MLB Player News
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Wellington Aracena SP | BAL
Diamondbacks' Wellington Aracena: Shipped to the desert
The Diamondbacks acquired Aracena, Kade Strowd and Jose Mejia from the Orioles on Thursday in exchange for Blaze Alexander, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.
Aracena was dealt from the Mets to the Orioles last July in the Gregory Soto trade and is on the move once again. The 21-year-old is an intriguing get for Arizona, having collected a 2.25 ERA and 114:51 K:BB over 92 innings covering 14 starts and nine relief outings between the Single- and High-A levels in 2025.
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Kade Strowd P | ARI
Diamondbacks' Kade Strowd: Dealt to D-backs
The Orioles traded Strowd, Wellington Aracena and Jose Mejia to the Diamondbacks on Thursday in exchange for Blaze Alexander, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.
Strowd made a strong impression during his first taste of MLB action in 2025, turning in a 1.71 ERA and 1.10 WHIP across 26.1 innings for the Orioles. Now with the Diamondbacks, the 28-year-old righty has a good chance to open the regular season in an Arizona bullpen that will likely be without A.J. Puk (elbow) and Justin Martinez (elbow) for most of the year.
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Blaze Alexander SS | BAL
Orioles' Blaze Alexander: Traded to Baltimore
The Orioles acquired Alexander from the Diamondbacks on Thursday in exchange for Kade Strowd, Wellington Aracena and Jose Mejia, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.
Alexander had appeared pegged for a super-utility gig in Arizona, but he's now on the move to Baltimore, where his immediate role seems less certain. The 26-year-old slashed .230/.323/.383 with seven homers and four steals over 74 games for the Diamondbacks and hit .284/.413/.479 with eight long balls and 11 steals at Triple-A Reno in 2025. Alexander is under team control through 2030.
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J.P. France SP | HOU
Astros' J.P. France: Outrighted to Triple-A
France cleared waivers Thursday and was sent outright to Triple-A Sugar Land, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
France will still receive an invitation to spring training, but he will have to pitch his way back onto the Astros' 40-man roster after missing the vast majority of 2025 recovering from shoulder surgery.
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George Soriano RP | STL
Nationals' George Soriano: Goes back to waiver wire
The Nationals designated Soriano for assignment Thursday.
He's clearing out to make room on the 40-man roster for Ken Waldichuk, who was claimed off waivers. Soriano was a waiver claim himself just last week and could be on the move again. The right-handed reliever has put up a 5.95 ERA and 117:55 K:BB covering 118 innings at the big-league level.
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Osvaldo Bido SP | NYY
Yankees' Osvaldo Bido: Claimed by Yankees
The Yankees claimed Bido off waivers from the Angels on Thursday.
The Yankees mark the sixth organization that Bido has joined this offseason while bouncing around via waivers. He turned in a 5.87 ERA over 79.2 innings with the Athletics in 2025 and doesn't have any minor-league options left, so he will need to open the season on New York's Opening Day roster to keep his spot on the 40-man roster.
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Ken Waldichuk SP | WAS
Nationals' Ken Waldichuk: Scooped on waivers by Nationals
The Nationals claimed Waldichuk off waivers from the Rays on Thursday.
It's the fourth organization Waldichuk has been in this offseason. The left-hander struggled in 2025 in his first year back from Tommy John surgery, posting an 8.65 ERA and 2.06 WHIP across 51.0 innings at Triple-A Las Vegas. However, Waldichuk boasts a career 33.9 percent strikeout rate in the minors, so he could become useful rotation depth for the Nationals as he further distances himself from surgery.
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Braden Shewmake SS | NYY
Yankees' Braden Shewmake: Scrubbed from 40-man roster
The Yankees designated Shewmake for assignment Thursday.
The move frees a spot on the 40-man roster for waiver claim Osvaldo Bido. Shewmake spent all of the 2025 season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, slashing .244/.318/.362 with four homers and 15 steals in 85 games. The 28-year-old infielder does not have minor-league options remaining, which will likely affect his appeal on waivers.
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Tarik Skubal SP | DET
Tigers' Tarik Skubal: Wins arbitration case
Skubal will make $32 million in 2026 after winning his arbitration hearing with the Tigers on Thursday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
The Tigers had filed for $19 million, but after taking home the AL Cy Young Award in each of the past two seasons, Skubal will officially receive the largest arbitration salary ever awarded. The 29-year-old left-hander turned in a 2.21 ERA and 0.89 WHIP while striking out 241 batters over 195.1 innings in 2025 and has shown no signs of slowing down heading into his seventh MLB season.
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Colt Emerson SS | SEA
Mariners' Colt Emerson: Could need more seasoning
The Mariners could give Emerson more seasoning at Triple-A Tacoma following the acquisition of Brendan Donovan, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.
Emerson will compete with Cole Young for a spot in the Mariners' lineup, but Young is considered the heavy favorite for the second-base job entering camp. The 20-year-old Emerson reached Tacoma in 2025, finishing with a .285/.383/.458 batting line with 16 home runs and 14 stolen bases over 130 games covering three levels of the minors. He should get an opportunity at the big-league level at some point during the 2026 campaign.