Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Braves Sign Charlie Morton

By | at

The Braves have reunited with old friend Charlie Morton. They signed him to a major league deal today. He had been designated for assignment by the Tigers but evidently cleared waivers and became a free agent. Atlanta optioned right-hander Jhancarlos Lara and designated righty Carson Ragsdale for assignment as corresponding moves. Manager Brian Snitker previously shared the news with Mark Bowman of MLB.com, Gabe Burns of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and David O’Brien of The Athletic. Bowman suggests it’s possible the club has brought Morton aboard to retire as a Brave. It’s undetermined whether he will pitch for the club in the remainder of the season.

Morton, 41, hasn’t said that he is retiring but it wouldn’t be a shock if that was his plan. He has flirted with the possibility for years now. “It could be this year, next year, but I’m not going to keep playing for a long time,” he said way back in April of 2018. “I can promise you that. I’m not going to keep playing four, five, six, seven more years.”

Of course, that was over seven years ago now. Since then, Morton has seemingly made a conscious choice to not overly commit to anything. He has repeatedly signed a series of short-term deals, apparently content to keep playing as long as he stayed effective.

After a so-so 2024 season in which he posted a 4.19 earned run average, he decided to give it another go in 2025. He signed a one-year, $15MM deal with the Orioles. “I remember walking off the field and just this like sinking feeling in my stomach — it just didn’t feel right,” Morton said shortly after signing with the O’s. “I’m sure a lot of guys toward the end of their careers, they think about retiring, shutting it down, and you really want to walk off the field the last time and feel good about it. And a lot of guys don’t get that opportunity. I just didn’t feel good about it. I felt like I could have done better. I felt like I still had the tools to be a good pitcher in the big leagues.”

Unfortunately, this season has been even more challenging than the last one. He posted a 10.89 ERA through five starts and got moved to the bullpen before the end of April. He posted some decent results working in relief and got his rotation spot back, then performed pretty well in the summer. He had a 3.88 ERA in 11 starts from late May to the trade deadline, which gave him enough value for the Orioles to trade him and some cash to the Tigers for minor league lefty Micah Ashman.

His first four starts with Detroit were fine, as he put up a 3.63 ERA in those, but things took a disastrous turn from there. He didn’t go more than four innings in any of his final four outings as a Tiger. He seemed to completely lose the zone, walking 19.7% of batters faced in those four games with a 12.75 ERA in that span. In his final outing as a Tiger, he didn’t make it out of the second inning and was booed off the field by a frustrated fan base as the club’s recent skid has become disastrous. The Tigers, desperately trying to avoid a situation where they miss the playoffs, cut him loose.

Atlanta doesn’t have any use for Morton in a competitive sense. Their season was a lost cause long ago and they are officially eliminated from making the playoffs this year. Bringing Morton aboard is a sentimental choice, one that allows him to finish the season with a club that he had a lot of success with.

Morton was originally drafted by Atlanta back in 2002 and debuted for them in 2008. From there, he bounced around, spending many years with the Pirates, Astros and Rays. He returned to Atlanta in 2021 and stayed there through 2024. In those four recent seasons with Atlanta, he made at least 30 starts in each one. Overall, he gave the club 686 1/3 innings with a 3.87 ERA.

As mentioned, it’s unclear if Morton is actually retiring or if he will take the mound in the final week of the season. But it seems possible that he is planning on heading towards the sunset. If that’s the case and he wants to climb the hill one last time, perhaps he can engineer a better final act than his most recent appearance as a Tiger.

Ragsdale, 27, was just claimed off waivers from the Orioles a few days ago. He was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett and made one appearance for the Stripers. Since the trade deadline has long passed, he’ll be back on waivers in the coming days.

His minor league track record is still quite small, consisting of just one appearance for the O’s this year wherein he allowed eight earned runs in three innings. His minor league work also hasn’t been great this year, with a 5.22 ERA in 89 2/3 innings, but he was better a year ago. In 2024, he logged 120 2/3 innings on the farm with a 4.18 ERA, 29.1% strikeout rate and 11.3% walk rate.

He doesn’t have three years of big league service time nor a previous career outright. That means he does not have the right to reject outright assignments in favor of electing free agency. He also doesn’t have seven years of minor league experience, meaning he shouldn’t be eligible for minor league free agency at season’s end either.

