MLB Player News

The Cardinals acquired Cijntje from the Mariners on Monday as part of a three-team trade involving the Rays, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.

St. Louis also receives Tai Peete, Colton Ledbetter and a compensatory draft pick. Brendan Donovan is going to Seattle and Ben Williamson is headed to Tampa Bay as part of the deal. A first-round pick in the 2024 Draft, Cijntje held a 3.99 ERA and 120:51 K:BB over 108.1 innings between High-A Everett and Double-A Arkansas in 2025. The Mariners said over the weekend that Cijntje -- who has been a switch pitcher -- would focus on throwing right-handed in spring training. It's unclear whether the Cardinals will also have the same plan or have Cijntje continue switch pitching.

Waldrep could begin the season at Triple-A Gwinnett, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Waldrep seemingly did enough last season to be locked into Atlanta's rotation, posting a 2.88 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 55:22 K:BB over 56.1 innings covering nine starts and one extended relief outing. However, several other of the team's rotation candidates cannot be optioned to the minors, while Waldrep can, so the 23-year-old could be a roster casualty as Atlanta seeks to retain depth. Bowman writes that while Waldrep might wind up being the most valuable of the current fifth-starter candidates by the end of the season, if he becomes a "lasting part" of the rotation early on, "then something disastrous will have already happened." Atlanta has Chris Sale and Spencer Strider locked into rotation spots, with Spencer Schwellenbach (elbow), Reynaldo Lopez (shoulder) and Grant Holmes (elbow) expected to fill the other slots, if healthy. Bryce Elder, Joey Wentz, Martin Perez (shoulder) and Waldrep are among the club's depth starters, and Waldrep is the only one in the group that has minor-league options remaining. Atlanta also remains in the market for additional rotation help, which could push Waldrep farther down the pecking order.

Atlanta signed Perez (shoulder) to a minor-league contract Friday, Aram Leighton of JustBaseball.com reports.

Elbow and shoulder woes limited Perez to just 56 innings in 2025 with the White Sox, but he pitched well when on the bump, collecting a 3.54 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 44:22 K:BB. It's unclear whether the shoulder strain that ended his season will affect his readiness for the start of spring training. There isn't room for Perez in Atlanta's rotation when everyone is healthy, but Spencer Schwellenbach (elbow), Grant Holmes (elbow) and Reynaldo Lopez (shoulder) all ended the 2025 campaign on IL.

Snell has ramped up slowly this winter in an effort to recover from his postseason workload, Jack Harris of the New York Post reports.

Snell acknowledged that he was exhausted following the Dodgers' postseason run, during which he made five starts and a relief appearance after tossing 61.1 innings during the regular season. He hopes to be ready for Opening Day, but both he and the team have acknowledged the importance of exercising patience as he builds back up. Los Angeles is expected to handle its pitching staff cautiously overall, and it has enough rotation depth to do so -- particularly early in the campaign.

The Marlins have extended Snelling an invitation to big-league camp during spring training.

It was a bit surprising Snelling wasn't called up late last season, given that he finished with a 1.27 ERA and 81:17 K:BB over 63.2 innings after being promoted to Triple-A Jacksonville. He does, however, have a good chance to break camp in the major-league rotation after the Marlins traded away Edward Cabrera and Ryan Weathers. Snelling -- who was acquired from the Padres at the 2024 trade deadline in a deal that sent Tanner Scott to San Diego -- finished with a 2.51 ERA and 166:39 K:BB in 136 frames covering 25 starts between Double-A Pensacola and Jacksonville in 2025.

The Marlins have extended White an invitation to big-league camp during spring training.

White is only 21 years old and has made just two starts at the Triple-A level, so he's likely to begin the 2026 season back in the minors as he continues working on his control. That said, the lefty is one of the most exciting young pitching prospects in baseball and has a good chance to debut at some point during the upcoming season. White collected a 2.31 ERA with a whopping 145 strikeouts (and 51 walks) over 89.2 innings across three minor-league stops in 2025.

The Cardinals have extended Henderson an invitation to big-league camp during spring training.

A 6-foot-2, 180-pound southpaw, Henderson has logged an ERA below 3.00 at Single-A, High-A and Double-A since getting drafted in the eighth round in 2023. Last year, he had a 2.59 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 134:51 K:BB in 132 innings across 25 starts at Double-A. His fastball sits in the 92-94 mph range and plays up due to its late life. His sweeper and changeup are strong offerings, and while he may not have a plus pitch in his arsenal, Henderson has what it takes to turn a lineup over multiple times. In 2025, he allowed a .600 OPS against righties and a .558 OPS against lefties. He isn't on the 40-man roster, but Henderson could make his big-league debut in 2026 if he handles Triple-A the same way he has every other level in pro ball.

Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom indicated during the team's recent Winter Warm-Up fan event that it's uncertain whether Dobbins (knee) will pitch in spring training games, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

Dobbins needed surgery to repair a torn right ACL in July. He's been throwing all offseason, but the Cardinals could still choose to slow-play their offseason trade acquisition. If healthy, Dobbins will compete for a spot in the St. Louis rotation, but he does have minor-league options remaining and could also be stashed on the injured list for a while. More clarity on Dobbins' timetable should be available once spring training gets underway.

The Nationals outrighted Lara to Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday.

Lara was booted off the 40-man roster last week, but he will remain in the organization after passing through waivers unclaimed. The 23-year-old held an 8.79 ERA and 10:8 K:BB over 14.1 innings with the Nationals and an 8.92 ERA and 26:22 K:BB across 36.1 frames with Rochester in 2025.

Atlanta claimed Suarez off waivers from the Orioles on Monday.

Suarez went from Atlanta to Baltimore via waivers earlier this month and is now headed back the other direction. The left-hander made seven appearances (one start) with Atlanta in 2025, finishing with a 1.86 ERA and 16:10 K:BB across 19.1 innings of work. Suarez doesn't have minor-league options remaining, so if he's still with Atlanta on Opening Day, he's likely to slide into a long relief role with the big club.