MLB Player News

Llovera was added to the Phillies' 40-man roster Wednesday, Meghan Montemurro of The Athletic reports.

The 23-year-old righty is one of the better pitching prospects in a weak Phillies farm system, and this move protects him from the Rule 5 draft. He logged a 4.55 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 72 strikeouts in 65.1 innings at Double-A. While he should continue to be developed as a starter, he profiles as a reliever long term.

Cleavinger was added to the Phillies' 40-man roster Wednesday, Meghan Montemurro of The Athletic reports.

This protects him from the Rule 5 draft. The 25-year-old southpaw has yet to reach Triple-A, but he logged a 3.66 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 83 strikeouts in 51.2 innings out of the bullpen at Double-A.

De Leon was acquired by the Reds from the Rays on Wednesday for cash and a player to be named later.

De Leon spent most of the season at Triple-A Durham, but he did have seven strikeouts with one runs allowed over four frames with the Rays. The 27-year-old made 13 starts at Triple-A and had a 3.51 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 73:27 K:BB across 51.1 innings, though he's more likely to serve as a multi-inning reliever in the majors.

Jerez was designated for assignment Wednesday.

The Pirates needed to clear some 40-man roster spots for players they wanted to protect from the Rule 5 draft, and Jerez is a casualty. He had a 4.35 ERA and 2.03 WHIP in 10.1 innings last year.

Santillan was added to the Reds' 40-man roster Wednesday.

This move protects him from the Rule 5 draft. Santillan struggled in a return trip to Double-A, logging a 4.84 ERA, 1.60 WHIP and 92:54 K:BB in 102.1 innings (21 starts). There have always been concerns that Santillan's shaky command could force him to the bullpen, but he could be a weapon in such a role thanks to an upper-90s fastball and above-average slider.

Leone was designated for assignment Wednesday.

The Cardinals needed to protect several players from the Rule 5 draft, and Leone was a roster casualty. Acquired from Toronto after the 2017 season with the expectation that he would occupy a high-leverage relief role, Leone was middling in 2018 and downright bad in 2019 (5.53 ERA in 40.2 innings), splitting time between the majors and Triple-A.

White was added to the Dodgers' 40-man roster on Wednesday.

With the move, the Dodgers avoid exposing White to the Rule 5 draft. He's at least a moderately interesting prospect, though he didn't show it in his first taste of Triple-A ball for Oklahoma City last season, stumbling to a 6.50 ERA in 63.2 innings.

Szapucki's (arm) contract was purchased from Double-A Binghamton on Wednesday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

This move protects the southpaw from the Rule 5 draft. He was scratched from the Arizona Fall League roster after ending the year on the 7-day injured list. The team has not provided an official injury, just saying that Szapucki was going to rest his arm for a while. While his season ended on a slightly ominous note, it had been a successful first year back from Tommy John surgery from a performance standpoint. He will likely open back at Double-A and should spend most of the year at Triple-A.

Feyereisen's contract was selected by the Brewers on Wednesday, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Feyereisen was acquired by the Brewers in early September, and he was added to the team's 40-man roster Wednesday to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. The 26-year-old was effective in the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre bullpen in 2019, recording a 2.49 ERA with 94 strikeouts over 61.1 innings. The right-hander has Triple-A experience over the last three seasons, and he may be nearing his major-league debut after he showed improvement in 2019.

Martin (oblique) signed a two-year, $14 million deal with the Braves on Tuesday.

Martin was acquired by the Braves from the Rangers ahead of the trade deadline, and he posted a 4.08 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 37:5 K:BB across 17.2 innings after the trade. The 33-year-old went down in Game 1 of the NLDS with left oblique tightness and missed the rest of the series before hitting free agency, but the new contract indicates the injury shouldn't impact his status entering spring training. Martin's 2.3 percent walk rate in 2019 tied with Josh Tomlin for the league lead among qualified relievers. The Braves will enter 2020 with a crowded bullpen with Mark Melancon, Will Smith, Luke Jackson and Shane Greene all potentially in the mix for high-leverage work.