MLB Player News

Alvarez was unanimously named the 2026 American League Most Valuable Player on Thursday.

Alvarez enjoyed the best season of his career in 2026, setting new career highs with a .316 batting average, 42 homers, 106 RBI and 105 runs scored across 692 plate appearances in the regular season. His incredible performance and consistency earned him all 30 first-place votes as he captures his first career MVP award. The 29-year-old slugger has posted at least a .950 OPS in four of the last five seasons and has shown no signs of slowing down heading into 2027.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Tuesday that Stanton will remain with the team in spring training, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.

Stanton is entering his final year under contract, as he'll be paid $25 million in 2027 and has a $25 million club option for 2028. He was limited to only 24 regular-season contests in 2026 due to calf issues, and elbow problems kept him to 77 contests in 2025. However, the 37-year-old showed during the 2025 campaign that he can still be productive when on the field, sporting a .944 OPS with 24 homers. Stanton will remain a poor bet to stay off the injured list in 2027, but he should continue to see regular playing time at designated hitter while healthy.

The Guardians claimed Tena off waivers from the Nationals on Friday, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.

Tena was dealt from Cleveland to Washington at the 2024 trade deadline, and he's now returned to his original organization. The 25-year-old infielder slashed only .222/.302/.370 with seven home runs over 114 contests with the Nationals in 2026. Tena does not have minor-league options remaining, so the Guardians are unable to send him to the minors without passing him through waivers first.

The Nationals designated Tena for assignment Monday.

Tena spent the entire 2026 campaign in the majors, but he slashed only.222/.302/.370 with seven home runs over 114 contests. The 25-year-old can play virtually all over the field, but a lack of minor-league options could hurt his appeal on waivers.

Andujar's $8 million mutual option for 2027 was declined Monday.

Andujar will receive a $2.5 million buyout instead and is now a free agent. The 31-year-old was limited to only 74 regular-season tilts in 2026 due to injuy, slashing .259/.303/.423 with five home runs. Andujar ended the season on the injury list with a wrist issue, but he's healthy heading into the offseason.

The Rays have formalized the completion of Diaz's $13 million vesting option for 2027, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Diaz's contract became eligible to vest when Diaz reached 500 plate appearances in August, but he also needed to finish the campaign healthy for the option to kick in. That indeed happened, and the veteran slugger will now be under contract for $13 million next season. Diaz had another strong campaign in 2026, posting a .293/.359/.446 slash line with 22 home runs, 93 runs, 85 RBI and three stolen bases over 154 regular-season games. He batted .333 with two homers in the ALCS to help lead Tampa Bay to the World Series, though he went just 3-for-20 with only one RBI in five games against Milwaukee as the Rays fell short of the title.

The Reds declined Suarez's $16 million mutual option for 2027 on Saturday.

After slugging 49 home runs in 2025, Suarez's production took a step back this season as he slashed .212/.307/.433 with 26 homers, 74 RBI and 50 runs scored across 498 plate appearances. Now a free agent, Suarez still has enough power in his swing that he shouldn't have much trouble finding a team to play for in 2027.

Pederson declined his side of an $18.5 million mutual option for 2027 on Friday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

Pederson had a nice bounce-back season in 2026, collecting an .816 OPS with 26 home runs over 136 contests. Because he's a platoon designated hitter with no defensive value, Pederson could have a limited market this winter despite coming off a strong offensive season.

The Twins declined Bell's $10 million club option for 2027 on Friday.

Bell will be given a $1.25 million buyout instead. The 34-year-old's lone season in Minnesota was a productive one, as he finished with a .255/.319/.419 batting line, 21 home runs and 96 RBI. Bell might have trouble landing a multi-year contract this offseason, but he should be able to find a team willing to give him regular at-bats at designated hitter and/or first base in 2027.

Yoshida is unlikely to return to the Red Sox next season, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Yoshida had a solid showing offensively in 2026 when healthy, slashing .274/.347/.399 with five home runs and a 28:33 BB:K over 87 contests. However, Yoshida is basically unplayable in the outfield, and the Red Sox are already well-stocked with outfielders, anyway. The 33-year-old is owed $18 million in 2027 in his final year under contract, and the Red Sox might be willing to just eat that contract if they're unable to find a trade partner.