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Phillies Re-Sign Lou Trivino To Minor-League Deal

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The Phillies and reliever Lou Trivino are reuniting on a minor-league deal, according to Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic. The deal includes an invite to major-league Spring Training.

Trivino, 34, returns to Philadelphia after spending the end of the 2025 season with them. The club signed him to a minor-league deal in early August and selected his contract at the end of that month. In ten appearances down the stretch, Trivino had a shiny 2.00 ERA in nine innings despite some less-than-encouraging peripherals, including a 4.06 xERA and a 25.0% groundball rate. The same was true of his season overall. In 47 2/3 innings split between the Giants, Dodgers, and Phillies, Trivino posted a 3.97 ERA against an expected figure of 5.10 and a below-average 33.8% groundball rate.

The fact that he was pitching at all was a positive development considering he missed the 2023-24 seasons entirely. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2023 and attempted to rehab in 2024 before suffering a shoulder injury. Prior to that, he had been a steady reliever since debuting with the Athletics in 2018. In 284 2/3 innings with the A’s and Yankees from 2018-22, Trivino had a 3.86 ERA with a solid 24.5% strikeout rate against a 10.6% walk rate. He was predominantly a fastball pitcher and got positive grades on his cutter and four-seamer early on in his career, including a run value of 14 on the cutter in his debut season.

Trivino’s stuff wasn’t as sharp in his first year back from injury. While his four-seam velocity of 94.8 MPH in 2025 was still above-average, it was down from 95.6 MPH in 2022. His cutter velocity of 91.8 MPH was his lowest since the 2020 season, while his sinker velocity also declined slightly. Meanwhile, his 17.9% strikeout rate and 33.8% groundball rate were both career-worst marks. The latter was troubling compared to his 47.4% groundball rate from 2018-22, including a 52.6% rate in 2022.

The deal is a no-risk flier for the Phillies. While his performance in 2025 was rusty overall, Trivino excelled at limiting hard contact. His average exit velocity allowed and hard-hit rate were both in the 93rd percentile or better according to Statcast. Those qualities alone won’t return Trivino to peak form, but they will play up if he can induce more strikeouts and groundballs. The Phillies have Jhoan Duran, José Alvarado, and Brad Keller headlining their bullpen. If Trivino performs well in Spring Training, he might vie for a middle-relief role alongside Tanner Banks, Jonathan Bowlan, and Orion Kerkering.

Photo courtesy of Eric Hartline, Imagn Images

Dodgers Hire Michael Hermosillo, David Dahl As Minor League Coaches

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The Dodgers announced their minor league coaching staffs on Thursday, with two recently-retired MLB players joining the ranks.  David Dahl is joining the Triple-A Oklahoma City staff as an outfield coach and assistant hitting coach, while Michael Hermosillo will be an outfield and baserunning coach for the high-A ball Great Lakes Loons.

In Hermosillo’s case, the news seems to act as a retirement announcement for the former outfielder, who just turned 31 last month.  Hermosillo hasn’t played anywhere since suiting up in the Mexican Winter League during the 2023-24 offseason, and his last taste of affiliated ball came in the form of 66 games with the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate in 2023.

A 28th-round pick for the Angels in the 2013 draft, Hermosillo spent his first three (2018-20) big league seasons in a Halos uniform.  The Angels outrighted Hermosillo following the 2020 campaign, and after signing with the Cubs, Hermosillo made 47 appearances for Chicago over the next two seasons.  All in all, Hermosillo hit .167/.268/.283 over 229 Major League plate appearances.

While not considered a top prospect during his time in the minors, Hermosillo got himself onto the radar with some strong numbers on the farm, including a .262/.355/.492 slash line, 56 home runs, and 42 steals (in 59 tries) over 1194 PA at the Triple-A level.  Between his speed and all-fields ability in the outfield, Hermosillo seems well-suited to impart his wisdom with the next generation of Dodgers prospects.  We at MLB Trade Rumors congratulate Hermosillo on his career achievements, and we wish him in the best in his coaching endeavors.

