MLB Player News

Williams elected to become a free agent Thursday after clearing waivers, Harrison Smajovits of SI.com reports.

Williams had been scrubbed from Atlanta's 40-man roster, and he's chosen free agency in lieu of an outright assignment. The utility player has hit only .212/.272/.280 during his opportunities in the majors.

Atlanta outrighted Keirsey to Triple-A Gwinnett on Thursday, Harrison Smajovits of SI.com reports.

Keirsey has lost his spot on Atlanta's 40-man roster heading into the winter. The speedy Keirsey will remain in the organization as outfield depth. He's managed a lowly .357 OPS in 107 plate appearances at the big-league level.

Atlanta selected Wisely's contract from Triple-A Gwinnett on Thursday, Harrison Smajovits of SI.com reports.

Atlanta is doing some postseason 40-man roster maneuvering, and Wisely has netted a spot. The utility player went hitless in nine trips to the plate for Atlanta in 2026 and has slashed .214/.265/.319 thus far during his limited opportunities at the major-league level.

Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Thursday that he's informed Realmuto the catcher will receive more days off in 2027, Matt Gelb and Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic report.

He made 122 starts behind the plate in 2026 in his age-35 season. However, his downward trend offensively continued, as Realmuto slashed only .205/.283/.331 with 11 home runs across 467 plate appearances. Dombrowski didn't rule out acquiring an upgrade at backup catcher this offseason, which could allow manager Don Mattingly more confidence in giving Realmuto extra rest.

Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Thursday that the team plans for Schwarber to play around 30 games at first base next season, Matt Gelb and Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic report.

Schwarber made eight appearances (six starts) at first base in 2026, but the Phillies would like to play him in the field more often in 2027 in order to free up the designated hitter spot for others. The 33-year-old Schwarber has been utility-only eligible in most fantasy leagues over the last three years, but it sounds likely that he will pick up first base eligibility next season.

The Reds and Cabrera avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year contract Thursday.

Cabrera was claimed off waivers from the Yankees in September and went 4-for-13 at the dish during a late-season audition. The 27-year-old has an underwhelming career .233/.293/.344 batting line over parts of five major-league seasons, but he offers the ability to play virtually all over the diamond and will like slot into a utility role for the Reds in 2027.

Povich underwent surgery Wednesday to remove loose bodies from his left elbow, Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Weyrich reveals that Povich had pitched through significant discomfort down the stretch of the regular season, and the decision was made to have surgery. It's a relatively minor operation as far as elbow surgeries go, and the Orioles anticipate Povich being ready to roll for spring training. The lefty held a 4.38 ERA, 1.49 WHIP and 28:15 K:BB across 37 innings at the major-league level in 2026. Assuming health, he's likely in line to compete for a spot in the Orioles' rotation in 2027.

The Brewers are expected to start Drohan on Thursday in Game 4 of the NLCS, Tom Verducci of SI.com reports.

Though he made 19 starts for the Brewers during the regular season, Drohan has not pitched in more than two weeks and is not stretched out to handle a regular starter's workload. Thus, it could be more of an opener assignment than a traditional start for the left-hander. Dustin May is a candidate to cover some innings out of the bullpen as the Brewers look to finish off the series sweep.

Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Thursday that he plans to have Turner open next season at shortstop, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Turner had a bounce-back season defensively in 2025, but he regressed in 2026 with a minus-10 Outs Above Average, per Statcast, which was the worst mark of his career. The Phillies don't plan to have Turner change positions, but Dombrowski noted Thursday that he told the player personally he'd have to play better defensively in order to remain at shortstop. Turner had a down year offensively, as well, slashing .242/.297/.378 in 157 regular-season contests.

The Phillies re-signed Mayza to a one-year contract Thursday, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

Mayza gave the Phillies some quality work this regular season, posting a 3.48 ERA and 64:18 K:BB over 67.1 frames. The veteran southpaw will be entering his age-35 season in 2027 and will be deployed in middle relief out of the Philadelphia bullpen.