MLB Player News

Brown (neck) has been cleared for a normal offseason throwing program, Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic report.

Brown's final appearance of the 2024 season came in early June, as he was eventually shut down with a benign area of concern in his neck. However, after recently undergoing a scan on his neck he has been given the go-ahead to proceed with his regular offseason routine. Brown could be in the mix for an Opening Day rotation spot with the Cubs.

Snell signed a five-year, $182 million contract with the Dodgers on Tuesday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

After posting a 3.12 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in 20 starts during his lone season with the Giants, Snell has now earned himself a long-term deal to stay in the NL West. The two-time Cy Young Award winner will be joining an already impressive Dodgers rotation that includes Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow (elbow) and Shohei Ohtani (shoulder).

Arenado is willing to play some first base in order to create roster flexibility for the team acquiring him in a potential trade, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

A large part of Arenado's value comes from his defense at third base, so it's not clear how many clubs would be looking to shift him to the other side of the diamond even on a part-time basis. Still, some flexibility can't hurt, and the fact he's even willing to entertain the possibility also seems to speak to Arenado's eagerness to waive his no-trade clause. Woo notes that a few teams have expressed interest in Arenado, but those talks "have yet to yield any substantive progress." However, negotiations are expected to pick up around the winter meetings and there is a "growing sense" in the industry that Arenado will be dealt.

The Reds currently have at least six starters who could be on the Opening Day roster following the Brady Singer trade, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports. In addition to Singer, there's Hunter Greene, Nick Martinez, Nick Lodolo, Andrew Abbott and Lowder.

Greene, Singer and Martinez are shoo-ins for three rotation spots, and after that it's a little less certain. Both Abbott and Lodolo have health concerns, and Lodolo for that matter is coming off of a rough season. Lowder posted a 1.17 ERA and 1.27 WHIP over six late-season starts after roaring through the Reds' minor league system. It's plausible that they could decide he needs more time to develop, especially if Lodolo and Abbott are ready to go.

Farmer agreed to a one-year contract with the Rockies on Friday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

Farmer's mutual option for 2025 was declined by the Twins on Oct. 31, causing the 34-year-old shortstop to enter free agency after spending the last two seasons in Minnesota. He mostly served in a reserve role in 2024 behind Carlos Correa, and across 242 plate appearances in 107 regular-season games, Farmer slashed .214/.293/.353 with five home runs and 25 RBI. Farmer will likely serve a similar role in Colorado behind the 23-year-old Ezequiel Tovar.

Reid-Foley signed a one-year deal with the Mets on Friday to avoid arbitration, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Reid-Foley spent two separate stints on the Mets' injured list due to a right shoulder impingement, and he was officially shut down in late August after suffering a setback during his rehab assignment. When he was healthy, Reid-Foley proved to an effective relief option for the Mets as he posted a 1.66 ERA and 1.25 WHIP over 21.2 innings in 23 major-league outings.

Morgan agreed to a contract with the Cubs to avoid arbitration Friday, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

The Cubs acquired Morgan from the Guardians on Wednesday, and he should serve as a key member of their bullpen in 2025. He's suffered from some inconsistency during four big-league seasons, though he posted a 1.93 ERA and 0.98 WHIP across 42 innings in 2024.

Thaiss signed a one-year deal with the Cubs on Friday to avoid arbitration, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

After the Angels designated Thaiss for assignment Nov. 14, he was traded to the Cubs on Wednesday in exchange for cash considerations. Unless the Cubs make another move in the offseason, Thaiss is projected to serve as the backup catcher to Miguel Amaya. Thaiss slashed .204/.323/.299 with two home runs and 16 RBI over 186 plate appearances during the 2024 regular season with the Angels.

Thompson agreed to a contract with the Cubs on Friday to avoid arbitration, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Thompson has bounced between Triple-A Iowa and the big leagues for the last two seasons, but he was effective out of the bullpen across 30.1 innings for the Cubs in 2024 by maintaining a 2.67 ERA and 1.22 WHIP. His control (14.2 BB%) will likely keep him from a high-leverage role, but he should contribute as a reliever in 2025.

Stubbs signed a one-year contract with the Phillies on Friday to avoid arbitration.

The 31-year-old will serve as the Phillies' backup catcher behind J.T. Realmuto for a fourth straight season in 2025. Stubbs finished the 2024 regular season with a .207/.296/.262 slash line, five stolen bases, one home run and 11 RBI over 186 plate appearances.