MLB Player News

Small was designated for assignment by the Brewers on Thursday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Small was selected in the first round of the 2019 Draft and rose quickly through Milwaukee's minor-league system. However, he's made just four big-league appearances and shifted to a relief role in 2023. Due to his former prospect pedigree, Small could be claimed by a team on waivers.

Hall was traded from the Orioles to the Brewers along with Joey Ortiz and the 34th pick in the 2024 MLB Draft in exchange for Corbin Burnes on Thursday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Hall was once viewed as a top prospect as a starting pitcher, though he's made only one start in 29 appearances in the majors. He was effective as a reliever in 2023, posting a 3.26 ERA and 1.19 WHIP across 19.1 innings for Baltimore after a disrupted offseason caused him to begin the year at less than full strength, though he also covered 49 frames in the minors. However, Hall should have a renewed chance to join a big-league rotation with Milwaukee, and he will likely compete for the role in spring training with the likes of Colin Rea and Joe Ross.

Rucker was designated for assignment by the Cubs on Thursday, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.

The 29-year-old reliever loses his spot on the 40-man roster in favor Hector Neris, whose signing became official. Rucker has put up a 4.96 ERA and 120:50 K:BB covering 123.1 innings out of the Cubs' bullpen over the last three seasons.

Hughes signed a minor-league contract with the Diamondbacks on Thursday and received an invitation to major-league spring training.

Hughes holds a 3.91 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in the majors since debuting in 2022, but he surrendered 11 earned runs in just 13.2 innings last season before undergoing season-ending knee surgery in June. The 28-year-old southpaw will now get a chance to redeem himself in the spring, and he could become an important part of Arizona's bullpen if he returns to his 2022 form.

Gsellman signed a minor-league contract with the Nationals on Wednesday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Gsellman left affiliated ball in 2022 to pursue a career overseas in Japan, where he recorded a 4.32 ERA and 1.52 WHIP across 139.2 total innings. The 30-year-old righty will likely head to Triple-A Rochester and serve as organizational depth as he attempts to work his way back to the majors.

Cronin was designated for assignment by the Astros on Wednesday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Cronin will lose his spot on the 40-man roster in favor of Trey Cabbage, who was acquired via trade. The 26-year-old was a waiver claim from the White Sox earlier this month and he'll now go through the waiver process again.

Weiss was designated for assignment by the Red Sox on Wednesday, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

He's clearing out to make room on the 40-man roster for waiver claim Romy Gonzalez. Weiss, 31, holds a 4.61 ERA and 33:15 K:BB over 27.1 frames during his parts of three seasons in the majors.

Peralta signed a four-year, $16.5 million contract with the Padres on Wednesday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

The unusual contract contains three opt-out clauses. Peralta really struggled with his control in 2023 in walking 30 batters over 54 innings, but he still managed to post a sub-3.00 ERA for the second year in a row. The 32-year-old has a career strikeout rate of just 19.6 percent, but he also boasts a 52.9 percent groundball rate and can handle lefties and righties. He will handle high-leverage innings for San Diego.

The Yankees are considering using Loaisiga as a multi-inning reliever in 2024, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.

The goal, it seems, would be to use Loaisiga similarly to how they initially used Michael King last season before he shifted into the rotation. King would often throw multiple innings and would then be given one day of rest for every frame he threw. Of course, Loaisiga needs to be healthy first before the Yankees even worry about how they'll use him. The 29-year-old has been a frequent visitor to the injured list and was limited to just 17 appearances in 2023 because of a pair of elbow-related issues. The Yanks are also considering Ian Hamilton for a multi-inning relief role.

Suarez signed a minor-league contract with the Orioles on Tuesday, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Suarez returned to the majors last season for the first time since 2020, but he ran into trouble often with a 7.16 ERA and 1.73 WHIP across 27.2 innings with the Cardinals. He fared better against Triple-A hitters, but he will need to show significant improvement before getting another shot in the big leagues. For now, Suarez will head to Triple-A Norfolk as organizational depth.