MLB Player News

Harvey was added to the Orioles' 40-man roster Monday.

This was merely a formality, as there was no way the Orioles were going to let Harvey, one of their top prospects, get away in the Rule 5 draft. Harvey missed most of 2017 while recovering from Tommy John surgery, but he showed flashes of his old self upon his return, posting a 0.96 ERA and 30:6 K:BB in eight starts (18.2 innings) at the lower levels.

Littell was added to the Twins' 40-man roster Monday, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Acquired from the Yankees in the Jaime Garcia deal, Littell posted a 2.81 ERA in seven starts for Double-A Chattanooga, giving him a 2.69 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 142:41 K:BB overall last season (157 innings). Littell is now protected from the Rule 5 draft, and if he carries his success over to Triple-A next season, he could find his way to the majors before too long.

Gonsalves was added to the Twins' 40-man roster on Monday to protect him from the Rule 5 draft, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

The 23-year-old lefty put up eye-popping numbers at every minor-league stop until he reached Triple-A last season, posting a 5.56 ERA in 22.2 innings. His track record suggests that was just a blip on the radar, and he will head back to Triple-A Rochester in 2018 to put the finishing touches on his minor-league career before finally getting a crack in the big-league rotation. His stuff is not overpowering, although his changeup is a plus pitch, and he projects as a No. 3 or No. 4 starter.

Crockett was designated for assignment by the Indians on Monday.

Crockett was dropped from the 40-man roster in order to open up a spot for the Indians to protect another player from the Rule 5 draft. The 25-year-old spent most of his 2017 season with Triple-A Columbus, compiling a 3.38 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 49:11 K:BB across 48 innings of work. He did appear in four games for the Indians, but wound up allowing two runs in just 1.2 innings (10.80 ERA). He'll take a spin through waivers to determine where he lands for next season.

Rowley was outrighted from Toronto's 40-man roster Monday, Mike Wilner of Sportsnet 590 The Fan reports.

By outrighting Rowley from the 40-man roster, the Blue Jays opened up an additional spot that they can use to protect a player from the Rule 5 draft. Rowley pitched 18.2 innings over six games in the majors last season. In that time he allowed 14 runs on 10 walks and 24 hits, four of which were home runs.

Beck was outrighted off the White Sox's 40-man roster Monday, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

The White Sox needed to clear a couple spots for promising young prospects ahead of the Rule 5 draft, and Beck was one of the roster casualties. It's hardly a surprise as Beck struggled to a 6.40 ERA and 1.66 WHIP in 64.2 innings out of the Chicago bullpen in 2017, and the peripherals suggest things could have been even worse (6.84 FIP, 2.7 percent K-BB%). He throws pretty hard, but Beck may not make 50-plus appearances for a big-league team ever again after his showing this past season.

Jurado was added to the Rangers' 40-man roster on Monday.

This protects Jurado from the Rule 5 draft. He was seen as one of the Rangers' best real-life prospects after the 2016 season, but was very underwhelming last year at Double-A. Jurado logged a 4.59 ERA and abysmal 14.1 percent strikeout rate in a return trip to the Texas League. While he has shown an ability to be effective at times in some very difficult pitching environments, his inability to miss bats makes him pretty uninteresting for fantasy purposes.

Hernandez was added to the 40-man roster Monday.

To protect Hernandez from the Rule 5 draft, the Rangers moved the 21-year-old righty to the 40-man roster. Hernandez spent time at Low-A Hickory and High-A Down East over the course of the 2017 season. Between the two levels, he threw 111.2 innings over 23 games and posted a 4.03 ERA and 1.48 WHIP.

Palumbo (elbow) was added to the Rangers' 40-man roster on Monday.

This move protects him from the Rule 5 draft. He was on his way to establishing himself as the Rangers' best pitching prospect last season when he suffered a torn UCL in late April. He will be out at least until May or June of 2018. Palumbo posted a 0.66 ERA and 22:4 K:BB in 13.2 innings at High-A before undergoing Tommy John surgery. He really broke out in 2016, excelling after moving from the bullpen to the rotation at Low-A. Look for him to return to High-A when he is healthy.

Martin was added to the Rangers' 40-man roster on Monday.

This move protects Martin from the Rule 5 draft. He notched an impressive 90 strikeouts in 84.1 innings (16 starts) at High-A last season, but his 4.70 ERA and 1.53 WHIP were a bit troubling for a 22-year-old hurler. He has a solid repertoire and his 3.52 xFIP suggests a bounce-back season could be coming at Double-A.