MLB Player News

Montes de Oca (elbow) cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Syracuse on Monday.

Montes de Oca is no longer on the Mets' 40-man roster but will remain in the organization. The big right-hander missed all of 2023 and is expected to be sidelined until around midseason of 2024 while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

The Cardinals claimed Young off waivers from the Cubs on Monday.

The Cubs had removed Young from their 40-man roster last week and he'll now join one of their division rivals. The 28-year-old turned in a .310/.417/.577 batting line with 21 home runs over 90 games this season at Triple-A Iowa. He's slashed .210/.290/.435 across 22 contests at the major-league level and can handle the corner infield and outfield spots.

Cronin (back) was designated for assignment by the Nationals on Monday, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.

The Nationals did some 40-man roster housecleaning Monday and Cronin has lost his spot. Cronin, who has never appeared in the majors, underwent back surgery in August and it's unclear when he might be ready to pitch again.

The Giants exercised Cobb's (hip) $10 team million option for 2024 on Monday, Danny Emerman of KNBR 680 San Francisco reports.

Cobb is expected to be sidelined for at least the first month or so of the 2024 season after having surgery last week to repair his left hip. Even with that, the Giants decided it was worth bringing the right-hander back rather than pay him a $2 million buyout. Cobb pitched well in 2023 when healthy, collecting a 3.87 ERA and 131:37 K:BB over 151.1 frames covering 28 starts.

Conforto exercised his $18 million player option for 2024 on Monday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Conforto missed all of the 2022 season following shoulder surgery and didn't have the bounce-back 2023 campaign that he envisioned, slashing just .239/.334/.384 with 15 home runs over 125 games. As such, he will opt into the one year remaining on his deal with the Giants and hope to play his way into a multi-year pact next winter.

The Dodgers exercised Treinen's (shoulder) team option for 2024 on Sunday, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Treinen was forced to miss the 2023 campaign after undergoing shoulder surgery in November of 2022, but he'll remain with the club for the 2024 season following Sunday's move. His rehab assignment was paused in early September after he experienced soreness in his shoulder, and it's unclear whether he'll be back to full health in time for spring training next year.

The Cubs exercised Gomes' $6 million club option for 2024 on Sunday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

Gomes has been a steady hand behind the plate for Chicago over the past two years, and he'll be back again for a third season. The 36-year-old had a .723 OPS last year in 116 games following the departure of Willson Contreras, and he'll likely open 2024 as the Cubs' top catcher.

The Cubs exercised Hendricks' $16 million club option for 2024 on Sunday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

The veteran right-hander posted a 4.78 ERA between the 2021 and 2022 campaigns, but he rebounded last season with a 3.74 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 93:27 K:BB in 137 innings. Hendricks will enter 2024 with a secure spot in the middle of Chicago's rotation, though his fantasy ceiling is capped by his low strikeout numbers.

Bell exercised his $16.5 million player option for 2024 on Saturday, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Bell began the season with the Guardians and struggled to a .701 OPS, but he thrived after arriving in Miami at the trade deadline, batting .270/.338/.480 with 11 home runs over 53 games for the Marlins down the stretch. The 31-year-old currently projects as the team's starting first baseman for 2024, although the Marlins could shift Bell to the designated hitter role if they find someone else to handle first.

The Padres declined Wacha's two-year, $32 million option for 2024-25 on Saturday, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Wacha has a $6.5 million player option for 2024 that he's expected to decline, at which point the pitcher will become a free agent. The right-hander has posted a nifty 3.27 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 228:74 K:BB over 261.2 innings covering the last two seasons. He hasn't made more than 24 starts in a season since 2017, though, and the Padres likely decided he wasn't worth the risk as they look to trim payroll.