Dahl announced his retirement in December, officially closing the door on a career that included seven MLB seasons and an All-Star nod in 2019 during his time with the Rockies.  This coaching gig is Dahl’s second stint in the Dodgers organization, as he signed a minor league deal with the team in June 2023 that didn’t result in any big league playing time, but Dahl did play in 54 games with Oklahoma City.

Rockies Sign Conner Capel To Minor League Contract

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The Rockies signed outfielder Conner Capel to a minors deal, as per Capel’s MLB.com profile page.  The contract apparently doesn’t include an invitation to Colorado’s big league Spring Training camp, as the Rockies already announced their list of spring invites earlier this week.

Capel spent the 2025 season with the Braves’ Triple-A affiliate, hitting .234/.314/.360 with 10 home runs and 21 steals (out of 25 attempts) over 414 plate appearances.  These underwhelming numbers kept Capel from receiving a call-up to the majors, even though injuries and suspensions left the Braves short-handed in the outfield for much of the season.  Capel is out of minor league options, which may have factored into Atlanta’s decision — selecting Capel’s contract would’ve meant that the Braves would’ve had to sneak him through waivers before sending him back down to Triple-A and outrighting him off the 40-man roster.

A fifth-round pick for Cleveland in the 2016 draft, Capel made his big league debut in 2022, and hit .278/.359/.398 over 153 PA with the Cardinals, Athletics, and Reds during the 2022-24 seasons.  Despite these decent numbers and Capel’s ability to play all three outfield positions, his lack of power kept him from receiving much of a look at the MLB level.

Now 28 years old, the left-handed hitting Capel will try to return to compete for a job on a Rockies team that is already pretty deep in outfield candidates.  The rebuilding Rox will be prioritizing at-bats for their younger players and in-house prospects, so Capel might again be viewed purely as a Triple-A depth player.  A strong performance in camp could change those plans, or it might help Capel land a job on another team in need of outfield help.

Terrance Gore Passes Away

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Longtime Royals outfielder and pinch-running specialist Terrance Gore passed away yesterday at age 34.  According to a social media post from Gore’s wife Britney, Gore unexpectedly passed following what was supposed to be a routine surgical procedure.

A veteran of eight Major League seasons, Gore had one of the more unique careers of any player in baseball history.  Gore played in 112 big league games, but made only 14 starts and 85 trips to the plate, as Gore was almost exclusively utilized as a pinch-running specialist.  Gore didn’t hit much in the majors (.216/.310/.270 over his 85 PA) or even in the minor leagues, yet he carved out a niche for himself due to his glovework and blazing speed.

On the basepaths, Gore stole 43 bases out of 52 attempts, and scored 33 career runs.  As a defender, Gore posted +2 Defensive Runs Saved and +6 Outs Above Average over 188 1/3 regular-season career innings in the outfield, seeing time at all three positions.

Kansas City selected Gore in the 20th round of the 2011 draft, and he spent five of his eight seasons in a Royals uniform.  The majority of Gore’s big league time at the plate came during his 2019 season with the Royals, and he delivered a .275/.362/.353 slash line across 58 PA.  Gore was a member of the Royals’ pennant-winning teams in 2014 and 2015, stealing four bases in five attempts over eight postseason games in those two iconic seasons in K.C. baseball history.

The Royals’ 2015 championship marked the first of three times Gore played for a World Series-winning team, as he also earned rings with the 2020 Dodgers and 2021 Braves.  The back half of Gore’s big league career saw him bounce around to several postseason contenders (the Cubs, Yankees, Dodgers, Braves, and Mets) looking to bolster their baserunning situation heading into the playoffs.  Gore played in two regular-season games with the 2020 Dodgers but didn’t see any playoff action, and he then spent the entire 2021 regular season in the Braves’ minor league system before being included on Atlanta’s NLDS roster.

