MLB Player News
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Garrett Acton RP | MIN
Rockies' Garrett Acton: Loses roster spot
Acton was designated for assignment by the Rockies on Thursday, Patrick Lyons of JustBaseball.com reports.
The Rockies made their signing of Willi Castro official, meaning they needed to make room on their 40-man roster. Acton was on the wrong end of that roster shuffle, as he lost his roster spot only about three months after he was claimed by the team. He made one appearance in the majors in 2025, firing a scoreless inning for the Rays.
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Richard Lovelady RP | WAS
Mets' Richard Lovelady: Bumped from roster
Lovelady was designated for assignment Thursday, Max Goodman of NJ.com reports.
Lovelady re-signed with the Mets in October after closing the 2025 season with the team. He'll likely rejoin the 40-man roster at some point during the 2026 campaign as a depth option out of the bullpen, assuming he clears waivers.
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Vidal Brujan 2B | NYM
Mets' Vidal Brujan: Finds new home with Mets
Brujan was traded from the Twins to the Mets in exchange for cash considerations Thursday.
Brujan was designated for assignment by the Twins on Wednesday, but he found a new home quickly. He'll likely serve as organizational depth for New York, though Brujan could have the chance to compete for a bench role during spring training thanks to his defensive versatility.
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Riley Adams C | WAS
Nationals' Riley Adams: Designated for assignment
The Nationals designated Adams for assignment Thursday.
The 29-year-old backstop appeared in a career-high 83 games during the 2025 season but was a liability when holding a bat, as he slashed .186/.252/.308 across 286 plate appearances. With no need for five catchers on their 40-man roster, the Nationals will now move on from Adams in order to make room for Gus Varland (undisclosed), who was claimed off waivers from Arizona on Thursday.
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Chas McCormick LF | CHC
Cubs' Chas McCormick: Snags NRI deal from Cubs
McCormick signed a minor-league contract with the Cubs on Thursday that includes an invitation to spring training, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
McCormick has registered a .574 OPS in 383 plate appearances over the last two seasons -- a stark decline from the .786 OPS he logged across his first three years in MLB. The Cubs will take a flier on him with hopes that the 30-year-old outfielder returns to his previous form, though he will likely first have to redeem himself at Triple-A Iowa.
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Yeremi Cabrera CF | WAS
Nationals' Yeremy Cabrera: Sent to WSH in Gore trade
The Rangers traded Cabrera, Gavin Fien, Alejandro Rosario (elbow), Abimelec Ortiz and Devin Fitz-Gerald (shoulder) to the Nationals on Thursday in exchange for MacKenzie Gore, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.
Cabrera spent the entire 2025 campaign with the Rangers' Single-A affiliate, where he slashed .256/.364/.366 with 52 RBI, 66 runs scored and 43 stolen bases across 102 games. The Nationals may promote him to High-A Wilmington once the season begins, but the 20-year-old outfielder is likely a couple years out from seeing the big leagues.
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Devin Fitz-Gerald SS | WAS
Nationals' Devin Fitz-Gerald: Dealt to Nats
The Rangers traded Fitz-Gerald (shoulder), Gavin Fien, Alejandro Rosario (elbow), Abimelec Ortiz and Yeremy Cabrera to the Nationals on Thursday in exchange for MacKenzie Gore, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.
Fitz-Gerald played his first professional season in 2025 and slashed .302/.428/.482 over 173 plate appearances between rookie ball and Single-A before a shoulder injury cut his season short in early July. It's unknown where the 20-year-old infielder stands in his recovery process, but he will likely report to Single-A Fredericksburg once he's cleared to play.
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Abimelec Ortiz 1B | WAS
Nationals' Abimelec Ortiz: Shipped to Washington
The Rangers traded Ortiz, Gavin Fien, Alejandro Rosario (elbow), Devin Fitz-Gerald (shoulder) and Yeremy Cabrera to the Nationals on Thursday in exchange for MacKenzie Gore, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.
Ortiz split time between Double-A and Triple-A last year, slashing .257/.356/.479 with 25 homers, 89 RBI and 85 runs scored between the two levels. The 23-year-old first baseman was awarded a 40-man roster spot in November and will now presumably compete with Andres Chaparro for the starting job in Washington.
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Gus Varland RP | WAS
Nationals' Gus Varland: Scooped on waivers by Nationals
The Nationals claimed Varland (undisclosed) off waivers from the Diamondbacks on Thursday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.
Varland didn't pitch during the final three months of the 2025 season due to an undisclosed injury, and it's unclear what his current health status is. The right-handed reliever has collected a 4.82 ERA and 47:24 K:BB across 46.2 frames covering parts of two major-league seasons.
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Gavin Fien SS | WAS
Nationals' Gavin Fien: Traded to Nationals
The Rangers traded Fien to the Nationals on Thursday alongside Alejandro Rosario (elbow), Abimelec Ortiz, Devin Fitz-Gerald (shoulder) and Yeremy Cabrera in exchange for MacKenzie Gore, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.
After being selected 12th overall in the 2025 First-Year Player Draft, Fien reported to the Rangers' Single-A affiliate and slashed .220/.267/.341 with seven RBI and four runs scored across 45 plate appearances. He's highly regarded for his hitting, power and arm, though it will likely be a few years before the 18-year-old infielder makes his MLB debut.