MLB Player News

The Rockies designated Fernandez for assignment Wednesday, Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com reports.

Fernandez struggled in his first stint in the majors in 2025, slashing .225/.265/.348 with four home runs and a 29.9 percent strikeout rate over 52 games. It's still a surprise the Rockies are exposing him to waivers, given that he just turned 23 earlier this month and was considered a top-100 prospect a couple years ago. There's a chance Fernandez -- who hit .284/.347/.502 with 13 long balls in 64 contests at Triple-A Albuquerque in 2025 -- gets claimed by another team.

Lee will move to right field after the Giants signed Harrison Bader to patrol center field, Maria Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Lee grades out as a negative defensive center fielder by most metrics, and Bader on the other hand grades out spectacularly, which is especially important at Oracle Park. Drew Gilbert and Jerar Encarnacion could lose out on playing time following the Bader signing.

The Cardinals signed Velazquez to a minor-league contract Monday that includes an invitation to spring training.

Velazquez split the 2025 season between the Triple-A level in the Royals and Pirates organizations and also spent time in the Mexican League. The 27-year-old has cranked 31 home runs in 615 plate appearances at the major-league level, but that's come with just a .212/.286/.433 career batting line and 28.8 percent strikeout rate. The Cardinals have been looking for a right-handed-hitting reserve outfielder, which gives Velazquez a chance to make the team even if the odds aren't high.

Matos could be the player whose outlook is most negatively impacted by the Giants' signing of Harrison Bader, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Matos had been set to compete for playing time in right field, but Jung Hoo Lee will now shift to that position to accommodate the arrival of Bader in center field. He's managed just a .231/.281/.369 batting line over parts of three big-league seasons and is out of minor-league options, but Matos will turn only 24 later this week and could be a change-of-scenery candidate if the Giants don't think they can fit him on their roster.

The Giants signed Bader to a two-year, $20.5 million contract Monday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

Rosenthal's colleague, Andrew Baggarly, reported over the weekend that the Giants were expected to pursue Bader, and now the two sides have come together on a deal. Bader is expected to take over in center field for the Giants, shifting Jung Hoo Lee to right field. The 31-year-old Bader slashed .277/.347/.449 with 17 home runs and 11 steals over 146 regular-season games in 2025 between the Twins and Phillies. He is likely to take a step back offensively in 2026, particularly when factoring in his pitcher-friendly home park.

The Cubs signed Carlson to a minor-league contract Saturday that includes an invitation to spring training, Greg Zumach of The Baseball Tribune reports.

Carlson slashed only .203/.278/.336 across 241 plate appearances for the Orioles in 2025. He's still just 27, but the former top prospect has had little success at the major-league level since a nice rookie season back in 2021. Carlson will likely begin the 2026 campaign as outfield depth at Triple-A Iowa.

Taylor signed a minor-league contract with the Padres on Saturday that includes an invitation to spring training, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Taylor elected free agency Friday after being outrighted by the Mariners, and he'll now attempt to carve out a role for himself with the Padres. The 27-year-old carries just a .532 OPS through 83 career plate appearances in the majors, but he slashed .296/.378/.461 with 86 RBI, 124 runs scored and 44 steals over 137 games at Triple-A Tacoma in 2025.

The Phillies have extended Crawford an invitation to big-league camp during spring training.

The decision comes as no surprise, as Crawford -- while not yet on the 40-man roster -- is expected to open the 2026 season as the Phillies' primary center fielder. He slashed .334/.411/.452 with seven home runs and 46 stolen bases at Triple-A Lehigh Valley in 2025 and is heading into his age-22 season.

McCormick signed a minor-league contract with the Cubs on Thursday that includes an invitation to spring training, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

McCormick has registered a .574 OPS in 383 plate appearances over the last two seasons -- a stark decline from the .786 OPS he logged across his first three years in MLB. The Cubs will take a flier on him with hopes that the 30-year-old outfielder returns to his previous form, though he will likely first have to redeem himself at Triple-A Iowa.

The Rangers traded Cabrera, Gavin Fien, Alejandro Rosario (elbow), Abimelec Ortiz and Devin Fitz-Gerald (shoulder) to the Nationals on Thursday in exchange for MacKenzie Gore, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

Cabrera spent the entire 2025 campaign with the Rangers' Single-A affiliate, where he slashed .256/.364/.366 with 52 RBI, 66 runs scored and 43 stolen bases across 102 games. The Nationals may promote him to High-A Wilmington once the season begins, but the 20-year-old outfielder is likely a couple years out from seeing the big leagues.