We at MLB Trade Rumors send our condolences to Gore’s family, friends, and loved ones.

Brewers Sign Jacob Hurtubise To Minor League Contract

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The Brewers signed Jacob Hurtubise to a minor league deal earlier this week, according to the outfielder’s MLB.com profile page.  Hurtubise has been assigned to Triple-A Nashville, and his contract doesn’t appear to include an invitation to the Brew Crew’s big league spring camp.

An undrafted free agent who started his pro career by signing with the Reds in 2020, Hurtubise has appeared in 41 MLB games, all with Cincinnati over the last two seasons.  The Reds designated Hurtubise for assignment in June, starting a whirl of transactions that saw the outfielder claimed by the Mariners, outrighted and released in July, and then Hurtubise joined the Astros on a minor league deal before being released again in September.

The 28-year-old Hurtubise will now look to return to the Show on another NL Central team.  Even after trading Isaac Collins to the Royals earlier this winter, the Brewers still have a decent amount of outfield depth beyond starters Jackson Chourio, Garrett Mitchell, and Sal Frelick.  Hurtubise joins Akil Baddoo, Brandon Lockridge, and Greg Jones as outfielders providing depth behind fourth outfielder Blake Perkins.  Though Hurtubise has a minor league option remaining, being an outfield-only player might hamper his roster chances since the Brewers tend to favor more versatile players for their bench.

Hurtubise does have plenty of experience at all three outfield positions, plus his strong speed and baserunning ability makes him a pinch-running candidate.  Hurtubise has stolen 130 bases in 153 attempts over his minor league career, while hitting .260/.411/.324 over 576 plate appearances at the Triple-A level.  This on-base ability hasn’t manifested itself over the small sample size of Hurtubise’s time in the majors, as he has hit just .167/.291/.212 over 83 PA for the Reds.

Cardinals Sign Bligh Madris To Minor League Contract

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The Cardinals have signed first baseman/outfielder Bligh Madris to a minor league deal earlier this week, according to reporter Chase Ford.  The deal apparently doesn’t include an invitation to the Cards’ big league Spring Training camp.

Madris (who turns 30 later this month) is a veteran of three MLB seasons, appearing in 72 games with the Pirates, Astros, and Tigers over the 2022-24 campaigns and hitting .204/.273/.286 in 228 career plate appearances in the Show.  He has spent his last two seasons in Detroit’s organization on minors contracts, and after getting into 21 big league games in 2024, Madris spent the 2025 season entirely in the Tigers’ farm system.

Injury problems limited Madris to just 60 games last season, with the final 10 of those contests coming on a rehab assignment with A-level Lakeland.  The Tigers released Madris in August, and he didn’t resurface until he started posting big winter-ball numbers in Mexico.  This recent production and perhaps Madris’ solid career Triple-A production (.252/.343/.440 with 59 home runs in 1803 PA) seems to have caught the Cardinals’ eye as the team builds out its minor league depth.

St. Louis is known to be looking for a right-handed hitting outfielder, but Madris swings from the left side.  He has primarily played right field during his pro career with a good dose of work as a first baseman and left fielder.  Madris played mostly first base in 2025, though that could’ve been a nod to his health situation rather than necessarily a sign of a bigger-picture position change.

Being limited to first base wouldn’t be great for Madris’ chances of returning to the majors, and it also doesn’t help his case that the Cardinals have left-handed hitting starters at first base (Alec Burleson) and in left field (Lars Nootbaar).  Madris does have a minor league option remaining, since the Tigers never called him up to the bigs in 2025.

A’s Hire Mark McGwire As Special Assistant

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The Athletics hired Mark McGwire as a special assistant in their player development department on Friday (link via The Associated Press). He returns to the organization that inducted him into their team Hall of Fame in 2019.

