting on base if he wants to move up to the top of the order. However, even if he hits lower in the lineup, the youngster has enough upside to have a breakout campaign in 2025.