Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball

Freeman also said Team Canada - for whom he has played in both of the last two WBC tournaments -supported his decision in withdrawing for the tournament. The veteran's parents are both from Ontario, Canada, so he is eligible to represent the team due to his dual citizenship. "I wasn't (going to be) able to go out there and play and be in Puerto Rico (for the group stage games) and be that far from my family," Freeman said. "I needed to be close to California."

The Rays announced they've designated left-hander Ken Waldichuk for assignment. That's the corresponding 40-man roster move for infielder Ben Williamson, acquired from Seattle in tonight's three-team trade that sent All-Star utility player Brendan Donovan to the Mariners. Tampa Bay picked up Waldichuk in a DFA trade with Atlanta a few weeks ago. They're his third organization of the offseason. The Braves had claimed him off waivers from the A's, who had themselves designated him for assignment after trading for Jeff McNeil.

This will be Bowman's third stint with Minnesota. He signed a minor league deal over the 2023-24 offseason and made the team by the middle of April. He made five appearances before being designated for assignment and traded to the Diamondbacks. Bowman bounced around throughout the '24 season and circled back to Minnesota on another minor league contract in July. He triggered an opt-out six weeks later and spent the following year with the Orioles and Astros.

The Seattle Mariners are nearing a deal to acquire infielder/outfielder Brendan Donovan from the St. Louis Cardinals as part of a three-way trade that also includes Tampa Bay Rays, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan.

"I didn't have a conversation, per se, with the team," Sasaki said through his interpreter at DodgerFest. "It was really up to the team. You know, it was really the team that decided. But for me, my mentality is it's going to be a lot of competition to earn the spot in the rotation, so that's my mindset going into Spring Training."

Graterol struggled with his shoulder in 2024, landing on the injured list during spring training due to a shoulder injury. He returned to the team in September, but went straight back to the injured list, spending the majority of the Dodgers' World Series run on the sidelines. The 27-year-old returned for the World Series, though, and made three appearances. He underwent surgery shortly after the season, and missed the entirety of the 2025 season with his injury.

Allard, 28, is a soft-tossing swingman. He hasn't always been effective, with a 5.34 earned run average in his career, but he's coming off a good season in Cleveland. The Guards signed him to a minor league deal almost exactly one year ago today. He bounced on and off the roster a couple of times throughout the season. He gave the club 65 innings over 33 appearances with a 2.63 ERA while averaging just over 90 miles per hour with his four-seamer and sinker.

The agreement is a homecoming of sorts for O'Keefe. The veteran catcher made his MLB debut with Seattle back in 2022. He appeared in 10 games with the Mariners from 2022 to 2023. O'Keefe went to Spring Training with the Twins the following year, but was cut in March. He landed in Kansas City as a minor league free agent. He launched 18 home runs with a 130 wRC+ in 72 games with Omaha in 2024.

Ever since Hunter Greene stepped foot on campus at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame High as a 14-year-old freshman, everyone has predicted stardom in baseball. But one day, it will be remembered how much he has done to help inspire and encourage the next generation of students to follow their dreams. Greene, the No. 2 draft pick of the Cincinnati Reds in 2017, has become a member of the team's starting rotation while continuing to serve as a role model for others.

The Angels have signed outfielder to a minor league contract, The Athletic's Will Sammon reports. Siri will be invited to the Halos' big league spring camp, according to the New York Post's Jon Heyman, and he'll earn $1.6MM if he makes Los Angeles' 26-man roster. Siri has opt-out dates at the end of Spring Training and on June 1 if the Angels haven't already selected his contract, as per Ari Alexander of 7 News. More to come....

There are a lot of great ball clubs out there with great teams, and they all have unique things that make them great," Tucker said. "But kind of like I said, I think this organization from the top down is first-class, and the team that these guys put together and assembled to give a great product for the fan base and the city to go out there and compete for a championship kind of speaks for itself.

Rucker began his college career at Gonzaga, so this deal with the M's could represent a return to the Pacific Northwest if the righty is able to break camp with the team. After transferring to BYU later in his NCAA days, Rucker was an 11th-round selection by the Cubs in the 2016 draft, and he broke into the bigs with Chicago in 2021.

It has been over three years since Fernandez last pitched in a Major League game. He had a brief stint with the Chiba Lotte Marines in 2024 but his time in Japan was mostly spent recovering from injury. Beyond that cup of coffee in NPB, Fernandez pitched at the Triple-A level with the Blue Jays and Nationals in 2023, and with the Royals' and Mets' top affiliates last season. Over 43 combined Triple-A innings in 2025, Fernandez posted a 4.40 ERA and a very impressive 29.5% strikeout rate, but also an inflated 14% walk rate.

Before the 2022 season, Heineman signed a minor league deal with the Jays. After a handful of games with the team, he was designated for assignment and claimed by the Pittsburgh Pirates. The following season, the Jays traded for Heineman, before he was claimed off waivers by the Boston Red Sox at the end of the 2023 season. In September of 2024, Heineman was claimed off waivers by the Jays.

Jacobs was the best of all last season, going 11-1. He had 103 strikeouts and 13 walks in 70 innings. Zimmerman, a 6-foot-6 left-hander, is the best pro prospect because of his size and potential. Van Scoyoc and Cohen will be a formidable one-two duo for Palos Verdes. They all know and like each other, so it should be fun for fans and players when they face off.

The Angels agreed to re-sign third baseman Yoan Moncada to a one-year deal last week, but that deal still has yet to be made official. It's unclear what's caused the delay, as other clubs with agreements signed at a similar time have officially announced those deals. Regardless, an announcement figures to happen in the near future given that spring training is just around the corner.

The rumours have been swirling for over a week now, but the official word has come down from the Toronto Blue Jays: right-hander Yariel Rodriguez will be pitching for Team Cuba at the World Baseball Classic later this spring. Rodriguez is no stranger to the WBC stage, making two starts for the national squad at the 2023 tournament. Across 7 1/3 innings, Rodriguez allowed just five hits and two earned runs with 10 strikeouts.

All-Star shortstop Jacob Wilson and the Athletics reached agreement on a seven-year contract that includes a club option for an eighth season, the team announced Friday, adding another premium young player to an impressive core as the franchise prepares to move to Las Vegas. The contract is worth $70 million, sources told ESPN. Wilson, 23, finished second in American League Rookie of the Year voting last year after hitting .311/.355/.444 with 13 home runs and 63 RBIs in 125 games.