Rangers Promote Jose Corniell
The Rangers made a few moves going into their final series in Cleveland. Texas selected infielder Donovan Solano onto the major league roster. He takes the spot of utilityman Josh Smith, who goes to the paternity list. Texas also shut down relievers Chris Martin (thoracic outlet syndrome) and Cole Winn (rotator cuff strain) for the season. Luis Curvelo and Jose Corniell were recalled to fill the two open spots on the pitching staff.
Solano signed a minor league deal with the Rangers three weeks ago. He’d been released by the Mariners after hitting .252/.295/.344 with three homers through 176 plate appearances. He hit .212 in 10 games with Triple-A Round Rock. The veteran infielder will return to free agency at the end of the season. He’ll provide a right-handed bat off Bruce Bochy’s bench against the Guardians in the interim.
It’s a more meaningful call for the 22-year-old Corniell. The Dominican-born righty reaches the big leagues for the first time. The move is technically a recall because Corniell has occupied a spot on the 40-man roster since the 2023-24 offseason.
Initially a Mariners signee, Corniell was traded to Texas for reliever Rafael Montero before the ’21 season. The 6’3″ righty had never thrown a minor league pitch. He’d signed with Seattle during the 2019-20 international period, then saw his first professional season canceled by the pandemic. Corniell struggled over the next two seasons but had a breakout year in the low minors in 2023. Texas put him on the 40-man roster to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft.
Corniell blew out early last season. He underwent UCL surgery in June and was on the injured list until shortly after this year’s All-Star Break. He made six abbreviated starts at Double-A and dominated. Cornell turned in 20 innings of two-run ball (one earned) with 20 punchouts and one walk. Texas bumped him to Triple-A, where he recorded 12 1/3 frames with five runs allowed. He fanned 14 while issuing six free passes.
Jack Leiter is on the mound for tonight’s series opener. Texas hasn’t announced its starters for the final two games. They’d have Merrill Kelly and Patrick Corbin on their usual schedules. The Rangers aren’t playing for anything, but Cleveland is battling for a playoff spot and the AL Central title. It’d be a surprise if the Rangers scratched one of their veteran arms to give Corniell the ball in that context. He could get a chance to make his debut as a long reliever if one of the games is a blowout.
Martin’s season concludes with a thoracic outlet syndrome diagnosis. The 39-year-old from Arlington signed a one-year free agent deal to rejoin his hometown team last winter. He pitched well when healthy, working to a 2.98 ERA through 42 1/3 innings. This is his third injured list stint of the season. He missed time earlier in the year with shoulder fatigue and lost all of August to a calf strain.
The Rangers haven’t provided any specifics on the severity of the injury. Martin said last September that he expected 2025 to be his final season. If this is the end, he’ll finish his career with a 3.33 earned run average across 10 seasons in the big leagues. The highly respected righty recorded the 400th strikeout of his career last night, fanning Minnesota’s Austin Martin.
Phillies Outright Donovan Walton
The Phillies announced that infielder Donovan Walton has cleared waivers and been sent outright to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He had been designated for assignment a couple of days ago when fellow infielder Edmundo Sosa was reinstated from the injured list.
Walton, 31, was added to the Philly roster a few weeks ago when both Trea Turner and Alec Bohm hit the IL. He was hitting .339/.413/.424 for the IronPigs at the time. He lasted a little over two weeks on the big league roster but got into just two games. He went one for eight with a single and a sacrifice bunt in nine plate appearances.
Combined with his time as a Mariner and a Giant, he has now appeared in 72 big league games with a .172/.223/.298 slash line in 214 plate appearances. He has performed far better on the farm, with a .282/.369/.432 line and 111 wRC+ dating back to the start of 2021. He provides defensive versatility, with experience at all four infield spots and left field. But the lack of major league success and his out-of-options status make it hard for him to keep a roster spot for long.
Walton has previously been outrighted in his career. That means he has the right to reject this assignment and elect free agency. It’s possible he accepts since he would remain postseason eligible with the Phillies. Lehigh Valley’s season is done, so he wouldn’t need to actually report to that club. If a few injuries pop up for the Phillies, he could return to the big league roster. If he stays in the system and doesn’t get added back to the roster, he would be eligible for free agency at season’s end anyway.
Photo courtesy of Bill Streicher, Imagn Images
Diamondbacks Designate Nabil Crismatt For Assignment
The Diamondbacks announced that right-hander Bryce Jarvis has been recalled from Triple-A Reno. Fellow righty Nabil Crismatt has been designated for assignment as the corresponding move.
