Blue Jays Avoid Arbitration With Jordan Romano

The Toronto Blue Jays and right-handed reliever Jordan Romano avoided salary arbitration on Thursday by settling at $7.75 million for the 2024 season, according to a source. This was Romano's second time being eligible for arbitration. The 30-year-old closer has had exactly 36 saves for the Blue Jays in each of the last two seasons […]

Paul Sewald Settles With D-Backs For $7.35 Million

The Arizona Diamondbacks and right-handed reliever Paul Sewald settled at $7.35 million for the 2024 campaign to avoid salary arbitration on Thursday, according to sources. Sewald was dealt from the Seattle Mariners to the D-backs at the trade deadline last summer and became a stabilizing force at the back end of Arizona's bullpen in the […]

Yency Almonte Heading To The Cubs

The Los Angeles Dodgers are working on a deal to send relief pitcher Yency Almonte to the Chicago Cubs, according to a source. It remains to be seen what the Dodgers will receive in return. Almonte already avoided salary arbitration with the Dodgers back in November, signing a one-year, $1.9 million deal. The 29-year-old right-hander […]

Hoby Milner Avoids Arbitration With Brewers

Left-handed relief pitcher Hoby Milner and the Milwaukee Brewers avoided salary arbitration on Wednesday by settling at $2.05 million for the upcoming 2024 season, according to a source. Milner had the best season of his career in 2023, going 2-1 with a 1.82 ERA (3.13 FIP), 0.96 WHIP, 13 walks and 59 strikeouts in 64 […]

Jake Woodford Signs Minors Deal With White Sox

Free-agent right-hander Jake Woodford signed a minor-league deal with the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday that includes an invitation to spring training, according to sources. Woodford had a 4.29 ERA in his four seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals. He also had a 1.37 WHIP, 63 walks and 119 total strikeouts over 80 appearances (18 […]

Dodgers Sign Elieser Hernandez To Minor-League Deal

The Los Angeles Dodgers signed free-agent right-hander Elieser Hernandez to a minor-league deal on Wednesday that includes an invitation to spring training, according to sources. Hernandez last pitched in the big leagues with the Miami Marlins in 2022, when he went 3-6 with a career-high 6.35 ERA (6.40 FIP) and 1.43 WHIP with 22 walks […]

Mariners Claim Mauricio Llovera Off Waivers From Red Sox

The Seattle Mariners have claimed right-hander Mauricio Llovera off waivers from the Boston Red Sox. Llovera was designated for assignment by Boston last week when the club's signing of right-hander Lucas Giolito became official. The 27-year-old split the 2023 season between the Giants and Red Sox, working to a 4.89 ERA across 30 appearances spanning […]

Rangers Ink Shane Greene, Austin Pruitt To Minors Pacts

The Texas Rangers have signed right-handers Shane Greene and Austin Pruitt to minor-league deals with invites to big-league spring training. Greene, 35, made just a pair of relief outings in each of the last two MLB seasons and spent the 2023 season in the Cubs organization, tossing a 1.75 ERA (alongside a 4.12 FIP) across […]

Chris Flexen Expected To Be In White Sox Rotation

Chicago White Sox general manager Chris Getz said Tuesday that newly-signed pitcher Chris Flexen is expected to be part of the team's starting rotation and provide a starter's workload in 2024, per MLB.com's Scott Merkin. The 29-year-old has served as both a starter and a bulk reliever throughout his career, functioning as both in 2023 […]

Garrett Crochet Preparing To Be A Starter

Chicago White Sox general manager Chris Getz said that left-hander Garrett Crochet is preparing to work in a starting role in 2024. "It's going to take a little bit of time to appropriately stretch him out, but we're going in with the intention of him to be a starter in 2024," Getz said. The rebuilding […]

Marlins Hiring Rachel Balkovec As Farm Director

The Miami Marlins are hiring Rachel Balkovec as their new director of player development, according to sources. She comes over from the New York Yankees, where she spent the last two years as a manager in the minor leagues at Single-A Tampa, the first female to do so. The Marlins are in the midst of […]

Re-Drafting The 2012 Fantasy Baseball First-Year Player Draft - Mookie Betts, Gerrit Cole, Francisco Lindor, Yoenis Cespedes, and more

This is the third edition of a series here at RotoBaller from Benjamin Chase. The series explores previous First-Year Player Drafts and re-drafts those FYPDs with the information we've received since from drafted players and international signees that would have been eligible. This series shows that often the top guys in FYPD drafts remain the […]

Cardinals Add Chaim Bloom To Front Office

The St. Louis Cardinals are set to hire Chaim Bloom to their front office in an advisory role, according to sources. The Cardinals had been linked to the former Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer, dating back to the beginning of the offseason. The 40-year-old was fired by Boston in September after the team was […]

Josh Hader Seeking Record-Breaking Deal For A Reliever

The consensus in the industry is that left-handed closer Josh Hader wants to exceed the five-year, $102 million deal the New York Mets gave Edwin Diaz in November of 2022, even though Hader is entering his age-30 season and is a year older than Diaz was. But Hader has better numbers with a 2.50 career […]

Sean Manaea Signs Two-Year Deal With The Mets

Free-agent left-handed pitcher Sean Manaea has signed a two-year, $28 million contract with the New York Mets. The deal includes an opt-out after the 2024 season as well. The 31-year-old lefty was solid with the San Francisco Giants last season, finishing with a 4.44 ERA (3.90 FIP), 1.241 WHIP, and 128:42 K/BB over 117 2/3 […]

