Angels general manager Perry Minasian said Wednesday during a conference call announcing the signing of Yates that the reliever will have to earn closing opportunities, Taylor Blake Ward of The Sporting Tribune reports.

Minasian did point out multiple times that Yates' closer experience as well as a past relationship with pitching coach Mike Maddux were important factors in the Angels giving the veteran hurler a one-year, $5 million contract. The Angels also added former closer Jordan Romano this offseason and have Ben Joyce (shoulder) and Robert Stephenson (elbow) coming back from injury. All four relievers are candidates for saves, and Minasian noted that the decision as to who will close games will be up to manager Kurt Suzuki.

Roa signed a minor-league contract with the Astros on Dec. 20.

Roa made his MLB debut with the Marlins in 2025, throwing three scoreless innings while striking out three batters and walking three. Most of his time was spent in Triple-A, where he posted a 2.83 ERA and 1.10 WHIP across 60.1 frames. The 26-year-old righty is likely to report to Triple-A Sugar Land to begin the 2026 campaign, though he could join the Astros' bullpen at some point if he continues to thrive in the minors.

The Orioles designated Soriano for assignment Monday.

The transaction frees a spot on the 40-man roster for waiver claim Jhonkensy Noel. Soriano himself was a waiver claim of the Orioles earlier this offseason, and he'll go through the waivers process again. The 26-year-old holds a 5.95 ERA and 117:55 K:BB in 118 innings across parts of three seasons in the big leagues.

The Tigers signed Effross to a minor-league contract Monday that includes an invitation to spring training, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Effross has had a difficult time staying healthy the last few years and has yielded 12 runs over just 14 innings over the last two seasons at the major-league level. The 32-year-old spent much of the 2025 campaign at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in the Yankees organization, posting a 6.37 ERA and 23:10 K:BB over 29.2 frames.

The Tigers re-signed Darnell (hip) to a minor-league contract Monday, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Darnell was claimed off waivers and then non-tendered by the Tigers in November, but he will return to the organization on a minor-league pact. The righty reliever underwent hip surgery in September and it's unclear when he might be ready to pitch in games.

The Astros designated Ort (elbow) for assignment Friday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Ort posted a 4.89 ERA and 1.35 WHIP across 46 innings with the Astros in 2025 before missing the final month of the season due to elbow inflammation. He'll now lose his place on Houston's 40-man roster to make room for Tatsuya Imai.

Winckowski (elbow) signed a two-year, minor-league contract with the Blue Jays on Wednesday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Winckowski gave up five earned runs across 11.2 innings with the Red Sox in 2025 before suffering a flexor strain in May that kept him sidelined for the remainder of the season. The 27-year-old righty underwent an internal brace procedure earlier this month to address the issue and is likely to miss most, if not all, of the 2026 season as a result. Once Winckowski is fully recovered, the Jays are expected to build him back up as a starter.

The Blue Jays signed Enright (elbow) to a two-year, minor-league contract Wednesday, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com reports.

Enright underwent Tommy John surgery in October, so he will rehab in the Blue Jays organization with an eye on returning in 2027. The 28-year-old posted a 2.03 ERA and 30:12 K:BB over 31 innings for the Guardians in 2025 before getting hurt and is under team control through 2031, so he could prove to be a savvy long-term investment.

The Angels signed Yates to a one-year contract Tuesday, Ari Alexander of 7 News Boston reports.

Yates made 50 regular-season appearances for the Dodgers in 2025, posting an ugly 5.23 ERA but also a more promising 52:17 K:BB over 41.1 innings. He will turn 39 in March, but Yates still has plenty of bat-missing ability and could be in the mix to close games as part of an unsettled Angels bullpen.

The Blue Jays signed Alcala to a minor-league contract Dec. 18 that includes an invitation to spring training, Ari Alexander of 7 News Boston reports.

Alcala held a 6.22 ERA, 1.75 WHIP and 61:30 K:BB across 55 innings in 2025 between the Twins, Red Sox and Cardinals and was non-tendered by St. Louis in November. The hard-throwing reliever will compete for a spot in the Blue Jays' bullpen but is likely to begin the 2026 campaign at Triple-A Buffalo.