Brewers, Tyler Jay Agree To Minor League Deal
The Brewers are re-signing left-handed reliever Tyler Jay to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training, reports Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. Jay was with the Brewers organization at the end of the season but was lost on waivers to the Mariners early last month. Seattle passed him through waivers themselves a few weeks later, and Jay declined an outright assignment in favor of free agency after going unclaimed.
Jay, 31 in April, was the No. 6 overall pick in the 2015 draft but saw the early stages of his pro career with the Twins decimated by injuries. He battled shoulder and neck problems throughout his first few seasons in pro ball and was at one point evaluated for potential thoracic outlet syndromes but never wound up requiring surgery. The Reds picked Jay up in exchange for cash in 2019 after the Twins designated him for assignment, but he never reached the majors in Cincinnati either.
From 2020-22, Jay was out of affiliated ball entirely. He returned to a mound with the independent Joliet Slammers in 2022-23 and caught the eye of the Mets, who inked him on a minor league deal. The Mets eventually gave Jay his MLB debut this past season at age 30. He split time between Queens and Milwaukee after the Mets designated him for assignment and flipped him to the Brewers in exchange for minor leaguer TJ Shook.
It was only 7 2/3 innings in the big leagues between the two teams this past season, but the fact that Jay even reached the majors at all is fairly remarkable, given his career arc and the significant injury woes he dealt with in the years after the draft. He yielded four runs on nine hits and six walks with six strikeouts during his brief big league time and also excelled in Triple-A; in 56 2/3 innings of Triple-A work between the two organizations, he logged a 3.02 ERA, 20.9% strikeout rate, 5.1% walk rate and 47.3% grounder rate.
Jay doesn’t throw all that hard, sitting at about 92 mph with his sinker and four-seamer, per Statcast. He’s a former top pick who now appears healthy on the heels of a nice upper-minors showing, however, and despite his age and the amount of time he’s spent in the minors, he still has a pair of option years remaining. If the Brewers wind up adding him to the 40-man at any point, he can be a flexible bullpen piece for manager Pat Murphy.
The Brewers aren’t hurting for left-handed relief options. They have Jared Koenig, Bryan Hudson, DL Hall, Aaron Ashby, Grant Wolfram and Rule 5 pick Connor Thomas all on the 40-man roster. That said, Koenig and Hudson only have one season of big league success under their belts (2024 with the Brewers), while Hall, Ashby and Wolfram could work as starters in Triple-A Nashville. Thomas is hardly a lock to make the roster, as is the case with most Rule 5 picks.
Cubs Sign Nicky Lopez To Minor League Contract
The Cubs have signed infielder Nicky Lopez, according to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman. The deal is a minor league pact, ESPN’s Jesse Rogers (multiple links) reports, and Lopez will make $1.5MM if he cracks the Cubs’ active roster. Lopez is represented by Octagon.
Lopez heads from one side of the Windy City to the other, as he spent the 2024 season with the White Sox as a regular starter in the middle infield. Beginning the season as the primary everyday second baseman, Lopez was shifted over into the shortstop role for much of July and August, before playing a little more sparingly down the stretch. The Sox put Lopez on waivers at the end of August to see if another team would claim him (and the last $700K remaining on his $4.3MM salary) away, but there weren’t any takers.
Heading into his final year of arbitration eligibility, Lopez found himself outrighted off Chicago’s 40-man roster in November, and he chose to become a free agent instead of accepting the assignment. The move was essentially a non-tender, as Lopez was projected for a $5.1MM salary in 2025 and the Sox obviously didn’t see him as part of their plans (at least at that price).
Lopez’s 2021 campaign with the Royals was the clear high point of his six MLB seasons, as he hit .300/.365/.378 over 565 plate appearances while also playing excellent shortstop defense, resulting in a 5.5 fWAR that ranked 13th among all players in baseball. That 104 wRC+ (perhaps aided by a .347 BABIP) now looks like an outlier compared to the rest of Lopez’s offensive output, as he has only a 68 wRC+ over 1187 PA in the last three seasons. That includes a 77 wRC+ from his .241/.312/.294 slash line in 445 PA with the White Sox in 2024.
