Rays Sign Jake Woodford To Minor League Deal
The Rays have signed right-hander Jake Woodford to a minor league deal with an invite to MLB spring training, as reported by MLBTR’s Steve Adams.
Woodford, 29, was a first-round pick by the Cardinals in the 2015 draft but didn’t make his MLB debut until the abbreviated 2020 season. He struggled to a 5.57 ERA as a long relief arm in his rookie year, but enjoyed better results come 2021 and ’22 with a respectable 3.26 ERA and 3.93 FIP in 116 total innings of work across those two campaigns. With that being said, his peripheral numbers weren’t quite so impressive. He struck out just 15.4% of his opponents while walking 7.5%. He did manage to make up for the lack of strikeouts by serving up grounders at a steady 45.8% clip, but the magic disappeared in 2023 as he was crushed to the tune of a 6.23 ERA before being non-tendered by the Cardinals that offseason.
Since departing St. Louis, Woodford has become a journeyman and hopped from team to team without sticking in any one organization for very long. In 2024 he split his time at the big league level between the White Sox and Pirates organizations but was torched to a 7.97 ERA in 35 innings of work despite a more manageable 4.94 FIP. After being DFA’d by Pittsburgh, he joined the Rockies last offseason but failed to break camp with the club and found himself on the market once again come Opening Day. From there, he caught on with the Yankees and Cubs organizations but did not make the majors with either club.
Woodford’s return to the big leagues came with the Diamondbacks this year, but he didn’t make the most of the opportunity. The right-hander made 22 appearances in Arizona but struggled badly, with a 6.44 ERA in 36 1/3 innings and a strikeout rate of just 13.5%. Arizona ultimately designated Woodford for assignment in late September, and he elected free agency shortly after the end of the 2025 campaign.
Now, Woodford is headed to one of the top teams in the league for pitching development as he looks to turn his career around. The Rays are known for their constant roster churn and their ability to turn otherwise unheralded pitchers into valuable pieces. It would hardly be a shock if they were able to unlock something with Woodford and help the right-hander get back on track, although Tampa has typically had more success unlocking arms with big strikeout potential like Edwin Uceta and Robert Stephenson. Either way, Woodford will enter the spring with a shot to compete for a long relief job in the bullpen with arms like Yoendrys Gomez and Joe Boyle.
Giants Acquire Joey Wiemer, Designate Andrew Knizner
The Giants acquired outfielder Joey Wiemer from the Marlins in exchange for cash, per the team. Miami designated the former top prospect for assignment earlier in the week when setting its roster ahead of the deadline to protect players from the Rule 5 Draft. San Francisco designated catcher Andrew Knizner for assignment in a corresponding roster move.
Now 26 years old, Wiemer was the Brewers’ fourth-round pick in 2020. He appeared on the back end of MLB.com’s top-100 prospect list in both 2022 and 2023 but has seen his stock dwindle since that time. Milwaukee flipped him to the Reds alongside Jakob Junis in the 2024 Frankie Montas trade, and Cincinnati subsequently dealt him to Kansas City with Jonathan India in exchange for right-hander Brady Singer. The Marlins scooped him up off waivers in early August, shortly following this year’s trade deadline.
Wiemer has appeared in parts of three major league seasons between the Brewers, Reds and Marlins. He popped 13 homers and swiped 11 bags as a rookie in ’23 but did so with poor rate stats. He’s a career .205/.279/.359 hitter through 499 trips to the batter’s box in the majors. That said, he’s shown plenty of pop against lefties, albeit with still-shaky OBP skills; in 173 plate appearances versus southpaws, the righty-swinging Wiemer is a .255/.298/.484 hitter (106 wRC+).
Beyond his above-average power versus lefties, Wiemer is capable of playing all three outfield spots and doing so at a fairly high level. Even bearish scouting reports on him over the years have labeled him as a potential plus defender. Defensive metrics bear that out. Wiemer has positive marks in all three spots individually and a collective 11 Defensive Runs Saved and 7 Outs Above Average in 1249 innings of outfield work at the big league level.
