MLB Player News

Alcantara was named the unanimous winner of the National League Cy Young Award on Wednesday.

The 27-year-old finished 2022 with a 2.28 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 207:50 K:BB across 228.2 innings and secured all 30 first-place votes. Alcantara led MLB in pitching bWAR (8.0) and innings pitched, and he was also second in the NL in ERA, sixth in WHIP and fourth in strikeouts. The right-hander inked a five-year, $56 million extension with the Marlins in November 2021, so he's not likely to be going elsewhere anytime soon.

Richardson (elbow) was added to the Reds' 40-man roster Tuesday.

Richardson hasn't pitched since 2021 after undergoing Tommy John surgery on his right elbow last offseason. He will still likely miss the first month or two of the 2023 season before he continues to work his way up the Reds' farm system.

Stoudt was added to the Reds' 40-man roster Tuesday.

After being traded to Cincinnati from Minnesota in July, Stoudt was promoted to Triple-A Louisville, where he put up a 3.32 ERA and 1.42 WHIP through 19 innings in six starts. He's been known to strike batters out at an excellent rate throughout his minor-league career, though walking batters at a high rate has typically been one of his biggest weaknesses. If Stoudt can dial back the walks and continue to produce solid numbers in Triple-A, it's possible he gets a call to the majors at some point in 2023.

Williamson was added to the Reds' 40-man roster Tuesday.

Williamson split time between Double-A Chattanooga and Triple-A Louisville in 2022, recording a 4.11 ERA and 1.56 WHIP between the two affiliates. Giving batters a free pass to first has been his biggest issue lately -- he put up an alarming 6.0 BB/9 in Triple-A last season. The 24-year-old lefty will need to bring that number down before he can be entrusted with regular work at the highest level.

Burrows was added to the Pirates' 40-man roster Tuesday, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.

Burrows split time between Double-A and Triple-A in 2022, putting up a 4.01 ERA and 1.21 WHIP over 94.1 innings on the season. The 23-year-old righty struggled in Triple-A, however, so Burrows will likely need more seasoning in Indianapolis before the Pirates seriously consider bringing him to their big-league roster.

Thomas was added to the Cardinals' 40-man roster Tuesday.

The 24-year-old southpaw lacks upside (17.9 percent strikeout rate at Triple-A), but he is close to being ready to help the big-league club in some capacity. Thomas had a 5.47 ERA, 1.57 WHIP and 110 strikeouts in 135 innings across 28 appearances this past season.

Irvin's contract was selected by the Nationals on Tuesday.

In his first season since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2020, Irvin spent most of 2022 in Double-A Harrisburg, where he put up a 4.79 ERA and 1.18 WHIP over 73.1 innings. He still has work to do, but there's a chance the 25-year-old righty could work his way onto the big-league roster within the next couple of seasons.

Rutledge was added to the Nationals' 40-man roster Tuesday, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.

At his very best, the No. 17 overall pick from the 2019 draft looks completely dominant, but injuries and poor control have really limited Rutledge's development. He made 20 starts last season at Single-A as a 23-year-old -- a level at which he made six starts in 2019 -- so if anything Rutledge has regressed in recent years. Given his lack of refinement or upper-level experience, it may make sense to eventually develop the 6-foot-8 righty as a reliever.

Vines was added to Atlanta's 40-man roster Tuesday.

Vines is one of the more underrated pitching prospects in the upper levels of the minors. The 24-year-old righty had a 3.95 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 21.8 K-BB% in 20 starts at Double-A and made seven appearances at Triple-A to close out 2022. He needs to refine his command and control in order to get a look in Atlanta's rotation at some point next summer.

Urena agreed to a one-year, $3.5 million contract with the Rockies on Friday, which includes a club option for 2024, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

The veteran right-hander began 2022 in a relief role for the Brewers but was let go in May and joined the Rockies. He worked as a starter in Colorado and had a 5.14 ERA, 1.57 WHIP and 60:38 K:BB across 89.1 innings.