Mathis has agreed to a two-year contract with the Rangers, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

Mathis spent the last two seasons with the Diamondbacks, although he appeared in just 129 games over that span. He's certainly experienced struggles at the dish of late (.200/.272/.272 slash line last season) but adds value behind the plate. Mathis figures to have a shot to win the backup job behind Isiah Kiner-Falefa in spring training.

Hudson inked a minor-league contract with St. Louis on Tuesday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Hudson made his major-league debut in 2018, playing in eight games for the Angels after spending a majority of the campaign at the Triple-A level. In just 12 plate appearances with Los Angeles, he went 2-for-12 with a double and one RBI. The 27-year-old will serve as additional catching depth in the Cardinals' system heading into next season.

Taylor re-signed Monday with the Athletics on a minor-league contract, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The contract likely includes an invitation to big-league spring training, though the 28-year-old is a long shot to crack to the Opening Day roster. Taylor will most likely be destined for the Athletics' Pacific Coast League affiliate in Las Vegas after slashing .248/.360/.348 across 431 plate appearances at Triple-A Nashville in 2018.

Grandal will decline the Dodgers' one-year, $17.9 million qualifying offer Monday, Robert Murray of The Athletic reports.

Grandal figures to draw plenty of interest as the best catcher in the free agent pool. While the 30-year-old struggled in the postseason, he was one of the best backstops in the league during the regular season, hitting .241/.349/.466 with 24 homers and 68 RBI across 140 games for the Dodgers. He's one of two catchers to have surpassed 20 homers in each of the last three seasons.

Nola agreed to a minor-league contract with the Mariners on Friday, Mariners Minors reports.

Nola appeared in 69 games for Triple-A New Orleans last year, piecing together a .279/.370/.376 slash line with two homers and 32 RBI. He figures to begin the 2019 campaign with Triple-A Tacoma.

Sanchez underwent successful left shoulder surgery Thursday.

The surgery was performed by team physician Dr. Christopher Ahmad and went as expected. Seeing as the procedure typically carries a three-month recovery timeline, Sanchez should be fully healed by the time spring training rolls around. The backstop will look to bounce back in 2019 after he struggled to a .186/.291/.406 line across 89 games during an injury-plagued 2018 campaign.

Pearce signed a one-year, $6.25 million contract with Boston on Friday, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reports.

It shouldn't come as any surprise that the Red Sox wanted Pearce back in the fold after he claimed World Series MVP honors for his role in the Fall Classic. Pearce was a valuable contributor for Boston ever since coming over in a trade from Toronto in late June, and finished the regular season with a slash line of 284/.378/.512 with 11 home runs and 42 RBI in 76 games. He figures to serve as a platoon partner to Mitch Moreland next season, so look for Pearce in the lineup when a southpaw opposes the Red Sox.

Bour was cast off the 40-man roster and outrighted to the minors Wednesday, Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Bour is now available to be claimed off waivers after the Phillies elected to free up his 40-man spot for a younger prospect they want to protect ahead of the Rule 5 draft. The first baseman was traded to Philadelphia from Miami in mid-August, and wound up slashing just .224/.296/.347 with one home run and five RBI in his brief time on the diamond (49 plate appearances) with his new team. A disabled list stint due to an oblique injury didn't help matters, but Bour was barely utilized in Philadelphia, only making a handful of starts in his month-and-a-half stay. In 2017, Bour hit .289 with a .902 OPS, 25 home runs and 83 RBI, so he has the potential to to be a strong left-handed bat for a team in need. In the event that Bour clears waivers, expect him to reject an outright assignment to the minors and choose to become a free agent.

Mauer announced his retirement, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. "The decision came down to my health and my family. The risk of concussion is always there, and I was reminded of that this season after missing over 30 games as a result of diving for a foul ball," he said.

His retirement is not a surprise since Mauer had a dramatic sendoff in his last game, including putting on the catching gear for one last time for part of an inning. He retires with a career .306 batting average, .388 OBP, six All-Star appearances, three Gold Gloves and the Twins' franchise record for most times on base. Mauer's production declined after a concussion in 2013 moved him to first base and ended his time as a catcher, but he still has a strong case for the Hall of Fame.