McGwire, now 62, played the first 12 years of his career with the A’s. He won the Rookie of the Year award in 1987 and made nine of his 12 All-Star appearances with the club. He twice led the majors in home runs while wearing an A’s uniform and was an instrumental part of the teams that won three consecutive pennants and one World Series between 1988-90. He remains the franchise’s home run leader with 363, while his 941 runs batted in ranks fourth in club history.

Those on-field accomplishments and his overall legacy are complicated by his use of performance-enhancing drugs. He admitted in 2010 that he had used steroids for the majority of his career, including during his record home run chases as a member of the Cardinals in the late 1990s. The PED ties kept him out of the National Baseball Hall of Fame despite a statistical résumé that would have made him a first-ballot inductee had he achieved it without using steroids.

That said, McGwire obviously has an extensive knowledge of hitting that he can bring to his new role. He had a nine-year run on MLB staffs between 2010-18. McGwire was the hitting coach for the Cardinals when they won the 2011 World Series. He also worked as the Dodgers’ hitting coach and a bench coach in San Diego through the 2018 season. He stepped down during the 2018-19 offseason to spend more time with family. A special assistant role will allow him to be around the A’s organization without requiring the commitment of a full-time coaching position.

Padres Had Interest In Goldschmidt, Valdez

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Paul Goldschmidt is headed back to the Bronx after agreeing to a one-year deal with the Yankees. The Diamondbacks had been his only other known suitor for much of the offseason, but it may have ultimately come down to New York and San Diego.

Jon Heyman of The New York Post loosely linked the Friars to Goldschmidt last night. Dennis Lin of The Athletic reported this evening they were indeed among the finalists. The Padres are looking to add one more hitter even after agreeing to a $4MM contract with Miguel Andujar on Wednesday. President of baseball operations A.J. Preller said last weekend the front office was trying to add “multiple bats, that first base, DH, anything off the bench” (link via Greg Beacham of WKYC).

Andujar projects as the primary designated hitter. He can spell first baseman Gavin Sheets against left-handed pitching while splitting DH reps with Sung-mun Song. The KBO signee has multi-positional flexibility that’d allow them to accommodate another first base/DH type. The bench was a weakness for the Padres last season and still seems that way. Song and backup catcher Luis Campusano project for two spots. That leaves two openings with only four other position players on the 40-man roster: Bryce Johnson, Will Wagner, Mason McCoy and Tirso Ornelas.

They’re all fringe 40-man types. Johnson is out of options and hit .342 over 84 plate appearances last year, but that was driven by a .442 average on balls in play that isn’t close to sustainable. Ornelas has been a league average hitter in Triple-A over two full seasons and hasn’t gotten a significant MLB look before his 26th birthday. McCoy has been a below-average offensive player in the minors, while Wagner fell out of the mix in Toronto and hit .225/.324/.279 over 55 MLB games last year.

Rhys Hoskins, Wilmer Flores, Justin Turner and old friend Ty France are unsigned righty-hitting first basemen. Marcell Ozuna, Mitch Garver and Andrew McCutchen are available designated hitters. Speculative trade possibilities include Ryan Mountcastle, Lenyn Sosa and Ezequiel Duran.

San Diego probably also has a move coming on the pitching side. Preller said last week they wanted to add another starter. It’s likely that’ll be a cheaper back-end type, but they kicked the tires on what would have been a much bigger acquisition. Heyman reports that the Padres were among the teams involved on Framber Valdez before his three-year, $115MM agreement with the Tigers. The Padres were able to wait out the market to land Nick Pivetta as a February pickup a year ago, but Valdez commanded a much larger contract that was likely never in the budget.

Most of the remaining free agents of note are starting pitchers. Zac Gallen, Max Scherzer, Zack Littell, Justin Verlander, Lucas Giolito and organizational favorite Nick Martinez are unsigned. Walker Buehler, Patrick Corbin, Miles Mikolas, Germán Márquez and Jose Quintana will be limited to modest one-year salaries if they even command major league deals.