Wiemer is out of minor league options, so he’ll need to stay on San Francisco’s 40-man roster all offseason and break camp with the team or else be designated for assignment once again. He can’t be sent to the minors without first passing through waivers. For now, he projects as a possible bench option who could platoon with lefty-swinging Drew Gilbert in right field — if the Giants don’t make a larger-scale addition at the position. Former top prospects Luis Matos and Marco Luciano could compete for a similar role, but both hit poorly in 2025 and have seen their once lofty prospect stock crater in recent years. Like Wiemer, both Matos and Luciano are out of minor league options, so at least two of the three figure to be roster casualties between now and Opening Day.
Knizner, 31 in February, was eligible for arbitration and projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to earn $1.3MM next year. The journeyman backstop hit .221/.299/.299 in 88 trips to the plate with the Giants this season. He’s improved upon formerly poor framing grades in recent seasons but struggles to block pitches in the dirt and control the run game. Knizner is a career .211/.281/.316 hitter in 975 plate appearances during his big league career.
The Giants can spend the next couple hours looking for a trade partner, though they’ve presumably already been doing so without success. If there’s no trade opportunity, he’ll be non-tendered prior to tonight’s 5pm ET deadline.
Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle first reported that the Giants were acquiring Wiemer. Jon Heyman of the New York Post first reported Knizner’s DFA.
Erik Swanson Announces Retirement
Right-hander Erik Swanson announced his retirement yesterday on his personal Instagram account. Swanson, 32, pitched in parts of seven MLB seasons with the Blue Jays and Mariners.
The 32-year-old was an eighth-round pick by the Rangers back in 2014 and was a piece of two significant trades before he made his MLB debut. He was part of the package that Texas sent to the Yankees in exchange for the services of Carlos Beltran prior to the 2016 season, and then he was shipped to Seattle by the Yanks in the deal for James Paxton prior to the 2019 season. After pitching out of the bullpen in the Rangers’ system and starting during his time with the Yankees, Swanson made his big league debut with the Mariners in 2019 as a swing man.
That start to his career was a rocky one, as the right-hander posted a lackluster 5.74 ERA in 58 innings of work during his rookie season. Those innings were split between eight starts and 19 relief outings, He was back in the bullpen for the shortened 2020 season, but made just nine appearances and was lit up to the tune of 12 runs (11 earned) in just 7 2/3 innings of work despite a decent 24.3% strikeout rate. The Mariners stuck with Swanson headed into the 2021 season, however, and their commitment quickly began to pay dividends.
Swanson enjoyed the first truly successful season of his big league career in 2021. Though he only pitched 35 1/3 innings total, he looked great in doing so with a 3.31 ERA and a 24.8% strikeout rate across 33 appearances. He built on that solid performance the following year and enjoyed a breakout 2022 campaign. With a 1.68 ERA, 1.84 FIP, and 2.19 SIERA in 53 2/3 innings of work to go along with a 34.0% strikeout rate, Swanson was on the shortlist for the very best relievers in baseball that year. Among all pitchers with at least 50 innings of work that year, Swanson ranked in the top 10 by measure of SIERA (10th), K-BB% (10th), xERA (10th), ERA (9th), and FIP (3rd).
After that dominant season, the Mariners capitalized on Swanson’s value and made him a key piece of the trade that brought Teoscar Hernandez to Seattle. After being shipped to Toronto and suiting up for the Blue Jays, Swanson was unable to recreate his elite 2022 campaign but still enjoyed a strong 2023 as a quality late-inning arm. He pitched a career-high 66 2/3 innings across 69 appearances and turned in an impressive 2.97 ERA, though his strikeout rate dropped to 28.6% and his peripherals took a similar step back.
Unfortunately, things came off the rails for Swanson from there. In 2024, he struggled to a 5.03 ERA and had issues with his command across 45 appearances, surrendering 11 home runs in just 39 1/3 innings while his strikeout rate tumbled to 22.0%. The Jays held onto Swanson this year in hopes of a bounce back, but he dealt with nerve issues throughout the spring and had his season debut delayed until the start of June due to forearm soreness. He surrendered nine runs in six appearances before the Jays pulled the plug after just two weeks. He was released in late June and did not pitch professionally between then and his retirement announcement.
