A’s Option Luis Morales
April 7th: The A’s officially announced today that they have selected Kuhnel and optioned Morales, while Hoglund was transferred to the 60-day IL. That means Hoglund won’t be eligible for reinstatement until late May.
April 6th: The Athletics optioned rookie righty Luis Morales to Triple-A Las Vegas this evening, according to the MLB.com transaction log. The A’s are off tonight and haven’t officially announced the transaction.
Martín Gallegos of MLB.com reports that reliever Joel Kuhnel will be selected onto the big league roster tomorrow as the corresponding move. That will require a spot on the 40-man roster. That’s at capacity and Gunnar Hoglund (lumbar spine strain) is their only player on the injured list. They’ll either transfer Hoglund to the 60-day IL or designate someone for assignment before their series opener in the Bronx.
Morales broke camp in the starting five. The Cuban-born hurler made a solid first impression last season, working to a 3.14 earned run average through 48 2/3 innings. He has had a brutal time the first two turns through the rotation this year. Morales allowed five runs in both appearances without completing five innings either time. His start against the Astros on Saturday was particularly poor, as he walked six batters and allowed eight hits without recording a strikeout.
The 23-year-old will spend at least a couple weeks in Triple-A in an attempt to get on track. Morales had also struggled to find the strike zone this spring, when he issued 14 walks across 19 frames. He was one of the A’s top pitching prospects throughout his time in the minors. Morales sits in the 96-97 mph range and has a power four-pitch mix that the A’s hope will lead to a future as a mid-rotation starter.
The A’s will need to call up a starter this weekend unless they plan to move J.T. Ginn from long relief back to the rotation. They’ve already announced it’ll be Aaron Civale, Luis Severino and Jeffrey Springs for their three-game set against the Yankees. Tonight’s off day means they could theoretically bring Jacob Lopez back on regular rest on Friday for their series opener against the Mets. However, they’d need a fifth starter by Saturday at the latest and are kicking off a run of 16 straight game days.
They’ll probably prefer to give Lopez the extra day and bring up someone else to step into what would’ve been Morales’ turn on Friday. Mason Barnett, Joey Estes and prospect Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang are on the 40-man roster and working out of the rotation in Vegas. Zhuang is scheduled to start tomorrow and probably not under consideration for an MLB call.
Jack Perkins, who started four MLB games late last season, is also on the 40-man and has worked 2-3 inning stints out of the bullpen in the minors. Top prospect Gage Jump is not yet on the roster but opened the season in the Triple-A rotation. He has been inefficient in his first two starts but has managed a combined six innings of three-run ball with eight strikeouts. He threw 74 pitches yesterday and would be on regular rest if the A’s wanted to bring him up on Friday.
They’ll carry a ninth reliever in the interim. Kuhnel, 31, gets back to the big leagues for the first time since 2024. The 6’5″ righty worked 11 2/3 innings of two-run ball with 10 strikeouts as a non-roster invitee this spring. He carried that into the minor leagues, striking out six of 10 batters faced over three hitless innings with Las Vegas.
Kuhnel adds a power arm to Mark Kotsay’s middle relief group. He’s primarily a sinker-slider pitcher whose fastball checks in around 96 mph on average. Kuhnel owns a 5.86 ERA with a middling 19% strikeout rate and stronger 52% grounder percentage over 93 2/3 career innings. He’s out of options and needs to stick on the MLB roster or be designated for assignment.
White Sox Place Austin Hays On IL, Select Dustin Harris
As manager Will Venable told reporters last night (including James Fegan of Sox Machine), the White Sox have placed Austin Hays on the 10-day injured list with a right hamstring strain. In a corresponding move, they selected the contract of Dustin Harris from Triple-A Charlotte. Mike Vasil has been transferred from the 15-day IL to the 60-day IL to free up space on the 40-man roster.
Hays, 30, signed a one-year, $6MM contract with the White Sox this offseason. He started in left field in eight of Chicago’s first 10 games, though he was off to a slow start, with a .586 OPS and a 56 wRC+ through 33 trips to the plate. During the fourth inning of yesterday’s game, Hays injured his hamstring while tracking down a fly ball. It was immediately apparent he was hurt as he hopped the last several feet toward the ball, and he exited after the play. The White Sox have not yet revealed the severity of the strain.
