Cleavinger agreed to a one-year, $2.4 million contract with the Rays on Thursday, avoiding arbitration, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The left-hander will double his salary in his second year of arbitration eligibility after tallying two saves and 22 holds with a 2.35 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 81:18 K:BB over 61.1 innings last season. Cleavinger is expected to begin 2026 as part of Tampa Bay's closer committee, with Griffin Jax and Edwin Uceta also in the mix.

The Cardinals and Pallante avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $4 million contract Thursday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

Pallante is coming off a disappointing 2025 campaign, having collected a 5.31 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and 111:62 K:BB over 162.2 innings covering 31 starts. He will nevertheless receive a substantial raise in his second year of arbitration eligibility. Pallante will have to compete for a spot in the Cardinals' rotation in 2026.

Okert agreed to a one-year, $2.325 million contract with the Astros on Thursday, avoiding arbitration, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

The left-hander had a successful first year in Houston during 2025, recording one save and 11 holds with a 3.01 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 84:19 K:BB across 71.2 innings. Okert should operate as part of the setup mix for the Astros again in 2026.

Heineman agreed to a one-year, $1,237,500 deal with the Blue Jays on Thursday, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

The 34-year-old catcher is set to return as Alejandro Kirk's backup after avoiding arbitration. Heineman had a career year in 2025, logging 2.1 fWAR after having never been worth a full win over replacement in any prior season. He slashed .289/.361/.416 with three home runs, two steals and a 17.8 percent strikeout rate in 174 plate appearances.

Wesneski (elbow) agreed to a one-year, $975,000 deal with the Astros on Thursday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

The two sides avoid arbitration, as Wesneski continues working his way back from Tommy John surgery in May 2025. He'll likely be sidelined until around midseason, but could provide rotation depth and bullpen help in the second half. The 28-year-old righty logged a 4.50 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 29:6 K:BB in six starts (32 innings) for the Astros in 2025 before the injury.

The Rays claimed Cheng off waivers from the Pirates on Wednesday.

Cheng went 0-for-7 with three strikeouts in his first taste of the majors in 2025 and also slashed only .209/.307/.271 during his time at Triple-A Indianapolis. The 24-year-old can play both middle-infield spots and is likely destined for Triple-A Durham to begin the 2026 campaign.

Lorenzen signed a one-year, $8 million contract with the Rockies on Wednesday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Lorenzen's new deal also includes a $9 million club option for the 2027 season. The 34-year-old right-hander took a step back in 2025, accumulating a 4.64 ERA and 1.33 WHIP alongside a 127:39 K:BB across 141.2 innings with the Royals. His chances of improving upon those numbers in 2026 have taken a hit now that he's slated to pitch his home games at Coors Field, but Colorado's weak pitching staff at least makes Lorenzen a safe bet to capture a rotation spot.

Van Belle (elbow) signed a two-year, minor-league contract with the Rays on Wednesday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The Rays let go of Van Belle earlier in the offseason following surgery to repair his UCL, but he will now rejoin the organization while he rehabs the injury. The 29-year-old righty isn't expected to pitch at all in 2026, but he may be an option for the Rays' 2027 staff after turning in a 3.26 ERA and 1.11 WHIP over 105 Triple-A innings during 2025.

Graterol (shoulder) signed a one-year, $2.8 million contract with the Dodgers on Wednesday to avoid arbitration, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

Graterol sat out the entirety of the 2025 season after undergoing labrum surgery in November 2024, but he is expected to be fully healthy by the time spring training begins. The 27-year-old emerged as a dominant high-leverage option during his last full season in 2023, during which he posted a 1.20 ERA and 0.97 WHIP across 67.1 regular-season innings. However, the Dodgers may wait to see how he performs in his first several appearances post-surgery before moving him back into a setup role.

The Marlins acquired Hernandez, Owen Caissie and Edgardo De Leon from the Cubs on Wednesday in exchange for Edward Cabrera, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Hernandez spent the 2025 season at High-A South Bend, slashing .252/.329/.365 with seven home runs and 52 stolen bases. He hasn't reached his potential after being a top international signing in 2021, but Hernandez just turned 22 last month, so he has some time to show progress.