MLB Player News
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George Soriano RP | STL
Braves' George Soriano: DFA'd by Atlanta
Atlanta designated Soriano for assignment Monday.
The transaction frees up a spot on the 40-man roster for the addition of Jose Suarez, who was claimed off waivers. Soriano was a waiver claim of Atlanta himself earlier this month and now could be on the move again. The right-handed reliever has collected a 5.95 ERA and 117:55 K:BB covering 118 innings across parts of three seasons in the big leagues.
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Jose Suarez SP | ATL
Braves' Jose Suarez: Going back to Atlanta
Atlanta claimed Suarez off waivers from the Orioles on Monday.
Suarez went from Atlanta to Baltimore via waivers earlier this month and is now headed back the other direction. The left-hander made seven appearances (one start) with Atlanta in 2025, finishing with a 1.86 ERA and 16:10 K:BB across 19.1 innings of work. Suarez doesn't have minor-league options remaining, so if he's still with Atlanta on Opening Day, he's likely to slide into a long relief role with the big club.
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Harrison Bader CF | SF
Giants' Harrison Bader: Lands with Giants on two-year pact
The Giants signed Bader to a two-year, $20.5 million contract Monday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.
Rosenthal's colleague, Andrew Baggarly, reported over the weekend that the Giants were expected to pursue Bader, and now the two sides have come together on a deal. Bader is expected to take over in center field for the Giants, shifting Jung Hoo Lee to right field. The 31-year-old Bader slashed .277/.347/.449 with 17 home runs and 11 steals over 146 regular-season games in 2025 between the Twins and Phillies. He is likely to take a step back offensively in 2026, particularly when factoring in his pitcher-friendly home park.
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Trey Mancini 1B | LAA
Angels' Trey Mancini: Grabs minor-league deal from Angels
The Angels signed Mancini to a minor-league contract Monday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.
He'll be reunited with new Angels hitting coach Brady Anderson, who Mancini credits with remaking his swing when he was in the minor leagues with the Orioles. Mancini slashed .308/.373/.522 with 16 homers in 74 games last season at Triple-A Reno in the Diamondbacks organization. He has not played in the majors since 2023.
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Justin Steele SP | CHC
Cubs' Justin Steele: Resumes mound work
Steele (elbow) threw off a mound Jan. 16 for the first time since undergoing UCL revision surgery April 18, MLB.com reports.
Throwing off a mound represents an important milestone in the recovery process for Steele, who had been limited to playing catch off flat ground since resuming a throwing program in October. He'll likely continue to build up the intensity and frequency of his bullpen sessions over the next few weeks, but Steele probably won't be ready to face hitters until the latter half of spring training. The 30-year-old lefty will almost certainly open the season on the injured list, but if he steers clear of any setbacks while building up this spring, he could avoid placement on the 60-day IL and make his 2026 debut at some point in late April or May.
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Dylan Carlson CF | CHC
Cubs' Dylan Carlson: Nets NRI from Cubs
The Cubs signed Carlson to a minor-league contract Saturday that includes an invitation to spring training, Greg Zumach of The Baseball Tribune reports.
Carlson slashed only .203/.278/.336 across 241 plate appearances for the Orioles in 2025. He's still just 27, but the former top prospect has had little success at the major-league level since a nice rookie season back in 2021. Carlson will likely begin the 2026 campaign as outfield depth at Triple-A Iowa.
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Moises Ballesteros C | CHC
Cubs' Moises Ballesteros: Greater opportunity awaits
Ballesteros has a clearer path to the Cubs' starting DH job as a result of the trade that sent Owen Caissie to the Marlins for Edward Cabrera, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.
Ballesteros acquitted himself quite well in 66 major-league plate appearances during the 2025 regular season, slashing .298/.394/.474 with two homers. His 13.6 BB rate and 18.2 K rate were particularly encouraging for a player making his debut as a 21-year-old. Ballesteros might get pushed into the strong-side of a platoon with Matt Shaw, who lost his starting third base job when the Cubs signed Alex Bregman.
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Jared Jones SP | PIT
Pirates' Jared Jones: Throwing bullpen sessions
Jones (elbow) said that he's throwing bullpen sessions twice a week as he continues to work through his rehab program, John Perrotto of PittsburghBaseballNow.com reports.
The right-hander is now about eight months removed from undergoing surgery to repair a torn UCL in his right elbow, and his return to mound work is an encouraging sign for his early-season availability in 2026. Jones should continue to slowly ramp up his intensity on the mound over the next couple months.
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Davis Daniel RP | CIN
Reds' Davis Daniel: Inks minors deal with Cincy
Daniel signed a minor-league contract with the Reds on Thursday.
The right-hander spent the 2025 campaign with Atlanta, making three appearances (two starts) in the majors. Daniel surrendered six earned runs over 10 frames in those outings and also struggled at Triple-A Gwinnett with a 5.51 ERA over 96.1 innings.
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Craig Kimbrel RP | NYM
Mets' Craig Kimbrel: Nabs minor-league deal with Mets
Kimbrel signed a minor-league contract with the Mets that includes an invitation to spring training, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
Kimbrel spent time with Atlanta and Houston in 2025, appearing in 14 MLB games and posting a 2.25 ERA, a 1.42 WHIP and a 17:7 KBB across 12 innings. Entering his age-38 season, Kimbrel will get an opportunity with the Mets, but he may need a strong showing during spring training in order to earn a place on the Opening Day roster.