MLB Player News

The Yankees expect Cole (elbow) to rejoin their rotation in late May or early June, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

The team has said previously only that they did not expect Cole to be ready for Opening Day, and now it appears he could be held out for as much as the first two months of the season. Cole -- who had had Tommy John surgery with internal bracing in March -- has been throwing on flat ground but has yet to progress to mound work.

The Yankees expect Rodon (elbow) to be ready for his season debut in late April or early May, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Rodon underwent surgery in mid-October to remove loose bodies and shave down a bone spur in his left elbow. The left-hander is expected to be cleared to begin a throwing program later this month, but he will need time to get built up and will begin the 2026 campaign on the 15-day injured list.

The Rays designated Curet for assignment Saturday.

The 23-year-old righty will depart the Rays' 40-man roster in order to make room for Cedric Mullins, whose signing was made official Saturday. Curet turned in a 1.45 ERA over 18.2 innings in Double-A this past season but struggled upon being promoted to Triple-A, where he accumulated a 6.03 ERA and 1.93 WHIP over 31.1 frames.

Oviedo was traded from the Pirates to the Red Sox in exchange for Jhostynxon Garcia and Jesus Travieso on Thursday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports. Tyler Samaniego and Adonys Guzman are also going to Boston in the deal.

After acquiring Sonny Gray earlier in the offseason, the Red Sox remained aggressive in upgrading their rotation this winter. Oviedo rehabbed from Tommy John surgery for much of the 2025 season, though he managed to join the Pirates' rotation for the final two months of the campaign. In nine starts, the right-hander managed a 3.57 ERA,1.21 WHIP and 42:23 K:BB across 40.1 frames. Control has been a consistent concern for Oviedo throughout his 361 innings in the big leagues, but he should be a decent back-end starter for the Red Sox.

The Angels signed Ynoa to a minor-league contract Thursday, Taylor Blake Ward of The Sporting Tribune reports.

Ynoa spent much of the 2025 season pitching in the Mexican League following a brief stint in the Twins organization at Triple-A St. Paul, where he allowing eight runs (five earned) over 4.1 innings. The 27-year-old hasn't pitched in the big league since 2022 and has struggled with elbow and shoulder woes since then.

Manoah signed a one-year, $1.95 million contract with the Angels on Tuesday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Manoah missed the majority of the 2025 season while working his way back from an elbow procedure he underwent in June 2024. Once healthy, the 27-year-old righty remained with the Blue Jays' Triple-A affiliate, where he turned in a 2.97 ERA and 1.36 WHIP in 33.1 innings over seven starts. Now with the Halos, he'll have a much greater chance of returning to the majors in 2026, as the Angels' rotation finished last in the American League with a 4.91 ERA this past season.

Cease signed a seven-year, $210 million contract with the Blue Jays on Wednesday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Cease will join the reigning American League champions and further bolster a rotation that already features Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber and top prospect Trey Yesavage. The 29-year-old Cease was fairly underwhelming this past season, finishing with a 4.55 ERA and 1.33 WHIP across 168 regular-season innings. However, he's made at least 32 starts and struck out more than 210 batters every year since 2021, which helps to keep his fantasy appeal relatively high entering 2026.

The Red Sox acquired Gray and cash considerations from the Cardinals on Tuesday in exchange for Brandon Clarke, Richard Fitts and a player to be named later or cash considerations, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Gray had a no-trade clause but has agreed to waive his no-trade clause in order to facilitate a deal to the Red Sox. The 36-year-old posted a 4.28 ERA (3.39 FIP) and 201:38 K:BB over 180.2 innings for St. Louis in 2025, marking the second straight year he reached the 200-strikeout plateau. Gray is owed $35 million in 2026 and has a $5 million buyout on a $30 million mutual option for 2027.

Waldichuk and the Athletics avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year contract Friday.

Waldichuk spent the first half of the 2025 regular season rehabbing from Tommy John surgery that he underwent in May of 2024. He was activated from the 60-day IL in mid-July and spent the rest of the year in the minors with Triple-A Las Vegas, where he posted a 2-6 record across 16 games (15 starts) with an 8.65 ERA, 2.06 WHIP and 64:42 K:BB across 51 innings. Waldichuk last saw major-league action in 2023 with the Athletics, and he'll look to impress the team enough during spring training to earn a spot on the Opening Day roster for 2026.

Medina (elbow) agreed a one-year contract with the Athletics on Friday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Medina missed the entire 2025 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, but he began facing hitters in the batting cage by late September and should be back to full health by the time spring training starts. However, the 26-year-old righty owns a 5.35 ERA and 1.53 WHIP in his MLB career, so his place on the Athletics' Opening Day roster is far from guaranteed.