MLB Player News

The Brewers traded Mears to the Royals on Saturday alongside Isaac Collins in exchange for Angel Zerpa, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Mears enjoyed the best campaign of his career with Milwaukee in 2025, finishing the regular season with a 3.49 ERA and 0.97 WHIP over 56.2 innings while also notching his first career save. The 29-year-old righty is unlikely to beat out Carlos Estevez and Lucas Erceg in the race for high-leverage opportunities, but Mears will provide some depth into Kansas City's middle-relief unit.

The Brewers traded Collins to the Royals on Saturday alongside Nick Mears in exchange for Angel Zerpa, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Collins entered the 2025 season as a relatively unknown player but quickly proved himself as a productive bat, slashing .263/.368/.411 with 54 RBI, 56 runs scored and 16 stolen bases over 441 regular-season plate appearances. However, he struggled down the stretch and didn't have a significant role for the Brewers in the playoffs. His overall performance allowed him to take fourth place in NL Rookie of the Year voting. With Garrett Mitchell (shoulder) expected to return in 2026 and Akil Baddoo signing with the Brewers on Thursday, Milwaukee's outfield room was beginning to become crowded, so the team will now send Collins to Kansas City, where the 28-year-old outfielder should have a much easier path to regular playing time.

The Royals traded Zerpa to the Brewers on Saturday in exchange for Isaac Collins and Nick Mears, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Zerpa finished the 2025 season with a 4.18 ERA and 1.38 WHIP across 64.2 innings while also recording 14 holds. The Brewers aren't hurting for high-leverage arms with Trevor Megill, Abner Uribe and Jared Koenig already making up the back end of their bullpen, so Zerpa will likely start out in a middle-relief role with his new club.

May signed a one-year contract with the Cardinals on Saturday that includes a mutual option for 2027, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

May set a new career high with 132.1 innings pitched between the Dodgers and Red Sox in 2025, though his 4.96 ERA and 1.42 WHIP in the regular season both marked significant regression from previous years. Despite his recent struggles, the 28-year-old righty should have little trouble claiming a spot in a Cardinals rotation that doesn't feature much depth following the departure of Sonny Gray.

Frasso (undisclosed) signed a minor-league contract with the Dodgers on Saturday, Aram Leighton of JustBaseball.com reports.

After turning in a 5.49 ERA and 1.58 WHIP over 77 innings at Triple-A Oklahoma City this past season and being non-tendered by the Dodgers in November, Frasso will officially return to the organization for 2026. The 27-year-old is still waiting on his first promotion to the majors, but he will likely need to show significant improvement in the minors before getting called up for his MLB debut.

Jansen signed a one-year, $11 million contract with the Tigers on Saturday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Jansen's new deal also includes a club option for the 2027 season, per Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic. The 38-year-old has yet to show signs of slowing down, as he finished the 2025 campaign with a 2.59 ERA and 0.95 WHIP over 59 innings while collecting 29 saves with the Angels. Now set to spend his 17th MLB season in Detroit, the right-hander will likely begin 2026 as the team's closer, moving Will Vest and Kyle Finnegan into setup roles.

Rosario signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the Yankees on Saturday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Rosario appeared in just 16 regular-season games after being traded from the Nationals to the Yankees, going 10-for-33 with a homer and five RBI. The 30-year-old will now return to the Bronx and provide the Pinstripes with a bench piece who is capable of playing nearly every defensive position. Rosario slashed .302/.328/.491 against southpaws in 2025.

Polanco signed a two-year, $40 million contract with the Mets on Saturday, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.

After posting a career-worst .651 OPS in 2024, Polanco rebounded to the tune of a .265/.326/.495 slash line while logging 26 homers, 78 RBI and 64 runs scored over 524 regular-season plate appearances in 2025. He'll now help bolster the Mets' offense, though he's unlikely to continue playing at the keystone, considering the team traded for Marcus Semien in November. New York may instead utilize Polanco mainly as a DH or shift him to first base to make up for the loss of Pete Alonso.

Alexander signed a one-year contract with the Rangers on Friday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Alexander began the 2025 season with Milwaukee but was let go by the club in early June after accumulating a 6.19 ERA and 1.49 WHIP over 36.1 innings. He became more successful after signing with the White Sox, posting a 4.26 ERA and 1.35 WHIP alongside a 52:18 K:BB over 61.1 frames with Chicago. He'll now provide the Rangers with another bullpen arm capable of handling multiple innings at a time and could also be used for an occasional spot start.

Diaz signed a one-year contract with the Rangers on Friday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Diaz took a massive step in the wrong direction this past season, going from recording 28 saves with the Reds in 2024 to finishing the 2025 campaign with an 8.15 ERA and 1.53 WHIP over 17.2 innings in the big leagues. He'll get another chance to turn things around with the Rangers, though he'll likely need to display some consistency before the team considers using him in high-leverage situations regularly.