Photos courtesy of Jim Rassol, Dale Zanine, Imagn Images

Marlins Designate Derek Hill For Assignment

By | at

The Marlins announced a big series of roster moves today. Right-hander Edward Cabrera has been reinstated from the 15-day day injured list and outfielder Griffin Conine from the 60-day IL. To open active roster spots, right-hander Adam Mazur and outfielder Joey Wiemer have each been optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville. To open a 40-man spot for Conine, outfielder Derek Hill has been returned from his rehab assignment, reinstated from the 10-day injured list and designated for assignment.

Hill, 29, was claimed off waivers from the Giants in August of last year. Since that claim, he has generally continued to have roughly the same level of production before he came to Miami. Though he can make some nice catches and steal a few bases, he has generally been a guy with subpar offense, thanks to poor strikeout and walk numbers.

He has made a few trips to the injured list this year, two due to a left wrist sprain, another due to a left middle finger sprain, and most recently a right hamstring strain. Around those IL trips, he has appeared in 53 games for the Marlins. In his 141 trips to the plate, just 6.4% of those have resulted in him taking a walk while 32.6% of them ended in strike three. His .213/.275/.331 batting line translates to a 68 wRC+.

Though he has seven stolen bases on the year and strong defensive grades, the bat was dragging him down. He is out of options and can’t be easily sent to the minors. He has crossed three years of big league service time this year, meaning he was going to qualify for arbitration this winter. It seems the Marlins weren’t planning to tender him a contract, so they have cut him early in order to open a roster spot for their other moves today.

Since the trade deadline has passed, he will be on waivers in the coming days. There wouldn’t be much short-term appeal for other clubs, since the season is almost over and he wouldn’t be postseason eligible for any claiming team. He can be controlled for three seasons after this one, but a club would only grab him if they thought he was worth an arbitration raise for 2026. If he clears waivers, he will have the right to elect free agency.

The returns of Cabrera and Conine are also potentially notable here, as the Marlins are clinging to a tiny hope of a miracle run to finish the season. They are four games back of the Reds and Mets with six games left to play. Both players were performing well earlier this year, so perhaps they can give Miami a boost for an incredible sprint to the finish line.

Cabrera’s return is also notable for the upcoming offseason. He has had something of a breakout here in 2025, as his results have kicked up a notch. He has always been able to get strikeouts and ground balls, but his stock has been held back by poor control and some injury concerns.

He has softened both of those worries a bit here in 2025. He came into this year with a 13.3% walk rate but has managed to limit the free passes to a 7.7% clip this season. He has also stayed healthy enough to log 128 2/3 innings. He had never before hit the century mark, so that’s easily a career high.

An elbow sprain did put him out of action at the start of this month, but he has managed to return three weeks later. If he can stay healthy and effective in the final week, that could give him and the Marlins some peace of mind about him going into 2026.

The Fish will are theoretical candidates to trade a starting pitcher this winter. Rumors surrounding Cabrera and Sandy Alcantara were common this summer but the Marlins held both beyond the trade deadline. Going into next season, their rotation mix includes those two as well as Eury Pérez, Ryan Weathers, Janson Junk, Braxton Garrett, Max Meyer, Ryan Gusto, Mazur, Dax Fulton and Freddy Tarnok, with prospects Thomas White and Robby Snelling currently lurking in Triple-A.  It’s possible to imagine the Marlins revisiting the possibility of trading Alcantara or Cabrera this winter, which could give Cabrera’s return today a bit of extra intrigue.

Photo courtesy of Jonathan Hui, Imagn Images

Braves Claim Joel Payamps, Designate Connor Seabold For Assignment

By | at

The Braves have claimed right-hander Joel Payamps off waivers from the Brewers, according to announcements from both clubs. Milwaukee had designated him for assignment a few days ago. In a corresponding move, Atlanta has designated fellow righty Connor Seabold for assignment.

Payamps, now 31, had a strong run with the Brewers in the previous two seasons but has been struggling a bit more this year. He tossed 129 2/3 innings for Milwaukee over the 2023 and 2024 campaigns, allowing just 2.78 earned runs per nine. His 26.1% strikeout rate, 6.7% walk rate and 42.6% ground ball rate were all better than league average. He gave the Brewers nine saves and 48 holds over those two years.