General manager Brodie Van Wagenen said Flores (knee) is fully healthy, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Flores was shut down in mid-September with early onset arthritis in his knees, but he's apparently back to full health heading into winter. At this point, it's unclear if the Mets will tender the utility man a contract after he hit .267/.319/.417 with 11 homers in 126 games in 2018.

Marte was outrighted from the Angels' 40-man roster Friday.

In order to free up some room for their younger prospects, the Angels elected to cast Marte, Eduardo Paredes, Odrisamer Despaigne, Deck McGuire and Francisco Arcia from the 40-man roster. In 90 games for the big-league club in 2018, Marte slashed .216/.273/.371 with seven home runs and 22 RBI.

Dixon was claimed off waivers by the Tigers on Friday.

Dixon made his major-league debut with the Reds in 2018, though he struggled to a .178/.218/.356 line with five homers in 74 games. The 26-year-old also appeared in 49 games with Triple-A Louisville, slashing .346/.389/.570 with six homers. Dixon should get an opportunity to compete for a utility role in spring training.

The Indians traded Gonzalez, Tahnaj Thomas and Dante Mendoza to Pittsburgh on Wednesday for Jordan Luplow and Max Moroff.

Pittsburgh general manager Neal Huntington released a statement calling Gonzalez a "quality option to play shortstop or in the middle of our infield this year and into the future," in the minutes following Wednesday's five-player deal. Gonzalez typically served as a second or third baseman for Cleveland over the past couple years -- since the team had little need for him at shortstop due to Francisco Lindor's presence -- seeing most of his opportunities when one of the Indians' regulars required a DL stint. Across 81 games this past year, he hit .265/.301/.375 with one home run, 16 RBI and three stolen bases in 136 at-bats.

The Pirates traded Moroff and Jordan Luplow to the Indians on Wednesday in exchange for Erik Gonzalez, Tahnaj Thomas and Dante Mendoza.

Moroff spent most of the 2018 campaign at Triple-A Indianapolis, hitting .223/.334/.393 with eight home runs and 38 RBI in 74 games. He had a couple stints with the Pirates' big-league club but failed to cement any sort of significant role with the team, instead serving as organizational depth around the infield. Expect to see the 25-year-old utilized in the same manner with Cleveland in 2019.

Altuve (knee) is walking with a hinged brace on his knee under his own power, without any help from crutches, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

That minimal progress from Altuve is good, though he hasn't begun the more substantive part of his rehab yet. He's still optimistic that he'll be ready for spring training.

Utley was let go by Los Angeles to set in motion his impending retirement.

Utley announced before the season ended that he'd be walking away from the game following the conclusion of the 2018 campaign, so the Dodgers issued his release to facilitate his official retirement. He spent the majority of his career with the Phillies and finishes with a .275/.358/.465 slash line over 1,937 games.

General manager Erik Neander said Lowe is in the mix of outfielders competing for a spot on the Rays' Opening Day roster, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Lowe's chances of making the Opening Day roster seem to have improved after Mallex Smith was traded to the Mariners on Thursday. Tommy Pham, Kevin Kiermaier (foot) and Austin Meadows are expected to open the season as starters, but Lowe will battle it out with newly acquired Guillermo Heredia for the fourth outfield spot. The 24-year-old prospect made his major-league debut in 2018, hitting .233/.324/.450 with six homers and two stolen bases across 43 games for the Rays.

General manager Brodie Van Wagenen said McNeil is "penciled in" as the Mets' starting second baseman in 2019, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

McNeil settled in as the Mets' starter at second base following the trade of Asdrubal Cabrera in July and slashed .329/.381/.471 with three homers and seven stolen bases across 63 games over the remainder of the season. The 26-year-old flashed impressive contact skills, striking out just 9.7 percent of the time in 2018.

