MLB Player News

Whitlock (elbow) said Saturday that he will move back to the bullpen in 2025, Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald reports.

Whitlock moved to the Red Sox's rotation last season, but he made just four starts before undergoing season-ending elbow surgery in May. He had already been expected to return shortly after the start of the 2025 campaign, but now that he'll no longer need to build up to a starter's workload, the 28-year-old righty could make his season debut earlier than anticipated.

Manager Alex Cora said Saturday that Hamilton may occasionally play in the outfield this season, Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald reports.

Cora added that the Red Sox would like Hamilton to be as versatile as possible for the sake of roster flexibility. The 27-year-old has been used exclusively at second base and shortstop throughout his MLB career, though he has started eight games in center field in the minors.

The Blue Jays designated de Geus for assignment Friday, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Kicking de Geus off the 40-man roster creates space for Jeff Hoffman, who agreed to a three-year deal with the Blue Jays on Friday. De Geus owns a 7.48 ERA and 1.71 WHIP over 61.1 career big-league innings and finished 2024 with a 5.31 ERA in Triple-A.

Hoffman signed a three-year, $33 million contract with the Blue Jays on Friday, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

After bouncing between Colorado, Cincinnati and Philadelphia over his first nine years in the majors, Hoffman will reunite with the organization that originally drafted him back in 2014. The 32-year-old reliever is coming off the best statistical season of his career, as he reached the 10-save mark for the first time and finished the year with a 2.17 ERA and 0.96 WHIP over 66.1 innings with the Phillies. It's likely he receives a chance to close in Toronto, with Chad Green and Yimi Garcia (elbow) also in the mix to replace Jordan Romano (elbow).

The Orioles designated Soto for assignment Friday.

The transaction frees up a spot on the 40-man roster for Roansy Contreras, who was claimed off waivers. Soto saw spot duty in the majors in 2024 with the Reds and Orioles, going 3-for-13 at the plate.

The Orioles claimed Contreras off waivers from the Reds on Friday.

Contreras has bounced around from the Angels to the Rangers to the Reds to the Orioles via the waivers process since late October. He is out of minor-league options, so the right-hander will have to be on Baltimore's Opening Day roster -- likely as a long reliever -- to avoid going through the waivers process again.

McCullers (forearm/elbow) has resumed throwing off a mound and is hoping to return early in the 2025 season, MLB.com reports.

McCullers had surgery in June of 2023 to repair his right flexor tendon and remove a bone spur. After progressing to mound work in May last year, he had his throwing program halted and was ultimately shut down due to soreness in his pitching arm. Testing didn't reveal any structural damage and he's back to throwing off the bump again, although it sounds like it's no given he'll be ready for Opening Day. McCullers last pitched in a major-league game during the 2022 World Series.

The Royals have extended Caglianone an invitation to big-league camp during spring training, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Caglianone got in 29 games at High-A Quad Cities after being taken with the sixth overall pick of the First-Year Player Draft in 2024, but it's fairly customary for prospects of his stature to be invited to big-league camp, even if he has no chance of making the Opening Day roster. Also of note is that Caglianone -- who was a two-way player in college at Florida -- will not do any pitching in 2025, instead focusing only on hitting and playing first base.

Jung said Thursday that he's "full-go" after right wrist surgery and doesn't anticipate any restrictions during spring training, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.

Jung missed most of the first four months of the 2024 season following surgery to repair four fractures in the wrist. He then underwent a follow-up procedure in October to alleviate irritation in the tendon, which Jung said has made a huge difference. The third baseman has been swinging a bat without issue and appears poised to enter camp next month with a clean bill of health. If he can stay off the injured list, Jung could bounce back in 2025 and regain the form he flashed as a rookie in 2023, when he put up a .781 OPS with 23 home runs.

Kittredge and the Orioles agreed on a one-year, $10 million contract Thursday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

Kittredge will cash in after a 2024 campaign with the Cardinals in which he appeared in 74 games, producing a 2.80 ERA and 1.13 WHIP with 67 strikeouts over 70.2 innings. Additionally, the right-hander compiled 37 holds in 2024, while going 1-for-8 in save opportunities. The 34-year-old will likely operate in a high-leverage role out of the Orioles' bullpen in 2025.