It's a magical feeling. I can imagine with the fans it'll be a crazy atmosphere. First, I saw the fans at the airport saying 'Go, Corinthians! Go, Corinthians!' There's a lot of passion from the fans, which is amazing to see. The facilities are amazing. The lads welcomed me with open arms, the coach, the CEO have been really good to me.
Yates gives the Angels yet another veteran reliever with some closing experience who's in need of a rebound - in his case, ahead of what'll be his age-39 season. The Halos will hope to finally get a full workload out of Robert Stephenson in the final season of his three-year, $33MM contract. They've also signed former Jays closer Jordan Romano and veteran reliever Drew Pomeranz to low-cost, one-year contracts this offseason as well.
10:04pm: The Rays are closing in on a deal with free agent left-hander Steven Matz, reports Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times. The deal is still pending a physical. Matz spent the 2025 season working out of the bullpen. The 11-year big league veteran split the season between the Cardinals and Red Sox. He combined for 76 2/3 innings of 3.05 ERA ball.
Ponce was selected 55th overall in the 2015 draft, but didn't have much of a big league career. The right-handed pitcher made his big league debut five seasons later with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2020, posting a 3.18 ERA and 6.66 FIP in 17 innings pitched. He made 15 more appearances the following season, authoring a 7.04 ERA and 4.94 FIP in 38.1 innings pitched.
The Toronto Blue Jays have acquired arguably the top free-agent pitcher on the market, signing right-hander Dylan Cease to a seven-year, $210 million deal. This addition is a massive boost to the rotation. After the Blue Jays fell just short in the 2025 World Series, management decided to make a splash. This signing is a major statement to both the fanbase and the league, signalling their intent to return to the Fall Classic.