MLB Player News

The Pirates traded Ortiz, along with Josh Hartle and Michael Kennedy, to the Guardians on Tuesday in exchange for Spencer Horwitz, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Ortiz took a massive leap in 2024, posting a 3.32 ERA and 1.11 WHIP alongside a 107:42 K:BB in 135.2 innings. The Pirates used him as both a starter and reliever last year, though Shane Bieber's (elbow) injury and a general lack of starter depth could prompt Cleveland to keep Ortiz in its rotation full time.

Eovaldi agreed to a three-year, $75 million contract with the Rangers on Tuesday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Eovaldi turned down his $20 million player option earlier in the offseason, but he'll officially remain in Arlington on a multi-year deal that will pay him $5 million more in 2025 than if he had exercised his option. The 34-year-old righty has been fairly consistent during his time with the Rangers, posting a 3.72 ERA and 1.12 WHIP over the last two seasons, and he'll presumably follow Jacob deGrom as the second man in Texas' rotation.

The Tigers designated Baddoo for assignment Tuesday, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

With the signing of Alex Cobb becoming official Tuesday, the Tigers needed to create room on their 40-man roster, so Baddoo will end up as the roster casualty. Baddoo slashed just .137/.220/.301 in 31 big-league games last season, though his .758 OPS and 29 stolen bases in Triple-A could be enough to attract attention from another organization.

The Blue Jays traded Horwitz and Nick Mitchell to the Guardians on Tuesday in exchange for Andres Gimenez and Nick Sandlin, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

In 97 games with the Blue Jays last year, Horwitz slashed .265/.357/.433 while mashing 12 homers and driving in 40 RBI. With second base now open in Cleveland following Gimenez's move to Toronto, Horwitz's clearest path to playing time is likely at the keystone, though he could also be used at first base and DH over the course of the season.

The Guardians traded Sandlin to the Blue Jays on Tuesday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

Spencer Horwitz and Nick Mitchell were sent to the Guardians in return for Sandlin and Andres Gimenez. Sandlin departs Cleveland after playing for the Guardians for the first four seasons of his career, finishing his tenure with a 3.27 ERA across 195.1 innings, including a 3.75 ERA across 68 appearances in 2024.

The Guardians traded Gimenez to the Blue Jays on Tuesday alongside Nick Sandlin in exchange for Spencer Horwitz and Nick Mitchell, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Gimenez had a down year offensively in 2024, slashing just .252/.298/.340 with 63 RBI in 152 games. However, the 26-year-old infielder is coming off his second consecutive 30-steal campaign and has developed into one of the game's best defenders. His glove will almost certainly keep him in the lineup everyday for Toronto, and he still has potential to bounce back at the plate after posting an .837 OPS just two seasons ago.

Fried agreed to a eight year, $218 million contract with Yankees on Tuesday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

After coming up short on re-signing Juan Soto, the Yankees set their sights on the best remaining left-handed starter on the market. The deal is pending a physical, but Passan notes it's the largest guarantee in baseball history for a southpaw. There are no deferrals nor opt-outs in the contract, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports. Fried ends his Atlanta career with a 3.07 ERA in 168 appearances (151 starts). In his eighth and final season with the team in 2024, the 30-year-old posted a 3.08 ERA across 29 starts.

Cobb passed his physical with the Tigers on Tuesday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

The Tigers agreed to a one-year contract with Cobb on Monday, a deal which includes $15 million for 2025 with incentives of $1 million apiece for reaching the 140- and 150-inning thresholds. Cobb dealt with injuries during his one season with the Guardians in 2024, but he logged 149.2 and 151.1 innings during the 2022 and 2023 seasons, respectively, as part of the Giants' rotation.

Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said Tuesday that the team has not yet determined which position Lewis will play next season, Darren Wolfson of Channel 5 Saint Paul reports.

Lewis has been taking grounders on both sides of the second-base bag this offseason, but whether the 25-year-old ultimately settles in at third base or second base in 2025 will be decided "when we see what our roster overall is gonna look like," per Baldelli. The skipper did respond with "he can do it" when asked about Lewis' ability to handle second base. Lewis made one start at the keystone in 2024, with his other 49 starts in the field coming at third base.

Garcia (elbow) signed a two-year, $15 million deal with the Blue Jays on Tuesday, Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Garcia, who was traded from the Blue Jays to the Mariners shortly before the trade deadline, ended the year on the shelf with elbow inflammation. The 34-year-old righty had a 3.46 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 49:12 K:BB and five saves in 39 innings last year before his elbow started barking. If he's healthy, Garcia could work as Chad Green's setup man or even challenge for a share of ninth-inning duties.