MLB Player News

May (elbow) agreed to a one-year, $2.135 million deal with the Dodgers on Thursday, avoiding arbitration, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

May had UCL reconstruction surgery in July of 2023 that was expected to sideline him for a year, so he could potentially return in the second half this season. The 26-year-old righty has a career 3.10 ERA and 1.05 WHIP, but he has made just 34 starts in five seasons due to multiple arm injuries.

Keller signed a one-year, $5.4425 million contract with the Pirates on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.

Keller got off to a hot start last season, but he posted a 5.59 ERA in 77.1 innings after the All-Star break. Despite his late struggles, Keller remains a viable fantasy option after racking up 210 strikeouts in 194.1 frames and 13 wins in 2023.

Feyereisen (shoulder) agreed to a one-year, $770,000 deal with the Dodgers on Thursday, avoiding arbitration, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

He was traded to the Dodgers from the Rays in December of 2022 after Tampa Bay initially designated him for assignment, and he missed the entire 2023 season recovering from shoulder surgery, so it's not surprising to see Feyereisen get one of the lowest deals among arbitration-eligible players. The 30-year-old reliever did not give up an earned run in 24.1 innings for the Rays in 2022. He has four career saves in 83 appearances.

Phillips agreed to a one-year, $4 million deal with the Dodgers on Thursday, avoiding arbitration, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

The offseason isn't over, and Josh Hader remains unsigned while other top relievers could be getting shopped, but as things stand, Phillips would be the Dodgers' top ninth-inning option again in 2024. He had a 2.05 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 66 strikeouts and 24 saves in 62 games last season.

Lux (knee) agreed to a one-year, $1.225 million deal with the Dodgers on Thursday, avoiding arbitration, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

He missed the entire 2023 season after undergoing knee surgery in spring training, but Lux has a chance to be the Dodgers' starting shortstop, at least against righties. It's also possible the team could still acquire an external upgrade, but as things stand, he could platoon with Miguel Rojas. Lux slashed .276/.346/.399 with six home runs and seven steals in 129 games in 2022.

Olivares signed a $1.35 million contract with the Pirates on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

After slashing .263/.317/.452 with 36 RBI across 385 plate appearances last season with Kansas City, Olivares was traded to Pittsburgh in December. The 27-year-old outfielder boasts an .800 OPS against southpaws since 2021 and figures to be a regular part of Pittsburgh's lineup in 2024.

Garcia signed a one-year contract to avoid arbitration with the Nationals on Thursday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

The Nationals have been open about the fact that Garcia is not guaranteed playing time this year, but he won't face stiff competition from Jake Alu, Ildemaro Vargas or Nasim Nunez. Garcia already has 325 MLB games under his belt and won't turn 24 until May, but he has been a replacement-level player for two seasons in a row (0.1 fWAR both years). He hit a career-high nine home runs with a career-high nines steals last year. The main thing Garcia offers is a decent batting average -- he has hit .266 or better in back-to-back seasons.

The Cubs and Leiter avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $1.5 million contract Thursday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

It was his first year of arbitration eligibility. Leiter has turned himself into a valuable reliever for the Cubs, having held a 3.50 ERA and 77:24 K:BB over 64.1 innings last season. He should see action in high-leverage spots again this year.

The Pirates and Joe avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $2.125 million contract Thursday, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

It's a nice salary bump for Joe, who was eligible for arbitration for the first time. The 31-year-old put up a .760 OPS with 11 homers over 133 games for Pittsburgh last season. He should see semi-regular duty again in 2024.

The Phillies and Hoffman avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $2.2 million contract Thursday, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

It was the final year of arbitration eligibility for Hoffman, who is coming off his best season in the majors after collecting a 2.41 ERA and 69:19 K:BB over 52.1 innings. He'll be a high-leverage option out of the Phillies' bullpen again in 2024.