In all, Swanson posted a career 4.20 ERA in 246 games as a big leaguer. He struck out 281 batters across 266 innings of work and finishes his career with an 11-16 record and ten career saves. We at MLB Trade Rumors congratulate Swanson on a fine playing career and wish him all the best in his post-playing endeavors.
Phillies Claim Pedro León
The Phillies announced they have claimed outfielder Pedro León off waivers from the Orioles. Francys Romero of BeisbolFR reported the claim prior to the official announcement. The O’s had designated him for assignment a few days ago. Philadelphia’s roster count climbs from 33 to 34.
León, 28 in May, was once a notable prospect but his stock has fallen in recent years. After he defected from Cuba, the Astros signed him via a $4MM signing bonus in January of 2021. He featured prominently on prospect lists for a few years but has hit a few roadblocks.
From 2021 to 2023, his results in the minors were passable but unexciting. He struck out in 29% of his plate appearances and produced a combined line of .233/.350/.419. That resulted in a 104 wRC+, indicating he was above league average but barely.
In 2024, he still struck out 27% of the time put up a huge .299/.372/.514 line in Triple-A. Even in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, was good enough for a 130 wRC+, or 30% better than league average. He got to make his major league debut that year but hit just .100/.143/.100 in a tiny sample of 21 plate appearances. 2025 was mostly a lost year, as he sprained the MCL in his left knee and was limited to just 22 Triple-A contests, with a .241/.312/.422 and wRC+ of 89 in 94 plate appearances.
The Astros had a roster crunch at season’s end, which bumped León to the waiver wire. The O’s grabbed him but bumped him off less than two weeks later due to their own roster crunch. For the Phils, it’s a pretty sensible addition. They have tons of roster space to work with at the moment. León still has options, meaning he doesn’t need to be guaranteed a spot on the big league roster. They are planning to remake their outfield this winter. Time will tell how that plays out, but it seems likely they will move on from Nick Castellanos while pursuing external additions. Even if there’s no spot for León when the dust settles, they can send him to Triple-A to see if he engineers a post-hype breakout.
Photo courtesy of Thomas Shea, Imagn Images
Twins Acquire Alex Jackson, Avoid Arbitration With Justin Topa
9:57am: Darren Wolfson of KSTP reports that Topa will be guaranteed $1.225MM in 2026 by his new contract.
8:24am: The Twins have acquired catcher Alex Jackson from the Orioles in exchange for minor league infielder Payton Eeles, according to a report from Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports. According to Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic, Minnesota has designated outfielder DaShawn Keirsey Jr. for assignment to make room for Jackson on the 40-man roster. The team has also avoided arbitration with right-hander Justin Topa on a one-year deal, per Gleeman.
Jackson, 30 next month, was a potential non-tender candidate ahead of this evening’s deadline. Projected for a $1.8MM salary in 2026 by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz, Jackson was the Orioles’ third catcher behind Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo. While Baltimore could certainly consider a three-catcher roster in 2026 given the time Basallo is expected to spend at DH and first base next season, Maverick Handley remains on the 40-man roster as a potential third-string catcher behind the team’s primary tandem. That made Jackson somewhat expendable, and Baltimore has now decided to send him to Minnesota in order to shore up their upper-level infield depth in the minors.
As for the Twins, bringing Jackson into the fold gives the team a backup catcher behind Ryan Jeffers, replacing free agent veteran Christian Vazquez in the club’s catching tandem. Jackson was drafted sixth overall back in 2014 but hasn’t made much noise at the big league level despite his draft pedigree. He’s bounced between Atlanta, Miami, Milwaukee, Tampa, and Baltimore throughout his parts of six seasons in the majors and now seems poised to suit up for Minnesota in his seventh next year.
Jackson has typically been viewed as an adequate defender behind the plate, but his offensive numbers have typically left much to be desired. He entered the 2025 season with a career slash line of just .132/.224/.232 (29 wRC+), meaning he had been 71% worse than league average in his 340 trips to the plate at the big league level. A 37-game, 100-PA stint with the Orioles this year saw him show some signs of life offensively, as he hit a respectable .220/.290/.473 (111 wRC+) during that time.
