MLB Player News

Diekman finalized a two-year, $7 million contract with the Red Sox on Tuesday, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports. The contract includes a $4 million club option for 2024.

Diekman and Matt Strahm both reported to Red Sox camp Tuesday, after the two lefty relievers came to terms with Boston on contracts over the weekend. Their additions will give manager Alex Cora some more options in the late innings, as Boston mostly got by with Josh Taylor as its main southpaw reliever in 2021 while Darwinzon Hernandez dealt with injury and ineffectiveness for much of the campaign. Diekman could also factor into Boston's closing picture, though any save chances he might receive would likely come against lefty-heavy lineups. The 35-year-old is coming off a 2021 campaign in which he posted a 3.86 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 83:34 K:BB in 60.2 innings while converting seven saves in 14 chances and adding 14 holds.

The Red Sox signed Diekman on Monday, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Diekman was one of two left-handed relievers recently signed by the Red Sox, the team's first two post-lockout moves. Addressing bullpen needs was the first item both manager Alex Cora and chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom mentioned when first talking with reporters. Pitching coach David Bush said Diekman figures to be in the mix for key spots late in games. "He's had a pretty good track record in leverage innings, leverage opportunities," Bush said. "I think he can get lefties and righties out. We tend not to view guys as specialists, just the way our bullpen works and he fits that." The Red Sox have yet to declare a closer, although Matt Barnes will be prominent late in games if he can shed whatever issues caused him to blow up in the second half of 2021.

Ridings has yet to start throwing due to shoulder and back issues, Max Goodman of SI.com reports.

Ridings has pitched only five big-league innings, though he fared well by posting a 7:2 K:BB and allowing only one earned run across the five frames last season. He could compete for a bullpen role out of spring training if he heals up relatively quickly, but he may otherwise be destined to start the season at the Triple-A level.

Hall could make his MLB debut this season and may not take long to get there, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Hall has yet to reach Triple-A and only made seven Double-A starts last season before suffering a stress reaction in his elbow, but the Orioles are clearly quite high on their 2017 first-round pick. Control is an issue for the lefty, as evidenced by his 12.5 percent walk rate, but that was paired with a 43.8 percent strikeout rate and a 60.4 percent groundball rate, helping him to a 3.13 ERA.

Rodriguez has resumed throwing as he works his way back from shoulder surgery, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

Rodriguez underwent capsule repair surgery in November and is expected to miss most of the upcoming season. While his recovery appears to be going as planned thus far, he's still a long way from returning to game action.

Iglesias has yet to report to camp due to personal reasons, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

The reason for Iglesias' absence and his expected arrival date are not yet clear. As long as he's able to show up soon, he should be up to speed by Opening Day, but pitchers like Mike Mayers and Aaron Loup could see save chances early in the year if he needs a bit more time to get ready.

Montero (lat) has yet to arrive at camp due to visa issues, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Several players around the league are dealing with similar issues, but Montero should still have time to get ready for the season if the delay doesn't last too long. Montero's availability is also in question due to the lat injury which kept him out down the stretch last year, though it should become clear once he arrives whether or not that's still an issue.

Puk will be stretched out this spring and given a shot to win a rotation spot, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Puk's undeniable talent earned him the sixth-overall selection in the 2016 draft, but injuries have so far prevented him from living up to expectations. The 26-year-old lefty has only thrown 24.2 major-league innings, all of which have come in relief, and his 4.74 ERA isn't particularly good. It looked as though his clearest path to fantasy relevance may have been through fully committing to the bullpen and eventually pushing for the closer job, but it now appears as though he could have a chance at a starting role. The Athletics will likely need as much rotation help as they can get, as they've already traded Chris Bassitt to the Mets and could potentially deal Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea as well.

White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said Monday that Kelly (biceps) isn't expected to be ready to pitch by Opening Day, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

Hahn provided the update on Kelly's condition after the White Sox officially confirmed the reliever's signing on a two-year, $17 million contract. Though Hahn acknowledged that Kelly himself would probably say that he's on track for the start of the season, the White Sox are inclined to take a more cautious approach with the right-hander while he continues to build back up from a nerve issue related to the biceps strain he sustained during the NLCS while pitching for the Dodgers last fall. Once healthy, Kelly is expected to slot into a middle-relief role for a White Sox bullpen that is overflowing with impressive arms.

Munoz has yet to report to Mariners camp as of Monday due to visa issues, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.

In addition to Munoz, visa issues have also prevented outfield prospect Alberto Rodriguez and non-roster utility man Erick Mejia from arriving for the start of camp. After inking a four-year contract extension in November, Munoz is expected to fill a high-leverage role out of the bullpen in 2022, but his absence to begin camp could hurt his chances of factoring into the Mariners' murky closing picture.