Kozma agreed to a minor-league contract with Detroit on Friday that includes an invitation to spring training.

Kozma will remain in the Tigers' organization for the second straight season after spending a majority of the 2018 campaign at the Triple-A level. He is set to compete for an Opening Day spot in spring training, but the 30-year-old shouldn't be viewed as anything more than a depth piece after slashing .217/.236/.348 in 27 games with the big-league team last year.

Kang inked a one-year, $3 million deal with Pittsburgh on Thursday.

Kang will return to the Pirates' organization after having his club option for the 2019 season declined in October. The club is hopeful that Kang can get back to being an everyday starter in the infield, though that seems a tad optimistic considering he hasn't played in more than a handful of games since the 2016 season. The third baseman dealt with a wrist injury for the final few months of this past campaign after missing the previous year-and-a-half due to legal issues in his native South Korea. Nevertheless, Kang will have a chance to win a starting job this spring, though a platoon role seems far more likely.

Reyes is preparing to continue his career during the 2019 season, Jon Heyman of FancredSports.com reports.

As a 35-year-old utility man who slashed a deplorable .189/.260/.320 across 251 plate appearances last season, Reyes would do well to secure a minor-league deal this winter. Even that might be ambitious, given Reyes' significant off-field baggage -- he was suspended 52 games in 2016 after an arrest on domestic-violence charges. It wouldn't be surprising if none of the 30 teams were interested in taking a flier on the four-time All-Star.

Evans (knee) chose to become a free agent after getting outrighted from the Mets' 40-man roster Friday, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Evans played in just 34 games across the last two season for the Mets, going 13-for-54 with two doubles and a pair of RBI during his brief opportunities in the big leagues. The 26-year-old was forced to miss the final two months of the season after fracturing his left tibia, but he's expected to be fully recovered prior to spring training.

Freese agreed to a one-year contract with Los Angeles on Thursday, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.

The Dodgers elected to keep Freese on the roster for the 2019 season: they bought him out for $500,000 and then agreed to a one year, $4.5 million deal. The 35-year-old third baseman went 8-for-22 with a double, a triple, two home runs and six RBI over 14 postseason games in 2018.

Freese and the Dodgers agreed to extend the deadline on his option until Friday, Jon Heyman of Fancred reports.

Similar to Clayton Kershaw, the initial deadline for Freese's option was Wednesday night, though it's now been moved to 4pm ET on Friday afternoon. Unlike Kershaw, who has a player option, the Dodgers have to come to a decision on Freese since his deal is a club option. It would cost the team $6 million to keep Freese around in 2019 and $500,000 to buy him out, which would make him a free agent. Outside of his postseason heroics, Freese slashed .296/.359/.471 with 11 home runs and 51 RBI in 113 regular-season games split between Pittsburgh and Los Angeles in 2018.

Correa (nose) underwent surgery to repair a deviated septum Monday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Correa acknowledged that he was having issues breathing on the diamond during games this past year, so he elected to go the surgical route in order to correct this problem before the 2019 campaign. On the flip side, the shortstop stated that he doesn't expect to require back surgery this offseason after battling a back injury dating back to late June. Across 110 games this past year, he slashed .239/.323/.405 and will benefit from a few months of rest to get back to 100 percent.

Seager (elbow/hip) is close to beginning a throwing program, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Seager is currently working his way back from a pair of procedures he underwent during the season -- Tommy John surgery in May followed by a procedure in August to repair a torn left hip labrum. While the shortstop has yet to resume throwing or running, he's expected to do so in time for him to be ready for Opening Day, barring any setbacks.

Swanson underwent surgery Wednesday to remove a loose body from his left wrist. He's expected to be fully operational prior to spring training, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Swanson was forced to miss the final week of the regular season (and the NLDS) after suffering a partially torn ligament in his left hand. The shortstop apparently sustained a wrist injury as well, though this should be considered more of a "cleanup procedure" than anything and all signs point toward the 24-year-old being ready to go without any restrictions or limitations when spring training commences. In 136 games this year, he slashed .238/.304/.395 with 14 home runs, 59 RBI and 10 stolen bases.