The glovework has also fallen off since 2021, at least as a shortstop. Lopez had -9 Defensive Runs Saved and a -5.5 UZR/150 in 344 2/3 innings at short last season, but -1 DRS and a +2.4 UZR/150 in the larger sample size of 640 1/3 innings at second base. (The Outs Above Average metric liked Lopez’s work at both position, with a +4 as a second baseman and +1 as a shortstop.)
This solid work at the keystone is most pertinent for Lopez’s possible role in Wrigleyville. Nico Hoerner‘s availability for the start of the season is still unclear after the second baseman underwent flexor tendon surgery in October. As of two weeks ago, Hoerner said he hadn’t yet started any hitting or throwing programs, so it would certainly seem like a season-opening IL stint might be in order for Hoerner to have more time to fully ramp up.
The Cubs already signed utilityman Jon Berti to a guaranteed contract, so Lopez’s addition on a minors deal gives the team more depth in the infield department. Vidal Brujan (who is out of minor league options) was also acquired in a trade with the Marlins, and Rule 5 pick Gage Workman will have to remain on the active roster lest he be offered back to the Tigers. Top prospect Matt Shaw is expected to get the first shot at the third base job in his rookie season, and between Shaw’s inexperience and Hoerner’s injury concern, the Cubs are giving themselves plenty of infield coverage to evaluate during Spring Training.
Felix Pena Signs With CPBL’s Uni-Lions
Right-hander Felix Pena has signed on with the Uni-Lions of Taiwan’s Chinese Professional Baseball League (h/t to CPBL Stats).
Pena, 35 later this month, signed with the Cubs out of the Dominican Republic as an international amateur and made his pro debut all the way back in 2009. He gradually climbed the minor league ladder until he made his MLB debut back in 2016, when he debuted for Chicago and pitched decently in a brief cup of coffee at the big league level. The right-hander posted a 4.00 ERA (108 ERA+) in nine innings that season, striking out 37.1% of opponents in his limited playing time at the major league level en route to a 2.70 FIP. He was used in a similarly minor role with the Cubs in 2017, but that second trip to the majors left something to be desired in terms of results as he posted a lackluster 5.24 ERA (84 ERA+) in 34 1/3 innings of work thanks in part to a bloated 11.6% walk rate.
Those struggles in 2017 led the Cubs to designate Pena for assignment shortly after the 2017 season came to a close. He shipped to the Angels shortly thereafter, and wound up pitching for his new club as a starting pitcher for much of the 2018 season. His results were decent enough, as well: in 92 2/3 innings of work split between 17 starts and two relief outings, Pena surrendered a 4.18 ERA (101 ERA+) with a 4.04 FIP. He struck out a decent 21.9% of opponents and, more importantly, got his walk rate under control and allowed free passes at a 7.2% clip. That appeared to set Pena up for a crack at a full-season rotation job with the Halos in 2019, and he was part of the club’s Opening Day rotation at the beginning of the year.
Unfortunately for Pena, however, his first four starts of the 2019 season left much to be desired. While his 4.15 ERA was decent enough, Pena allowed four homers, surrendered seven walks, and hit three batters in just 17 1/3 innings of work while his strikeout rate dipped to 19.2%. That led the Angels to move him into a bulk role behind an opener, and he initially excelled in the role with a 3.03 ERA and 3.18 FIP over his next seven outings where he struck out 28.5% of opponents in 32 2/3 frames. Things took a turn for the worse during a disastrous month of June, however, as his issues with the long ball resurfaced and he posted a ghastly 7.97 ERA in five appearances totaling 20 1/3 innings. He pitched better (4.15 ERA, 3.48 FIP) once the calendar flipped to July and even played a key role in a combined no-hitter against the Mariners but saw his season cut short by a torn ACL.
By the time baseball resumed in late July of 2020 after the pandemic shutdown, Pena had recovered from his ACL tear and was back on the mound with the Angels. He was confined to a short relief role in 2020 but made the most of the role, posting a 4.05 ERA (113 ERA+) in 26 2/3 innings with excellent peripheral numbers including a 3.00 FIP and a 25.2% strikeout rate against a 7% walk rate. That performance figured to earn Pena another shot with the Angels in 2021, but a hamstring strain delayed his start to the season and he was torched to the tune of seven runs in less than two innings of work upon his return, prompting the Angels to outright him to the minor leagues.
