MLB Player News
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Tarik Skubal SP | DET
Tigers' Tarik Skubal: Wins arbitration case
Skubal will make $32 million in 2026 after winning his arbitration hearing with the Tigers on Thursday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
The Tigers had filed for $19 million, but after taking home the AL Cy Young Award in each of the past two seasons, Skubal will officially receive the largest arbitration salary ever awarded. The 29-year-old left-hander turned in a 2.21 ERA and 0.89 WHIP while striking out 241 batters over 195.1 innings in 2025 and has shown no signs of slowing down heading into his seventh MLB season.
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Framber Valdez SP | DET
Tigers' Framber Valdez: Inks three-year deal with Tigers
Valdez signed a three-year, $115 million contract with the Tigers on Wednesday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
The addition of Valdez gives the Tigers one of the most formidable left-handed starter duos in baseball, as he will now join Tarik Skubal atop Detroit's rotation. Valdez, 32, turned in a 3.66 ERA and 1.24 WHIP across 192 innings with the Astros last season. Although those ratios are some of the worst he's recorded over his eight-year career, he remains a dependable fantasy asset after making 31 starts and topping 185 strikeouts in three of the past four seasons.
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Tyler Anderson SP | LAA
Angels' Tyler Anderson: Back with Halos on MiLB deal
Anderson (oblique) signed a minor-league contract with the Angels on Wednesday.
After signing a $39 million deal with the Angels in November 2022, Anderson largely disappointed during his three seasons in Anaheim, posting a collective 18-29 record, 4.53 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 8.6 K-BB% over 456.2 innings. Though he'll end up rejoining the Angels, the 36-year-old lefty isn't included among the team's initial list of non-roster invitees for big-league spring training and is seemingly ticketed for the Triple-A Salt Lake rotation. Anderson -- who closed last season on the injured list due to an oblique strain -- is presumably healthy now, but it looks like he'll need to prove he still has something left in the tank at the Triple-A level before the Angels consider adding him back to the 40-man roster.
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Kyle Bradish SP | BAL
Orioles' Kyle Bradish: Wins arbitration case
Bradish will be paid $3.55 million in 2026 after winning his arbitration hearing with the Orioles, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.
The arbitration panel chose Bradish's $3.55 million figure rather than the $2.875 million submitted by the Orioles. Bradish returned from Tommy John surgery late last season and looked sharp, producing a 2.53 ERA and 47:10 K:BB over 32 innings covering six starts. The righty should be able to handle a relatively normal workload for Baltimore in 2026.
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Jamie Arnold SP | ATH
Athletics' Jamie Arnold: Adds to impressive arsenal
Arnold expanded his repertoire at Driveline this winter, adding a cutter and a kick changeup, Jesus Cano of Baseball America reports.
The No. 11 pick in the 2025 First-Year Player Draft, Arnold slipped to the Athletics and they swooped in and added the 6-foot-1 southpaw. Arnold already had an excellent track record and pitch mix, and now he boasts a pair of changeups, as he already had a strong splitter. His mid-90s fastball and monster mid-80s slider are Arnold's go-to offerings, but now he has even more weapons at his disposal. Arnold said "this is the best I've ever felt," which is hyperbole, but at least it's good to know he's heading to spring training at the peak of his powers. He will likely be assigned to High-A or Double-A, and Arnold could join the big-league rotation sometime this summer if he pitches to expectations.
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Joey Cantillo SP | CLE
Guardians' Joey Cantillo: Competing for rotation
Cantillo will compete for a spot in the rotation this spring, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.
Cantillo spent the second half of the 2025 season in the Guardians' rotation but apparently will have to win a spot this spring. The left-hander had a 2.96 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 72:28 K:BB over 13 starts (67.0 innings). He and prospect Parker Messick are the frontrunners for a spot on the back end of the rotation. If Cantillo loses out, he could break camp with a bullpen role. In 21 appearances as a reliever in 2025, the 26-year-old posted a 3.81 ERA and 1.38 WHIP while limiting batters to a .229 batting average.
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Reese Olson SP | DET
Tigers' Reese Olson: Expected to be ready for camp
Olson is expected to be healthy for the start of spring training after getting shut down in late July due to a right shoulder strain, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.
Olson missed the last two months of the 2025 regular season as well as Detroit's playoff run, but the righty started a throwing program in December and is trending in the right direction heading into 2026. Entering his fourth year in the majors, Olson has yet to surpass 112.1 innings, though he's also posted a sub-4.00 ERA each season, which gives a glimpse at what he's capable of when healthy. The 26-year-old figures to slot in behind Tarik Skubal, Casey Mize and Jack Flaherty in the Tigers' rotation, and he could take a step forward in 2026 from a fantasy perspective if he's able to increase his workload.
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Ken Waldichuk SP | WAS
Rays' Ken Waldichuk: Booted from 40-man roster
Waldichuk was designated for assignment by the Rays on Monday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Waldichuk will lose out on his 40-man roster spot to make room for the addition of Ben Williamson, who was acquired earlier Monday from Seattle. Waldichuk spent the majority of his 2025 season at Triple-A, posting an 8.65 ERA and 2.06 WHIP across 51.0 innings (15 starts).
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Emerson Hancock SP | SEA
Mariners' Emerson Hancock: Entering spring as starting pitcher
Hancock will enter spring training as a starting pitcher, Adam Jude of the Seattle Times reports.
Hancock was moved to the bullpen last August, but with Logan Evans (elbow) out for the season, the Mariners want to have Hancock available to start, if needed. If the Mariners' rotation is healthy on Opening Day, Hancock will likely shift back to a relief role. He allowed four runs (two earned) with a 4:1 K:BB over 8.2 innings as a reliever in 2025.
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Trey Yesavage SP | TOR
Blue Jays' Trey Yesavage: Looking to increase repertoire
Yesavage would like to add a curveball to his pitch mix this season, Kristjan Lautens of the Toronto Star reports.
The 22-year-old right-hander rocketed through the Blue Jays' system last season after being the 20th overall pick in the 2024 First-Year Player Draft, beginning the campaign at Single-A Dunedin and ending it by setting a World Series record for strikeouts in a game by a rookie. Yesavage leaned heavily on his fastball in the majors while mixing in a slider and splitter nearly equally, but he knows he'll need to give big-league hitters another wrinkle now that they've had a look at him. "I have a funky [over the top] arm angle, so I've just got to play around with it. I would love [a pitch] that moves glove side," he said last week. Jays GM Ross Atkins has already indicated Yesavage will begin the year in the rotation, and after he threw 139.2 innings across all levels including the postseason in 2025, he won't have a strict innings limit.