But as mentioned, 2025 hasn’t been as smooth. His first 18 1/3 innings this year resulted in an ugly 8.35 ERA. Some of that was surely luck, as his .373 batting average on balls in play and 52.2% strand rate were both to the unfortunate side. But he also saw his strikeout rate drop to just 19% and his grounder rate to 29%. His 4.51 FIP and 4.40 SIERA weren’t nearly as bad as his ERA but  still pointed to him being worse than previous seasons.

Payamps is out of options, so the Brewers designated him for assignment in late May. Given his previous success, he could have been grabbed by any club, but he passed through waivers unclaimed. Perhaps his $2.995MM salary this year played a role, as most of that was still to be paid out at the time.

Players with at least three years of service time can reject an outright assignment and elect free agency. However, those with less than five years of service have to forfeit their remaining salary commitments in order to exercise that right. Payamps is in that three-to-five window and therefore reported to Nashville.

He actually got back on track with the Sounds, tossing 26 2/3 innings. The 4.73 ERA wasn’t good but he got his strikeouts back up to a 27.3% clip and his grounders to a 38.9% rate. The ERA was seemingly spiked by a tiny 47.8% strand rate, which is why he had a 2.90 FIP for that Triple-A run.

The Brewers called him back up in early September, selecting him to the roster when Shelby Miller landed on the injured list. Since then, he has had decent numbers in a small sample, pitching 5 1/3 innings with a 3.38 ERA, 25% strikeout rate and 46.2% ground ball rate, though a high walk rate of 12.5%. Though the recent trends were somewhat encouraging, he was designated for assignment again recently when the Brewers called up Bruce Zimmermann.

With just a week left in the season, the vast majority of Payamps’ salary has now been paid out. That makes it relatively inexpensive for Atlanta to claim him today. They can now get a close-up look at him and decide if they want to tender him a contract for 2026. Since his big league results this year have been lacking, he shouldn’t be able to push his salary up much beyond the $3MM range he was in this year. His service time is still shy of five years, so he could also be controlled for 2027 via arbitration if Atlanta tenders him a contract for next year and things go well.

Atlanta is playing out the string on a season that has been a lost cause for a long time. The club has therefore been making moves focused on improving the 2026 club. They acquired Tyler Kinley from the Rockies at the deadline. They have also claimed players making notable salaries like Jake Fraley and Ha-Seong Kim off waivers, with Payamps now added to the list.

When teams are faced with a losing season like this, they usually find ways to save some money, but Atlanta has taken the opposite approach. Back in February, chairman Terry McGuirk said the club had “dry powder” to make deadline additions. Instead, president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos has used that powder to make that aforementioned moves. Kinley is making a $3MM salary this year, Fraley $3.125MM and Kim $13MM. As mentioned, Payamps is making $2.995MM.

Atlanta only took on a portion of those salaries, given that each player was acquired later in the year. But in each case, the hope was seemingly that the investment would allow them to bring in a current player who could help in 2026. In most of those cases, they didn’t really commit themselves to anything for next year. Kinley has a $5MM club option for next year but also a $750K buyout. Fraley and Payamps are both arbitration eligible, meaning Atlanta will still have a chance to non-tender them this offseason if they so choose. With Kim, they have less flexibility, as he has a $16MM player option for next year. They were seemingly happy to pay that out but he has been playing well lately and seems to be trending towards a return to free agency.

Seabold was also a waiver claimee this year but a more conventional one as he is still in his pre-arbitration years and isn’t making a notable salary. Since being claimed from the Rays in August, he has mostly been on optional assignment, only making four big league appearance for Atlanta.

Between those two clubs, he has thrown 69 2/3 Triple-A innings this year with a 6.07 ERA, 20.7% strikeout rate, 9.4% walk rate and 36% ground ball rate. His major league career now consists of 119 innings spread across four different clubs and four different seasons. In that time, he has a 7.79 ERA, 17% strikeout rate, 7.8% walk rate and 33% ground ball rate.

