The Phillies acquired Backhus from the Diamondbacks on Friday in exchange for Avery Owusu-Asiedu, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

Backhus is a sidearming lefty reliever who held left-handed hitters to just a .139/.225/.278 slash line in 2025. Righty bats slashed .365/.417/.571 off the 27-year-old, so manager Rob Thomson will have to be judicious with his usage of Backhus.

The Phillies acquired Bowlan from the Royals on Friday in exchange for Matt Strahm, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Bowlan had a mini-breakout in 2025 in his first full season as a reliever, posting a 3.86 ERA and 46:17 K:BB over 44.1 innings with the Royals. The 29-year-old righty had significant splits, as he held right-handed bats to a .182/.255/.250 batting line but was torched by lefties to the tune of a .288/.358/.575 line. Bowlan is not yet eligible for salary arbitration and will be under team control through 2031.

The Royals acquired Strahm from the Phillies on Friday in exchange for Jonathan Bowlan, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

It's a homecoming for Strahm, who was drafted by and first reached the majors with the Royals. The left-hander has been one of the best relievers in baseball in recent years, posting a 2.71 ERA, 30.5 percent strikeout rate and 6.2 percent walk rate over the last three regular seasons for the Phillies. Strahm will fill a high-leverage role ahead of closer Carlos Estevez.

King agreed to a one-year contract with the Padres on Thursday that includes player options for 2027 and 2028, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

King had two excellent seasons with the Padres in 2024 and 2025 and passed on a qualifying offer with the team earlier in the offseason, but he'll ultimately remain with San Diego. According to Feinsand, King will make $17 million in 2025 and will net at least another $5 million in the form of a buyout for the 2027 option. His player options for 2027 and 2028 are worth $28 million and $30 million, respectively. Assuming King can avoid any lingering issues with his shoulder -- which cost him much of the 2025 season -- he should headline the Padres' rotation in 2026.

Means ruptured his Achilles tendon on Tuesday, Andy Kostka of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.

Means posted the news on his own social media. He noted that he was set to be recovered fully from Tommy John surgery in time for Opening Day and was on the verge of signing before the injury occurred. No timeline for his recovery has been announced, but he'll almost certainly miss the entire 2026 season. This continues a run of bad injury luck for Means, who had made just 10 appearances in the majors since 2022.

The Mariners signed Davis to a minor-league contract Thursday that includes an invitation to spring training, Aram Leighton of JustBaseball.com reports.

Davis missed time with injuries again in 2025 while in the Yankees organization, but he was productive when on the field, slashing .248/.324/.576 with 12 homers in 36 contests at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The former top prospect is likely headed back to the Triple-A level again to start 2026, but he will compete in spring training for a roster spot with the big club.

The Guardians signed Armstrong to a one-year, $5.5 million contract Thursday that includes a mutual option for 2027, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

The 35-year-old Armstrong had arguably the best season of his career in 2025 with the Rangers, putting up a 2.31 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and 74:20 K:BB over 74 innings. It's a return to the organization that drafted him and where he debuted back in 2015 for Armstrong. The right-hander should be used in a setup role ahead of closer Cade Smith.

Austin signed a one-year, major-league contract with the Cubs on Thursday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Since taking his last MLB at-bat in 2019, Austin has spent the past six seasons playing in Japan for the Yokohama Bay Stars of Nippon Professional Baseball. After posting a .945 OPS during his time overseas, the 34-year-old will now return stateside to join the Cubs and could work as a platoon partner with Moises Ballesteros at designated hitter.

The Diamondbacks re-signed Curtiss to a minor-league contract Tuesday.

Curtiss had chosen free agency after being booted off Arizona's 40-man roster last month, but he's now back in the organization on a new deal. The 32-year-old pitched well in 30 relief outings for the Diamondbacks in 2025, collecting a 3.93 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 24:5 K:BB over 36.2 innings. Curtiss is likely headed to Triple-A Reno to begin the 2026 season.

The White Sox acquired Peters from the Rays on Thursday in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations.

Peters had been designated for assignment earlier this week and now joins a new organization. The 25-year-old outfielder went hitless during his brief time with the Rays in 2025 and slashed .266/.355/.429 at Triple-A Durham. Peters can play all three outfield spots and will likely compete for a reserve role with the White Sox.