That was Pena’s last time appearing in the majors. After struggling badly at Triple-A through the remainder of the 2021 season, the right-hander began the 2022 season with the Mets on a minor league deal but eventually headed overseas to sign with the KBO’s Hanwha Eagles. He spent parts of three seasons with the Eagles, posting a 3.98 ERA in 54 starts for the club, but struggled to a 6.27 ERA in his final nine KBO starts earlier this year. That prompted Hanwha to release Pena back in May, but now he’ll get a fresh start in Taiwan where he can provide veteran innings to a club that employed former big leaguers Hector Perez and Logan Ondrusek last season.
Brewers, Josh Maciejewski Agree To Minor League Deal
The Brewers are in agreement with left-hander Josh Maciejewski on a minor league contract, reports Ari Alexander of KPRC 2. He’d elected minor league free agency after being outrighted by the Yankees last September.
Maciejewski, 29, was a 10th-round pick by New York in 2018. Despite the modest draft position, he pitched his way to the majors after six seasons in the Yankees farm system. Maciejewski made four appearances in pinstripes last year, working seven innings of two-run ball. He struck out seven while issuing a pair of walks. While he pitched well in his small big league sample, he had less interesting numbers in the upper minors.
The 6’3″ southpaw divided his time between Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Maciejewski started 13 of 26 appearances between the two levels. He tossed 73 innings with a 5.67 earned run average. He had a decent 22.7% strikeout percentage with a tolerable 8.9% walk rate.
Opponents fared well when they put the ball in play, though, running a lofty .327 average on balls in play. That predictably had an impact on his bottom line results. Maciejewski had found better results in the minors in 2023. He combined for a 2.96 ERA over 45 2/3 frames between three levels that season. He’s capable of working multiple innings and has an even 4.00 earned run average over his minor league career.
Maciejewski doesn’t throw hard. He averaged 90.1 MPH on his sinker during his limited big league work; that checked in at 89.6 MPH during his Triple-A time. He has a low-80s changeup and mid-70s breaking ball to round out his arsenal. Maciejewski could vie for a long relief role in Pat Murphy’s bullpen at some point next season.
Mets Designate Luis De Los Santos For Assignment
The Mets announced that they’ve designated infielder Luis De Los Santos for assignment. That creates a 40-man roster spot for Nick Madrigal, who officially signed his one-year free agent contract.
New York had claimed De Los Santos off waivers from the Blue Jays within the first few days of the offseason. The 26-year-old had spent his entire career with the Toronto organization until then. De Los Santos signed with the Jays out of the Dominican Republic in 2015. He played eight seasons in the minors and was called up for the first time after the trade deadline. De Los Santos appeared in 13 games late in the year, hitting .172 with a pair of doubles across 31 plate appearances.
The righty hitter appeared in 43 contests with Triple-A Buffalo last season. He hit .268/.376/.486 over 154 trips to the plate. That improved his career Triple-A batting line to .228/.343/.393 in parts of three seasons. De Los Santos has shown a decent eye (12.7% walk rate) with below-average contact rates at that level. Primarily a shortstop, he has a decent amount of experience at all four infield positions.
New York is likely to put De Los Santos back on waivers within the next few days. He has two option years remaining, so a team could keep him in Triple-A if they’re willing to carry him on the 40-man roster. De Los Santos has never been outrighted and would not have the ability to elect free agency if he goes unclaimed on waivers.
Mets Sign Nick Madrigal
The Mets have a one-year agreement with infielder Nick Madrigal, the club announced. It’s reportedly a split deal that pays the Wasserman client $1.35MM in the majors, with another $500K available via performance bonuses.
Madrigal, 28 in March, has spent the past five seasons in Chicago. Playing for both the White Sox and the Cubs, he has generally served as a light-hitting, part-time depth infielder. He has stepped to the plate 940 times over those five seasons. His 9% strikeout rate is very low but he also doesn’t walk much, taking free passes 4.6% of the time. While he puts the ball in play a lot, he doesn’t do a ton of damage in the process. He currently has just four home runs and sports a career batting line of .274/.323/.344 for an 88 wRC+. Statcast hasn’t given him strong marks for his exit velocity, hard hit rate nor his barrel rate.