Since the trade deadline has passed, he’ll be on waivers in the coming days. He doesn’t have a previous career outright nor three years of service time. If he is passed through waivers unclaimed, he would not have the right to reject an outright assignment. However, he has appeared in at least seven different minor league seasons, meaning he would qualify for minor league free agency at season’s end if he’s still not on the 40-man at that time.

Photo courtesy of Joe Camporeale, Imagn Images

MLB Approves Patrick Zalupski As New Rays Owner

By and | at

Major League Baseball owners have officially approved a group led by Patrick Zalupski as the new owners of the Rays, reports Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times. Topkin notes that the official transfer is still pending the formal closing of the sale, which is expected later this week. Previous reporting has indicated that the team is being sold for somewhere around $1.7 billion. “It’s good to go,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred says.

It was originally reported back in June that Sternberg was in “advanced” talks about a sale to the Zalupski-led group which will soon take over the majority stake of the team now. Those negotiations came on the heels of Sternberg receiving pressure to sell from both the commissioner’s office and other owners throughout the league. Sternberg will retain a minority stake in the Rays but will take a backseat after owning the club since purchasing it for $200MM back in 2004.

Zalupski is the CEO of Dream Finders Homes, a publicly traded, Jacksonville-based developer that has built more than 31,000 homes across ten states. Back in June, Forbes estimated his net worth at $1.4 billion, while his company’s valuation rested at $3.4 billion. It’s not entirely clear how many other investors are a part of the group. Sportico reported over the summer that Ken Babby, who owns multiple minor league teams and is the son of a prominent NBA agent, and Bill Cosgrove, CEO of the Union Home Mortgage Group, are among the others involved in the incoming ownership group.

The new ownership group is expected to keep the Rays in the Tampa Bay area, though Zalupski’s vision is for an eventual stadium in Tampa proper, rather than the Rays’ longtime home in St. Petersburg. That’d mean a move from Pinellas County to adjacent Hillsborough County and would also mean negotiating with a different collection of local government officials than the Pinellas County officials who regularly clashed with Sternberg throughout his quest for a new stadium.

For the time being, of course, the Rays are playing in Tampa. They’ve temporarily relocated to George M. Steinbrenner Field — the spring facility and Class-A home for the Yankees — in the wake of massive damage to Tropicana Field at the hands of Hurricane Milton last offseason. The Rays are hoping that they’ll be able to return to Tropicana Field for the 2026 season. They still have another three seasons remaining on their prior lease there, and now that new ownership is all but in place, that period could serve as a bridge to the construction of a new stadium — though there will obviously be numerous hurdles to clear as the new management commences talks with the requisite governmental bodies in Tampa and looks to secure funding.

Broader questions about what the change in ownership means for the Rays will persist for the foreseeable future. Longtime fans will dream of larger payrolls helping to fuel a club that’s managed to be near-perennially competitive despite spending less than the vast majority of the league. However, new ownership is not always a path to exponentially larger payrolls. That may be the case for Steve Cohen’s Mets, but one need only look at the Marlins, Royals and Orioles to find recently sold teams that have yet to significantly invest in bolstering player payroll. An eventual new stadium could be a major step in that direction, but that’s years down the road.

Presumably, there will be some other turnover within the organization. Rays presidents Matt Silverman and Brian Auld are departing once the sale is finalized, but it’s not at all clear what, if anything, a sale might mean for the baseball operations or dugout staff. (Silverman was once Tampa Bay’s head of baseball operations but has been on the business side of operations since 2017.) President of baseball operations Erik Neander is signed through at least the 2028 season, while manager Kevin Cash’s most recent extension carries him all the way through 2030. That pair is among the most respected in the industry at their positions, and one would presume that their presence is a selling point for incoming ownership. Other changes could still ensue, but until the deal is official and Zalupski first meets with the media, there will be at least some level of uncertainty regarding matters of this nature.

Submit Your Questions For This Week’s Episode Of The MLBTR Podcast

By | at

On the MLB Trade Rumors podcast, we regularly answer questions from our readers and listeners. With the next episode set for Wednesday, we’re looking for MLBTR’s audience to submit their questions and we’ll pick a few to answer.

Only a few days remain in the 2025 regular season. Do you have a question about the final week? The playoffs? The upcoming offseason? If you have a question on those topics or anything else baseball-related, we’d love to hear from you! You can email your questions to mlbtrpod@gmail.com.