Crismatt, 30, was added to Arizona’s roster about six weeks ago. The Snakes have lost a large number of pitchers to the injured list this year and they also traded a couple of arms prior to the trade deadline. Crismatt came aboard and gave the club steady production. He made eight appearances, five of them starts, logging 34 innings in total. He allowed 3.71 earned runs per nine. His 16.3% strikeout rate was subpar but he limited walks to a 6.3% clip and got grounders on 44.3% of balls in play.
Him losing his roster spot is probably more about the circumstances than his performance. Crismatt tossed three innings in yesterday’s 8-0 loss to the Dodgers, tossing 72 pitches in the process. The Snakes are still clinging to faint hopes of a miracle playoff berth, currently two games back of the Mets, who hold the final Wild Card spot. The Reds are in between, one game back of the Mets and one ahead of the Diamondbacks.
Crismatt probably wasn’t going to be available for the final three games of the season, so he’s been bumped off the roster for a fresh arm. He is out of options and therefore had to be removed from the 40-man roster entirely.
For his career, Crismatt now has 211 innings pitched across six separate seasons. In that time, he has a 3.71 ERA, 20.6% strikeout rate, 7% walk rate and 49.2% ground ball rate. He will be on the waiver wire in the coming days but should clear at this late stage of the season. He is technically controllable for three more seasons via arbitration but was settling for minor league deals earlier this year until Arizona brought him up.
If he does pass through waivers unclaimed, he will have the right to elect free agency. If the Diamondbacks manage to make it to the playoffs, perhaps he will accept an outright assignment and wait to see if his arm is needed in October. If they don’t make it, he could get a bit of a headstart on his offseason.
Photo courtesy of Rob Schumacher, Imagn Images
Nationals, Orelvis Martinez Agree To Minor League Deal
The Nationals and former top prospect Orelvis Martinez have agreed to a minor league deal that’ll carry into the 2026 season, reports Andrew Golden of the Washington Post. Martinez was designated for assignment by the Blue Jays and subsequently released earlier in the month.
Still just 23 years old (24 in November), Martinez ranked among the sport’s top-100 prospects at Baseball America for four years from 2021-24. The slugging infielder posted huge numbers, belting a combined 86 home runs in 1481 plate appearances from 2021-23. His defensive home was always something of a question mark — he’s spent time at shortstop, third base and second base — but Martinez’s plus power and consistent production seemed to be setting the stage for a possible long-term role in the Toronto infield.
Things changed dramatically early in 2024, however, when Martinez received an 80-game ban for PED usage. He hit well down the stretch in a small sample after returning late last season in Triple-A (.304/.360/.522 in 50 plate appearances), but the 2025 season has been a disaster.
Martinez spent the entire season in Triple-A this year and looked like a shell of his former self. In 99 games, he took 394 plate appearances and mustered only a .176/.288/.348 batting line (73 wRC+). His 28.4% strikeout rate tied the highest mark of his career, and he averaged just 86.8 mph off the bat with a tepid 36.8% hard-hit rate. Though the Jays had given him plenty of run at shortstop and third base earlier in his career, he slid further down the defensive spectrum in ’25 and spent the vast majority of his time at second base (79 games) and designated hitter (14) with only a handful of appearances at the hot corner.
The Nats will provide Martinez with a fresh start next season. He’s a lottery ticket for Washington, but there’s no harm in bringing him aboard on a non-guaranteed deal to see what he looks like next spring. The Nats have Luis Garcia Jr. at second base, but he’s a non-tender candidate this offseason. Former first-rounder Brady House made his big league debut at the hot corner in 2025 but has yet to establish himself as a firm option there. Martinez’s shortstop days are seemingly behind him, but the Nats have CJ Abrams entrenched there anyhow. Martinez will compete for an opportunity next spring, and if he doesn’t break camp with the club he’ll head to Triple-A Rochester and give Washington some additional infield depth.
Mets Designate Richard Lovelady For Assignment
The Mets announced that they have recalled right-hander Kevin Herget from Triple-A Syracuse. In a corresponding move, left-hander Richard Lovelady has been designated for assignment. They also announced that righty Chris Devenski, who was designated for assignment a few days ago, has been sent outright to Triple-A Syracuse.
