40-Man Additions
Added to the 40-man roster are RHP Winston Santos, RHP Emiliano Teodo, and IF Max Acosta.
I wouldn’t call any omission a huge surprise, although I had talked myself into believing the Rangers would select LHP Bryan Magdaleno, who had been awarded the organization’s Reliever of the Year. Also available in the upcoming Rule 5 draft will be righties Dane Acker and Josh Stephan and first baseman Abi Ortiz and Blaine Crim, Defender of the Year IF Cody Freeman, and many more.
The Rangers also returned RHP Carson Coleman to the Yankees. Texas had nabbed him in last year’s Rule 5 draft about halfway through recovery from Tommy John. A setback prevented him from pitching at all in 2024.
The 40-man roster has 39 players at present. The non-tender deadline is Friday.
Elsewhere
Detroit selected RHPs Chase Lee and Tyler Owens, both acquired from the Rangers last summer as part of trades for reliever Andrew Chafin and catcher Carson Kelly, respectively. I certainly wouldn’t have predicted Lee’s addition based on how he performed in Texas, but he did improved his strikeout and walk rates in AAA Toledo. Texas had acquired Owens for OF JP Martinez last winter. He’s pitched well in AA Frisco but I honestly hadn’t watched him carefully enough to develop much of an opinion. Catcher Liam Hicks and RHP Joseph Montalvo, two others Texas shipped in those trades, were not selected. Detroit also designated for assignment former Rangers RHP Ricky Vanasco.
St. Louis picked the contract of RHP TK Roby, who would have been eligible for the R5 if unprotected. He joins a 40 already containing fellow trade acquisition IF Thomas Saggese, who made his MLB debut in September. Roby missed much of 2024 with a shoulder malady and hasn’t advanced beyond the AA level reached with Texas.
Pittsburgh signed RHP Yerry Rodriguez to a minor deal. Atlanta signed IF Charles Leblanc and C Yohel Pozo but released Pozo a couple of days later.