Also, if you want to hear your voice on the podcast, send us your question in audio form and we might play it. iPhone users can find instructions on how to do so here.

In the meantime, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Tigers Place Colt Keith On Injured List

By | at

The Tigers announced that infielder Colt Keith has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to right rib cage inflammation. Fellow infielder Jace Jung has been recalled as the corresponding move.

It’s unclear exactly how long Keith will be sidelined. He departed yesterday’s game while apparently grabbing at his back or side. “He was coming off and all he was saying to me was, ‘I got to come out of the game. I got to come out of the game,'” manager A.J. Hinch said yesterday, per Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic. “It’s very concerning this time of year, especially when he was that passionate about something going on in his back/side/rib region.”

Earlier today, Hinch didn’t have much of an update, per Stavenhagen. “No news that I can confirm yet. He’s still going under medical evaluation. He’s here, and I talked to him. I know he’s not feeling great, but there’s been no determination as to what that means. Obviously we’ll limit him today, get him evaluated multiple times. There’s some doctor’s feedback that we’re waiting on so that we can both diagnose it and explain it. But right now, I have nothing.”

It now appears that, with the continued evaluation, the Tigers decided to put him on the shelf. At minimum, he will miss the remainder of the regular season. The Tigers are still in a good position to make the playoffs, though the Guardians have shrunk the gap in the Central division to just 3.5 games. Assuming the Tigers do hold on to make the playoffs, Keith could perhaps play a role in October, if his health allows.

As they try to clinch a playoff spot, the Tigers will be without a key bat. Keith has hit 13 home runs this year and slashed .256/.333/.413 for a 108 wRC+. He has done that while splitting his time between the three non-shortstop infield positions.

Gleyber Torres and Spencer Torkelson should have second and first base covered, though the hot corner should be more of a rotation. That was already the case, as Keith had been sharing the position with Andy Ibáñez and Zach McKinstry. Going forward, Ibáñez and McKinstry should continue getting playing time there, with McKinstry in the lineup at third tonight.

Jung could perhaps factor in as well, though his major league work this year has been poor. It was a small sample of 53 plate appearances, but he produced a .111/.245/.111 line earlier this year. That got him sent to the minors, where he has a much better .252/.370/.447 line for the year.

Photo courtesy of Jason Parkhurst, Imagn Images

Astros Place Yordan Alvarez On Injured List

By | at

The Astros have placed outfielder/designated hitter Yordan Alvarez on the 10-day injured list with a left ankle sprain, per Chandler Rome of The Athletic, retroactive to September 16th. That open an active roster spot for infielder Isaac Paredes. It was reported earlier that Paredes would be reinstated from the 60-day IL. To open a 40-man spot for Paredes, reliever Kaleb Ort has been transferred to the 60-day IL.

Earlier this week, Alvarez slipped on home plate while coming around to score a run against the Rangers, as seen in this video from MLB.com. After the game, manager Joe Espada said Alvarez would be going for an MRI and Alvarez was seen in a walking boot and on crutches. The next day, Espada described the injury as “pretty significant” and that Alvarez would be “out for a while.”

The Astros didn’t initially place Alvarez on the IL as they waited to evaluate his progress, but now have decided to do so. IL placements can be backdated by three days, so Alvarez can be reinstated in a week.

It’s unclear if the injury will actually allow that to be a real possibility, however, making it a situation to watch going forward. Alvarez has been one of the best hitters alive in recent years. He slumped earlier this year but it was later revealed he had an undiagnosed finger fracture. He spent some time on the IL healing up and seemed to be back to his old self once he returned. He slashed .369/.462/.569 in 78 plate appearances between that previous IL stint and this new one.

Losing that kind of bat is obviously less than ideal for the Astros, especially when they are still playing meaningful games. They are tied with the Mariners for the West division lead and the two clubs begin an incredibly important series against each other tonight. If the Astros lose that series and fall back of the M’s, they would still be in possession of a Wild Card spot, but that would put them at risk of missing the playoffs completely. The Guardians are the top team outside the postseason spots right now and they are only 2.5 games back of Houston.