Rangers Still Interested In Josh Hader, Jordan Montgomery

The Texas Rangers are making progress on a local TV deal this offseason and now seem likely to be back in play to re-sign left-hander Jordan Montgomery and make a run at free-agent lefty closer Josh Hader. The Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Angels are possibilities for Montgomery if he doesn't return to the World […]

Cardinals Acquire Andrew Kittredge From Rays

The St. Louis Cardinals acquired relief pitcher Andrew Kittredge from the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday in exchange for outfielder Richie Palacios, according to a source. Kittredge returned from Tommy John surgery in August of 2023 and was able to hold opponents to a .683 OPS in his 14 relief appearances for Tampa. The 33-year-old […]

Tigers Re-Sign Andrew Vasquez To Minor-League Pact

The Detroit Tigers have signed relief pitcher Andrew Vasquez to a minor-league contract. The club claimed the southpaw from the Phillies after he was designated for assignment mid-season in 2023. Vasquez had worked to a 2.27 ERA with the Phillies but his underlying metrics suggested regression was on the horizon. That was indeed the case […]

White Sox Sign Chad Kuhl To Minors Deal

The Chicago White Sox signed free-agent right-hander Chad Kuhl to a minor-league deal. The rebuilding White Sox are looking for as much pitching depth as they can get. Kuhl will hope to be better in 2024 after posting an 8.45 ERA (6.78 FIP) and 1.96 WHIP with a save, 28 walks and 31 strikeouts in […]

Ryan Jensen Claimed By Twins

The Minnesota Twins have claimed relief pitcher Ryan Jensen off waivers from the Miami Marlins. This marks the second time this offseason that Jensen has been claimed off waivers as the Marlins scooped him up a month ago after he was designated for assignment by the Seattle Mariners. Jensen made 29 appearances between the Triple-A […]

Astros Claim Declan Cronin Off Waivers From White Sox

The Houston Astros have claimed relief pitcher Declan Cronin off of waivers from the Chicago White Sox. The 26-year-old was designated for assignment by Chicago when their signing of Erick Fedde became official on Dec. 28. A 36th-round pick of the White Sox in 2019, Cronin made his pro debut that same season and reached […]

Diamondbacks Sign Logan Allen To Minors Deal

The Arizona Diamondbacks signed free-agent left-hander Logan Allen to a minor-league deal on Tuesday. The deal includes an invitation to major-league spring training. Allen didn't surface at all in the big leagues in 2023, instead pitching for the Triple-A affiliates with the Colorado Rockies and Seattle Mariners, where he went 6-2 with a 5.77 ERA, […]

Reds Sign Justin Bruihl To Minor-League Deal

The Cincinnati Reds signed free-agent left-hander Justin Bruihl to a minor-league deal with an invitation to major-league spring training on Wednesday. Bruihl will provide the Reds with some bullpen depth in 2024 and will be competing for a roster spot in spring training. The 26-year-old southpaw has three years of big-league experience, posting a 4.22 […]

Padres Agree With Woo Suk Go On Two-Year Deal

The San Diego Padres and free-agent Korean reliever Woo Suk Go agreed to a two-year, $4.5 million contract on Wednesday, according to a source. The deal includes a mutual option for the 2026 season. The 25-year-old will join left-hander Yuki Matsui and right-hander Robert Suarez at the back of the Padres' bullpen in 2024 with […]

Bryan Hudson Traded By Dodgers To Brewers

The Los Angeles Dodgers have traded reliever Bryan Hudson to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for prospect Justin Chambers and a player to be named later or cash. The 26-year-old has been designated for assignment by the Dodgers to clear a 40-man roster spot for Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Hudson, a third-round pick by the Cubs in […]

Mauricio Llovera Designated For Assignment

The Boston Red Sox designated right-hander Mauricio Llovera for assignment on Wednesday to clear a 40-man roster spot once the signing of fellow right-hander Lucas Giolito became official. The 27-year-old appeared in the big leagues with both the Red Sox and San Francisco Giants in the 2023 season, working to a 4.89 ERA across 30 […]

Padres, Woo Suk Go Close To Deal

The San Diego Padres and KBO relief pitcher Woo Suk Go are reportedly close to signing a deal, per MLB Network's Jon Heyman. The 25-year-old has served as the closer for the South Korean baseball champions LG Twins since 2019, racking up 139 saves over five seasons. He missed some time in 2023 due to […]

Colten Brewer Signs With Cubs

Free-agent right-hander Colten Brewer announced on his Instagram account that he has signed an undisclosed deal with the Chicago Cubs. Brewer made three relief appearances for the New York Yankees this past season and also spent time with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and the Hanshin Tigers of Nippon Professional Baseball. The 31-year-old will give the Cubbies some […]

Red Sox Claim Max Castillo Off Waivers From Royals

The Boston Red Sox claimed right-hander Max Castillo off waivers from the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday. Castillo, who debuted in the big leagues in 2022 with the Toronto Blue Jays and Royals, made seven relief appearances for the Royals in 2023 and allowed 10 earned runs on 20 hits (two homers) while walking nine […]

Angels Sign Zach Plesac

The Los Angeles Angels signed free-agent right-hander Zach Plesac to an undisclosed deal over the weekend. Plesac made his big-league debut with the Cleveland Guardians in 2019 and had a career-best 2.28 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and 57 strikeouts in eight starts in the shortened 2020 season. He wasn't as good in 2021 and 2022 before […]