MLB Player News

The Twins re-signed Duarte (elbow) to a minor-league contract on Nov. 6.

Duarte was outrighted off the 40-man roster but will remain in the organization while he rehabs from UCL revision surgery. The righty reliever is expected to miss most of the 2025 season.

Okert signed a minor-league contract with the Astros on Nov. 5.

Okert appeared in 44 games for the Twins in 2024, putting up a 5.09 ERA and 1.50 WHIP across 35.1 innings -- his worst statistical season since 2017. The 33-year-old southpaw will have an opportunity to bounce back with the Astros organization, though he will likely need to redeem himself at Triple-A Sugar Land before getting a chance to pitch for Houston.

The Angels designated Zuniga for assignment Tuesday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

The move clears a spot on the 40-man roster for the addition of Travis d'Arnaud, who was signed to a two-year deal Tuesday. Zuniga, 26, posted a 5.09 ERA and 12:8 K:BB over 17.2 innings this season while notching a pair of saves.

Leibrandt signed a minor-league contract with the Yankees on Friday.

Leibrandt elected free agency after being dropped from Cincinnati's 40-man roster in October, and he'll now join the Yankees organization to help fill out the roster at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The 31-year-old southpaw put up a 4.41 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in 87.2 minor-league innings last season across 18 starts.

Mushinski signed a minor-league contract with the Guardians on Friday and received an invitation to spring training, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Mushinski allowed eight earned runs over 11 innings in the big leagues with Houston last season. However, most of his time was spent at Triple-A, where the 28-year-old southpaw posted a 5.44 ERA over 44.2 frames. He will most likely fill in as organizational bullpen depth for the Guardians.

Athletics general manager David Forst said this week that the team isn't considering moving Miller back into a starting role, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

When the Athletics announced last offseason that Miller would be used as a reliever, they didn't rule out the right-hander eventually returning to the rotation. However, it appears that ship has now sailed and Miller's future is in the bullpen. He was one of the best closers in baseball in 2024, posting a 2.49 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 104:21 K:BB over 65 innings. Given his past health issues, it's not a surprise that the team has opted to leave Miller in a role in which he's proven he can stay heathy and effective.

The Angels designated Miller for assignment Thursday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Miller made his big-league debut in 2024 as a 28-year-old, maintaining a 4.15 ERA and 1.62 WHIP across 13 innings while working in relief. He'll remain in the Angels' organization and could have the chance to return to the majors at some point in 2025.

McFarland signed a one-year contract with the Athletics on Thursday.

McFarland put up a 3.81 ERA and 1.24 WHIP over 56.2 innings last year and tallied 19 holds while pitching in high-leverage situations fairly often. He's likely to retain a similar role in his second year with the A's, though opportunities for saves will be limited as long as Mason Miller is still on the team.

Petersen was claimed off waivers by the Blue Jays on Monday.

Petersen has bounced between the Dodgers, Marlins and now the Blue Jays within the last few months. He closed out the 2024 campaign with Miami, posting a 4.76 ERA and 1.76 WHIP with three strikeouts over 5.2 innings (five appearances).

The Tigers outrighted Sammons from the 40-man roster Monday after he cleared waivers.

Sammons appeared in six regular-season games for the Tigers in 2024, and across 27.1 innings he posted a 3.62 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 18:9 K:BB. He spent most of 2024 with Triple-A Toledo, and across 22 outings (20 starts), he posted a 6-7 record with a 4.15 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 102:44 K:BB across 102 innings.