He has been able to contribute in other ways. He has 17 stolen bases in 23 attempts. His defense is also well regarded. He has racked up eight Defensive Runs Saved at third base in his career and has been league average at second base. Outs Above Average has given him a +7 score at the hot corner and +2 at the keystone.
The Cubs could have kept Madrigal around for the 2025 season via arbitration, with MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projecting him for a $1.9MM salary. The Cubs decided to non-tender him instead, sending him to free agency without having to put him on waivers.
The Mets have some uncertainty in their infield. Francisco Lindor has shortstop locked down. Jeff McNeil‘s offense hasn’t been great lately but even his diminished production has been better than Madrigal’s. He can also play the outfield but the Mets are fairly crowded out there. Since he’s still making an eight-figure salary, he’ll probably be the regular at second.
The corners are more up in the air. Pete Alonso remains unsigned, giving the club a theoretical hole at first base. However, it’s been suggested that the club might be content to have Alonso move on. In that scenario, the club would move Mark Vientos over from third to first, leaving the hot corner open for a competition between Brett Baty, Ronny Mauricio and Luisangel Acuña.
They have also lost a key depth infielder. They signed Jose Iglesias to a minor league deal last offseason, which turned into a huge win. He got into 85 games and hit .337/.381/.448 while filling in at second, third and short. He became a free agent at season’s end. Recent reporting has suggested that the Mets were interested in bolstering their infield depth.
Madrigal still has an option remaining, so he doesn’t need to be guaranteed a spot on the active roster. The fact that the Mets have given him a split deal suggests that going to the minors is a distinct possibility. If he eventually gets a big league roster spot, he could potentially replace Iglesias in that bench infielder role. If the young third base options struggle, he at least gives them a glove-first option there. If any of the club’s outfielders get injured and McNeil needs to go out there, or McNeil himself gets hurt, Madrigal could step in. An injury to Lindor could lead to Acuña or Mauricio covering short, which would bump Madrigal up the chart at third.
Since Madrigal has that option, there’s nothing really stopping the Mets from bringing back Iglesias or some other veteran infielder, so they’ve added some depth without closing any doors to other possibilities and at a fairly minimal cost. Jon Heyman of The New York Post reported yesterday that the Mets “haven’t yet strongly pursued” a reunion with Iglesias. If Madrigal still has a roster spot at season’s end, he can be retained via arbitration for 2026.
Joel Sherman of The New York Post first reported that the two sides were in agreement. Anthony DiComo of MLB.com first reported that it was a split deal. Will Sammon of The Athletic reported that it was a one-year pact. Sherman then reported the fact that Madrigal passed his physical, as well as the big league salary and bonuses.
Royals Designate Braden Shewmake For Assignment
The Royals announced that they’ve designated infielder Braden Shewmake for assignment. That opens a 40-man roster spot for reliever Carlos Estévez, who inked a two-year free agent deal.
Shewmake was claimed off waivers from the White Sox a few weeks ago. He’d spent one season with Chicago, who acquired him from the Braves as part of the five-player trade return for lefty reliever Aaron Bummer. Chicago had opted for a depth-heavy approach in that deal. The Sox have already moved on from Nicky Lopez and Shewmake while allowing Michael Soroka to walk in free agency after one season. Lefty Jared Shuster and minor league pitcher Riley Gowens are the only players from that deal still remaining in the Chicago organization.
The lefty-hitting Shewmake was Atlanta’s first-round pick in 2019. He played two games for the Braves in 2023 and appeared in 29 contests for the White Sox. He has hit .118 with one home run over his first 71 MLB plate appearances. The Texas A&M product has had a similarly light bat over his minor league career. Shewmake hit .227/.273/.378 over 97 Double-A contests and has a career .240/.299/.395 slash across 866 Triple-A plate appearances.
Shewmake spent most of last season on the minor league injured list. In addition to his 29 MLB games, he appeared 10 times for the Sox’s top affiliate in Charlotte — where he hit .152 over 33 at-bats. Shewmake has primarily played shortstop, logging over 2000 innings at the position during his minor league career. He has more than 600 frames at second base and limited third base experience.
