MLB Player News

Hentges (shoulder) agreed to a one-year, $1.337 million contract with the Guardians on Friday to avoid arbitration, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

Hentges is set to miss the entire 2025 campaign after undergoing surgery on his left shoulder in September. His new contract will ensure he remains with the Guardians organization for the duration of his rehab process, and the 28-year-old will look to return for the start of 2026.

Rivera agreed to a one-year, $1 million contract with the Orioles on Friday to avoid arbitration, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Rivera slashed .313/.370/.578 with four homers and 14 RBI in 73 plate appearances after joining the Orioles in August -- good enough to earn him a $260,000 pay increase for 2025. Though he's played well in his brief Orioles tenure, the 28-year-old is expected to fill a reserve role next season.

Tonkin agreed to a one-year, $1 million contract with the Twins on Friday to avoid arbitration, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Tonkin started the 2024 regular season on the Twins' roster, then spent stints with the Mets and Yankees before finishing the year back in Minnesota after being claimed off waivers in late August. He appeared in 57 games between the three organizations, posting a 3.63 ERA and 1.26 WHIP over 79.1 innings while primarily serving in a middle relief role.

Dunning signed a one-year, $2.66 million contract with the Rangers on Friday to avoid arbitration, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Dunning's 2025 salary represents a $670,000 pay cut from 2024, though he'll have opportunities to earn more money through incentives. It's not too surprising to see the 29-year-old righty receive a lower base salary after putting up a career-worst 5.31 ERA and 1.44 WHIP over 95 innings.

Stewart (shoulder) and the Twins agreed to a one-year, $870,000 contract Friday to avoid arbitration, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.

The left-hander missed most of the second half after undergoing shoulder surgery in late July, but that won't prevent Minnesota from tendering him a contract for 2025. His initial recovery timeline was 5-6 months, so he should be ready to go early in spring training. Stewart had a 5.17 ERA in 16 appearances for the Twins in 2024 but was dominant the year before with just two earned runs allowed across 27.2 innings.

The Tigers and McKinstry avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $1.65 million contract Friday, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

McKinstry had been eligible for salary arbitration for the first time. The 29-year-old slashed just .215/.277/.337 with four home runs and 16 stolen bases over 118 games for the Tigers in 2024. He's slated to fill a utility role again next season.

Judge was named the 2024 American League Most Valuable Player on Thursday.

It's hardly surprising to see Judge take home his second MVP trophy after slashing .322/.458/.701 with 144 RBI in the regular season -- all of which represent career-best marks for the 32-year-old slugger. He also added 58 home runs on the year, which falls just four short of the Yankees' single-season record he set in 2022. After receiving all 30 first-place votes, Judge is now the first Yankee to win MVP unanimously since Mickey Mantle did so in 1956.

McKenzie agreed to terms on a one-year, $1.95 million contract with the Guardians on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

McKenzie spent the first half of 2024 with the Guardians, posting a 5.11 ERA and 1.56 WHIP across 75.2 innings (16 starts). He continued to struggle to the tune of a 5.23 ERA after being demoted to Triple-A Columbus in June. Despite his poor performance, the 27-year-old righty will receive a $350,000 raise in 2025, but he should remain off fantasy managers' radar until he's able to regain command over his pitches.

Boushley signed a minor-league contract with the Rangers on Friday.

Boushley has struggled in the minors over the past couple of seasons, turning in a 5.17 ERA and 1.37 WHIP over 270 total innings between the Brewers' and Twins' Triple-A affiliates since 2023. Nonetheless, he'll join the Rangers organization to help fill out the rotation at Triple-A Round Rock, though he likely won't be much of a factor for the big-league squad.

Kurtz slashed .353/.450/.608 with two home runs and a 16:9 K:BB in 60 plate appearances in the Arizona Fall League.

He ended the regular season on the injured list at Double-A Midland due to a hamstring strain, but Kurtz was able to make up for lost time in the AFL and end his 2024 on a high note. Other than a general lack of athleticism and a bad body (listed at 6-foot-5, 240 pounds), Kurtz's only notable flaw is his injury history -- he missed time with random injuries at Wake Forest. However, after slashing .368/.520/.763 with four homers in 12 games split between Single-A and Double-A before dominating in the AFL, Kurtz's track record of hitting pro pitching is arguably tops in the 2024 draft class.