Unfortunately, Jackson is unlikely to continue hitting at a 30-homer pace as he did in Baltimore this season, and his 37.0% strikeout rate against a walk rate of just 5.0% leaves much to be desired in terms of discipline. Jackson’s advanced metrics suggest his underlying performance remained below average this year, and in 2026 it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him take a significant step back with the bat. Still, he should provide the Twins with a cost-effective insurance option behind the plate in a market without much quality available behind the plate. Jackson joins Jeffers, Mickey Gasper, and Jhonny Pereda as catching options on the 40-man roster.
In exchange for Jackson, the Twins are surrendering Eeles. The infielder, who just celebrated his 26th birthday earlier this week, is listed at just 5’5” and hit just .253 with a .321 slugging percentage in 86 games at Triple-A this past year. What Eeles lacks in size and power potential is made up for by a strong understanding of the strike zone and speed on the basepaths, however. He posted an excellent 12.4% walk rate at Triple-A this past year while striking out at a solid 17.2% clip. He went 21-for-28 on the basepaths in just 378 plate appearances, suggesting he could be a threat to steal 30-to-40 bases over a full season.
Eeles has primarily played shortstop and second base throughout his time as a professional but has also made cameos at third base and all three outfield spots. That sort of versatile speedster is something the Orioles have long valued, as seen by the 408 games Jorge Mateo played for the Orioles over the past five seasons before becoming a free agent earlier this month. Given Eeles’s successful stint at the Triple-A level and Mateo’s departure, it wouldn’t be a shock to see him in the mix for a big league bench job in Baltimore at some point next season.
Turning back to Minnesota, the Twins are parting ways with Keirsey to make room for Jackson on the 40-man roster. Keirsey, 28, made his big league debut late in the 2024 season but made it into just six games, going 2-for-14 with a home run and a hit-by-pitch. He got a slightly longer audition in the majors this year, though he was mostly used as a defensive replacement and pinch runner across 74 games in the majors. In 88 trips to the plate this year, Keirsey hit just .107/.138/.179 while striking out at a 37.5% clip. He did manage to go 10-for-12 on the basepaths, but his lack of production with the bat makes him fairly expendable to a Twins club that has plenty of outfield talent already on the roster and in the upper levels of the minors.
In addition to this morning’s trade, the Twins also reached an agreement with Topa on a one-year deal to avoid arbitration. The exact figure isn’t known, but it’s worth noting that the right-hander’s projected arbitration salary sits at $1.7MM. Typically, pre-tender deals come in a bit below the player’s projected salary as the player looks to guarantee their 40-man roster spot. That may not necessarily be the case here, however, as Topa’s 3.90 ERA and 3.04 FIP in 60 innings cast him as a perfectly solid middle reliever. With that being said, Topa’s 18.3% strikeout rate leaves something to be desired even with a solid 47.7% ground ball rate. While Topa’s 2026 salary is not yet known, he’ll be a key part of Twins bullpen next year after Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, and Louis Varland were all traded away at this summer’s deadline.
Braves, Connor Thomas Agree To Minor League Deal
The Braves recently signed left-hander Connor Thomas to a minor league contract, (h/t to Matt Eddy of Baseball America). It’s possible that’s a two-year deal, as the 27-year-old underwent UCL surgery in July and will miss most or all of the ’26 season.
It’s a homecoming for the Tifton, Georgia, native. Thomas played his college ball at Georgia Tech and was selected by the Cardinals in the fifth round in 2019. He spent the 2023-24 campaigns at Triple-A Memphis, posting impressive numbers following a move to the bullpen in the latter year. Thomas tossed 90 1/3 innings across 56 appearances, pitching to a 3.39 earned run average. He didn’t miss many bats but attacked the strike zone and got a lot of ground-balls and weak contact.
The Brewers grabbed Thomas in last winter’s Rule 5 draft. He pitched well enough in Spring Training to break camp and make his MLB debut. It didn’t go as planned, as he was bombed for eight runs on a trio of homers in two mop-up innings in a blowout loss to the Yankees. Thomas pitched against the Reds six days later, surrendering four more runs on six hits across 3 1/3 frames. He went on the injured list after the second appearance and went under the knife a few months later.