With no more healthy position players left on their 40-man roster, the White Sox called on Harris to replace Hays. The 26-year-old signed a minor league contract with Chicago this past winter. He appeared in 21 games with the Rangers from 2024-25, playing all three outfield positions and slugging two home runs and four doubles. While his days as a top-10 organizational prospect for Texas are behind him, he runs well and once flashed promising power with his lefty swing. Unfortunately for Harris, the fact that he’s a lefty batter could make it difficult for Venable to get him in the lineup; fellow White Sox outfielders Andrew Benintendi and Tristan Peters also bat left-handed.
As for Vasil, this move was inevitable. The right-hander recently underwent Tommy John surgery and will sit out the 2026 season. After they swapped Harris in for Vasil, the White Sox’s 40-man roster remains full, though they will be able to move Brooks Baldwin to the 60-day IL the next time they need a 40-man spot. Baldwin recently underwent a season-ending internal brace procedure.
Cardinals Trade Nick Raquet To Orioles
Today: The Orioles have announced the trade and activated Raquet. Brandon Young has been optioned to Triple-A. To make space for Raquet on their 40-man roster, Baltimore transferred Eflin to the 60-day IL. Elbow discomfort forced Eflin to make an early exit during his season debut on March 31, and he is going for a second opinion from Dr. Keith Meister later today. At the very least, he will now miss April and May.
April 6, 9:27 pm: Baltimore is sending minor league outfielder Brayden Smith to St. Louis in return, reports Derrick Goold of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The lefty-hitting Smith was the O’s 13th-round pick last year after spending one season at Oklahoma State. He hit .200 with one home run while drawing 12 walks in 16 games at Low-A Delmarva to begin his pro career.
April 6, 9:08 pm: The Orioles are acquiring reliever Nick Raquet from the Cardinals, reports Ari Alexander of Boston 7 News. St. Louis designated the lefty for assignment yesterday. Baltimore will need to create a 40-man roster spot once the trade is final; Heston Kjerstad and Zach Eflin are potential 60-day injured list candidates.
Raquet debuted last September and tossed two scoreless appearances of one inning apiece. That’s the entirety of the 30-year-old lefty’s big league experience to date. Raquet held his spot on the 40-man roster over the offseason but was optioned early in Spring Training. He has worked three innings of one-run ball with a trio of strikeouts for Triple-A Memphis to begin the season.
It has been a long climb to the big leagues for Raquet. The 6’0″ hurler was a third-round pick by the Nationals out of William & Mary in 2017. He never made it beyond A-ball in the Washington system and was released in 2020. Raquet was out of baseball for a few seasons before turning independent and Dominican Winter League work into a new minor league opportunity with St. Louis in 2024.
Raquet spent most of last season in the upper levels of the minor leagues. He combined for a 2.24 ERA with a 28% strikeout rate over 52 1/3 frames, excelling in Double-A before struggling at the top minor league level. He’s a slider specialist whose breaking ball sits in the 82-84 mph range. Raquet’s fastball only lands around 90-91, but he has a full slate of minor league options and can head to Triple-A Norfolk.
Guardians Place Gabriel Arias On 10-Day IL, Recall Juan Brito
The Guardians announced this morning that they have placed Gabriel Arias on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain. To replace Arias on the roster, the team recalled fellow infielder Juan Brito from Triple-A Columbus. Brito will make his major league debut in today’s game against the Royals, playing second base and batting sixth (per MLB.com’s Tim Stebbins). Guardians Prospective reported last night that Brito would be getting the call.
Arias, 26, took over as Cleveland’s primary shortstop last season and held onto the role entering 2026, starting at short in 10 of his team’s first 11 games. His offense leaves much to be desired – he owns a career .632 OPS and 76 wRC+ in 330 games – but he has proven to be a capable defender, with 2 DRS and 7 OAA in 1,484 innings at shortstop. Arias exited early yesterday with hamstring tightness and went for an MRI. The Guardians have yet to offer further details about the severity of his injury, but evidently, they decided he’ll need to miss at least the next 10 days.
