MLB Player News

The Brewers selected Thomas with the 13th pick in the Rule 5 draft Wednesday, JJ Cooper of Baseball America reports.

Thomas, a 26-year-old lefty the Brewers are poaching from the Cardinals, had operated primarily as a starter until last season, in which 53 of his 56 appearances at Triple-A were out of the bullpen. He logged a 2.89 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 79:24 K:BB in 90.1 innings, so while he worked as a reliever, he is stretched out enough to move back to the rotation this year if the Brewers wanted to go that route at some point. More likely, Thomas will work as a low-leverage multi-inning reliever for Milwaukee or be returned to St. Louis at some point this season.

The Padres selected Nunez (shoulder) with the 12th pick of the Rule 5 draft Wednesday, JJ Cooper of Baseball America reports.

A shoulder injury caused Nunez to miss the final four months of the minor-league season as a member of the Orioles, so it's possible the Padres will be able to stash him on the injured list for a good chunk of the season. Nunez logged a 2.45 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 38:10 K:BB in 29.1 innings over seven appearances at High-A prior to the injury. If the Padres stash him all season, Nunez could be sent back to the minors to stretch back out as a starter in 2026.

The Chunichi Dragons of Nippon Professional Baseball have posted Ogasawara for major-league teams, Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com reports.

Ogasawara's posting had been viewed as imminent, and now the clock has officially begun on a 45-day window for the left-hander to reach a deal with a big-league club. The 27-year-old generated a 3.12 ERA and 3.7 percent walk rate in 2024 with the Dragons, although he also had a modest 13.6 percent strikeout rate.

Mathews will begin spring training with the major-league team as a non-roster invitee, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Mathews moved his way quickly through the Cardinals' farm system in 2024, taking care of business at both Single-A Palm Beach and Peoria before being promoted to Double-A Springfield and ultimately Triple-A Memphis, where he struggled to find his footing. He accrued a 6.48 ERA and 1.98 WHIP with a 22:14 K:BB across 16.2 innings for the Redbirds. Mathews may not break camp with the big-league team, but he'll gain some experience against major-league bats at the very least.

Brewers general manager Matt Arnold said Monday that it's "hard to say at the moment" whether Woodruff (shoulder) will be part of the team's Opening Day rotation, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Arnold added of Woodruff that the team will be "cautious with him and his health," indicating that while the expectation is to have him in the rotation at some point next season, it's no guarantee it will be as soon as Opening Day. Woodruff underwent surgery last October to repair the anterior capsule in his right shoulder and began throwing off a mound in late August.

General manager David Stearns said Monday that Blackburn (back) is on track to be ready for Opening Day of the 2025 season, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Blackburn was diagnosed with a cerebrospinal fluid leak in mid-September, which required him to undergo surgery Oct. 11. Barring any setbacks, the timeline for that surgery typically takes 4-to-5 months, and based on Stearns' comments Monday, it appears the 31-year-old right-hander will be ready to pitch for the start of the regular season. Blackburn started 14 regular-season games between the Mets and A's last season and posted a 5-4 record with a 4.66 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 59:21 K:BB across 75.1 innings, though whether he works out of the Mets' rotation or bullpen next year has yet to be determined.

The Giants re-signed Teng to a minor-league contract Nov. 29.

After being non-tendered last month, the right-hander has returned to the organization on a minor-league pact. Teng, 26, spent most of the 2024 season at Triple-A Sacramento, where he put up an 8.60 ERA and 1.81 WHIP over 75.1 innings.

The Cubs signed Boyd to a two-year, $29 million contract Monday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

He can earn an additional $1 million in incentives. Boyd didn't sign with the Guardians until June of this past season following rehab from Tommy John surgery but went on to collect a 2.72 ERA and 46:13 K:BB in 39.2 regular-season innings. He then added 12 frames of one-run ball in the postseason. Boyd -- who turns 34 in February -- hasn't made more than 15 regular-season starts since the 2019 campaign.

The Mets signed Montas to a two-year, $34 million contract Sunday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

The deal includes an opt out after the 2025 season. Montas held a 4.80 ERA over 30 regular-season starts between the Reds and Brewers in 2024, although he was much better after being sent to Milwaukee in a trade with a 70:25 K:BB across 57.1 innings. The right-hander will turn 32 in March and will fill one of multiple openings in the Mets' rotation.

Atlanta re-signed Salinas (shoulder) to a minor-league contract Tuesday.

Salinas has been claimed off waivers, non-tendered and now re-signed by Atlanta on a minor-league pact this month. The 23-year-old right-hander is recovering from shoulder surgery and is expected to miss at least the first half of the 2025 season.