MLB Player News

Brice signed a minor-league contract with the Phillies on Sunday that includes an invitation to big-league camp, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

The right-hander spent last season at Triple-A with the Twins and Diamondbacks, and he didn't see big-league action as he struggled to a 6.92 ERA over 40.1 frames in the minors. Brice will need a strong showing during spring training to have a chance of cracking Philadelphia's Opening Day roster.

Canterino has thrown live batting practice this spring and is fully healthy entering spring training after working his way back from August 2022 Tommy John surgery, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Canterino, a 2019 second-round draft pick, was a rising pitching prospect when last on the mound in 2022 as he posted a 1.83 ERA with a 13.2 K/9 in 34.1 innings at Double-A. He'll likely begin the season at Double-A and be on a limited pitch count in the spring as he works his way back to full speed. Once fully healthy, he could advance quickly if he can reduce his walk rate (5.8 BB/9 at Double-A in 2022).

The Diamondbacks placed Jameson (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Saturday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

Manager Torey Lovullo said Thursday that Jameson isn't expected back until 2025 after undergoing Tommy John surgery in September, so Jameson's move to the 60-day IL is simply procedural. Jameson's roster spot will be filled by Randal Grichuk, who signed a one-year deal with Arizona on Saturday.

Pagan won't be ready for the start of the Cactus League as he recovers from offseason sports hernia surgery, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Though Pagan will miss the first handful of spring training games, he has been throwing bullpen sessions during camp -- a good indication that he'll be able to return to game action sooner rather than later. Once he's able to get into a few Cactus League contests, Pagan's status for Opening Day should become clearer.

Scott will make $5.7 million in 2024 after winning his arbitration case against the Marlins on Saturday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

After struggling in his first season with the Marlins, Scott had a fantastic 2023, posting a 2.31 ERA and 0.99 WHIP alongside a 104:24 K:BB across 78 innings. Scott's performance earned him an extra $550,000 compared to what the Marlins offered, and he will enter 2024 as the frontrunner for Miami's closer job.

The Red Sox traded Schreiber to the Royals on Saturday in exchange for David Sandlin, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Though he missed nearly two months of the season due to a shoulder strain, Schreiber instantly becomes one of the top relievers in Kansas City's bullpen after posting a 3.86 ERA and 1.41 WHIP across 46.2 frames in 2023. The 29-year-old right-hander often served in high-leverage situations over the past two years and could be in the mix for save opportunities with his new club.

Manaea worked on his changeup this offseason and also plans to incorporate a cutter into his arsenal, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.

After a disastrous 2022 campaign with the Padres, Manaea went to Driveline two winters ago and emerged with more velocity -- he posted a career-high 93.6 mph average fastball last year with the Giants -- and a sweeper he began using in games in late May to complement his slider and change. The 32-year-old southpaw didn't get complacent this offseason, heading back to Driveline to refine his pitch mix further. Manaea was a strong fantasy asset as recently as 2021 with the A's, posting a 3.91 ERA and striking out 194 batters in 179.1 innings, and he's at least put in the work to try and regain that form.

Puk spent the offseason preparing to be a starting pitcher, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

All 142 of the southpaw's career appearances in the majors have come in relief, but Puk was drafted as a starter and was beginning to get stretched out by Oakland prior to the February 2023 trade that sent him to Miami. The Marlins have other lefty options in their bullpen, including Tanner Scott and Andrew Nardi, while the team's rotation will be missing Sandy Alcantara (elbow) in 2024. Braxton Garrett (shoulder), Trevor Rogers (lat) and Max Meyer (elbow) could also be uncertain for Opening Day, so Puk might have an open path to a rotation spot if he looks good in the role during camp, but at this stage it still seems more likely he'll begin the season in the bullpen. The 28-year-old displayed control issues in the minors while starting, but he posted a 5.4 percent walk rate last year along with a 32.2 percent strikeout rate. If his stuff holds up while working longer outings, the 2016 first-round pick has the talent -- and potentially the opportunity -- to put together a breakout season.

Shaw signed a minor-league contract with the White Sox on Saturday and received an invitation to major-league spring training.

Shaw will return to the White Sox after putting up a 4.14 ERA and 1.23 WHIP across 45.2 innings with Chicago last season. The Sox don't have a particularly strong bullpen, making it possible the 36-year-old righty makes the Opening Day roster, but he will still have plenty of competition in camp.

Mata is out of minor-league options, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

As such, the Red Sox will need to trade the right-hander or designate him for assignment if he doesn't make the Opening Day roster. Mata has thrown only 110 minor-league innings across the last two seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery in April 2021. He opened 2023 as a member of the rotation at Triple-A Worcester before further injuries set in. Upon his return in September, he moved to the bullpen. That's a role the organization feels might be a better fit for Mata, who will need to improve his control to win a big-league job this spring. Justin Slaten, a Rule 5 selection, also needs to be kept on the major-league roster all season, and the Red Sox may not have room for both.