MLB Player News
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Dominic Hamel RP | NYY
Yankees' Dom Hamel: Sent outright to Triple-A
Hamel was sent outright to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Monday.
Hamel lost his spot on 40-man roster Wednesday but failed to draw any interest on the waiver wire. He struggled at Triple-A Syracuse a season ago, accruing a 5.32 ERA across 67.2 innings.
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Kaleb Ort RP | LAA
Angels' Kaleb Ort: Reporting to Triple-A
Ort (elbow) was sent outright to Triple-A Salt Lake on Monday.
Ort lost his spot on the 40-man roster Friday after the club signed Brent Suter. After going unclaimed on waivers, Ort will report to Triple-A to prepare for the upcoming 2026 campaign. The status of his elbow remains unclear at this time.
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Emmanuel Clase RP | CLE
Guardians' Emmanuel Clase: Not permitted in camp
Clase (personal) will remain on leave and is not permitted to report to spring training, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.
Both Clase and Luis L. Ortiz were placed on non-disciplinary paid leave last July amid allegations of sports gambling. The duo were then indicted in November related to an alleged scheme to rig bets on pitches thrown in MLB games. There remains no timeline for a resolution in each case.
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Konnor Pilkington RP | WAS
Tigers' Konnor Pilkington: Earns NRI from Tigers
The Tigers signed Pilkington to a minor-league contract Monday that includes an invitation to spring training, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
Pilkington elected free agency last week after being booted off the Nationals' 40-man roster and has quickly latched on with a new organization. The southpaw put up a 4.45 ERA and 34:17 K:BB over 28.1 innings with Washington last season and is likely ticketed for the Triple-A Toledo bullpen to begin the 2026 season.
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Hunter Strickland RP | LAA
Angels' Hunter Strickland: Re-ups with Angels on MiLB deal
The Angels re-signed Strickland (shoulder) to a minor-league contract Monday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
Strickland missed the entire second half of the 2025 season with a right shoulder strain and it's unclear what his current health status is. The veteran reliever held a 3.27 ERA in 19 appearances for the Angels before getting hurt, but a 14:10 K:BB in 22 innings didn't make a pretty picture. If healthy, Strickland could eventually work his way into a middle-relief role for the Halos, but an initial stint at Triple-A Salt Lake is likely.
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Josh Hader RP | HOU
Astros' Josh Hader: Throwing lightly on flat ground
Hader (shoulder) has been throwing lightly on flat ground and the Astros expect to have a better idea as to his status by the middle of this week, Buster Olney of ESPN reports.
Earlier in the offseason, Hader -- who missed the final seven-plus weeks of last season with a left shoulder strain -- told Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle that he felt "back to normal" and had been throwing off a mound. This latest update suggests there's less certainty about the closer's health, however. If it turns out that Hader had a setback or simply isn't ready, Bryan Abreu would be next in line for saves in the Houston bullpen.
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Nick Martinez RP | CIN
Rays' Nick Martinez: Signs with Tampa Bay
The Rays signed Martinez to a one-year, $13 million contract Monday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
Martinez will turn 36 years old later this summer and pitched in 40 games for the Reds last season, making 26 starts. He posted a 4.45 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 116:42 K:BB across a career-high 165.2 innings. Capable of starting or working out of the bullpen, Martinez is expected to be part of the Rays' rotation, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.
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Keegan Akin RP | BAL
Orioles' Keegan Akin: Unsuccessful in arbitration
Akin lost his arbitration case against Baltimore and will earn $2.975 million during the 2026 season, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.
Akin had filed for $3.375 million. The lefty reliever is expected to be one of the Orioles' top setup men in 2026 after finishing last year with eight saves, 16 holds and a 3.41 ERA in 64 appearances.
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Scott Barlow RP | CIN
Athletics' Scott Barlow: Nets one-year deal with Athletics
The Athletics signed Barlow to a one-year, $2 million contract Friday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.
He will have the opportunity to earn an additional $1.3 million in incentives. Barlow spent the 2025 season with the Reds, finishing the regular season with a 4.21 ERA and 75:45 K:BB over 68.1 innings. The 33-year-old hasn't had an ERA below 4.21 or WHIP below 1.36 since 2022, but with 59 career saves, Barlow has easily the most closer experience on the Athletics' roster. That alone should put him in the mix for saves, but even if Barlow wins the job, he will be a poor bet to retain it.
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Brent Suter RP | LAA
Angels' Brent Suter: Latches on with Angels
The Angels signed Suter to a one-year, $1.25 million major-league contract Friday, Taylor Blake Ward of Baseball America reports.
Suter will join the Halos for the 2026 season after spending the last two years in Cincinnati. The 36-year-old reliever appeared in 48 games with the Reds last season, posting a 4.52 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 53:18 K:BB across 67.2 regular-season innings. He's the fourth significant addition to the Angels' bullpen this offseason, as the team already added Jordan Romano, Drew Pomeranz and Kirby Yates through free agency.