Milwaukee dropped Thomas from the roster at the beginning of the offseason. He’ll rehab with his hometown club and try to factor into a long relief role once he’s healthy down the line. Thomas sits in the 89-90 MPH range with his fastball and uses four pitches (sinker, cutter, changeup, sweeper) at similar rates.
A’s Agree To Minor League Deals With Ben Bowden, Geoff Hartlieb
The Athletics agreed to minor league contracts with relievers Ben Bowden and Geoff Hartlieb. Matt Eddy of Baseball America noted Bowden’s signing on their latest transaction roundup, while the Hartlieb move is reflected on the MLB.com transaction log.
Bowden’s deal is a re-signing, as he spent the 2025 season with the A’s. The 31-year-old southpaw made 11 appearances, allowing six runs (five earned) across 10 2/3 frames. He struck out seven and issued five walks before suffering a season-ending lat strain. While that cost him his 40-man roster spot, the A’s like him enough as a depth option to bring him back. Bowden pitched well at Triple-A Las Vegas before his call-up, working 39 2/3 innings of 1.36 ERA ball while striking out a quarter of opposing hitters.
The A’s could lose Sean Newcomb to free agency. That leaves them with Hogan Harris as the only left-hander locked into the bullpen. Brady Basso and swingman Ken Waldichuk are the only other southpaws on the 40-man roster who aren’t set for rotation roles. The A’s will probably bring in a left-hander (or re-sign Newcomb), but there’s a decent path for Bowden right now to compete for a season-opening bullpen job.
Hartlieb, 31, is likely to begin the season in Triple-A. The journeyman righty made four MLB appearances between the Yankees and Tigers this past season. He gave up eight runs in 3 1/3 innings and has a near-8.00 ERA in his MLB career. Hartlieb posted strong underlying numbers in Triple-A, fanning 27.6% of opponents against a 7.6% walk rate over 53 1/3 frames. That gets him another non-roster opportunity for what’ll be his seventh Triple-A season.
Rays Sign John Rooney To Minor League Deal
The Rays announced they’ve signed lefty reliever John Rooney and infielder Raynel Delgado to minor league contracts with invitations to big league Spring Training. Francys Romero first reported the Delgado signing last night.
Rooney elected minor league free agency after being outrighted by the Astros at the beginning of the offseason. The 28-year-old had a brief stint with Houston, who acquired him from the Marlins in a small trade in August. (Rooney could be traded after July 31 because he’d been on a minor league contract.) The Astros called him up for his big league debut three weeks later. Rooney struck out two of six batters faced while giving up a solo home run to Luis Vázquez in his only appearance.
The Astros placed him on the injured list after that game. Rooney underwent season-ending surgery to treat tennis elbow and remove bone spurs. He’ll try to work his way back to the big leagues with Tampa Bay next spring. Rooney sits just 90-91 MPH with his fastballs while leaning more often on a low-80s breaking ball. It missed a lot of bats in Triple-A, where he struck out 34% of opponents en route to a 2.56 ERA in 43 appearances between Miami’s and Houston’s affiliates. He held left-handed hitters to a .155/.282/.169 line with 37 strikeouts and nine walks in 85 Triple-A plate appearances this year.
Delgado, 26 in April, has not played in MLB. He’s a former sixth-round pick by Cleveland who spent last season with the Brewers top farm team. The left-handed hitter put together a solid .281/.363/.378 slash while stealing 40 bases in 48 attempts. Delgado is stretched at shortstop but can serve as a depth piece at either second or third base.
Pirates Avoid Arbitration With Jack Suwinski, Yohan Ramirez
7:10pm: They’ve also reached an arb-avoiding deal with middle reliever Yohan Ramírez, reports Alex Stumpf of MLB.com. He’ll make $825K next season. Ramirez pitched to a 5.40 ERA in 33 1/3 innings for the Bucs this year.
6:05pm: The Pirates and outfielder Jack Suwinski have avoided arbitration, reports Robert Murray of FanSided. Suwinski will make $1.25MM next year. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz had projected him for a $1.7MM salary.
Tomorrow is the non-tender deadline. Teams have until 4pm Central to decide whether or not to tender contracts to their arbitration-eligible and pre-arb players. They don’t need to agree to a salary by tomorrow but it’s the last chance for clubs to walk away from a player and pay him nothing.