In place of Arias, Brayan Rocchio is likely to take over at shortstop. Rocchio, 25, was Cleveland’s regular shortstop in 2024 and early 2025 before moving to second base. Like Arias, he has yet to show he can make much of an impact at the plate (career .622 OPS, 78 wRC+ in 292 games), but he was a Gold Glove finalist at shortstop in 2024 after posting 11 DRS and 5 OAA in 1,102 innings.
As for Brito, it looks like he will get a chance to prove himself at the keystone. The 24-year-old is generally considered one of the Guardians’ top 20 prospects. Entering the season, MLB Pipeline ranked him No. 16, while Baseball America put him at No. 15 and Baseball Prospectus at No. 14. The Athletic’s Keith Law was a little more optimistic about Brito, placing him at No. 9 before the season, while FanGraphs was less sold, putting him all the way down at No. 32 on their organizational list. He may have been difficult for some to rank entering the year because he missed most of 2025 with injuries, and because his future defensive home is still unclear. Those who are higher on Brito see him as a capable everyday second baseman, while others envision him as more of a utility player. He has hit consistently well at Triple-A in parts of several seasons, with 24 home runs, a 13.9% walk rate, and an .811 OPS in 182 games. A switch-hitter, Brito doesn’t necessarily need to be platooned, but the lefty-batting Daniel Schneemann and fellow switch-hitter Angel Martínez can also play second base if needed. Meanwhile, top prospect Travis Bazzana will stay at Triple-A for now, but he is certainly a candidate to play second base for the Guardians at some point in 2026.
Joe Ross Elects Free Agency
Veteran righty Joe Ross elected free agency over the weekend, according to the MLB.com transaction tracker. He cleared waivers after being designated for assignment on Friday.
Ross had a short-lived tenure in the desert. The 32-year-old broke camp in a long relief role after signing a minor league contract in February. He worked a perfect inning in his season debut but was knocked around over the next two appearances. Ross gave up six runs without getting through an inning against the Tigers on March 30. He surrendered three walks and a Mauricio Dubón homer in a blowout loss to Atlanta two days later. The D-Backs swapped him out of their bullpen for Taylor Rashi after the Braves game.
A veteran of parts of nine big league seasons, Ross has had a tough past year-plus. He gave up a 5.12 ERA over 51 innings for the Phillies last year. Philadelphia released him in August, and he closed the season in Triple-A with the Cubs. He’ll be looking at minor league offers now that he’s back on the open market.
Brewers Sign Top Prospect Cooper Pratt To Eight-Year Extension
April 6: The Associated Press reports the full breakdown of the Pratt deal. He receives a $3MM signing bonus and $2.5MM salary this season. He’ll make $3.5MM next year, $4MM annually from 2028-29, $5MM each in 2030-31, $10.75MM in 2032, and $13MM in 2033. The options are each valued at $15MM and don’t come with a buyout. Pratt can escalate the option values with top 10 finishes in MVP voting and earns $200K bonus for every Gold Glove win and All-Star selection.
April 3: The Brewers announced Friday that Pratt has signed his eight-year extension. He’s been selected to the 40-man roster and optioned to Triple-A Nashville. Outfielder Steward Berroa was designated for assignment in a corresponding move.
March 30: The Brewers and prospect Cooper Pratt are reportedly on the verge of finalizing an eight-year contract worth $50.75MM. There will also be two club options worth about $15MM per year, though the value of those options can increase via escalators. The Brewers will need to make a corresponding move to add the Boras Corporation client to their 40-man roster.
It’s a surprising, out-of-nowhere extension. Pratt is 21 years old and hasn’t made it to the majors yet. He only just made his Triple-A debut a few days ago. He wasn’t even going to be eligible for the Rule 5 draft until December of 2027.
