MLB Player News

Padres manager Bob Melvin told reporters that Pomeranz (elbow) will likely be limited to start spring training, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Pomeranz didn't pitch at all in 2022 while he recovered from flexor tendon surgery over the summer of 2021 . The southpaw has been an effective option when he's healthy, and Melvin believes that he'll be ready for the start of the season even with limitations to begin the Cactus League. In his 44.1 innings of work in 2020-21 before the injury, Pomeranz registered a 1.62 ERA and 59:20 K:BB over 47 appearances.

Puk was traded from the Athletics to the Marlins in exchange for JJ Bleday on Saturday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

Puk was expected to compete for a rotation spot with the Athletics this spring, but now will head to the Marlins, and will likely be a member of the Miami bullpen. The left-hander is not long removed from being considered among the top left-handed pitching prospects in baseball, but he has battled injuries and worked exclusively in relief since he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2017. He was effective in that role in 2022 with a 3.12 ERA and 76:23 K:BB over 66.1 innings for the A's. Puk could battle for a high-leverage role for the Marlins in 2023.

De La Rosa agreed to a minor-league contract with the Dodgers on Saturday.

De La Rosa has spent the last four seasons with the Yomiuri Giants in Japan, and posted a 2.53 ERA with 33 saves over his 137 appearances in the NPB. The right-hander hasn't appeared in an MLB game since 2017 as a member of the Diamondbacks. He will provide Triple-A Oklahoma City with some depth for the 2023 campaign.

Reyes (shoulder) signed a one-year, $1.1 million contract Saturday with the Dodgers, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

It comes with a $3 million club option for 2024, and there are performance-based escalators that could push the total value of the deal up near $10 million. Reyes has battled a range of different injuries throughout his career, and he did not pitch at any level in 2022 because of a shoulder issue that required surgery in May. The 28-year-old right-hander is a former top-10 overall prospect and he racked up 29 saves as the Cardinals' primary closer in 2021. Toribio notes that Reyes will likely miss "at least a few months" to begin the 2023 campaign but has generally "looked good in his recovery" from the shoulder procedure.

Chafin signed a one-year, $6.25 million contract Saturday with the Diamondbacks, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

The deal carries another $1 million in performance-based bonuses, per Rosenthal. Jon Heyman of the New York Post adds that there is also a club option for 2024, which comes in at $7.25 million with a $750,000 buyout. Chafin turned down a $6.5 million player option with the Tigers back in November after posting an impressive 2.83 ERA and 67:19 K:BB over 57.1 innings in 2022. The 32-year-old lefty already looks like one of the best high-leverage options in Arizona's patchwork bullpen and he could very well contend for save chances as the 2023 campaign plays out.

Naile cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment Friday to the Cardinals' Triple-A affiliate in Memphis.

The right-hander was pushed off the Cardinals' 40-man roster earlier this week following the acquisition of Anthony Misiewicz. Naile, 30, surrendered five earned runs over his first nine major-league innings with St. Louis in 2022.

Fulmer agreed to a contract with the Cubs on Friday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

The terms of the deal are not yet known. Fulmer's velocity and strikeouts were down a bit in 2022 but he remained mostly effective, posting a 3.39 ERA and 61:28 K:BB over 63.2 innings for the Tigers and Twins. The 29-year-old has some closing experience and could be in the mix to get some saves as part of a Cubs bullpen which lacks established high-leverage options.

De La Rosa signed a minor-league contract with the Dodgers on Friday.

It's a homecoming of sorts for the right-hander, who came up in the Dodgers' system and debuted for them all the way back in 2011. De La Rosa, who turns 34 next month, has spent the last four years as a reliever with the Yomiuri Giants in Japan. He hasn't appeared in a major-league game since 2017.

Alvarado agreed to a one-year, $3.45 million contract with the Phillies on Friday to avoid arbitration.

The two sides met at the midpoint of the figures they exchanged last month, Daniel Alvarez-Montes of ElExtraBase.com reports. Alvarado was actually optioned to the minors by the Phillies after a rough start to last season but was dominant after returning with a 1.66 ERA and 64:14 K:BB over 38 innings covering his last 42 appearances.

The Cardinals designated Naile for assignment Wednesday.

Naile loses his roster spot to make room for newly acquired Anthony Misiewicz, whom the Cardinals traded for Wednesday. With a 5.00 ERA across nine innings in his debut season in 2022, Naile could earn a call-up at some point during the 2023 campaign.