Kansas City will likely put him back on waivers within the next few days. Shewmake has an option remaining, so a team that claims him could keep him in Triple-A for another season. If he clears waivers, he’d stick with the Royals as non-roster depth. He has never been outrighted in his career and has less than three years of MLB service time, meaning he would not have the right to elect free agency.
Royals Sign Carlos Estévez
The Royals and right-hander Carlos Estévez are in agreement on a two-year deal that comes with a club option for 2027. It’s reportedly a $22MM guarantee for the Premier Talent Sports and Entertainment client, which includes a $2MM buyout on the option valued at $13MM. If the Royals exercise the option, the deal would reach $33MM over three seasons. The Royals designated Braden Shewmake for assignment in a corresponding move.
Estévez, 32, spent the first six seasons of his career with the Rockies. Pitching in Coors Field may have masked his talents, as he generally had good strikeout and walk rates but middling run prevention numbers. From 2019 to 2022, his final four seasons in Colorado, he tossed 214 2/3 innings with a 4.28 earned run average, 23.9% strikeout rate and 8.2% walk rate.
Getting away from the mountains has been good for his bottom-line numbers. He signed a two-year, $13.5MM deal with the Angels going into 2023, then was traded to the Phillies at the 2024 deadline. Over those two years, he threw 117 1/3 innings with a 3.22 ERA, 26% strikeout rate and 8.7% walk rate. He has become a bonafide closer in that time as well, racking up 31 saves in 2023 and 26 last year.
His 2024 season was his best yet, in a sense, as his 2.45 ERA was a personal low. However, there was some concern with how he finished. He struck out 25.8% of batters faced with the Angels but just 20.5% of opponents after being flipped to Philadelphia. But that was despite his velocity increasing as the season went along. He also got more ground balls after the deal, with a 25.3% rate as an Angel last year compared to a 43.5% rate with the Phils. In the end, he still managed to have a tidy 2.57 ERA with Philly, racking up six saves.
At the start of the offseason, MLBTR predicted Estévez for a three-year, $27MM deal. It seems the righty has been limited to a slightly lesser guarantee over two years, though he will end up beating that projection if the option is ultimately picked up.
The Royals had a strong rotation last year but their bullpen was less impressive. Their relievers had a collective 4.13 ERA last year, which placed them 20th out of the 30 clubs in the league. They tried to address that at the deadline by adding Lucas Erceg and Hunter Harvey in separate trades. Erceg posted a 2.88 ERA for the club after the deal and then had a 3.00 ERA over six postseason appearances as well. The Harvey acquisition didn’t pay immediate dividends, however, as a back injury limited him to just six appearances as a Royal. He is still under club control for 2025, so the Royals will hope for better health this year.
Though Erceg’s performance made the group look stronger, continuing to add this winter makes sense. That’s especially true with Kris Bubic likely moving to the rotation this year. Time will tell whether they have a preferred closer. As mentioned, Estévez has been closing for the past two years. Erceg recorded 11 saves for the Royals after being acquired, plus three more in the playoffs. Regardless of the roles, Estévez strengthens the relief group overall.
The Royals opened last year with a payroll of $115MM, per Cot’s Baseball Contracts. They are projected by RosterResource to be up to $123MM next year, before accounting for Estévez. They have reportedly been looking for a middle-of-the-order bat. Whether they can find one will likely depend on how much farther they are willing to push the spending.
Estévez received plenty of interest from other clubs this offseason, such as the Reds, Tigers, Cubs, Red Sox, Blue Jays and Yankees. Some of those clubs have since made other moves to address their respective bullpens. For clubs still looking to add relievers, the options have been flying off the board lately. Since the start of January, Chris Martin, Andrew Kittredge, Jeff Hoffman, Caleb Ferguson, Jorge López, A.J. Minter, José Leclerc, Tanner Scott, Paul Sewald, Kirby Yates, Ryne Stanek and Tommy Kahnle have agree to deals of $3MM or more. Ryan Pressly and Taylor Rogers were also traded this week.