Lovelady, 30, has been on and off the Mets roster this year. Since he’s out of options and his results have been subpar, he has repeatedly been bumped off, but has been brought back whenever the club needs a fresh arm. He signed with the Mets in June but was designated for assignment a couple of days later. He elected free agency but then re-signed shortly thereafter. He was bumped off the roster again in July but then was added back in recent days.
Around the transactions, he has thrown 11 2/3 innings this year, including an earlier stint with the Blue Jays. He has allowed 11 earned runs in that time via 12 hits, six walks and hitting four batters while striking out 12. He has also thrown 38 minor league innings this year with a 1.66 earned run average, 26.3% strikeout rate, 8.6% walk rate and 52.6% ground ball rate.
He’ll now head to the waiver wire again. He has already cleared multiple times this year and won’t have huge appeal now. There are only a few days left in the regular season and he wouldn’t be postseason eligible with any claiming club. If he were to clear waivers, he would have the right to elect free agency, as he has done before. However, he may consider sticking with the Mets, since they still have a shot at the postseason. If he stays and they make it in, he could perhaps return to the roster in October if injuries pop up.
Devenski, 34, has received somewhat similar treatment from the Mets. He has twice been designated for assignment by the club this year. The first time, he elected free agency but re-signed. He could opt for the open market again, but as mentioned with Lovelady, it’s possible he’ll stay for the chance of being needed in the postseason.
Around the transactions, Devenski has thrown 16 2/3 innings this year with a 2.16 ERA, 21.5% strikeout rate, 7.7% walk rate and 45.5% ground ball rate. He has also thrown 37 2/3 minor league innings with a 3.35 ERA, 20.8% strikeout rate, 5.2% walk rate and 45.5% ground ball rate.
Photo courtesy of Wendell Cruz, Imagn Images
Braves Outright Connor Seabold, Jonathan Ornelas
The Braves sent right-hander Connor Seabold outright to Triple-A Gwinnett, according to the MLB.com transaction tracker. Infielder Jonathan Ornelas was also outrighted to Triple-A Gwinnett after clearing waivers earlier this week, as relayed by 680 The Fan in Atlanta.
Seabold was designated for assignment after Atlanta claimed righty Joel Payamps off waivers from Milwaukee on Monday. He joined the organization as a waiver claim himself, as the Braves scooped him up after the Rays designated him for assignment in early August. Seabold had two separate stints with the big-league club, making a total of four appearances. The veteran logged an ugly 9.82 ERA across 3 2/3 innings. He failed to record an out in his final outing with Atlanta, allowing two hits and a walk before being relieved. Seabold will likely finish his 2025 campaign with a 4.35 ERA across seven games with Atlanta and Tampa Bay.
Seabold’s career ERA now sits at 7.79 in 119 innings, and his underlying metrics aren’t much better (5.00 SIERA, 5.62 xFIP). He did post a career-high 20.8% strikeout rate in 2025, though it came with an untenable 12.5% walk rate. Seabold leaned on his changeup more often this season, particularly since he joined the Braves (32.1% usage rate). He has a decent minor league track record and could contend for a long relief spot next season if the adjusted pitch mix produces better results.
Atlanta marks the fourth team in four major league seasons for the 29-year-old Seabold. He debuted with Boston in 2021, making a single start that season. He made five more starts with the club in 2022. Colorado acquired Seabold via trade after Boston designated him for assignment. Seabold’s tenure with the Rockies would represent his most extensive big-league action to date. He made 13 starts and 14 relief appearances with the team in 2023, posting a 7.52 ERA over 87 1/3 innings. Colorado let him go following that season, and Seabold latched on with the Samsung Lions of the KBO League. A solid 2024 season overseas (3.43 ERA, 11-6 record) earned Seabold a minor league deal with Tampa Bay this past offseason.
Seabold has seven minor league seasons on his resume, which means he can elect minor league free agency at the end of the season, if not added back to the 40-man roster.
Ornelas landed with the Braves after being designated for assignment by the Rangers back in May. He faced a similar fate in Atlanta last week, as the club needed a 40-man roster spot for the selection of right-hander Jhancarlos Lara. Ornelas started just one game with Atlanta, but chipped in a run scored and his first two hits of the campaign. He had been hitless over five at-bats with Texas. Ornelas spent the majority of 2025 with Triple-A Gwinnett. He hit just .193 across 85 games with the Stripers.