Extensions for players with no major league experience are becoming more common but this one feels even a bit more extreme than some of the others. Most pre-debut extensions have been for guys very close to cracking the big leagues. The Brewers themselves did one with Jackson Chourio just over two years ago, an $82MM guarantee, though that one was a bit less surprising. Chourio had finished the prior season at the Triple-A level and seemed highly likely to break camp with Milwaukee in 2024 as he was one of the top three prospects in the sport.
Pratt, on the other hand, mostly features on the back of top 100 prospect lists. Baseball America is the high outlet, putting him at #50. MLB Pipeline has him at #62, ESPN at #70, The Athletic at #99 and he’s not even on the FanGraphs list. He had an okay season at Double-A last year, with a .238/.343/.348 line and 107 wRC+, and only just cracked the Triple-A level to start this season.
Perhaps it speaks to the Brewers being quite high on Pratt’s future. Though his offense was middling last year, the plate discipline was clearly good. His 12.7% walk rate and 15.2% strikeout rate were both strong figures. He only hit eight home runs but could perhaps add more power in time. He stole 31 bags last year and is considered a solid defender at shortstop.
If the Brewers have faith in Pratt’s long-term future, there’s sense in locking him up now. That’s especially true with him being a Boras client. That agency isn’t quite as extension-averse as its reputation but the extensions they have done have almost always been for guys who have reached their arbitration years. According to MLBTR’s Contract Tracker, which has data going back to 2006, the Carlos González deal from back in 2011 is the only pre-arbitration extension for a Boras client.
In that context, perhaps the Brewers felt it was worth it to take a gamble on Pratt, even though he is still so early in his career. If they waited until he had been in the big leagues for a few years, the price would go up if he had any kind of success. From the perspective of Pratt, this is a chance for him to lock up some notable earnings and stave off any chance of a bust. Perhaps he will find himself underpaid if he becomes a star, but he’s not the level of surefire, can’t-miss prospect that Chourio was. He could play out this contract, including the options, and still reach free agency after his age-30 season.
What remains to be seen is how this impacts Milwaukee’s short-term plans. Even if Pratt is signed to a big league deal, he doesn’t need to be on the active roster, as he could still be kept in the minors on optional assignment. Joey Ortiz was their everyday shortstop last year. He put up a rough .230/.276/.317 line at the plate but stole 14 bases and was credited with 12 Outs Above Average. He is still in that job and has a massive .455/.500/.455 line so far this year but in a tiny sample of 12 plate appearances.
Ortiz is still under club control for many years but the club may pivot away from him at some point if he can’t post better offense over a sustained stretch of time. He does have options and could be sent to the minors, or perhaps be moved into a utility role since he has experience at second and third base. Pratt has fairly limited experience off the shortstop position but could presumably handle second or third if the Brewers asked him to. For now, Brice Turang is a strong option at the keystone. Third base is a bit more open, with David Hamilton and Luis Rengifo in the mix at the moment.
Looking further down the road, most of those guys still have lots of club control. Rengifo is on a one-year deal but Ortiz, Turang and Hamilton aren’t slated for free agency until after 2029. Prospects Jett Williams, Jesús Made and Luis Peña are generally considered top 100 guys who will be in the mix at some point. Williams has already played at the Triple-A level, Made at Double-A and Pena at High-A. At some point over the horizon, the infield could feel quite crowded, which could perhaps lead to a trade.
In the near term, the deal could have other notable impacts. With the deal in place, the Brewers may not worry about Pratt’s service time, since he would be under club control for the ten years regardless. The Prospect Promotion Incentive could also be interesting here. Pratt would be PPI eligible since he is on the aforementioned prospect lists. Even though he missed the first few games of the season, it’s still early enough for the Brewers to call him up for a full year of service time.
However, a player who signs an extension prior to his major league debut is not eligible to earn PPI picks for his team. Unless the two sides agree to the deal in principle and then don’t officially sign it until after Pratt’s debut, then PPI is off the table.
Altogether, it’s a surprising and curious extension, one that seemingly leads to more questions than it answers. Perhaps the coming days will provide some more clarity on the deal and what it means for all the other moving pieces in Milwaukee.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today first reported that the two sides were working on an eight-year deal worth more than $50MM, including those club options. Jon Heyman of The New York Post reported the specific guarantee. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that there are escalators on the options. Photos courtesy of Dave Kallmann, Imagn Images.
