MLB Player News

Winn has been sprinting for weeks and will not have any limitations with his surgically repaired right knee at the beginning of spring training, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Winn played through a slight meniscus tear in his knee for most of the 2025 season before eventually having surgery in late September. While he won his first Gold Glove, Winn's offensive production slipped, as he finished with just a .673 OPS, nine home runs and nine stolen bases. With his knee repaired, Winn plans to be more active on the basepaths in 2026, saying, "I want to be able to use that speed."

Betts said on the "What Drives You with John Cena" podcast that he will retire when he contract runs out following the 2032 season, Brent Maguire of MLB.com reports.

Betts will be 40 years old following the conclusion of his 12-year, $365 million contract, so it's unsurprising to hear he plans to hang up his cleats at that point. The 33-year-old is coming off a down 2025 campaign offensively, having slashed .258/.326/.406 with 20 home runs over 150 regular-season contests. However, Betts thrived defensively in his first season as a full-time shortstop, finishing with a plus-6 Outs Above Average, per Baseball Savant.

Kim underwent surgery Sunday to repair a torn tendon in his right middle finger and is facing an estimated recovery timeline of 4-to-5 months.

Kim inked a one-year, $20 million contract with Atlanta in December, but he'll now be unavailable for the start of the upcoming campaign after recently sustaining the injury after he slipped on ice while back home in his native South Korea, per Mark Bowman of MLB.com. The 30-year-old was limited to 48 games for Tampa Bay and Atlanta last season due to injuries, and his 2026 is also off to an unfortunate start. Based on the initial timeline, Kim shouldn't be expected to make his season debut until at least mid-May but could be out longer, potentially leaving Mauricio Dubon or Nacho Alvarez to fill in at shortstop for much of the first half.

Stewart spent the winter getting into better shape, losing 20-plus pounds, and he's been working on his defense at first base, Charlie Goldsmith of The Dayton Daily News reports.

After the Reds traded for Ke'Bryan Hayes last year, Stewart had to learn first base on the fly. He'll enter this season more comfortable at the position, and presumably has the inside track to play there regularly in 2026. The Reds still have to find playing time for both Stewart and Spencer Steer, but they can be in the same lineup with one of them at DH and the other at first base.

Cavalli agreed to a one-year contract with the Nationals on Sunday that includes a club option for 2027, Spencer Nusbaum of The Washington Post reports.

The two sides were unable to come to an agreement ahead of last week's arbitration deadline, but they continued to negotiate and came to terms on what could end up being a multi-year pact. The exact salary figure has yet to be reported, but it seems likely to fall between $825,000 and $900,000, which were the arbitration figures submitted by the two camps. Cavalli made 10 starts for the Nationals in 2025 and posted a 4.25 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 40:15 K:BB across 48.2 innings.

The Reds did not give De La Cruz permission to play in the World Baseball Classic, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

De La Cruz wanted to represent the Dominican Republic, but Cincy has lingering concerns about a quad injury that appeared to limit him over the second half of the 2025 season. The shortstop, who still played all 162 regular-season games, experienced a second-half dip last year after a strong first half. Reds manager Terry Francona acknowledged the need to find ways to keep De La Cruz fresh in 2026, and the trade of Gavin Lux will allow starters to rotate through DH and get breaks from playing the field, per Rosencrans.

McLain has added 12 pounds of muscle over the offseason, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.

After rehabbing injuries each of the last two offseasons, McLain has been able to focus on training this winter and said he feels like he's getting a "fresh start" heading into the 2026 season. The second baseman slashed a disappointing .220/.300/.343 over 147 regular-season contests in 2025, but he has some bounce-back potential heading into his age-26 campaign.

The Mets claimed Cheng off waivers from the Rays on Friday.

It's already the third organization Cheng has been with this month as he bounces around via waivers. The 24-year-old slashed just .209/.307/.271 at Triple-A Indianapolis and went hitless in a brief stint with the Pirates last season, but the Mets felt Cheng was a worthy infield depth addition.

The Marlins claimed Bido off waivers from the Rays on Friday, Daniel Alvarez-Montes of ElExtraBase.com reports.

It's the fourth organization this offseason for Bido, who posted a 5.87 ERA and 18.7 percent strikeout rate in 2025 with the Athletics. The right-hander held a 3.41 ERA and 24.3 percent strikeout rate in 2024 and offers the flexibility to serve as a starter or reliever. Bido could compete for a rotation spot in Miami, but a long-relief role is likelier.

The Phillies re-signed Realmuto to a three-year, $45 million contract Friday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

The deal can max out at $60 million if Realmuto reaches all of his incentives. The backstop turns 35 in March and has been in a steady decline both offensively and defensively, finishing the 2025 campaign with a .257/.315/.384 batting line and 12 home runs over 134 regular-season contests. However, while Realmuto's best days are behind him, he remains a quality hitter compared to most catchers, still has a great throwing arm and is well-liked in the Phillies' clubhouse.