MLB Player News

Covey went unclaimed on waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Charlotte on Tuesday, per MLB's official transaction log.

The 28-year-old was removed from the 40-man roster last week but will remain with the organization after going through the waiver wire unclaimed. Covey posted a 7.98 ERA, 1.76 WHIP and 41:28 K:BB across 58.2 innings (12 starts) last year, and he has a cumulative 6.54 ERA over his three big-league seasons (63 games).

Stiever will join the White Sox for big-league camp this spring, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Stiever excelled as a starting pitcher for High-A Winston-Salem last season, featuring a 2.15 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 77 strikeouts across 12 starts. The 22-year-old and fifth-round pick in the 2018 draft will have the opportunity to spend a few weeks with the big-league coaching staff, but he is still a year or two away from actually contending for a roster spot.

Burke will be behind to start spring training due to continued shoulder issues, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Burke's shoulder issues date to at least the first half of the 2019 season. The discomfort popped back up in December, eventually requiring an injection. The injection helped get rid of the pain, but he'll nevertheless be behind his teammates to start the year.

Valdez agreed to a minor-league contract with the Orioles earlier in January, Rich Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com reports.

The 34-year-old will return to affiliated ball for the first time since 2017 after spending the past two seasons in the Mexican League. Before heading south of the border, Valdez had logged 20 career appearances in the majors between the Diamondbacks, Athletics and Blue Jays, posting a collective 7.34 ERA. The Orioles likely plan to have Valdez serve as organizational depth at Triple-A Norfolk or Double-A Bowie.

Lakins was designated for assignment by the Red Sox on Friday, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Lakins turned in a solid 2019 season, finishing with a 3.86 ERA and 1.41 WHIP with an 18:10 K:BB over 23.1 frames in his first taste of big-league action. Matt Hall will take Lakins' place on the 40-man roster.

Andriese will come to camp as a starting pitcher following his trade to the Angels on Tuesday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

The 30-year-old owns a career 4.64 ERA in 49 starts. In 2019 for the Diamondbacks, his first season spent entirely in the bullpen, he posted a mediocre 4.71 ERA. Moving to the rotation would give him a better shot at fantasy relevance than a middle-relief role would, though the fact that he'll enter camp as a starter doesn't guarantee that he'll enter the regular season as one.

Andriese was traded from the Diamondbacks to the Angels on Tuesday in exchange for Jeremy Beasley, freelance baseball writer Robert Murray reports.

Andriese appeared in 54 games for the Diamondbacks last year as he operated out of the bullpen for the full season. The right-hander recorded a 4.71 ERA with a 79:27 K:BB over 70.2 innings while working mainly lower-leverage situations. The Angels' bullpen lacks experience, so it's possible Andriese could receive some consideration in more high-leverage situations if he can continue to develop. He also may be in line for a back-end starter's job.

Covey was designated for assignment by the White Sox on Tuesday, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

Covey was removed from the roster to clear space for the newly signed Steve Cishek. Covey's 7.98 ERA in 58.2 innings last season makes him not particularly likely to get claimed on waivers.

Kowar will join the Royals' major-league spring training camp, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

Kowar may not be considered for an Opening Day roster spot, but he doesn't appear to be too far away. In 13 starts for Double-A Northwest Arkansas last season, he recorded a 3.51 ERA and a 25.2 percent strikeout rate.

Pruitt will join a group of pitchers that compete for the fifth spot in Houston's rotation, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The Astros acquired Pruitt from the Rays last week, returning the Houston-area native and former University of Houston standout to the area where he grew up. "We're not sure of the exact role, but I think he can start and I think that puts him in a final group of pitchers competing for our final spot or two," Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow said. The right-hander will compete with Josh James, Brad Peacock and Framber Valdez along with prospects Forrest Whitaker and Cristian Javier. Pruitt does not have minor-league options, so his inclusion on the Opening Day roster appears definite.