Orioles Lose Dietrich Enns To Foot Infection, Recall Brandon Young
The Orioles placed left-hander Dietrich Enns on the injured list with an infected left foot, per a team announcement. The issue required IV antibiotics at a Pittsburgh hospital, manager Craig Albernaz told reporters, including Andy Kostka of the Baltimore Banner. “It’s crazy,” Albernaz said. “I’m not sure what happened. But his foot is pretty gnarly.”
Right-hander Brandon Young was recalled to take Enns’ spot on the roster. He’ll draw the start tonight against the White Sox. Baltimore needed another starter after Zach Eflin went to the IL with an elbow injury. Cade Povich was also recalled recently. He was a candidate to draw the start on Monday, but ended up tossing 5 2/3 innings in relief of Chris Bassitt yesterday.
Enns returned stateside last season after three seasons pitching in Asia. He stumbled to a 5.60 ERA in seven appearances with the Tigers. Detroit shipped him to Baltimore for cash at the trade deadline. Enns emerged as a meaningful part of the Orioles’ bullpen over the final two months of the season. The veteran tossed 28 2/3 innings with a 3.14 ERA and a 27.6% strikeout rate. He also earned a pair of saves.
The Orioles had a $3MM club option on Enns for 2026. Instead of exercising the option, the team worked out a new one-year contract with the lefty. He’s making $2.5MM this season. The reworked deal includes a $3.5MM club option for 2027, with a $125K buyout.
Young made his debut in 2025. He posted an ERA above 6.00 across a dozen starts, though his xFIP (4.52) and SIERA (4.67) suggested he deserved better results. Young, Povich, and Albert Suarez will have a chance to secure the No. 5 spot in the rotation with Eflin potentially facing an extended absence. The righty is getting a second opinion on his injured elbow from orthopedic surgeon Keith Meister.
Photo courtesy of Daniel Kucin Jr., Imagn Images
Royals Activate Michael Massey From IL, Option Nick Loftin
Second baseman Michael Massey is back with the Royals after missing the first three series of the year with a calf strain. The 28-year-old went down with the injury during MLB Spring Training in early March, but it was deemed minor at the time. Massey ultimately needed just three games at Triple-A to get back into playing shape. Nick Loftin was optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move.
Massey got off to a miserable start as Kansas City’s primary second baseman last season, posting a .479 OPS into early June. He hit the IL with an ankle sprain on June 10. Massey didn’t have an everyday job when he returned, but he made the most of limited opportunities. The lefty swinger slashed .375/.412/.484 in 21 games over the final five weeks of the season.
Jonathan India has handled the majority of reps at second base for Kansas City. After getting a taste of the outfielder in his first year with the club, the former Red is back on the dirt on a more regular basis, with trade acquisition Isaac Collins manning left field. Massey could factor in at the keystone against right-handed pitching, though it’s not an obvious pairing.
India has an identical 104 wRC+ against righties and lefties for his career, so he’s unlikely to slip into a short-side platoon role. Massey might be a slight upgrade on defense. India posted -2 Defensive Runs Saved at second base in 2025, which was actually his best mark since 2021. Massey posted 2 DRS in 495 innings at the position last season, though he hadn’t been a positive with the glove since his rookie year in 2022.
Loftin broke camp with the team following the Massey IL placement. He and Tyler Tolbert were locked in a battle with Drew Waters for the final bench spots. Waters was designated for assignment two days before the season opener. With Massey healthy, it’ll be Loftin heading back to the minors. He started a pair of games at second base and one in left field. Loftin managed a pair of hits in nine at-bats. This is his final minor league option year.
Photo courtesy of Jayne Kamin-Oncea, Imagn Images
Astros Place Roddery Muñoz On Waivers
4 pm: Muñoz has been designated for assignment, the team announced. Reliever Enyel De Los Santos was activated from the IL to take Muñoz’s spot on the roster. Infielder Isaac Paredes is also back from the bereavement list. Shay Whitcomb was optioned to Triple-A.
