MLB Player News

Tampa Bay traded Pereira (back) and Tanner Murray to the White Sox on Tuesday in exchange for Steven Wilson and Yoendrys Gomez, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The Rays acquired Pereira in a trade with the Yankees in late July. He ended up playing 23 games with Tampa Bay, struggling to a .138/.219/.246 slash line with two homers, eight RBI, two stolen bases and a 38.4 percent strikeout rate over 73 plate appearances before ending the season on the IL due to back inflammation. Pereira will now get a fresh start in Chicago, though to find big-league success and regular playing time, he'll likely need to make more consistent contact.

The Yankees selected Jones' contract from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Tuesday.

Jones totaled 35 home runs and 29 steals with a .933 OPS between Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Double-A Somerset last year, though that was accompanied by a 35.3 percent strikeout rate. The 24-year-old is one of the organization's top prospects and could make his MLB debut in 2026, but he may have a difficult time cracking the lineup depending on how the Yankees' offseason unfolds.

The Rays designated Fraley (oblique) for assignment Tuesday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Timesreports.

The veteran outfielder was claimed off waivers by the Rays in early November but has already lost his place on the 40-man roster. Fraley finished the season on the IL due to an oblique strain and totaled 76 games between Atlanta and Cincinnati. He had a .241/.332/.382 slash line with six home runs and four steals in 217 plate appearances.

The Rays designated Morel for assignment Tuesday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Morel played in 105 games for the Rays last season but was inconsistent at the plate with a .219/.289/.396 slash line and 35.7 percent strikeout rate in 105 plate appearances. The 26-year-old clubbed 26 homers with an .821 OPS for the Cubs in 2023 but posted a .651 OPS over the past two regular seasons.

Colorado traded Ward to Boston on Tuesday in exchange for left-handed reliever Brennan Bernardino, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

Ward is a 26-year-old speedster who stole 57 bases in 64 attempts across Double-A and Triple-A last season. He also batted a healthy .290 over 97 games, but he has very little power, as he went deep just twice in the minors in 2025. Ward has played all three outfield positions as well as second base and third base in the minors, so if he makes it to the majors, he best profiles as a utility player and speed specialist.

The Orioles designated Leon (knee) for assignment Tuesday.

The 27-year-old was claimed off waivers by Baltimore earlier in November but is already off the 40-man roster. Leon spent the 2025 season on the injured list due to knee issues, though he did play in 25 rehab games in the minors.

Grish accepted the one-year, $22.025 million qualifying offer from the Yankees on Tuesday, Jorge Castillo of ESPN.com reports.

The 29-year-old had a breakout 2025 with 34 homers and an .812 OPS in 143 regular-season games, and it's not a major surprise he accepted the qualifying offer given that he had a .651 OPS across the previous three seasons. Grisham should be back in center field for the Yankees in 2026, though it would be a bit surprising if he replicated the elite power production.

Judge was named the American League's Most Valuable Player by the Baseball Writers' Association of America on Thursday.

He narrowly beat out Cal Raleigh to win the third MVP award of his career. Judge hit a career-best .331 across 679 plate appearances during the 2025 regular season while also topping 50 home runs for the third time in his last four campaigns. The 33-year-old played through an elbow injury during the second half of the season but won't require offseason surgery and should be fully healthy for spring training.

Astros general manager Dana Brown said Wednesday that Smith could begin next season at Triple-A Sugar Land "if he hasn't turned the corner," Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Brown remains high on Smith's potential, saying he "could be a star one day," but added that "we're going to need him to be more consistent." Smith forced his way onto the Astros' Opening Day roster with a huge showing in spring training, but he went on to slash just .236/.312/.358 with nine home runs and a 27.8 percent strikeout rate across 134 contests. The rookie started only six of the Astros' final 20 games, including just two of their final 16 tilts versus right-handed pitching. Smith did play a surprisingly solid right field, a position he had never manned before. Slated to turn 23 in February, Smith should enter spring training with a chance to win a starting job, but some seasoning in the minors might not be the worst thing for him and the Astros. The 2024 first-round pick has logged just 32 games and 134 plate appearances at the minor-league level.

Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said Monday that Anthony (oblique) is asymptomatic and will have a normal offseason, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports.

Anthony suffered a left oblique strain in early September that sidelined him for the remainder of the regular season and playoffs. However, the rookie outfielder is heading into the offseason with a clean bill of health. Anthony slashed .292/.396/.463 with eight homers and four steals over 71 contests in his rookie campaign.