Florimon elected to become a free agent Saturday, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Florimon will test the open market rather than accept his outright assignment to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. The utility man appeared in just 50 games for the Phillies in 2018 due to a broken foot, hitting .225/.276/.423 with two homers and five RBI.

Galvis did not receive a $17.9 million qualifying offer from the Padres before Friday's deadline, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Galvis is set to hit the open market for the first time in his career after spending six seasons with the Phillies and one with the Padres. The soon-to-be 29-year-old appeared in all 162 games for San Diego in 2018, hitting .248/.299/.380 with 13 homers and eight stolen bases.

Alberto was claimed off waivers by the Yankees on Friday.

Alberto was subsequently added to the Yankees' 40-man roster following this move. The 26-year-old played in just 13 games for the Rangers last year, hitting .185/.241/.259 with two doubles in 30 plate appearances. He will serve as infield depth for New York heading into the 2019 campaign.

Betts was named the 2018 American League Most Valuable Player on Thursday.

The awards keep piling up for Betts, who was also honored with a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger for his stellar 2018 campaign. The 26-year-old was incredible across the board for the World Series champs, joining the 30-30 club (32 homers, 30 stolen bases) while leading the majors in batting average (.346), slugging percentage (.640) and runs scored (129). Betts has solidified himself as one of the bonafide five-tool superstars in the league.

Yelich was named the 2018 National League Most Valuable Player on Thursday.

Yelich, who received all but one first-place vote, was deservedly rewarded for his breakout season in 2018. In his first year with the Brewers, the 26-year-old led the National League in batting average (.326) and OPS (1.000) while also notching personal bests in homers (36), stolen bases (22), RBI (110) and runs scored (118). An impressive stretch run -- during which he hit .370/.508/.804 with 10 homers, 34 RBI, seven stolen bases and a 16:24 K:BB in September (27 games) -- ultimately helped Yelich beat out NL Central-rival Javy Baez for the award (while also helping the Brewers reach the NLCS).

Luplow (abdomen) was traded to Cleveland from Pittsburgh on Wednesday along with Max Moroff in exchange for Erik Gonzalez, Tahnaj Thomas and Dante Mendoza.

Luplow played in 37 games at the big-league level this past season, slashing .185/.272/.359 with three home runs, seven RBI and two stolen bases in 103 plate appearances. The 25-year-old required an appendectomy procedure in late September but is likely back to 100 percent already, so there should be no cause for concern regarding his status entering spring training. Luplow will get a chance to crack the Indians' Opening Day roster, though he could wind up spending a majority of his time in the minors for the third straight year after debuting for the Pirates in 2017.

Pollock declined the Diamondbacks' one-year, $17.9 million qualifying offer and became a free agent Monday, Jon Heyman of FancredSports.com reports.

Pollock will enter free agency for the first time in his career after hitting .257/.316/.484 with 21 homers and 13 stolen bases across 113 games in 2018. The outfielder has five-tool potential when healthy, though injuries have been an issue for him in the past.

Harper declined the Nationals' one-year, $17.9 million qualifying offer and became a free agent Monday, Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reports.

Nobody expected Harper to accept this offer, as the 26-year-old superstar is looking to sign what is likely to be the largest free-agent contract of the offseason. While he got off to a slow start in 2018, Harper still finished the season with an .889 OPS, 34 homers and 100 RBI while leading the majors with 130 walks.

Holliday intends to continue his playing career during the 2019 season, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.

After hitting free agency last winter, Holliday went unsigned until late July, when he reunited with the Rockies on a minor-league contract. The 38-year-old was added to the big-league roster just under a month later and made an impact for the Rockies during their run to the postseason, slashing .283/.415/.434 across 65 plate appearances. Given his age and limited defensive utility at this stage of his career, Holliday may have to settle for another minor-league deal with the Rockies or another club this offseason, but he proved in the second half of 2018 that he's still capable of making an impact with the bat as a part-time player.

