The hot stove continues to be a busy place in mid-December. More relievers came off the board on December 16, as the Rangers picked up two more after signing Tyler Alexander on the 15th. The Giants, meanwhile, grabbed former Tigers closer Jason Foley.
Diaz & Martin to Texas
The Texas Rangers added more relief help on December 17, officially finalizing a deal for Alexis Diaz and reportedly bringing back Chris Martin.
Diaz will change destinations yet again. A former NL All-Star, Diaz started the year on the Reds’ IL, was traded to Los Angeles in May, and was claimed off waivers by the Braves in September after the Dodgers DFA’d him. Diaz elected free agency in October.
As for Martin, the 39-year-old performed well yet again. Martin continued to pump into the mid-90s with his fastball. He struck out 43 over 42.1 IP and posted a Chase% north of 35% (35.4%). Additionally, he finished in the top ten among relievers (min. 30 games pitched) in BB/9 (1.7)
Martin said in 2024 that the 2025 campaign was likely going to be his last season. However, that didn’t prove to be true.
Foley signs with Giants
The Giants announced that the team had signed reliever Jason Foley to a one-year deal. Foley was DFA’d and non-tendered in November.
Foley, an undrafted free agent find by the Tigers nearly a decade ago, carved out a good career for himself as a hard-throwing sinkerballer who could induce a lot of ground balls. After several strong seasons working in middle relief and a setup role. Foley picked up 28 saves as the Tigers’ primary stopper in 2024.
However, Foley did not have a good spring in 2025. He was optioned to Triple-A in March and did not pitch in the Majors this past season.
The Giants expect that Foley, who underwent shoulder surgery, will be available by the middle of 2026. It also marks another notable reliever addition for San Francisco. The Giants signed ex-Guardian Sam Hentges earlier this month.
Mariners sign Knizner
Seattle officially signed catcher Andrew Knizner on December 16. It’s a one-year deal.
The 30-year-old Knizner was once a prominent prospect with the Cardinals. He spent parts of five MLB seasons with the Cardinals. His high-water mark was in 2023 when he hit a career-high 10 home runs. Knizner spent the last two seasons between the Rangers, Nationals, and Giants’ organizations.
Knizner figures to slot in as a backup to Cal Raleigh. The Mariners traded catching prospect Harry Ford in early December.
Other moves
The Rays DFA’d outfielder Tristan Peters after finalizing the Steven Matz signing.
Jesus Bastidas (Marlins), James Karinchak (Braves), and Brian Navarreto (Marlins) sign Minor League deals.
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