MLB Player News

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.

Skubal was named the 2024 American League Cy Young Award winner Wednesday.

After turning in a 2.39 ERA and 0.92 WHIP over 192 innings alongside a 228:35 K:BB, Skubal was heavily favored to win the award, and indeed he received all 30 first-place votes. The left-hander is now the fifth pitcher in Tigers history to take home a Cy Young Award -- a list that includes Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer.

The Athletics and Brown avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year contract Wednesday.

There's no word on the financial terms of the deal, but Brown was due a modest raise after earning a $2.6 million salary in 2024. The 32-year-old slashed .231/.283/.379 with 14 home runs in 124 games this past season. Brown is likely to play a good amount versus righties again for the Athletics in 2025.

The Tigers signed Jones to a minor-league contract Sunday that includes an invitation to spring training, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Jones, 27, has slashed just .198/.257/.278 over parts of four seasons at the big-league level. He does have a career .821 OPS at the Triple-A level and offers defensive versatility with the ability to play second base, third base and all three outfield spots.

The Twins re-signed Blewett to a minor-league contract Monday.

Blewett was outrighted off the 40-man roster earlier this month but is now back in the organization. He held a 1.77 ERA and 18:8 K:BB over 20.1 frames with the Twins in 2024 and will likely begin the 2025 campaign at Triple-A St. Paul as relief depth.

Krook signed a minor-league contract with the Athletics on Friday.

Krook surrendered two earned runs in one inning during his lone MLB appearance with Baltimore last season. He was much more effective during his time with Triple-A Norfolk, however, posting a 3.92 ERA and 1.41 WHIP across 43.2 frames. Now with the A's, the 30-year-old southpaw will most likely fill in as organizational depth at Triple-A Las Vegas.

The Mariners designated Chargois for assignment Tuesday, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.

With Austin Shenton joining the organization Tuesday via a trade with the Rays, Chargois will end up as the odd man out of the Mariners' 40-man roster. The 33-year-old was extremely effective out of the bullpen in 2024, posting a 2.23 ERA and 1.02 WHIP across 36.1 total innings between Miami and Seattle, so there could be a handful of teams bidding for his services via waivers.

The Rays traded Shenton to the Mariners on Tuesday in exchange for cash, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.

After making his MLB debut and appearing in 19 games for the Rays in 2024, Shenton will now reunite with the organization that originally drafted him back in 2019. The 26-year-old infielder slashed .258/.361/.497 with 20 home runs and 65 RBI across 363 minor-league plate appearances last season, and he will likely remain an organizational depth piece upon moving to Seattle. JT Chargois was DFA'd in a corresponding move.

The Red Sox designated Mata (elbow/lat) for assignment Tuesday, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Mata missed the start of the season with a hamstring injury and missed the final three months due to shoulder and elbow soreness and never got surgery, which likely contributed to him getting squeezed off the 40-man roster. He is 25 and hasn't thrown more than 30 innings in a season since he threw 83 innings in 2022. Mata has a career 4.87 ERA, 1.75 WHIP and 70 strikeouts in 61 innings at Triple-A, and his best path forward is likely as a reliever who can just let it rip with his fastball and slider in short bursts.

The Red Sox designated Campbell (elbow) for assignment Tuesday, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Campbell missed the second half of 2024 with elbow inflammation and never got surgery, so the injury may have played a role in him losing his spot on the 40-man roster as Boston looked to protect some prospects from the Rule 5 draft. Campbell had a 2.20 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and a 19:5 K:BB in 14 appearances at Triple-A, but he gave up 12 earned runs in 6.2 MLB innings and his fastball velocity was down to 93.8 mph from the 95.0 mph he averaged in 2023 with Seattle.