DeGrom won the 2018 National League Cy Young Award on Wednesday.

As expected, deGrom ran away with the award, receiving 29 of 30 first-place votes after leading the majors with a ridiculous 1.70 ERA across 32 starts (217 innings). The 30-year-old finished with the fewest wins ever (10) for a Cy Young Award-winning starter.

Snell won the 2018 American League Cy Young Award on Wednesday.

Despite pitching just 180.2 innings -- the fewest ever from a Cy Young Award-winning starting pitcher -- Snell narrowly beat out Justin Verlander to win the award for the first time in his career. The lefty put together an impressive breakout campaign in 2018, finishing with a league-best 21 wins (and just five losses), while posting a 1.89 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 11.0 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 across 31 starts.

Corbin declined the Diamondbacks' one-year, $17.9 million qualifying offer and became a free agent Monday, Jon Heyman of FancredSports.com reports.

This was expected, as Corbin is primed for a big payday this offseason following his breakout campaign in 2018. Across 33 starts for Arizona, the 29-year-old southpaw went 11-7 with a 3.15 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 246:48 K:BB (200.0 innings) en route to his second All-Star selection.

Keuchel declined the Astros' one-year, $17.9 million qualifying offer and became a free agent Monday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

As expected, Keuchel will hit the open market after posting a 3.74 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 153:58 K:BB across 34 starts (204.2 innings) for the Astros in 2018. The 30-year-old should draw plenty of interest given his sustained success over the past five seasons (67-45 with a 3.28 ERA across 950.1 innings).

Ryu will accept the one-year, $17.9 million qualifying offer from the Dodgers on Monday, Jon Heyman of FancredSports.com reports.

Ryu will return to Los Angeles for at least one more season. The southpaw was stellar across 15 starts for the National League champions in 2018, posting a 1.97 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 89:15 K:BB across 82.1 innings -- he missed three-and-a-half months with a groin injury. He'll slot back into the middle of the Dodgers' rotation in 2019.

General manager Brian Cashman said Gray "has got a good makeup, I just don't think this is the right spot for him," Matt Ehalt of The Bergen Record reports.

Cashman also said "it's been a year and a half, I'm not going to be Sisyphus pushing the rock up a hill and having it roll back on top of me. It's not working," Erik Boland of Newsday reports. Gray has not met expectations since being acquired by the Yankees at the 2017 July trade deadline, especially struggling this season with a 4.90 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and career-high 9.8 percent walk rate. The soon-to-be 29-year-old is eligible for the final year of arbitration in 2019, but the Yankees could simply decline to tender him a contract -- which would make Gray a free agent. Trade possibilities are likely to be explored, as well.

Jansen will undergo heart surgery Nov. 26 and is expected to be fully recovered prior to spring training, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

As expected, Jansen will require another procedure on his heart after being sidelined with an irregular heartbeat for a couple weeks in August. The 31-year-old previously underwent surgery -- atrial fibrillation -- on his heart six years ago, and this is expected to be the same exact procedure. Jansen wound up returning to the mound earlier than doctors anticipated in late August, and did a fine job helping the Dodgers make it back to the World Series. If all goes according to plan, he will be fully recovered in 2-to-8 weeks, well before spring training commences.

O'Rourke signed a minor-league contract with the Mets on Thursday.

The deal includes an invitation to spring training. O'Rourke was limited to just 14.1 innings across four minor-league levels in 2018 while working his way back from Tommy John surgery. The veteran left-hander last pitched in the majors for the Twins in 2016, when he posted a 3.96 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 24:10 K:BB across 25 innings of relief.

Weickel signed a minor-league contract with the Rangers on Wednesday, Levi Weaver of The Athletic reports.

Weickel spent the majority of the 2018 season repeating High-A, posting a 4.92 ERA and 1.33 WHIP across 19 starts (100.2 innings) for the Down East Wood Ducks before earning a promotion to Double-A Frisco. The 25-year-old posted a 3.46 ERA, 1.69 WHIP and 6:4 K:BB in 13 innings during his first taste of Double-A.