1:45 pm: The Astros have placed Rule 5 pick Roddery Muñoz on outright waivers, reports Chandler Rome of The Athletic. Players can be placed on waivers while remaining on the 40-man roster but it seems likely that the Astros plan to cut the right-hander. If any club claims him, they would also be bound by the Rule 5 parameters. If he clears waivers, he would have to be offered back to the Reds, who could assign him to the minors without putting him on the 40-man roster.
Muñoz was an unusual Rule 5 selection. Most guys taken in that draft have been in the minors for a few years without getting a big league shot. Muñoz had already seen a notable amount of time in the majors, having tossed 93 2/3 for the Marlins and Cardinals. He didn’t have much success, however, with a 6.73 earned run average in that time. He exhausted his option years over the 2023 to 2025 seasons.
The Cards put him on waivers in November. The Reds claimed him, non-tendered him and re-signed him to a minor league deal. Shortly thereafter, the Astros grabbed him in the Rule 5. He had a good spring, striking out 16 opponents in ten innings. He did allow five earned runs but the punchouts were enough to get him an Opening Day roster spot. Unfortunately, he has been lit up to start the season. Through four innings, he has allowed seven earned runs. He racked up six strikeouts but also gave out six walks and threw two wild pitches.
Even if Muñoz weren’t out of options, he couldn’t be sent to the minors as a Rule 5 guy. It seems the Astros have run out of patience and will make a move. As mentioned, teams are allowed to place players on waivers while keeping them on the active roster, so it’s possible Muñoz could still be with the club tonight. However, it’s also possible he gets designated for assignment before game time to make way for someone else.
Rule 5 guys can be traded or claimed off waivers. If any other team takes a shot on Muñoz, they would be bound by the same Rule 5 parameters. If he clears waivers, he’ll be offered back to the Reds. That club could send him to the minors as non-roster depth.
Photo courtesy of Troy Taormina, Imagn Images
Brewers Place Jared Koenig On Injured List, Recall Shane Drohan
The Brewers put reliever Jared Koenig on the IL with a left elbow sprain, the team announced. Manager Pat Murphy told reporters, including Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, that the plan is to try to rehab the injury. The estimated return timeline is two to four weeks. Murphy called it a “big concern,” per Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. The skipper also specified it’s a UCL sprain.
Left-hander Shane Drohan was recalled in a corresponding move. The 27-year-old came to the organization in the Caleb Durbin trade. If he appears in a game, it’ll be his big-league debut.
Koenig hits the injured list after a disastrous outing in the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader against the Royals. The veteran relieved starter Brandon Sproat with two outs and runners on first and second. Koenig allowed consecutive hits to plate both inherited runners. A Jake Bauers error, followed by a wild pitch, scored two more unearned runs.
Koenig’s velocity was down for the second straight game. After sitting at 96 mph with his sinker in his first outing of the year, the pitch averaged under 94 mph in two subsequent appearances. Koenig’s changeup was down more than a tick on Saturday, compared to its average velocity in 2025.
Milwaukee opened the year with a lefty-heavy bullpen that included Angel Zerpa, Aaron Ashby, and DL Hall, in addition to Koenig. The club will opt for another southpaw to replace him. Drohan made one appearance at Triple-A before getting the call. He allowed two earned runs over 3 1/3 innings with Nashville. Drohan racked up six strikeouts in the outing, continuing a theme from his time in the Red Sox organization.
The promotion of Drohan puts all three players acquired in the Durbin deal on the big-league roster. Left-hander Kyle Harrison and infielder David Hamilton both broke camp with the team. Drohan posted a 4.26 ERA across 12 2/3 innings during MLB Spring Training. He struck out opponents at a solid 28.8% clip.
Drohan missed a significant chunk of the 2025 season with forearm inflammation. The lefty was effective when available, delivering a 3.00 ERA with a 34.5% strikeout rate across 54 innings. Drohan scuffled in a few outings at High-A when he first returned from the forearm issue, skewing his final line. He closed the year on a high note, recording 29 strikeouts in 21 innings at Triple-A.
Photo courtesy of William Purnell, Imagn Images