Free agency still features players such as David Robertson, Kenley Jansen, Andrew Chafin and others, while guys like Robert Suarez, Ryan Helsley or Camilo Doval might be available on the trading block.
Jon Heyman of The New York Post first reported the Royals and Estévez had a deal. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic was first with the two-year guarantee and the third-year club option. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reported the $22MM guarantee and the $13MM option value.
Brewers, William Contreras Avoid Arbitration
The Brewers and catcher William Contreras have avoided arbitration, reports Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He and the Brewers have signed a one-year deal with a club option for 2026. Per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, the backstop will make $6MM this year and there’s a $100K buyout on the $12MM option, so he’s guaranteed $6.1MM. He will still be under club control if that club option is eventually turned down.
January 15 was the deadline for teams and arbitration-eligible players to exchange filing figures. The majority of players agreed to terms with their respective clubs ahead of that deadline but Contreras was one of the 17 that did not. He filed at $6.5MM and the club at $5.6MM. This agreement puts him slightly beyond the midpoint of those two figures. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz had projected the backstop for $7.6MM.
After the filing deadline, teams and players are free to continue negotiating. However, most clubs adopt a “file and trial” policy, meaning that they refuse to negotiate one-year deals after the deadline. It’s quite common to see deals emerge after the deadline but before a hearing, though a club or mutual option will be involved. That’s a technicality since the option means the deal can’t be used as a comparable for future arb cases. That has come to pass in this case.
This is the first of three arbitration chances for Contreras, who is under club control through 2027. His subsequent raises will be based off his base salary in 2025, making this a significant case for player and club. As mentioned, the option is mostly a technicality. Even if the club eventually turns it down, he will still be under club control by the Brewers via arbitration.
Contreras came to the Brewers from Atlanta prior to the 2023 campaign, part of the three-team deal that sent Sean Murphy to Atlanta. In his two seasons in Milwaukee, he has slashed .285/.366/.462 for a wRC+ of 128. His defensive metrics also greatly improved relative to his time in Atlanta. He’s been worth 11.2 wins above replacement over those two campaigns, in the eyes of FanGraphs.
Cardinals Sign Zack Weiss To Minor League Deal
The Cardinals announced the signing of reliever Zack Weiss to a minor league deal. St. Louis also re-signed righty Victor Santos to a two-year minor league contract. Earlier this week, the Cardinals also announced a non-roster contract with catcher Yohel Pozo.
Weiss is the most notable of the trio. The 32-year-old has pitched in parts of three big league seasons. He tossed a career-high 14 innings between the Red Sox and Angels two seasons ago. Weiss landed with the Twins on a waiver claim last offseason but was outrighted off the 40-man roster without making an MLB appearance. He worked 25 innings with Minnesota’s Triple-A club after clearing waivers. While he posted a middling 5.40 earned run average, he struck out an above-average 26.7% of opposing hitters.
The righty has missed bats in his limited look against MLB competition as well. Weiss has fanned 28% of opponents through 27 1/3 career innings. That has come alongside a lofty 12.7% walk rate, though, contributing to a middling 4.61 ERA. Weiss has allowed 5.37 earned runs per nine in parts of six Triple-A campaigns.
Santos, 24, has yet to reach the major leagues. He was one of two minor league relievers whom the Cards acquired from the Red Sox in what turned out to be the lopsided Tyler O’Neill trade. Santos posted a 5.61 ERA across 77 innings with Triple-A Memphis last year. He’d been pitching in the Dominican Winter League this offseason but seemingly suffered an injury. The Cards announced that he is expected to miss the entire 2025 season, explaining the two-year term of his deal.
Pozo, 27, appeared in 21 MLB games for the Rangers four seasons ago. He hit .284 in 77 plate appearances. Pozo has spent the past two seasons as non-roster depth with the A’s. He hit .324/.335/.538 with 15 homers in an extremely hitter-friendly setting in Triple-A last season. The righty-swinging backstop has one of the most extreme approaches in professional baseball. Among the nearly 1100 minor league hitters who logged at least 300 plate appearances, Pozo had the lowest walk rate (1.9%). His 8.3% strikeout rate was fourth-lowest. No hitter put more balls into play overall.