MLB Player News

Atlanta traded Allen to the Astros on Wednesday in exchange for Mauricio Dubon.

Allen's strong defensive capabilities at shortstop allowed him to appear in 135 games in 2025, though he finished the year with just a .535 OPS over 416 plate appearances. Now that he's moving to Houston, where Jeremy Pena is locked in at shortstop, Allen is likely to operate in more of a bench role.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Wednesday that he would like to keep Rafaela in center field "as long as possible" next season, Foul Territory TV reports.

Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said something similar last offseason, and while Rafaela made 129 starts in center field in 2025, he was also needed for 19 starts at second base. Rafaela posted a .752 OPS with 14 home runs and an 18.8 percent strikeout rate through the end of July but had just a .622 OPS with two homers and a 22.2 percent strikeout rate between August and September. Cora attributed Rafaela's late-season struggles to the 25-year-old wearing down, and the team has tasked Rafaela with getting "bigger and stronger" this offseason so he won't become fatigued as easily.

Angels general manager Perry Minasian said Wednesday that Trout "is working his tail off to play the outfield again," Taylor Blake Ward of TheSportingTribune.com reports.

Trout began the past season as the Angels' starting right fielder, but he was a full-time designated hitter after returning from a knee injury in late May. The 34-year-old is aiming to return to outfield duty in 2026, though he will likely still spend plenty of time in the DH slot, as well. Trout slashed .232/.359/.439 with 26 home runs in 2025 but saw his strikeout rate balloon to 32 percent.

Angels general manager Perry Minasian said Wednesday that Rodriguez (elbow) will begin throwing bullpen sessions in January and is expected to be ready for the start of spring training, Taylor Blake Ward of The Sporting Tribune reports.

Acquired from the Orioles on Tuesday in exchange for Taylor Ward, Rodriguez missed all of the 2025 campaign due to multiple arm issues and eventually underwent a right elbow debridement to remove a bone spur in August. He had been slated to begin a throwing program in October and will progress to mound work in January. Staying healthy has been difficult for Rodriguez, but he's flashed big upside when on the bump and will carry a career 4.11 ERA and 259:78 K:BB over 238.2 regular-season frames into the 2026 season. Rodriguez is sure to have some kind of workload restrictions with his new club in 2026 following a lost season.

The Astros signed Maldonado to a minor-league contract Nov. 14.

Maldonado holds a 7.20 ERA and 18:12 K:BB over 25 innings across parts of two big-league seasons. The 27-year-old will give the Astros some experienced bullpen depth at Triple-A Sugar Land.

The Rays signed Rooney (elbow) to a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training Nov. 15, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Rooney elected free agency earlier this month after being removed from the Astros' 40-man roster, and he's quickly landed in a new organization. The lefty reliever had elbow surgery in September, though the specific nature of the procedure and a recovery timeline aren't clear. Rooney made one appearance for Houston but spent most of 2025 at the Triple-A level, holding a 2.56 ERA and 55:24 K:BB over 38.2 frames.

The Orioles traded Rodriguez (elbow) to the Angels on Tuesday in exchange for Taylor Ward.

Rodriguez missed the entire 2025 season due to multiple injuries to his right arm. He's expected to be ready for the start of spring training, but his extensive injury history and 4.11 ERA through two MLB seasons have given the O's cause to ship Rodriguez out to the Angels, upgrading their own offense in the process. Rodriguez, meanwhile, should have little trouble claiming a spot in a Halos rotation that finished the year with a 4.91 ERA (third worst in MLB).

The Angels traded Ward to the Orioles on Tuesday in exchange for Grayson Rodriguez.

Ward enjoyed one of the best seasons of his MLB career in 2025, posting a .792 OPS while setting new career highs with 36 homers, 103 RBI and 86 runs scored over 157 games. With the 31-year-old slugger due to enter free agency next offseason, the Angels will send him to Baltimore, where Ward figures to remain an everyday starter in the outfield while injecting the lineup with a bit of additional power.

The Athletics selected Zhuang's contract from Double-A Midland on Tuesday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Zhuang spent the entire 2025 season at Midland and finished the year with a 4.08 ERA and 1.28 WHIP to go with a 145:35 K:BB over 145.2 innings. The 25-year-old right-hander is ineligible to be taken in the Rule 5 Draft now that he owns a spot on the Athletics' 40-man roster, and he could be bumped up to Triple-A next year. However, his unimpressive performance in Double-A doesn't inspire much confidence in his chances of reaching the big leagues in 2026.

The Athletics selected Perez's contract from Triple-A Las Vegas on Tuesday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Perez spent most of the 2025 season at Double-A Midland, where he posted a .724 OPS across 405 plate appearances. The 24-year-old caught fire upon being promoted to Triple-A in early August, however, finishing the year with a .298/.412/.642 slash line over 182 plate appearances at Las Vegas. His late-season surge will buy him a 40-man roster spot and protection from the Rule 5 Draft, though the A's may elect to let him continue developing at Triple-A before adding him to their big-league roster.