MLB Player News

The Orioles acquired Baz from the Rays on Friday in exchange for Slater de Brun, Caden Bodine, Michael Forret, Austin Overn and a Competitive Balance Round A pick, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Baz had an up-and-down 2025 campaign in his first full season back from Tommy John surgery, finishing with a 4.87 ERA and 176:64 K:BB across 166.1 innings covering 31 starts. However, he had a 5.90 ERA at hitter-friendly George M. Steinbrenner Field, so he should benefit from a move to Camden Yards. Baz is under team control through 2028.

The Nationals signed Bernabel to a minor-league contract Friday that includes an invitation to spring training, Spencer Nusbaum of The Washington Post reports.

Bernabel elected free agency earlier this month after being removed from the Rockies' 40-man roster, and he's quickly latched on with a new organization. The 23-year-old slashed .252/.288/.410 with four homers in 40 games with the big club in 2025 and had a .301/.356/.450 line with eight long balls at Triple-A Albuquerque. Bernabel plays both corner infield spots and the Nationals don't have much depth at those positions, so he could find his way onto the Opening Day roster.

The Diamondbacks acquired Owusu-Asiedu from the Phillies on Friday in exchange for Kyle Backhus, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

Owusu-Asiedu slashed .258/.366/.385 with seven home runs and 33 stolen bases over 107 contests between Single-A Clearwater and High-A Jersey Shore in 2025. The 22-year-old could move up to the Double-A level in 2026.

The Phillies acquired Backhus from the Diamondbacks on Friday in exchange for Avery Owusu-Asiedu, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

Backhus is a sidearming lefty reliever who held left-handed hitters to just a .139/.225/.278 slash line in 2025. Righty bats slashed .365/.417/.571 off the 27-year-old, so manager Rob Thomson will have to be judicious with his usage of Backhus.

The Phillies acquired Bowlan from the Royals on Friday in exchange for Matt Strahm, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Bowlan had a mini-breakout in 2025 in his first full season as a reliever, posting a 3.86 ERA and 46:17 K:BB over 44.1 innings with the Royals. The 29-year-old righty had significant splits, as he held right-handed bats to a .182/.255/.250 batting line but was torched by lefties to the tune of a .288/.358/.575 line. Bowlan is not yet eligible for salary arbitration and will be under team control through 2031.

The Royals acquired Strahm from the Phillies on Friday in exchange for Jonathan Bowlan, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

It's a homecoming for Strahm, who was drafted by and first reached the majors with the Royals. The left-hander has been one of the best relievers in baseball in recent years, posting a 2.71 ERA, 30.5 percent strikeout rate and 6.2 percent walk rate over the last three regular seasons for the Phillies. Strahm will fill a high-leverage role ahead of closer Carlos Estevez.

King agreed to a one-year contract with the Padres on Thursday that includes player options for 2027 and 2028, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

King had two excellent seasons with the Padres in 2024 and 2025 and passed on a qualifying offer with the team earlier in the offseason, but he'll ultimately remain with San Diego. According to Feinsand, King will make $17 million in 2025 and will net at least another $5 million in the form of a buyout for the 2027 option. His player options for 2027 and 2028 are worth $28 million and $30 million, respectively. Assuming King can avoid any lingering issues with his shoulder -- which cost him much of the 2025 season -- he should headline the Padres' rotation in 2026.

Means ruptured his Achilles tendon on Tuesday, Andy Kostka of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.

Means posted the news on his own social media. He noted that he was set to be recovered fully from Tommy John surgery in time for Opening Day and was on the verge of signing before the injury occurred. No timeline for his recovery has been announced, but he'll almost certainly miss the entire 2026 season. This continues a run of bad injury luck for Means, who had made just 10 appearances in the majors since 2022.

The Mariners signed Davis to a minor-league contract Thursday that includes an invitation to spring training, Aram Leighton of JustBaseball.com reports.

Davis missed time with injuries again in 2025 while in the Yankees organization, but he was productive when on the field, slashing .248/.324/.576 with 12 homers in 36 contests at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The former top prospect is likely headed back to the Triple-A level again to start 2026, but he will compete in spring training for a roster spot with the big club.

The Guardians signed Armstrong to a one-year, $5.5 million contract Thursday that includes a mutual option for 2027, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

The 35-year-old Armstrong had arguably the best season of his career in 2025 with the Rangers, putting up a 2.31 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and 74:20 K:BB over 74 innings. It's a return to the organization that drafted him and where he debuted back in 2015 for Armstrong. The right-hander should be used in a setup role ahead of closer Cade Smith.