It’s common for a few deals to be finalized in the lead-up to the deadline. In many cases, but not always, these “pre-tender” deals see the player agree to a salary below projections. The oversimplified version of how this happens is that teams put a “take it or leave it” offer on the table. If the player decides to “leave it”, the team will simply non-tender him. Since Suwinski has been struggling lately and will make about half a million less than projected, it’s possible that happened here.
Back in 2023, Suwinski seemed to be breaking out in the big leagues, as he hit 26 home runs that year with strong batted-ball data to back it up. His 32.2% strikeout rate was way too high but he offset that with the power and also drew walks at a 14% clip. He also lined up at all three outfield positions. His work in center was panned but he was decent in the corners.
Things have been trending down since then. He has stepped to the plate 455 times over the past two years with a dismal .169/.271/.297 line. His .220 batting average on balls in play hasn’t helped but his batted-ball data has declined. His strikeout rate has stayed high at 29.9% while his walk rate dropped to 11.2%.
Due to that rough performance, he has been optioned to the minors with some regularity. In the process, he has exhausted his option seasons and will be out of options going forward. The Bucs could have walked away this week but have apparently not totally given up on a bounceback. For what it’s worth, Suwinski has continued producing in Triple-A, with a .283/.389/.565 line and 149 wRC+ at that level in 2025.
Suwinski’s salary will be barely above the league minimum, which will be $780K next year, so it’s not a massive risk for the Bucs. If Suwinski continues to struggle, he can be cut from the roster without it being too much of a sunk cost. He would also likely clear waivers in that scenario and would stick around as non-roster depth. He is two days away from having three years of service time, which would give him the right to reject an outright assignment and elect free agency. However, since he has less than five years of service, he would have to forfeit his remaining salary commitments in exercising that right.
The Bucs go into 2026 with Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds projected in two outfield spots. The Bucs could add someone to take a third spot but it’s fairly open for now, with Suwinski in the mix alongside Will Robertson, Billy Cook and others.
Photo courtesy of Katie Stratman, Imagn Images
Royals Sign Alex Lange
The Royals signed righty reliever Alex Lange to a one-year contract, per a club announcement. It’s reportedly a $900K guarantee that includes another $100K in performance bonuses: $50K each at 25 and 30 appearances. Lange, who attended high school in the K.C. area, had been released by the Tigers on Tuesday. The Royals had an opening on the 40-man roster and no additional move was necessary.
The 30-year-old Lange is a former first-round pick who spent a few seasons as one of Detroit’s top relievers. He worked as A.J. Hinch’s closer for a good chunk of the 2023 season, going 26-32 in save chances. Lange turned in a 3.68 earned run average while striking out 27.4% of opposing hitters across 66 innings that year. He got grounders on half the batted balls he allowed while missing bats on a huge 15.5% of his offerings. Lange was prone to bouts of wildness but his stuff played.
Lange’s strikeout rate plummeted early in the 2024 season. Detroit demoted him to Triple-A by the end of May. Lange seemed like he was bouncing back against minor league competition until he suffered a significant lat injury. That required surgery which not only ended his ’24 campaign but shelved him until August this year. Lange was essentially a non-factor for two straight years. He only pitched one time at the big league level this past season, working around two hits and a walk to complete a scoreless inning.
The encouraging sign is that Lange’s stuff didn’t appear diminished. He averaged 96.2 MPH on his sinker and 88.4 MPH on his knuckle-curve in that lone big league appearance. Both velocities were marginally up from where he’d sat two years ago. Lange punched out nearly 30% of Triple-A opponents while turning in a 4.63 ERA across 24 appearances. He also walked 14.3% of batters faced, but that’s par for the course for a pitcher who has always had well below-average control.
It’s a cheap flier on a pitcher with plus stuff and some high-leverage experience. Lange has a minor league option remaining, so the Royals can keep him in Triple-A Omaha next season without exposing him to waivers. He has between three and four years of service, meaning K.C. could control him for three seasons. Lange will need a healthy season to convince the Royals to tender him contracts that’d make the extra control years meaningful, but there’s a bit of long-term upside.
Anne Rogers of MLB.com first reported the signing and the guarantee. The Associated Press reported the bonus specifics.