MLB Player News

Baz and the Rays avoided arbitration Thursday by agreeing to a one-year, $1.45 million deal, Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Baz was limited to 14 starts with Tampa Bay in 2024 after spending the early part of the season completing his recovery from September 2022 Tommy John surgery as well as an oblique injury that cropped up during spring training. Once he joined the big-league rotation in early July, Baz struggled to regain his pre-surgery velocity but achieved strong results nonetheless, posting a 3.06 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in 79.1 innings. Though Baz needed a .229 BABIP and a 9.6 HR/FB% to achieve the shiny ERA, now that he's further removed from elbow surgery, there's reason to hope that the 25-year-old can improve upon his 21.6 K% to help stave off the ERA correction that might otherwise be headed his way in 2025.

The Twins and Castro avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $6.4 million contract Thursday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

It was the 27-year-old's final year of arbitration eligibility, as he's slated to hit the free-agent market next offseason. Castro slashed .247/.331/.385 with 12 homers and 14 steals in a super-utility role with the Twins and 2024 and should serve in a similar capacity in 2025.

The Athletics and Andujar (abdomen) avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $3 million contract Thursday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Andujar batted .285/.320/.377 with four home runs in 75 games for the Athletics in 2024 before his season ended in late August due to core muscle surgery. He should be ready for Opening Day and is in line for at least semi-regular at-bats.

Ward and the Angels agreed to a one-year, $7.825 million contract Thursday to avoid arbitration, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

Ward clubbed a career-high 25 homers last season and will receive a raise of just over $3 million for 2025, which is his penultimate year of arbitration eligibility. He's been a popular name in trade rumors over the past year, but for now it appears he'll be back with the Angels for Opening Day.

Littell and the Rays avoided arbitration Thursday, agreeing to a one-year, $5.72 million contract, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

Littell will receive a raise of just under $4 million in his second year of arbitration, coming off a solid showing in his first season as a full-time starter in the big leagues. He tossed 156.1 innings across his 29 outings with Tampa Bay in 2024, pitching to a 3.63 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 141:31 K:BB. Littell's lack of premium stuff will likely limit his strikeout upside once again in 2025, but his ability to keep walks in check while using of a variety of off-speed offerings to keep hitters off balance may allow him to find continued success as a back-end arm in the Tampa Bay rotation.

The Orioles and Rogers avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $2.6 million contract Thursday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Rogers managed a disappointing 4.92 ERA, 1.58 WHIP and 97:56 K:BB across 124.1 innings in 2024 between the Marlins and Orioles. The left-hander finished the season in the minors and would appear to currently be on the outside looking in for a rotation spot in Baltimore.

The Blue Jays and Pop avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $900,000 contract Thursday, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca report.

Pop will avoid a hearing in what was his first year of arbitration eligibility. He's struggled during his time in Toronto, collecting a 4.89 ERA and 58:27 K:BB over 81 innings across the past two-plus seasons.

The Astros and Dubon avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $5 million contract Thursday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

This was Dubon's third of four arbitration-eligible years. The utility player slashed .269/.296/.361 with four homers in 137 games with the Astros in 2024. He underwent surgery to repair a torn UCL in his left thumb in October but will be ready to roll for spring training.

The Twins acquired Cartaya from the Dodgers on Thursday in exchange for minor-league right-hander Jose Vasquez.

Once regarded as the one of the top catching prospects in all of baseball, the 23-year-old Cartaya has seen his stock plummet over the past two seasons while his plate skills and power output have both trended downward during his stops between Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A Oklahoma City. With Dalton Rushing also leapfrogging Cartaya on the organizational catching depth chart, the Dodgers elected to move Cartaya off the 40-man roster last week, even though he still has a minor-league option remaining. The Twins have swooped in to take a chance on Cartaya, but he'll still likely be headed to the Triple-A level to begin the 2025 campaign with Ryan Jeffers and Christian Vazquez locked in as the catching tandem at the big-league level.

The Yankees and Effross avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $800,000 contract Thursday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

Effross made just three appearances in the majors in 2024 and none in 2023 due to Tommy John and back surgeries. He's healthy now and will look to regain the form that allowed him to put up a 2.78 ERA and 80:16 K:BB over 71.1 frames from 2021 to 2022.