The 25-year-old Ornelas played parts of three seasons with the Rangers. He maxed out at 40 plate appearances with the big-league squad, which came in 2024. Ornelas has slashed a meager .208/.263/.245 with a 47 wRC+ during his time in the major leagues. His best attribute has been defensive versatility, as he’s made appearances at second base, third base, shortstop, and center field.
This was Ornelas’ final minor league option year, meaning he’ll be out of options going into next year. Ornelas has also appeared in seven minor league seasons, so he’ll be eligible for minor league free agency this offseason.
Orioles Claim Carson Ragsdale, Designate Dom Hamel
The Orioles announced they have claimed right-hander Carson Ragsdale off waivers from the Braves and optioned him to the spring training complex. Ragsdale was recently designated for assignment when Atlanta signed Charlie Morton. Baltimore designated righty Dom Hamel for assignment in a corresponding move.
This is the second time in as many months that the O’s have claimed Ragsdale. The first came in early August, when the O’s grabbed the 27-year-old from the Giants. At that time, the O’s had just traded away a number of guys at the deadline and had roster spots available. He was later put back on the waiver wire when the O’s claimed lefty José Castillo. Atlanta put in a claim at that time but put him on the wire yet again a few days later.
The righty still has a very minimal big league track record. He just made his major league debut for the O’s less than two weeks ago, tossing three innings of relief in a September 14th game against the Blue Jays, allowing eight earned runs in the process.
Having an earned run average of 24.00 in the big leagues is obviously not impressive but he continues to garner interest from clubs based on his minor league track record. This year’s work on the farm hasn’t been amazing, as he has a 5.22 ERA, 19.5% strikeout rate and 12.2% walk rate in 89 2/3 innings. But last year, he logged 120 2/3 minor league innings with a 4.18 ERA, 29.1% strikeout rate and 11.3% walk rate.
It’s possible the O’s would like to get him through waivers in order to keep him as non-roster depth, though their first such attempt failed. They could try again in the future but he retakes a spot on the 40-man for now.
Hamel, 26, was just claimed from the Mets a few days ago. He also has just one major league game on his track record, having tossed a scoreless inning against the Padres on September 17th. His minor league work isn’t overwhelming but he does strike guys out. Over 438 1/3 minor league innings, he has a 4.72 ERA, 10.6% walk rate and 26.8% strikeout rate.
With the trade deadline having passed, Baltimore’s only option with him now will be to put him on waivers. He still has a full slate of options. If any other club out there is intrigued by his minor league numbers, he could be claimed and wouldn’t need to be added to the major league active roster. If he passes through waivers unclaimed, he wouldn’t have the right to reject an outright assignment, since he doesn’t have a previous career outright nor three years of big league service time.
Photo courtesy of Kevin Sousa, Imagn Images
Diamondbacks Outright Jake Woodford
The Diamondbacks sent right-hander Jake Woodford outright to Triple-A Reno, according to the MLB.com transaction tracker. He cleared waivers after being designated for assignment over the weekend.
Woodford joined the Snakes on a major league contract in the beginning of July. He’d been pitching in Triple-A with the Cubs when he triggered an out clause in that minor league deal. He took the ball 22 times and logged 36 1/3 innings of 6.44 ERA ball. It was his third consecutive season allowing more than six earned runs per nine innings. Woodford nevertheless found himself in a handful of high-leverage situations in an Arizona bullpen that was hit hard by injuries. He recorded his first three major league saves and picked up a pair of holds, but he also blew four leads.
That took on added importance as the D-Backs improbably stayed afloat in the playoff picture. Woodford had a decent stretch in early September but was tagged for multiple runs in each of his final three times out. That included blowing a two-run save opportunity and taking the loss in Minnesota on September 12, followed by allowing four earned runs in two innings against the Phillies a week later.
Woodford has appeared in parts of six major league seasons. He has done the majority of his work in long relief. He found some success as a ground-ball specialist with the Cardinals between 2021-22. The 28-year-old has had a tougher go in the past three seasons. He’s not getting as many grounders as he did earlier in his career and his stuff has never missed many bats.
As a player with over three years of MLB service, Woodford has the right to decline an outright assignment in favor of free agency. It’s likelier he’ll accept and remain with the Snakes in case injuries further up the depth chart open another opportunity. The D-Backs are within a game of the Mets for the National League’s final playoff spot. Woodford would qualify for minor league free agency at the end of the season if the D-Backs don’t reselect his contract.
