MLB Player News

The Rangers signed Velazquez to a minor-league contract Dec. 8.

Velazquez spent all of this past season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in the Yankees organization, slashing .242/.304/.345 with five homers and 25 steals. A career .189/.244/.293 hitter over parts of six big-league seasons, Velazquez will give the Rangers some experienced infield depth at Triple-A Round Rock.

Sanchez signed a minor-league contract with the Angels on Dec. 8.

Sanchez will remain with the Angels after slashing .246/.357/.329 with four home runs, 36 RBI, nine stolen bases and 61 runs scored over 120 games at Triple-A Salt Lake in 2025. He's played exclusively at Triple-A for the least three seasons, and his last big-league appearance dates back to the 2022 campaign with the Red Sox.

Bennett was traded from the Nationals to the Red Sox on Monday in exchange for Luis Perales, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Bennett pitched well during the 2025 season in his first year back since Tommy John surgery, posting a 2.56 ERA and 1.13 WHIP with 33 strikeouts across 45.2 innings at Double-A. He's yet to pitch above the Double-A level, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see him begin the 2026 campaign in Portland now that he's joined Boston's farm system. Chief baseball officer for the Red Sox, Craig Breslow, is clearly high on the southpaw. "We feel like Bennett is a high probability starter that excels in some things that are hard to teach," said Breslow, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. "Fastball playability driven by above average extension and strike throwing ability. His whiff rates and ability to manage hard contact have us confident in his ability to be a major league starter."

The Blue Jays designated Bruihl for assignment Monday.

The transaction clears a spot on the 40-man roster for Tyler Rogers, whose signing was officially announced Monday. Bruihl made 15 appearances out of Toronto's bullpen in 2025, collecting a 5.27 ERA and 18:7 K:BB across 13.2 frames. The southpaw has been outrighted previously, so he would have to approve an outright assignment by the Blue Jays.

The Blue Jays signed Plassmeyer to a minor-league contract Dec. 6.

Plassmeyer spent all of the 2025 season at Triple-A Round Rock in the Rangers organization, posting a 4.43 ERA and 99:34 K:BB over 105.2 innings while splitting time between the rotation and bullpen. It's unclear what role the Blue Jays have in mind for the southpaw, but he's likely headed to Triple-A Buffalo to begin the 2026 season.

The Twins signed Bell to a one-year contract with a mutual option for 2027 on Monday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

It's the first major-league free-agent signing this offseason for the Twins. Bell should see most of the playing time at first base in Minnesota but is also an option for starts at designated hitter. The 33-year-old slashed .237/.325/.417 with 22 home runs across 140 games this past season for the Nationals.

Elko (knee) agreed to a minor-league contract with the White Sox on Sunday, Jack Ankony of SI.com reports.

The 26-year-old hit the opening market in November after Chicago elected not to tender him a contract for 2026, but he's now back with the organization on a minor-league deal. Elko underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL in his right knee after the season, so he'll be unavailable for at least the first few months of the 2026 campaign.

The Brewers traded Mears to the Royals on Saturday alongside Isaac Collins in exchange for Angel Zerpa, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Mears enjoyed the best campaign of his career with Milwaukee in 2025, finishing the regular season with a 3.49 ERA and 0.97 WHIP over 56.2 innings while also notching his first career save. The 29-year-old righty is unlikely to beat out Carlos Estevez and Lucas Erceg in the race for high-leverage opportunities, but Mears will provide some depth into Kansas City's middle-relief unit.

The Brewers traded Collins to the Royals on Saturday alongside Nick Mears in exchange for Angel Zerpa, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Collins entered the 2025 season as a relatively unknown player but quickly proved himself as a productive bat, slashing .263/.368/.411 with 54 RBI, 56 runs scored and 16 stolen bases over 441 regular-season plate appearances. However, he struggled down the stretch and didn't have a significant role for the Brewers in the playoffs. His overall performance allowed him to take fourth place in NL Rookie of the Year voting. With Garrett Mitchell (shoulder) expected to return in 2026 and Akil Baddoo signing with the Brewers on Thursday, Milwaukee's outfield room was beginning to become crowded, so the team will now send Collins to Kansas City, where the 28-year-old outfielder should have a much easier path to regular playing time.

Jansen signed a one-year, $11 million contract with the Tigers on Saturday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Jansen's new deal also includes a club option for the 2027 season, per Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic. The 38-year-old has yet to show signs of slowing down, as he finished the 2025 campaign with a 2.59 ERA and 0.95 WHIP over 59 innings while collecting 29 saves with the Angels. Now set to spend his 17th MLB season in Detroit, the right-hander will likely begin 2026 as the team's closer, moving Will Vest and Kyle Finnegan into setup roles.