MLB Player News

President of baseball operations John Mozeliak said Saturday that he imagines Hudson opening the season as a member of the big-league bullpen, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Hudson was viewed as one of many high-end starting prospects in the St. Louis farm system entering 2018, but the 24-year-old was deployed exclusively out of the bullpen upon getting the call to the majors shortly after the All-Star break. Relying heavily on his big fastball, Hudson accrued a 2.63 ERA and generated a 60.8 percent groundball rate across 27.1 innings, though a 19:18 K:BB and 1.35 WHIP limited his fantasy appeal. The Cardinals haven't closed the door on Hudson earning a look as a starter at some point -- in fact, Mozeliak said the righty would be on a starter's throwing program this spring -- but the organization's considerable rotation depth will relegate Hudson to a setup role for the time being.

Kay was invited to the Mets' major-league spring training Thursday.

Kay has yet to appear at Double-A, so he doesn't have a real shot to break camp with the Mets, but he'll get a chance to show off his skills against major-league competition in front of the team's brass. Across stops at Low-A Columbia and High-A St. Lucie in 2018, the southpaw compiled a 4.26 ERA and 123 strikeouts across 122.2 innings (23 starts).

Torres signed a minor-league contract with the Padres on Thursday, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports. The deal includes an invitation to spring training.

Torres spent most of the 2018 campaign with Triple-A Syracuse, compiling a 3.02 ERA, 1.046 WHIP and 51 strikeouts in 50.2 innings. He also made nine appearances for the Nationals, struggling to a 6.52 ERA and 1.24 WHIP across 9.2 frames of relief. Entering his age-36 season, Torres is nothing more than an organizational depth piece.

Erceg was invited to the Brewers' major-league spring training camp Wednesday.

Erceg earned the invitation despite a subpar showing for Double-A Biloxi last season, in which he posted a .248/.306/.382 line with 13 homers in 123 games. Those numbers simply aren't good enough for a third baseman, so Erceg's odds of earning his major-league debut this year appear low unless his output improves significantly.

Matzek signed a minor-league contract with Arizona on Tuesday, Robert Murray of The Athletic reports.

Matzek has made 24 starts and one relief appearance in the big leagues, though none have come since 2015. The southpaw has been out of affiliated baseball since 2016. Last season with the Texas AirHogs of the independent American Association, he threw 88.2 innings with an unimpressive 5.89 ERA.

Boshers agreed to a minor-league contract with Cincinnati on Monday, Brandon Warne of ZoneCoverage.com reports.

Boshers spent the 2018 campaign at Triple-A, appearing in 48 games as a reliever. He last surfaced in the major leagues back in 2017 with the Twins, posting a 4.89 ERA with 28 punchouts over 35 innings. Boshers could have a shot at cracking the big-league roster if he performs well during spring training.

Fields agreed to a one-year, $2.65 million deal with the Dodgers on Friday, avoiding arbitration.

Fields served as one of his team's most reliable arms out of the bullpen during the 2018 season, recording a 2.20 ERA and 0.95 WHIP with a 33:11 K:BB over 41 frames. He should return to a setup role heading into the 2019 campaign after avoiding an arbitration hearing.

Garcia signed a one-year contract for an unspecified amount with the Dodgers on Friday, avoiding arbitration, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.

Garcia turned in the worst campaign of his career in 2018, finishing with a 5.64 ERA and 1.48 WHIP with 19 strikeouts in 22.1 frames as a reliever. He's found success in Los Angeles over the course of his four-year career, however, posting a career 3.70 ERA and 1.07 WHIP over 97.1 innings.

Leone and the Cardinals reached agreement on a one-year contract Friday, avoiding arbitration, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports.

The terms of the deal are not yet public. Leone had some buzz last spring as a potential closer for the Cardinals but instead ended up with an injury-plagued season in which he posted a 4.50 ERA in 24 innings and did not record a single save.

Andriese agreed to a one-year deal with the Diamondbacks, avoiding arbitration.

The 29-year-old righty debuted in 2015, but this was his first offseason as an arbitration-eligible player. He figures to work as a long reliever and swing man for the Diamondbacks in 2019. Andriese will hit the open market in 2022.