MLB Player News

Duarte was designated for assignment by the Twins on Wednesday, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

The Twins did some 40-man roster shuffling and Duarte is one of the casualties. He was just claimed off waivers last week and will now go through the waiver process again.

Balazovic was designated for assignment by the Twins on Wednesday, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

He's departing the 40-man roster in favor of Zack Weiss, who was claimed off waivers. Balazovic was once one of the Twins' best pitching prospects, but he didn't progress as hoped as a starter and his control has gotten worse since he was moved to relief full-time in 2023, with an 11.1 percent walk rate in the majors and 15.2 percent walk rate at Triple-A St. Paul.

The Twins claimed Weiss off waivers from the Red Sox on Wednesday, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

The 31-year-old reliever holds a 4.61 ERA and 33:15 K:BB over 27.1 innings during parts of three seasons in the big leagues. Weiss will compete for a middle relief job in Minnesota, but he does have options remaining.

Warren (elbow) was designated for assignment by the Angels on Wednesday.

The move was made in order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Guillermo Zuniga. Warren will be sidelined until around midseason while recovering from Tommy John surgery, which no doubt will affect his appeal on waivers.

The Angels acquired Zuniga from the Cardinals on Wednesday in exchange for cash consideration.

Zuniga allowed one run over two innings during his brief time with St. Louis in 2023 and held a 7.63 ERA and 37:20 K:BB over 30.2 frames at Triple-A Memphis. The 25-year-old has a big arm but also major control problems. Zuniga will compete for a spot in the Angels' bullpen.

Ort was designated for assignment by the Marlins on Wednesday, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

He's being swapped out in favor of another reliever, Declan Cronin, who was claimed off waivers. Ort himself was a waiver claim by the Marlins earlier this offseason and now could be on the move again.

The Marlins claimed Cronin off waivers from the Astros on Wednesday, Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

It's the third organization Cronin has been in this offseason after he previously went from the White Sox to the Astros via waivers. The 26-year-old sinkerballer allowed 11 runs over 11 innings for Chicago in 2023 in his first go-round in the majors.

Gott is viewed by general manager David Forst as a potential candidate for save chances this coming season, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Forst notes the team and Gott had discussed the right-handed journeyman getting closing opportunities when he signed a one-year deal in December. The 31-year-old is just 6-for-17 in save chances during a big-league career that dates back to 2015, but he does have 255 regular-season appearances on his resume and boasts a mid-90s fastball. Forst added that Dany Jimenez and Mason Miller are also firmly in the mix for the closer's role, and he didn't rule out the possibility of another free-agent signing before the start of the campaign.

Jimenez is viewed by A's general manager David Forst as the most experienced late-inning candidate vying for the team's closer role this spring, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Jimenez will enter 2024 with 61 major-league appearances, which have encompassed 59 innings. The right-hander has converted 12 of 16 save chances and also recorded 11 holds in that span, generating a solid 3.43 ERA and 1.14 WHIP overall in the process. Forst adds that journeyman Trevor Gott, who signed a one-year deal in December, is also under consideration for some ninth-inning opportunities, while Mason Miller, who's worked almost exclusively as a starter in his three-year professional career thus far, is considered to have excellent stuff for the role and therefore firmly in contention for it as well.

Webb will earn $1 million in 2024 after winning his arbitration case against the Orioles on Tuesday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

Webb posted a 3.27 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 22 innings after he was claimed off waivers by the O's in August, earning himself a $260,000 raise from last season. The 30-year-old righty projects as a middle reliever heading into 2024.