Even if the Astros hang on and make it to October, they will be hamstrung unless Alvarez can make it back. In the event he can return to the club for the final days of the regular season or in the postseason, it could create a bit of a lineup clog. Paredes is coming back after a lengthy injury absence of his own due to a hamstring strain. He has been taking batting practice lately but hasn’t played any rehab games. He’s serving as the designated hitter tonight but it’s unclear if the Astros have any intention of having him play the field in the coming weeks.

Getting Alvarez back to a state of semi-health where he can hit would be great, though it’s less than perfect if both he and Paredes are in that bucket. That would mean one of them would have to sit or be forced into the field each day. Jose Altuve is also ideally suited for a DH role these days since his glovework isn’t great anywhere, but he’ll have to be out there in the field somewhere if Paredes or Alvarez are in the DH spot going forward.

As for Ort, this transfer definitively ends his season. He landed on the 15-day IL in early September due to right elbow inflammation. It was reported shortly thereafter that he wasn’t likely to return during the regular season. This transfer also wipes out any chance of him appearing in the postseason, even if the Astros make a deep run. He finishes the year with a 4.89 earned run average in 46 innings. He can be retained for four more years after this one but is out of options and may be on the roster bubble this winter, given his mediocre results this year and uncertain health status.

Photo courtesy of Erik Williams, Imagn Images

Royals Place Lucas Erceg On IL With Shoulder Impingement

By | at

The Royals announced today that right-hander Steven Cruz has been reinstated from the 15-day injured list. He will take the roster spot of fellow righty Lucas Erceg, who has been placed on the 15-day IL due to right shoulder impingement syndrome.

There aren’t a lot of details around Erceg’s injury just yet. He recorded the win in Wednesday’s game, pitching the eighth inning against the Mariners. He entered a 3-3 game and allowed a run, but then the Royals scored four in the eighth. Closer Carlos Estévez allowed another run in the ninth but the Royals hung on to win 7-5. Presumably, Erceg felt some shoulder pain after the game or at some point yesterday and got checked out.

The impingement will end his regular season, which hurts the Royals’ already-slim chances at making the postseason. They hung around the playoff race for most of the summer and acted as deadline buyers, extending Seth Lugo while acquiring rentals Mike Yastrzemski, Adam Frazier and Randal Grichuk. They also added controllable pieces Ryan Bergert and Stephen Kolek in the Freddy Fermin trade.

But they have fallen back in the standings since then, with pitching injuries playing a notable role. Berget, Lugo, Cole Ragans, Michael Wacha, Kris Bubic, Bailey Falter and Alec Marsh have all been on the IL in the second half, with many of them still there. Those injury absences have naturally hampered the club’s performance in recent weeks.

The Royals are now seven games back of the Red Sox, with the Guardians and Rangers in between, with most teams having just nine games left to play. Their odds of a miracle run are now pretty close to zero and losing Erceg doesn’t help any.

His strikeout rate has backed up this year but his grounder rate is up and he’s still been effective on the whole. Last year, he tossed 61 2/3 innings with a 3.36 earned run average, 28.5% strikeout rate, 6.3% walk rate and 46.5% ground ball rate. This year, the punchouts dropped to just a 19.3% clip but he got grounders on 52.8% of balls in play as he produced a 2.64 ERA.

He is still under club control for another four seasons after this one. He has a decent chance at qualifying for arbitration as a Super Two player. Assuming he can get healthy and have a normal offseason, he should playing a key role in the Kansas City bullpen again next year.

Photo courtesy of Peter Aiken, Imagn Images

Orioles Designate Scott Blewett For Assignment

By | at

The Orioles announced Friday that they’ve reinstated right-hander Scott Blewett from the 60-day injured list and, rather than adding him back to the roster, designated him for assignment. Baltimore also recalled righty José Espada from Triple-A Norfolk and placed right-hander Chayce McDermott on the bereavement list. The O’s added that infielder Emmanuel Rivera, who was designated for assignment earlier this week, cleared outright waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Norfolk.

Blewett, 29, was acquired at the start of June. He had been pitching for Atlanta but that club designated him for assignment when they called up Craig Kimbrel and then flipped Blewett to Baltimore for cash.

After that deal, Blewett gave the O’s 16 1/3 innings over 11 appearances, allowing 5.51 earned runs per nine. Right elbow discomfort then put him on the 15-day injured list in the middle of July. He was transferred to the 60-day IL a few weeks ago when the O’s needed 40-man spots to claim Shawn Dubin and reinstate Kyle Bradish from the 60-day IL.

