MLB Player News
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Matt Fraizer CF | PIT
Red Sox's Matt Fraizer: Lands with Boston
Fraizer confirmed Friday via his personal Instagram account that he agreed to a minor-league contract with the Red Sox.
Fraizer joins an organization with an outfield logjam in the majors but which lacks depth in the minors. The 27-year-old batted .305/.361/.452 with three home runs and 14 stolen bases across 62 games for Triple-A Indianapolis in the Pirates organization in 2025.
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Marcelo Mayer SS | BOS
Red Sox's Marcelo Mayer: Should be ready for Opening Day
Mayer (wrist) is expected to be ready for Opening Day, Lauren Campbell of MassLive.com reports.
Mayer is recovering from right wrist arthroscopy performed in August that ended his season after 44 games. He potentially could have played in the postseason had Boston extended its run, and Mayer is expected to be available for spring training. Depending on roster additions, the 23-year-old infielder could end up playing second base, shortstop or third base. He mainly played at the hot corner in his big-league debut, but a downturn in shortstop Trevor Story's defense (minus-9 OAA) in 2025 could allow Mayer to return to his natural position, which would allow Story to shift to second
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Jackson Stephens RP | ATL
Jackson Stephens: Staying overseas
The Uni-Lions of Taiwan's Chinese Professional Baseball League re-signed Stephens to a one-year contract Tuesday, CPBL Stats reports.
Stephens began the 2025 season at Triple-A Gwinnett in the Atlanta organization before finishing it overseas, posting a 2.22 ERA and 20:2 K:BB over 24.1 frames for the Lions. The 31-year-old reliever has collected a 4.15 ERA and 114:53 K:BB over 132.1 innings covering parts of five major-league seasons.
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Josh Winckowski RP | BOS
Blue Jays' Josh Winckowski: Grabs minors deal from Jays
Winckowski (elbow) signed a two-year, minor-league contract with the Blue Jays on Wednesday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.
Winckowski gave up five earned runs across 11.2 innings with the Red Sox in 2025 before suffering a flexor strain in May that kept him sidelined for the remainder of the season. The 27-year-old righty underwent an internal brace procedure earlier this month to address the issue and is likely to miss most, if not all, of the 2026 season as a result. Once Winckowski is fully recovered, the Jays are expected to build him back up as a starter.
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Spencer Howard SP | CLE
Spencer Howard: Staying overseas
The Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball signed Howard to a contract Tuesday, Yakyu Cosmopolitan reports.
It will be the second straight year in Japan for Howard, who pitched for the Rakuten Eagles in 2025, posting a 2.22 ERA and 36:11 K:BB over 48.2 frames during an injury-shortened campaign. The 29-year-old holds a career 7.00 ERA over 47 appearances (32 starts) across parts of five major-league seasons.
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Tyler Mahle SP | SF
Giants' Tyler Mahle: Grabs one-year deal from Giants
The Giants signed Mahle to a one-year contract Wednesday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.
Shoulder issues limited Mahle to 16 starts and 86.2 innings in 2025 with the Rangers, but he was able to collect a 2.18 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 66:29 K:BB. The 31-year-old right-hander has not reached 20 starts in the majors since 2022 and his strikeout rate the last two seasons sits at just 18.9 percent, but he is a worthwhile roll of the dice on a one-year deal and will benefit from spacious Oracle Park as his new home.
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Nic Enright RP | CLE
Blue Jays' Nic Enright: Grabs MiLB deal from Toronto
The Blue Jays signed Enright (elbow) to a two-year, minor-league contract Wednesday, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com reports.
Enright underwent Tommy John surgery in October, so he will rehab in the Blue Jays organization with an eye on returning in 2027. The 28-year-old posted a 2.03 ERA and 30:12 K:BB over 31 innings for the Guardians in 2025 before getting hurt and is under team control through 2031, so he could prove to be a savvy long-term investment.
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Jarred Kelenic RF | ATL
White Sox's Jarred Kelenic: Signs with White Sox as NRI
The White Sox signed Kelenic to a minor-league contract Wednesday that includes an invitation to spring training, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.
Kelenic's 2025 season was his worst one yet, as he slashed only .167/.231/.300 in 24 games for Atlanta and just .213/.286/.309 across 95 contests with Triple-A Gwinnett. The former top prospect is still just 26, and he's heading to an organization with a clear opening in right field. Still, the odds are long that he will crack the Opening Day roster and make an impact with the big club.
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Kirby Yates RP | LAA
Angels' Kirby Yates: Inks one-year deal with Angels
The Angels signed Yates to a one-year contract Tuesday, Ari Alexander of 7 News Boston reports.
Yates made 50 regular-season appearances for the Dodgers in 2025, posting an ugly 5.23 ERA but also a more promising 52:17 K:BB over 41.1 innings. He will turn 39 in March, but Yates still has plenty of bat-missing ability and could be in the mix to close games as part of an unsettled Angels bullpen.
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Anthony Rendon 3B | LAA
Angels' Anthony Rendon: Agrees to buyout with Angels
The Angels and Rendon (hip) have agreed to a contract buyout that will end his tenure with the club, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.
The $38 million Rendon is owed in his final year under contract will be deferred 3-to-5 years, though it's unclear exactly what the structure of the buyout will be. Rendon -- who is recovering from hip surgery -- will not officially retire but will officially remain on the Angels' roster in 2026, although he's not expected to play and will likely spend the season on the 60-day IL. The 35-year-old slashed .242/.348/.369 and never played more than 58 games during any of his five seasons with the Angels.