MLB Player News

Arnold expanded his repertoire at Driveline this winter, adding a cutter and a kick changeup, Jesus Cano of Baseball America reports.

The No. 11 pick in the 2025 First-Year Player Draft, Arnold slipped to the Athletics and they swooped in and added the 6-foot-1 southpaw. Arnold already had an excellent track record and pitch mix, and now he boasts a pair of changeups, as he already had a strong splitter. His mid-90s fastball and monster mid-80s slider are Arnold's go-to offerings, but now he has even more weapons at his disposal. Arnold said "this is the best I've ever felt," which is hyperbole, but at least it's good to know he's heading to spring training at the peak of his powers. He will likely be assigned to High-A or Double-A, and Arnold could join the big-league rotation sometime this summer if he pitches to expectations.

Wetherholt has a clear path to the Cardinals' second-base job following the trade of Brendan Donovan, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Wetherholt had been slated to compete for the Cardinals' third-base job after they traded Nolan Arenado, but the top prospect should now focus mostly on second base. The 23-year-old will need to perform well during spring training, but the Cardinals have been signaling their intention to carry Wetherholt on their Opening Day roster. Wetherholt put together a .306/.421/.510 batting line with 17 home runs, 23 stolen bases and a 72:73 BB:K over 109 games between Double-A Springfield and Triple-A Memphis in 2025.

Cantillo will compete for a spot in the rotation this spring, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.

Cantillo spent the second half of the 2025 season in the Guardians' rotation but apparently will have to win a spot this spring. The left-hander had a 2.96 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 72:28 K:BB over 13 starts (67.0 innings). He and prospect Parker Messick are the frontrunners for a spot on the back end of the rotation. If Cantillo loses out, he could break camp with a bullpen role. In 21 appearances as a reliever in 2025, the 26-year-old posted a 3.81 ERA and 1.38 WHIP while limiting batters to a .229 batting average.

The Angels signed Candelario to a minor-league contract Tuesday that includes an invitation to spring training, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Candelario was released by the Reds last season after slashing just .113/.198/.213 over his first 22 games. He signed a minor-league deal with the Yankees after that but never got back to the majors. The Angels are lacking in third-base depth, giving Candelario a chance to see action with the big club at some point.

Ford is expected to compete with Keibert Ruiz for the starting catcher spot heading into the 2026 season, Jessica Camerato of MLB.com reports.

Ford was acquired by the Nationals from the Mariners in an offseason deal, and he's immediately been identified as one of his new club's top young prospects. The 22-year-old struggled to see time behind Cal Raleigh in Seattle, logging six at-bats in eight games in 2025, but that's set to change in Washington. Ruiz is coming off a tough season in which he didn't see the field after suffering a concussion in July, so if Ford can stay healthy, he appears likely to break camp with the big-league squad and could even overtake Ruiz for the starting job.

Ruiz (concussion) will compete with Harry Ford for the starting catcher job heading into the 2026 season, Jessica Camerato of MLB.com reports.

Camerato states that it's not clear whether Ruiz is back at 100 percent after missing significant time a season ago due to a concussion, but the team should have more information on his status once he reports to spring training. Ruiz has had a firm handle on the starting catching gig over the last four seasons with Washington, but he'll be challenged by one of the Nationals' recently acquired prospects in Ford.

Melton is likely to enter spring training in a strong position to earn Detroit's final rotation spot, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

This echoes what Detroit's front office said at the end of last season, and an Opening Day rotation spot would certainly be warranted after Melton posted a 2.76 ERA and 1.01 WHIP across 45.2 innings as a rookie in 2025. The 25-year-old only made four starts last year, with his other 12 appearances coming in relief, so he'll likely need to stretch out some in spring training and show that he's capable of a larger workload. If Melton does slot into the rotation, he'll likely be behind Tarik Skubal, Casey Mize, Jack Flaherty and Reese Olson, but any chance to start would give the former a boost in fantasy value.

Olson is expected to be healthy for the start of spring training after getting shut down in late July due to a right shoulder strain, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

Olson missed the last two months of the 2025 regular season as well as Detroit's playoff run, but the righty started a throwing program in December and is trending in the right direction heading into 2026. Entering his fourth year in the majors, Olson has yet to surpass 112.1 innings, though he's also posted a sub-4.00 ERA each season, which gives a glimpse at what he's capable of when healthy. The 26-year-old figures to slot in behind Tarik Skubal, Casey Mize and Jack Flaherty in the Tigers' rotation, and he could take a step forward in 2026 from a fantasy perspective if he's able to increase his workload.

Alcantara (abdomen), who figures to compete for an Opening Day roster spot during spring training, will have another minor-league option this year, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

It was previously reported that Alcantara would be out of options this year, but the Cubs now have a little more flexibility with the 23-year-old outfielder, who spent most of last season with Triple-A Iowa. Either way, Alcantara figures to compete for a reserve outfield spot in camp, and he could even push for a larger role now that Kyle Tucker is gone. Alcantara had core-muscle surgery back in October, though he's expected to be fully healthy for spring training. The youngster has plenty of upside heading into 2026 and could be a breakout candidate if the playing time is there.

Waldichuk was designated for assignment by the Rays on Monday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Waldichuk will lose out on his 40-man roster spot to make room for the addition of Ben Williamson, who was acquired earlier Monday from Seattle. Waldichuk spent the majority of his 2025 season at Triple-A, posting an 8.65 ERA and 2.06 WHIP across 51.0 innings (15 starts).