MLB Player News

Ryan (elbow) said Saturday that he added 30 pounds over the offseason in hopes of increasing his durability, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Ryan believes his relatively slight build contributed to the Tommy John surgery that knocked him out for the entirety of the 2025 season. While rehabbing that injury, Ryan "ate a lot of calories" and "lifted like an animal," which resulted in his weight going from 195 to 225. Ryan said he's had a normal offseason, having already thrown 10 bullpen sessions and touched triple digits on the radar run. The 27-year-old is unlikely to be on the Dodgers' Opening Day roster, but he could be a key rotation depth piece. Ryan held a 1.33 ERA and 18:9 K:BB over 20.1 innings covering four starts for the Dodgers in 2024.

Betts said Saturday that he's spent the offseason "rewiring" his body after falling into bad habits during a down season offensively in 2025, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Betts' .318 wOBA last season was easily the worst of his career. The cause of his regression at the plate, Betts believes, was twofold: the preparation for becoming a full-time shortstop threw off his normal routine, and an early-season stomach virus that caused him to lose 20 pounds sapped his strength and led to bad habits. Betts said he's now "in a really good spot" as he looks to bounce back in 2026 in his age-33 campaign. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts indicated over the weekend that "you could certainly see" Betts batting third this season behind Shohei Ohtani and Kyle Tucker, though nothing is set in stone yet in regard to the lineup.

Stewart is expected to split his time between designated hitter and corner infield following the Reds' signing of Eugenio Suarez, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

As long as he's healthy, Ke'Bryan Hayes is in line to be the team's everyday third baseman, which leaves Stewart and Suarez to share first base and DH duties. Bringing Suarez aboard does not preclude Stewart from getting everyday reps, but it does give him less margin for error. The rookie swatted five home runs in 18 regular-season contests down the stretch for Cincinnati while slashing .255/.293/.545. Stewart also sported a robust 52.5 percent hard-hit rate and 17.5 percent barrel rate during his cup of coffee.

Steer is expected to play some in the outfield and serve in a super utility role following the Reds' signing of Eugenio Suarez, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Suarez and Sal Stewart will soak up most of the at-bats between first base and designated hitter, and Ke'Bryan Hayes will occupy the hot corner. Steer's clearest path to playing time is in left field -- which was his primary position in 2024 -- though the 28-year-old is unlikely to settle in at one spot. He slashed an underwhelming .238/.312/.411 with 21 home runs across 146 regular-season contests in 2025, though Steer's numbers were held back by a dreadful .174/.248/.272 line in April when he played through a shoulder issue.

De La Cruz should benefit from Cincinnati signing free agent Eugenio Suarez, who is expected to bat cleanup behind De La Cruz, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

The addition of Suarez's bat is expected to provide protection for De La Cruz, who started 148 games as the No. 3 hitter and led the team with 22 home runs in 2025. The Reds hadn't done much to address the need for power during the offseason until signing Suarez, a right-handed bat that belted 49 home runs in 2025 while with Arizona and Seattle. Despite playing in one of the league's friendlier hitting environments, Cincinnati ranked 21st in home runs and struggled offensively at times last season, and it lost two of its top offensive performers this offseason, Austin Hays and Gavin Lux.

Hayes is expected to remain the starting third baseman despite the Reds' signing free agent Eugenio Suarez on Sunday, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

The organization reunited with Suarez, who played mostly third base for Cincinnati from 2015 to 2021 prior to being traded in March of 2022. Recognizing Hayes' value as a fielder -- he won a second Gold Glove at the hot corner in 2025 -- the Reds plan to deploy Suarez as the primary designated hitter while also giving him occasional starts at both corner infield spots.

Smith could face competition at first base with the Diamondbacks interested free agent Carlos Santana, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports.

Smith heads into spring training as the putative starter at first base against right-handers, but the organization isn't done adding pieces. Arizona general manager Mike Hazen told Steve Gilbert of MLB.com that he'd like find another "complementary first baseman." Santana is a switch hitter that could fit in a platoon with Smith while also supplanting him from the left side. Gambadoro's report also indicates that the team is talking with other free agent first basemen, including former D-back Paul Goldschmidt.

Suarez and the Reds agreed to a one-year, $15 million contract Sunday that includes a $16 million mutual option for the 2027 season, pending a physical, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Suarez will reunite with the Reds, whom he spent seven seasons with from 2015 to 2021 before being traded to the Mariners in March of 2022. Passan relays that Suarez will likely see most of his at-bats as the Reds' designated hitter but should also get some reps at the corners. Suarez ended the 2025 season with the Mariners after being traded by the Diamondbacks in July. His .896 OPS with Arizona dipped noticeably to .683 with Seattle, and he ended the 2025 regular season having posted a .228/.298/.526 slash line with four steals, 91 runs, 49 home runs and 118 RBI over 657 plate appearances.

Waldschmidt received an invite to major-league training camp, Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports reports.

The Diamondbacks revealed their 2026 spring training roster Friday, and it included Waldschmidt, the club's top prospect. With Lourdes Gurriel (knee) expected to miss the first three months of the season, Waldschmidt should get significant playing time in left field this spring. Earlier in the offseason, Arizona general manager Mike Hazen suggested one of the team's prospects could break camp on the active roster, and many believed the GM was referring to Waldschmidt. The 23-year-old outfielder played all three outfield spots in the minors last year and could get work in center field, too, while Alek Thomas represents Mexico in the World Baseball Classic. Waldschmidt, who is not currently on the 40-man roster, reached Double-A Amarillo in 2025 and posted a .921 OPS over 66 games.

Arraez signed a one-year contract with the Giants on Saturday, Jorge Castillo of ESPN.com reports. Per Daniel Alvarez-Montes of ElExtraBase.com, the deal is for $12 million and is pending a physical.

Arraez played mostly at first base with San Diego last season, but he's expected to fill San Francisco's need for a starting second baseman in 2026. While the veteran infielder continued to display his bat-to-ball excellency last season -- he led the NL with 181 hits and stuck out just 21 times over 675 plate appearances -- he also posted a career-low .719 OPS with just eight homers while collecting 61 RBI, 66 runs and 11 stolen bases. The theft total was a career-best mark and was really the only area where Arraez made even a modest impact in fantasy outside of his .292 batting average. With San Francisco, Arraez should maintain an everyday spot in the lineup, and there's no reason to think he won't continue to hit for a high average. While his consistent lack of contributions elsewhere makes Arraez a mostly unexciting fantasy asset, his eventual return to eligibility at the keystone should prop his appeal up to some extent.