MLB Player News
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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 | ATH
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.
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Kaleb Ort RP | LAA
Angels' Kaleb Ort: Booted from 40-man roster
The Angels designated Ort (elbow) for assignment Friday, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.
The transaction frees up a spot on the 40-man roster for the addition of Brent Suter. Ort has been in three organizations already this offseason and could make it a fourth if he's claimed off waivers. He missed the final month of last season with an elbow injury and it's unclear whether he's fully healthy.
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Edwin Uceta RP | TB
Rays' Edwin Uceta: Emerges victorious in arb. hearing
Uceta will earn $1.525 million in 2026 after winning his arbitration hearing against the Rays, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
The Rays had offered Uceta $1.2 million. He will have three more years of arbitration eligibility. Uceta put up a 3.79 ERA and a 32.1 percent strikeout rate last season with the Rays and is expected to be part of a closer-by-committee during the upcoming season.
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Ryan Brasier RP | TEX
Rangers' Ryan Brasier: Agrees to deal with Rangers
The Rangers signed Brasier to a minor-league contract Friday that includes an invitation to spring training, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.
Injuries limited Brasier to 26 regular-season innings with the Cubs in 2025, and he finished with a 4.50 ERA and 20:5 K:BB. The Rangers' bullpen is a weak link, giving Brasier a good shot to make the team, but the 38-year-old is unlikely to rise too high in the hierarchy.
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Josh Fleming RP | TOR
Blue Jays' Josh Fleming: Inks NRI pact with Blue Jays
The Blue Jays signed Fleming to a minor-league contract Wednesday that includes an invitation to spring training, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com reports.
Fleming spent all of the 2025 season at Triple-A Tacoma in the Mariners organization, collecting a 4.91 ERA and 44:29 K:BB over 84.1 innings. The 29-year-old lefty has plenty of past experience as a starting pitcher but has primarily been a reliever the last three years, and that's likely how he'll be deployed in his projected destination of Triple-A Buffalo.
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Kyle Finnegan RP | DET
Tigers' Kyle Finnegan: Looks like setup option
With Kenley Jansen the favorite to open the season as Detroit's closer, per the Tiger Territory podcast, Finnegan will likely need to settle for a setup role.
Jansen leads all active MLB players and is fourth all time with 476 career saves, so it's not too surprising that manager A.J. Hinch figures to look the veteran's way first. Finnegan had 24 saves last season, with four of those coming with the Tigers after arriving via trade at the summer deadline, but it looks like his 2026 total will be significantly lower, unless Jansen gets hurt or struggles out of the gate. Detroit's 2025 saves leader, Will Vest, also figures to be in the setup mix in the seventh and eighth innings.
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Tayler Saucedo RP | LAA
Angels' Tayler Saucedo: Signs NRI pact with Angels
The Angels signed Saucedo to a minor-league contract Wednesday that includes an invitation to big-league spring training.
Saucedo has posted a 4.36 ERA and 112:58 K:BB over 128 frames covering parts of five major-league seasons. The 32-year-old spent most of 2025 in the minors and faces an uphill battle to make the Opening Day roster, even in an unsettled Angels bullpen.
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Kenley Jansen RP | DET
Tigers' Kenley Jansen: Named favorite to close by manager
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch indicated Wednesday on the Tiger Territory podcast that Jansen will open the season as the team's favorite to serve as closer.
Speaking about his high-leverage relief options, Hinch said, "I think they're all going to get saves," before adding that "I think we can pretty much guess how it's gonna go given that one of them has a historic number of saves." The latter comment was in reference to Jansen, who is 24 saves away from 500 for his career. It doesn't mean the 38-year-old will finish the 2026 season as the Tigers' closer, but it's a safe bet Jansen will open the year as Hinch's first choice to handle save opportunities. Will Vest and/or Kyle Finnegan would be next-in-line if Jansen slips up. Jansen's strikeout rate dipped to a career-low 24.4 percent in 2025 with the Angels, but he remained effective, posting a 2.59 ERA and 0.95 WHIP while notching 29 saves.