MLB Player News

The Athletics outrighted Shuster to Triple-A Las Vegas on Wednesday.

Shuster was claimed off waivers by the Athletics in August but did not make an appearance for them at the big-league level. The 27-year-old was a full-time reliever for the first time in 2025 and posted an 8.04 ERA and 12:5 K:BB over 15.2 innings this year with the White Sox.

Bowden (lat) elected to become a free agent Wednesday.

The Athletics removed Bowden from their 40-man roster, and the southpaw has opted for free agency rather than accepting an outright assignment. Bowden's 2025 season ended prematurely due to a left lat strain, but he avoided surgery and will have the offseason to heal.

Maldonado elected to become a free agent Wednesday.

Maldonado cleared waivers after being removed from the Athletics' 40-man roster, but he had the right to reject an outright assignment and has done just that. The 27-year-old holds a 7.20 ERA and 18:12 K:BB over 25 innings across parts of two big-league seasons.

The Rangers claimed Otanez off waivers from the Athletics on Wednesday.

Otanez is a hard thrower with a 34.1 percent strikeout rate but also a 14 percent walk rate over 39.1 big-league innings. The 28-year-old will compete for a spot in the Rangers' bullpen.

The Mariners acquired Wilcox from the Rays on Wednesday in exchange for cash considerations.

Wilcox had been designated for assignment by the Rays earlier this week and will now join a new 40-man roster. The 26-year-old spent most of the 2025 season at Triple-A Durham, holding a 3.71 ERA and 57:24 K:BB over 51 innings. It was his first year as a full-time reliever, and Wilcox is likely to begin the 2026 campaign in the bullpen at Triple-A Tacoma.

The Orioles claimed Soriano off waivers from the Marlins on Wednesday.

In 118 innings across parts of three seasons in the big leagues, Soriano has collected a 5.95 ERA and 117:55 K:BB. The 26-year-old reliever does not have minor-league options remaining, so he would have to go through the waivers process again if he doesn't make the Orioles' Opening Day roster.

The Yankees declined Loaisiga's (elbow) $5 million option for 2026 on Wednesday, Jorge Castillo of ESPN.com reports.

Loaisiga had another season cut short due to injury in 2025 and posted a 4.25 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 25:10 K:BB across 29.2 innings. He missed most of the final two months of the regular season, first with a back issue and then with a flexor strain. Loaisiga did not require surgery for the latter injury and is expected to be ready for spring training, barring setbacks.

The Yankees exercised Hill's $3 million option for 2026 on Wednesday, Jorge Castillo of ESPN.com reports.

Hill has made 105 regular-season appearances for the Yankees since 2024, collecting a 2.68 ERA and 55:25 K:BB over 111 innings. The southpaw reliever posted a 63.7 percent groundball rate and held left-handed batters to a .181/.224/.220 line during the 2025 regular season.

The Padres declined Hart's $5 million club option for 2026 on Tuesday, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Hart pitched in the majors for the first time in five years in 2025, though he accumulated a 5.86 ERA and 1.19 WHIP across 43 regular-season innings. His poor performance made it easy for San Diego to decline giving the 32-year-old a $4 million raise, so he'll instead receive a $500,000 buyout and look to free agency for his next opportunity.

The Pirates placed Little on outright waivers Tuesday, Danny Demilio of PittsburghBaseballNow.com reports.

The Pirates claimed Little off waivers from the Dodgers in August, but he never made an appearance for Pittsburgh. He posted a 2.79 ERA and 1.05 WHIP across 19.1 innings at Triple-A Indianapolis, however, which could be enough for another team to give the 27-year-old reliever a 40-man spot early in the offseason.