MLB Player News
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Albert Abreu RP | CIN
Albert Abreu: Headed overseas
Abreu signed a contract with the Chunichi Dragons of Nippon Professional Baseball on Monday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
Abreu returned from Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball for the 2025 season and joined Cincinnati on a minor-league deal, but he was unable to gain much traction, accruing a 5.79 ERA and 1.95 WHIP over 23.1 frames at Triple-A Louisville. He'll retreat overseas with the hope of finding more success.
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Steven Matz RP | BOS
Rays' Steven Matz: Latches on with Tampa Bay
Matz agreed to a two-year contract with the Rays on Monday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
Matz will suit up for the sixth different team in his veteran career after coming to terms on what's believed to be a multi-year contract with Tampa Bay. The southpaw was used in a variety of scenarios during the 2025 campaign with Boston and St. Louis, which included him securing the first two saves of his big-league career in five chances. Matz will presumably be in store for high-leverage opportunities in 2026 with the Rays.
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James Karinchak RP | CHW
Braves' James Karinchak: Lands deal with Atlanta
Karinchak signed a minor-league contract with Atlanta on Monday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.
Karinchak will receive a new opportunity with Atlanta after failing to make his way to the big leagues while with the White Sox during the 2025 campaign. His last major-league action dates back to the 2023 campaign while with Cleveland, posting a 3.23 ERA with a 52:28 K:BB across 39.0 innings. Karinchak will presumably begin the 2026 campaign at Triple-A Gwinnett and serve as organizational depth.
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Bryan Mata RP | BOS
Bryan Mata: Inks deal overseas
Mata has signed a contract in Japan, Chris Henrique of BostonSportsJournal.com reports.
Mata struggled to a 5.48 ERA and 1.68 WHIP with 93 strikeouts over 67.1 innings with Triple-A Worcester, so he's elected to try his luck elsewhere in 2026. He played at Triple-A in 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 but was never tapped to make his big-league debut while in Boston's farm system.
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A.J. Minter RP | NYM
Mets' A.J. Minter: Questionable for Opening Day
Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said Monday that Minter (lat) is questionable for Opening Day, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
Minter underwent season-ending left lat surgery in early May and it's unclear where exactly he is in the rehab process. Stearns noted that if Minter is not ready for Opening Day, his absence is expected to be brief. The southpaw exercised his $11 million player option for 2026 and is poised to fill a key setup role for the Mets, if healthy.
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Adrian Morejon RP | SD
Padres' Adrian Morejon: Will stay in relief role
Padres manager Craig Stammen said Monday that Morejon will remain in the bullpen next season, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com reports.
Morejon has past starting experience and the Padres had considered moving him into their rotation in 2026. However, it's been decided to keep the lefty in a relief role instead. Morejon has posted a 2.42 ERA and 141:38 K:BB over 137.1 regular-season innings as a full-time reliever since the start of the 2024 campaign. The Padres are also keeping Mason Miller in a relief role, so Morejon likely won't see many, if any, save chances unless Miller gets injured.
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Daison Acosta RP | WAS
Padres' Daison Acosta: Grabs MLB deal from Padres
The Padres signed Acosta to a one-year contract Monday.
Acosta has never pitched in the big leagues but received a major-league deal from the Padres after holding a 2.42 ERA and 72:27 K:BB over 52 innings across three minor-league levels in the Nationals organization in 2025. The 27-year-old has minor-league options remaining and will likely begin the 2026 season at Triple-A El Paso.
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Chase Silseth RP | LAA
Angels' Chase Silseth: Will be used as reliever in 2026
Angels general manager Perry Minasian said Monday that Silseth will be used as a reliever in 2026, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports.
All 10 of Silseth's appearances for the Angels in 2025 came out of the bullpen, and 11 of his 18 outings at Triple-A Salt Lake were in relief. The 25-year-old is out of minor-league options and will likely begin next season in a middle relief capacity.
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Ben Joyce RP | LAA
Angels' Ben Joyce: In mix to close games in 2026
The Angels could turn to Joyce (elbow) as their closer during the 2026 season, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports.
General manager Perry Minasian indicated Monday that he's undecided whether the team needs to add an established closer from outside the organization. If it doesn't, Joyce and Robert Stephenson (elbow) appear to be the top in-house candidates for the role. Both pitchers, however, are coming off injuries, with Joyce missing most of 2025 following surgery to repair the labrum in his right shoulder. It's unclear where Joyce is currently at in his throwing program, and it's also not a given that his stuff will return to what it was pre-surgery, making him an iffy guy to count on for 2026.
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Robert Stephenson RP | LAA
Angels' Robert Stephenson: Could get shot to close in 2026
Stephenson (elbow) could get an opportunity to serve as the Angels' closer next season, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports.
General manager Perry Minasian said Monday that the team is undecided whether it will add an established closer to replace free agent Kenley Jansen. As things stand right now, Stephenson and Ben Joyce (shoulder) appear to be the top in-house candidates for the role. Stephenson missed the entire 2024 season following UCL reconstruction with an internal brace, and he was limited to just 12 appearances for the Angels and eight rehab outings in 2025 because of more arm issues. The righty finished this past season on the injured list with right elbow inflammation, and it's unclear whether he's been able to have a normal offseason throwing program. Stephenson is owed $11 million in 2026 and the Angels have a $2.5 million option on him for 2027 that vested after he needed UCL surgery.