Ynoa signed a minor-league contract with the Royals on Tuesday.

Ynoa didn't play affiliate ball in 2018 after being cut loose by the White Sox in March. He appeared in the Dominican Winter League, however, posting a 0.87 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and 13:4 K:BB through 10.1 innings. It's unclear if the deal includes an invitation to spring training at this point. Ynoa, who last pitched in the majors for the White Sox in 2017, owns a career 4.42 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 53:39 K:BB across parts of two major-league seasons (59 innings).

Wright underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Monday and is expected to be ready to pitch for the 2019 season, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Wright picked up a knee injury during the first game of the ALDS against New York, and he didn't appear for the rest of the postseason. He'll have nearly the entire offseason to recover from the procedure and should enter spring training as a strong candidate to win a spot in the starting rotation.

Kimbrel declined the Red Sox's one-year, $17.9 million qualifying offer and became a free agent Monday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

This comes as no surprise, as Kimbrel is expected to command a healthy contract this offseason after putting together another All-Star campaign as Boston's closer. The 30-year-old finished the season with 42 saves, a 2.74 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 96:31 K:BB across 62.1 innings for the World Series champions.

Ohtani (elbow) said his recovery from Tommy John surgery is going well, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports. "I feel like so far it's going really well, no setbacks," Ohtani said. "I think I'm right on schedule and maybe a little bit ahead."

Ohtani underwent surgery at the beginning of October, which will keep him from pitching until 2020 -- though he's still expected to be able to hit in 2019. The two-way star is making encouraging progress, as he recently regained full range of motion in his elbow, according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. That said, a concrete timetable for Ohtani isn't expected to come into focus into at least January.

Ohtani (elbow) is progressing on schedule in his recovery from Tommy John surgery, Maria Torres of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Ohtani went under the knife at the beginning of October, and he's inching closer to regaining full extension of his elbow. While the two-way superstar is making encouraging progress, general manager Billy Eppler said a concrete timetable for Ohtani won't emerge until at least January. Though he won't be able to pitch until 2020, Ohtani is expected to be able to hit in 2019.

Gattis did not receive a $17.9 million qualifying offer from Houston on Friday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Gattis slashed .226/.284/.452 with 25 home runs and 78 RBI in 128 games for the Astros this past season during his fourth year with the organization. He will now hit the free-agent market after making $6.7 million in 2018. Gattis only made a couple appearances behind the plate this season, so it's likely that he will try to find a home in the American League as a designated hitter.

Martinez (ankle) will start in left field and bat cleanup in Game 3 of the World Series against the Dodgers on Friday, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.

There was some concern that Martinez wouldn't be able to take the field Friday night due to an ankle injury, but the 31-year-old didn't have any issues in pre-game drills so he'll be ready to go for Game 3. Since there's no DH in the Dodgers' National League park, Andrew Benintendi will begin Friday's contest on the bench as Martinez patrols left field.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora wouldn't commit to having J.D. Martinez (ankle) start in right field in Friday's Game 3 of the World Series, ESPN reports.

However, Martinez said he planned on playing in Game 3. Martinez aggravated a sore right ankle while running the bases in Game 2, but remained in the game. Without the DH at an NL park, Martinez will need to play the outfield to stay in the lineup. Cora also said he wouldn't move Mookie Betts to second base in order to keep both Jackie Bradley Jr. and Andrew Benintendi in the lineup.

Ohtani underwent successful Tommy John surgery Monday, Maria Torres of the Los Angeles Times reports.

As expected, the procedure was done by Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who was apparently encouraged with how things went. Ohtani won't pitch in 2019 while recovering from the surgery, though he's expected to be able to hit. The 24-year-old two-way superstar did nothing but impress during his first year in the majors, hitting .285/.361/.564 with 22 homers, 61 RBI and 10 steals, while posting a 3.31 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 11.0 K/9 through 10 starts (51.2 innings) prior to suffering the elbow injury.