Left-handed relief pitcher Hoby Milner and the Milwaukee Brewers avoided salary arbitration on Wednesday by settling at $2.05 million for the upcoming 2024 season, according to a source. Milner had the best season of his career in 2023, going 2-1 with a 1.82 ERA (3.13 FIP), 0.96 WHIP, 13 walks and 59 strikeouts in 64 1/3 relief innings over 73 appearances out of Milwaukee's bullpen. The 32-year-old will return in 2024 as a left-handed setup man in front of closer Devin Williams in the late innings. In seven years in the big leagues, Milner has recorded a 3.53 ERA (4.13 FIP) and 1.24 WHIP with no saves and a 22.7 percent strikeout rate in 206 1/3 innings, all coming in relief.

Free-agent right-hander Jake Woodford signed a minor-league deal with the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday that includes an invitation to spring training, according to sources. Woodford had a 4.29 ERA in his four seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals. He also had a 1.37 WHIP, 63 walks and 119 total strikeouts over 80 appearances (18 starts) covering 184 2/3 innings pitched. Woodford became a free agent this offseason when he was non-tendered by St. Louis in November. The 27-year-old had a bloated 6.23 ERA with 22 walks and 29 strikeouts in 47 2/3 innings over 15 appearances (eight starts) in 2023 for the Red Birds. Given the White Sox's rebuilding direction heading into the 2024 season, there's a good chance that Woodford will get opportunities as a starter and reliever at the major-league level this upcoming campaign.

The Los Angeles Dodgers signed free-agent right-hander Elieser Hernandez to a minor-league deal on Wednesday that includes an invitation to spring training, according to sources. Hernandez last pitched in the big leagues with the Miami Marlins in 2022, when he went 3-6 with a career-high 6.35 ERA (6.40 FIP) and 1.43 WHIP with 22 walks and 60 strikeouts in 62 1/3 innings over 20 appearances (10 starts). The 28-year-old Venezuelan spent the 2023 campaign at three minor-league levels with the New York Mets, posting a much better 2.89 ERA and 1.39 WHIP with 12 strikeouts in just 9 1/3 innings over eight outings (four starts). Hernandez's season was cut short by a pectoral injury. He'll give the Dodgers some starting and relief depth in the minors to open the 2024 season.

The Seattle Mariners have claimed right-hander Mauricio Llovera off waivers from the Boston Red Sox. Llovera was designated for assignment by Boston last week when the club's signing of right-hander Lucas Giolito became official. The 27-year-old split the 2023 season between the Giants and Red Sox, working to a 4.89 ERA across 30 appearances spanning 35 innings of work. He also tossed a 3.92 ERA in 17 outings (two starts) with Triple-A Sacramento in the Giants organization. While Llovera owns a career 5.80 ERA in 54 MLB appearances, he also sports a much improved 4.35 SIERA in that time, potentially pointing to some positive regression on the horizon with Seattle.

The Colorado Rockies and right-hander Cal Quantrill have avoided arbitration with a one-year, $6.55 million contract. The Rockies acquired the 28-year-old from the Guardians in November after he was designated for assignment by Cleveland. It was a tough 2023 season for Quantrill as he posted a 5.24 ERA across 19 starts but he also posted a 2.89 ERA in 40 outings (22 starts) in the 2021 season and followed that up with a 3.38 ERA across a career-high 32 starts in the 2022 campaign. Certainly, the pitching-needy Rockies saw an opportunity to buy low on a player with a rock-solid 3.83 ERA across 570 2/3 innings at the big-league level.