Blewett started a rehab assignment in early September but didn’t look sharp. In 6 1/3 Triple-A innings, he allowed six earned runs via 13 hits and one walk while striking out just three opponents. It seems the O’s didn’t have much interest in putting him back on the roster. Since he is out of options, he has been sent into DFA limbo.

With the trade deadline having passed a long time ago, the Orioles will have to place Blewett on waivers. If he were to pass through waivers unclaimed, he would have the right to elect free agency, since he has a previous career outright.

It’s theoretically possible he garners interest based on his previous results. Last year, he gave the Twins 20 1/3 innings with a 1.77 ERA, 21.2% strikeout rate, 9.4% walk rate and 41.4% ground ball rate. Here in 2025, he got out to a good start. Through 24 innings to start the year, he had a 2.25 ERA, 22.8% strikeout rate, 8.9% walk rate and 58.5% grounder rate. However, he allowed five earned runs in his final game with Atlanta, prompting them to move on. The O’s had interest in him at that time but the pairing didn’t work out. If Blewett is claimed, he is out of options but can be controlled for five seasons beyond this one and would be cheap since he hasn’t yet qualified for arbitration.

As for Rivera, he and the O’s avoided arbitration in the offseason by agreeing to a $1MM salary. His service clock is between three and five years. That means he has the right to reject outright assignments but would have to forfeit his remaining salary commitments in order to exercise that right.

Since he is out of options, he has followed a pattern of roster moves this year. The O’s have frequently bumped him off the roster and onto the waiver wire. Each time, he has gone unclaimed and then accepted an outright assignment. Each time, he has been selected back to the roster at a later date, only to repeat the cycle. This is his fourth outright of 2025.

Around the transactions, he has appeared in 43 big league games. In his 127 plate appearance, he has produced a tepid .250/.291/.283 batting line, which has presumably kept him from getting claimed by other clubs. He’s only owed about $50K of his $1MM at this late point in the season but he might as well report to Norfolk for a few more days to collect that. He can then elect free agency at season’s end if not added back to the roster.

Photo courtesy of Rafael Suanes, Imagn Images

Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript

By | at

Darragh McDonald

  • Hello, everyone. Anthony is off today, so I'm doing the Friday chat this week. Sorry to the Francoists out there.
  • We'll be getting started a bit earlier than usual since I'm covering the afternoon news. Apologies to the West Coasters if that's annoying.
  • Anyway, feel free to drop questions and I'll be back at 11 Central to answer them.
  • Okay, happy Friday, everyone.
  • If you're at work, I hope you're doing a good job pretending like you're doing something.
  • Let's talk baseball.

Joe Baseball

  • Will Zach Eflin will get a multi year contract if he doesn’t get a QO from Baltimore, or have to take a one year prove it deal? He should be fully recovered by January and he had back surgery, and his arm isn’t a problem. Thoughts?

Darragh McDonald

  • I would guess one-year prove-it deal. He's been fairly injury-prone in his career and is coming off a pretty rough year.

Michael

  • Do you think a trade between the Pirates and Mets for Mitch Keller is possible? Mets seem to have a glut of young infielders they could spare between Acuna, Baty, Mauricio, Acuna, etc that would be an immediate upgrade over what the Pirates have been trotting out there

Darragh McDonald

  • I suppose there's a chance. Stearns kept adding more starters last offseason even when it seemed like they had plenty.
  • Going into 2026, they've got McLean, Tong, Sproat, Holmes, Peterson, Senga, Megill, Manaea, Scott, and others.
  • Doesn't seem like they need much more but I could have said the same thing last year when they kept adding Montas, Canning, etc.
  • I wouldn't be surprised if Keller is available but I probably wouldn't pick the Mets as the most likely landing spot.

Unlock Subscriber-Exclusive Articles Like This One With a Trade Rumors Front Office Subscription

BENEFITS
  • Access weekly subscriber-only articles by Tim Dierkes, Steve Adams, and Anthony Franco.
  • Join exclusive weekly live chats with Anthony.
  • Remove ads and support our writers.
  • Access GM-caliber tools like our MLB Contract Tracker

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top