Signing anyone from that group could push JP Sears to long relief or to the Triple-A rotation. They’ll open the year with a strong top three of Pivetta, Michael King and Joe Musgrove. The talent level drops markedly after that. Randy Vásquez is out of options and seems ticketed for one of the final two spots. Sears, Kyle Hart and Matt Waldron are the only other starters on the 40-man roster. They’ve added Marco Gonzales and Triston McKenzie on minor league deals with invites to Spring Training.

Angels Release Cody Laweryson

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The Angels announced they’ve released reliever Cody Laweryson. He had been designated for assignment earlier in the week when they finalized their one-year deal to bring back Yoán Moncada.

Los Angeles claimed Laweryson off waivers from the Twins early in the offseason. The 6’4″ righty made five appearances with Minnesota as a rookie. He allowed two runs (one earned) across 7 2/3 innings, striking out seven without issuing a walk. Laweryson also pitched well in Triple-A, turning in a 2.86 earned run average while striking out a quarter of opposing hitters. The former 14th-round pick has a solid 3.39 ERA with a 27% strikeout percentage over his minor league career.

Despite the strong production, Laweryson was dropped by a Twins team that has one of the worst bullpens in MLB. His 93.2 mph average fastball isn’t especially imposing. He doesn’t have a power breaking ball either, sitting 85-86 mph with a cutter while mixing in a low-80s changeup. He’ll celebrate his 28th birthday in May.

It’s not clear why the Angels released Laweryson rather than assigning him to Triple-A. Speculatively speaking, it’s possible there’s an undisclosed injury at play, as injured players cannot be outrighted. (He dealt with a forearm strain in the minors midseason but finished the year healthy and on Minnesota’s active roster.) If there is some kind of injury, they’d presumably look to re-sign him to a minor league deal. In any case, Laweryson is now a free agent who can explore other opportunities.

Royals Re-Sign Luke Maile To Minor League Deal

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The Royals announced that they have brought back catcher Luke Maile via a minor league deal. The Meister Sports Management client also receives an invite to big league camp in spring training.

It’s a nice birthday present for Maile, who turns 35 years old today. The journeyman catcher has been a big leaguer for over a decade now, having made his debut back in 2015. He was with the Royals in 2025, bouncing on and off the roster throughout the year. He got into 25 games, stepped to the plate 54 times and hit .244/.346/.356.

Maile has never been a huge standing next to the plate, with a career .209/.277/.320 line and 63 wRC+. However, he has received strong reviews for his work crouching behind the plate over the years. FanGraphs and Baseball Prospectus consider him to be an above average framer. Statcast ranks him just a smidge below average at framing but gives him strong marks for his blocking.

For the Royals, they should have Maile ticketed for a similar depth role that he had last year. Franchise legend Salvador Perez is catching less as he ages into his mid-30s but he still caught about 90 games per year for the past three seasons. The Royals traded Freddy Fermin to the Padres at last year’s deadline because they felt good enough about prospect Carter Jensen, who made his big league debut last year.

Perez and Jensen will be sharing the catching duties. Both will likely see notable time as the designated hitter as well. They are the only two backstops on the 40-man roster at the moment. The Royals added some non-roster depth by signing Jorge Alfaro last month and now Maile gives them some more.

Maile is an Article XX(b) free agent, which is a fancy way of saying he’s a standard free agent, one who has at least six years of service time and finished the previous season on a club’s 40-man roster. Under the current collective bargaining agreement, such players get uniform opt-outs dates in minor league deals. Those opt-outs are five days before Opening Day, followed by May 1 and on June 1.

That was the case for Maile last year as well. He had signed a minor league deal with the Royals in February. He opted out of that deal in late March but then re-signed with the club on a fresh pact. He was selected to the 40-man roster for a little more than two weeks in May, was outrighted back to the minors, then was selected back to the roster in July.

Photo courtesy of Jay Biggerstaff, Imagn Images

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