Two big trades were completed on January 13, shaking up what has been a relatively quiet January thus far. However, there were more moves made beyond those two. The Phillies added another reliever to their bullpen, acquiring ex-Pirate Chase Shugart in a deal with Philadelphia’s in-state NL rival.
Shugart traded to Phillies
The Phillies traded for former Pirates reliever Chase Shugart. Shugart was designated for assignment by Pittsburgh.
Among the 221 relievers who pitched in at least 30 games last season, Shugart ranked 94th in wOBA (.286). While Shugart wasn’t a big swing-and-miss pitcher — he struck out 31 over 45 innings last year — he’s a five-pitch pitcher that possesses two mid-90s fastballs, a cutter, a changeup, and a sweeper.
Pittsburgh received 18-year-old catcher Francisco Loreto for Shugart. Loreto picked up 16 extra-base hits, including five home runs, in the FCL last year.
Cubs claim Dean from Giants
The Cubs claimed outfielder Justin Dean off waivers from the San Francisco Giants on January 13. He was DFA’d by the Giants a week ago.
Dean, a speedster who was used by the Dodgers as a defensive replacement last year, is on his third organization since the start of the offseason.
Other moves
The Guardians signed former first-round pick Carter Kieboom to a Minor League deal with an invite to big-league camp for Spring Training. Kieboom, who spent 2025 in the Angels organization, played three games with Los Angeles last year.
Cincinnati officially invited nine players to 2026 Spring Training as non-roster invites on January 13. Among the group included Tejay Antone, Lyon Richardson, and Carson Spiers, all of whom previously pitched for the Reds, plus utilityman Garrett Hampson and recently-signed infielder Michael Toglia.
Will Banfield, Michael Chavis, Hagen Danner, and Joel Valdez make up the rest of the group of nine.
The Dodgers designated infielder Ryan Fitzgerald for assignment. Fitzgerald was claimed off waivers last week.
Check out more of our MLB coverage, including a look at the Nolan Arenado and Ryan Weathers trades.