Rangers Select Billy McKinney
The Rangers announced that they have selected the contract of outfielder Billy McKinney. He’ll take the active roster spot of fellow outfielder Wyatt Langford, who has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a left oblique strain. Outfielder Sam Haggerty has been transferred to the 60-day injured list to open a 40-man spot for McKinney.
Langford has been battling side tightness for a few days now. He didn’t play on Friday or Saturday, before returning to the lineup Sunday. He then departed yesterday’s game, again due to side tightness. The Rangers were officially eliminated from playoff contention last night, meaning there’s no longer any need to try to stay on the field. Langford will therefore spend the final few days of the season on the IL.
That gets McKinney back onto the Rangers’ roster. He spent a few days with the club in July, getting into two games and stepping to the plate eight times. He went 1-7 with a walk. He was then designated for assignment and elected free agency before re-signing with the club on a new minor league deal.
He has been playing decently in the minors but that’s nothing new for him. He has always performed well on the farm, which has gotten him plenty of big league chances that he hasn’t been able to capitalize on. He has spent time with the Yankees, Blue Jays, Brewers, Mets, Dodgers, Athletics, Pirates and Rangers, getting in 323 big league games. In his 951 plate appearances, he has a .208/.283/.384 batting line, which translates to a 79 wRC+. He can be retained for 2026 via arbitration but is probably just up to cover for a few days and will likely be removed from the roster in some fashion in subsequent weeks.
As for Haggerty, he landed on the 10-day IL in mid-August due to left ankle inflammation. He started a rehab assignment over a week ago but only got into two games, so he has presumably hit some sort of snag. He’ll finish the season on the 60-day IL. Like McKinney, he can be retained for next year via arbitration but is a non-tender candidate.
Photo courtesy of Jerome Miron, Imagn Images
White Sox Claim Derek Hill
The White Sox announced that they have claimed outfielder Derek Hill off waivers from the Marlins. The latter club designated him for assignment a few days ago. He will take the active roster spot of fellow outfielder Mike Tauchman, who has hit the 10-day injured list with a right knee meniscus tear. The 40-man roster had a vacancy but is now full. The club also recalled right-hander Jonathan Cannon and placed righty Wikelman González on the 15-day IL due to a right elbow impingement.
It’s unclear when Tauchman hurt his knee, but he hasn’t played since Saturday. He tells Scott Merkin of MLB.com that he will have surgery on Tuesday and is expecting a similar timeline to Austin Slater, who also had meniscus surgery earlier this year. Slater had his surgery in mid-April and was reinstated off the IL just over a month later. If Tauchman follows a similar timeline, he should be able to have a normal offseason.
The Sox will have to decide if they are going to tender him an arbitration contract for 2026. His 2025 campaign was decent. He got into 93 games for the Sox and stepped to the plate 385 times. His 22.3% strikeout rate was right around league average but his 11.7% walk rate was quite strong. He slashed .263/.356/.400 for a 115 wRC+, indicating he was 15% better than league average at the plate. When combined with solid outfield defense, he was worth 1.4 wins above replacement, according to FanGraphs.
He would be due a raise on this year’s $1.95MM salary. The Sox might be willing to bump that but they also might prefer to keep some playing time open for younger players. They seem hellbent on picking up Luis Robert Jr.‘s option, which will take up one outfield spot. Andrew Benintendi is still under contract next year. He’ll likely serve as the designated hitter a lot but appeared in 69 games in left field in 2025. They have a cluster of guys like Will Robertson, Dominic Fletcher, Corey Julks and Brooks Baldwin in the mix and might be able to let Tauchman go, at least at the start of the offseason, perhaps circling back to him later.
For today, they are also adding Hill into the mix. He hasn’t been a great hitter in his big league career but has some speed and some defensive acumen. In 617 big league plate appearances, he has a .228/.276/.348 line, which translates to a 73 wRC+. He has 23 steals in 28 tries. In 1,369 2/3 innings on the grass, he has -2 Defensive Runs Saved but +9 Outs Above Average.
Hill can step in and help the Sox play out the string on this season. He has crossed three years of big league service time this year, meaning he’s about to be eligible for arbitration for the first time. The Sox could tender him a contract if they think he can be a useful part of next year’s club, but it’s possible he’s just a stopgap to cover for the Tauchman injury. In that case, he would be non-tendered this winter.
Photo courtesy of Jonathan Hui, Imagn Images