MLB Player News
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Robinson Ortiz RP | SEA
Mariners' Robinson Ortiz: Traded to Seattle
Ortiz was traded from the Dodgers to the Mariners in exchange for minor-league pitcher Tyler Gough (elbow) on Sunday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
Ortiz was just added to Los Angeles' 40-man roster Nov. 6, but he will now head to the Mariners organization. The left-hander began the 2025 campaign with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga, but he was able to work his way all the way up to Triple-A Oklahoma City, posting a 2.76 ERA with 14 strikeouts over 15 appearances, including one start, with OKC. Ortiz will look to compete for a spot in the major-league bullpen when Seattle regroups at spring training in February.
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Josh Naylor 1B | SEA
Mariners' Josh Naylor: Sticking with Seattle
Naylor and the Mariners are finalizing a five-year contract Sunday, pending a physical, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Naylor will remain with Seattle after being traded to the team from Arizona in late July. The first baseman compiled a .295/.353/.462 slash line while producing 20 home runs, 92 RBI, 81 runs scored and a career-high 30 stolen bases over 147 regular-season contests with the Diamondbacks and Mariners in 2025. Naylor registered a .299 average with nine homers and 33 RBI in 54 regular-season games with Seattle. The 28-year-old will now hold down the first-base position for the team for a half-decade moving forward.
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Richard Fitts SP | STL
Red Sox's Richard Fitts: Enters winter with no limitations
Fitts (arm) heads into the winter with no limitations, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.
Fitts, who missed the final 30 games of the season due to right arm neuritis, is throwing again and should have a normal offseason, per Boston chief baseball officer Craig Breslow. Injuries to projected rotation members during the spring opened a spot for Fitts early on before he landed on the IL with a pectoral strain. Pending the team's offseason moves -- re-sign Lucas Giolito or add a viable free agent -- Fitts will be part of a group competing for a spot at the back end of the rotation or the bullpen.
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Joey Meneses DH | NYM
Athletics' Joey Meneses: Inks minors deal with A's
Meneses signed a minor-league contract with the Athletics on Saturday, Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com reports.
Meneses spent the entire 2025 campaign with the Mets' Triple-A affiliate, slashing .264/.321/.444 with 11 homers, 55 RBI and 37 runs scored across 421 plate appearances. Signing with the Athletics figures to give the 33-year-old a higher chance of returning to the majors compared to New York, though he is still likely to spend most of his time at Triple-A Las Vegas.
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Nick Sandlin RP | TOR
Blue Jays' Nick Sandlin: Removed from 40-man
Sandlin (elbow) cleared waivers Saturday and was sent outright to Triple-A Buffalo, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Sandlin was effective in the big leagues in 2025, turning in a 2.20 ERA and 1.16 WHIP across 16.1 regular-season innings with the Jays. However, right elbow inflammation sent him to the injured list in early July, and multiple setbacks in his recovery prevented him from returning. The 28-year-old righty will likely elect free agency and could attract significant attention after posting a 3.19 ERA through his first five MLB seasons.
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Aaron Judge RF | NYY
Yankees' Aaron Judge: Again named AL MVP
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.
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Brian Van Belle RP | TB
Rays' Brian Van Belle: Outrighted after clearing waivers
The Rays outrighted Van Belle (elbow) to Triple-A Durham on Thursday.
Van Belle was diagnosed with a UCL sprain in September, and Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports that the righty had surgery and will miss all of the 2026 season. It's unclear what specific procedure he had, but if it was Tommy John, it would be the second of his career. Van Belle will remain in the organization while he rehabs.
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Luis Guerrero RP | BOS
Red Sox's Luis Guerrero: Outrighted to Triple-A
The Red Sox outrighted Guerrero to Triple-A Worcester on Thursday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.
Guerrero had been designated for assignment last week, and he will remain in the organization after somewhat surprisingly clearing waivers. The hard-throwing reliever has posted a 2.63 ERA but a problematic 19:16 K:BB across 27.1 frames covering parts of two major-league seasons.
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Cam Smith 3B | HOU
Astros' Cam Smith: Not guaranteed roster spot
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.
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Jazz Chisholm CF | NYY
Yankees' Jazz Chisholm: Not engaged in extension talks
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Wednesday that he has yet to discuss a contract extension with Chisholm and his representation, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.
Cashman did note he is open to having "a legitimate conversation about value" with Chisholm, who is currently slated to reach free agency following the 2026 season. Chisholm, who turns 28 in February, has said previously that he wants to remain with the Yankees over the long haul. The second baseman put up the fourth 30-30 season in franchise history in 2025, slashing .242/.332/.481 across 130 regular-season contests.