MLB Player News

The Red Sox claimed Cheng off waivers from the Nationals on Friday, Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald reports.

It's the fifth organization Cheng has been in this offseason, as he has been bouncing around all winter via waivers. The 24-year-old went hitless in seven plate appearances during a cup of coffee in the majors and slashed only .209/.307/.271 at Triple-A Indianapolis in the Pirates organization last season, but he's known for a reliable infield glove.

Romo cleared waivers Friday and has been outrighted to Triple-A Charlotte while receiving a non-roster invite to spring training, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Romo was designated for assignment Sunday, and after clearing waivers, he'll remain within the organization. The 24-year-old catcher will join the White Sox at spring training as a non-roster invitee. Romo spent most of the 2025 season with the Rockies' Triple-A affiliate in Albuquerque, where he slashed .264/329/.409 with seven homers, 23 RBI, 28 runs scored and two stolen bases across 244 plate appearances.

Uceta will earn $1.525 million in 2026 after winning his arbitration hearing against the Rays, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

The Rays had offered Uceta $1.2 million. He will have three more years of arbitration eligibility. Uceta put up a 3.79 ERA and a 32.1 percent strikeout rate last season with the Rays and is expected to be part of a closer-by-committee during the upcoming season.

Iriarte cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Triple-A Charlotte while receiving a non-roster invite to spring training, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Iriarte was designated for assignment Sunday, and after going unclaimed on waivers, he'll remain within the White Sox organization. The 24-year-old right-hander spent most of the 2025 season at Triple-A Charlotte, posting a 7.24 ERA, 1.96 WHIP and 48:37 K:BB across 46 innings spanning 35 appearances.

The Athletics designated Schuemann for assignment on Friday.

Schuemann will lose his spot on the 40-man roster for the A's to claim Andy Ibanez off waivers. Schuemann appeared in 101 big-league games last season, slashing .197/.295/.273 with two home runs, seven stolen bases, 13 RBI, 20 runs scored and a 22:35 BB:K across 213 plate appearances.

Dominguez could begin the upcoming season in the minors, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

With Trent Grisham and Cody Bellinger re-signing, Dominguez is no longer projected for a regular spot in the Yankees' lineup. The team has not committed to where Dominguez will open the season, but he might be better off playing every day at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre rather than sitting on the big-league bench. Dominguez is one Giancarlo Stanton injury away from regular reps, so it's not difficult to envision a scenario in which he plays a lot, but his outlook for the time being is cloudy. The 23-year-old slashed .257/.331/.388 with 10 home runs and 23 stolen bases over 123 regular-season contests in 2025.

Olson (shoulder) may not be healthy in time for Opening Day, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Olson sustained a right shoulder strain in July and was placed on the 60-day injured list with hopes of returning for the postseason, but that never came to fruition. A report from the end of January indicated Olson would likely be ready in time for spring training, but the Tigers got an update on Olson's status this week that put his availability for Opening Day in doubt. Olson has started 35 games over the last two seasons with Detroit. If he's not healthy to begin the 2026 season, Troy Melton would be the favorite to claim a rotation spot, with Keider Montero, Drew Anderson and Sawyer Gipson-Long also in the mix.

The Athletics claimed Ibanez off waivers from the Dodgers on Friday, Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com reports.

The Dodgers signed Ibanez to a one-year, $1.2 million contract in early January but then designated him for assignment less than a month later. He'll now head to the Athletics and should be in the mix for playing time at third base. Ibanez holds a career .280/.327/.452 slash line versus left-handed pitching.

The Rangers signed Brasier to a minor-league contract Friday that includes an invitation to spring training, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Injuries limited Brasier to 26 regular-season innings with the Cubs in 2025, and he finished with a 4.50 ERA and 20:5 K:BB. The Rangers' bullpen is a weak link, giving Brasier a good shot to make the team, but the 38-year-old is unlikely to rise too high in the hierarchy.

Baez has been suspended from the World Baseball Classic for testing positive for marijuana in March 2023, but the suspension will not affect his availability for the start of spring training, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

The World Baseball-Softball Confederation -- which governs the WBC -- classifies marijuana as a banned substance, hence the suspension. He will be eligible to play again for Team Puerto Rico in the 2029 WBC. Major League Baseball does not list it as a banned substance, so Baez's status with the Tigers is unaffected. The 33-year-old Baez is expected to be the Opening Day shortstop in 2026, though he will have to hold off top prospect Kevin McGonigle for the gig.