MLB spring training is about a month away, but that doesn't mean Major League Baseball's offseason is complete. Rather, teams still have time to put the finishing touches on their rosters ahead of camp. Keep it on this page as CBS Sports tracks all of the day's latest news, notes, and rumors in the space below.
Orioles still interested in Wacha
The Orioles remain open to signing veteran starter Michael Wacha, according to MASN's Roch Kubatko. Baltimore's interest in Wacha, who spent last season with the Red Sox, had previously been reported late last year. It was unclear how the O's subsequent addition of Kyle Gibson impacted their interest in Wacha. Evidently, the answer is "not much."
Wacha entered the offseason ranked by CBS Sports as the 32nd-best free agent available. Here's what we wrote at the time:
Wacha has become a back-of-the-rotation nomad, pitching for a different team in each of the past four seasons. He might make it five-for-five following his strongest effort since 2018. Wacha's arsenal remains centered around verticality, as you would expect based on his arm slot. For our money, the most interesting part about his season was his embrace of a "sinker." The quotation marks are necessary because this isn't your standard sinker that aims to disrupt worms and ant colonies alike. Wacha's ranked fifth in Induced Vertical Break, behind Kenley Jansen, Drew Smyly, Josh Hader, and Bailey Falter -- or, the Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 7 sinkers most prone to being hit in the air. Put another way, Wacha's sinker would have above-average "rise" for a four-seam fastball, meaning he's not going to turn into Framber Valdez or Logan Webb anytime soon. (It would be cool if he did though; scientists would get a kick out of it.) We won't go so far as to credit Wacha's weird sinker for his year (he threw it only 13 percent of the time) or suggest it'll change his career. We just think it's neat.
Wacha posted a 3.32 ERA (127 ERA+) in 127 innings last season.
MLB's amateur international free agent market opened on Sunday. The Padres made the biggest splash of the day by inking catcher Ethan Salas for $5.6 million. Here's what our Mike Axisa wrote about Salas:
Salas has baseball bloodlines. His older brother, Jose Salas, is a highly regarded infield prospect with the Marlins. Baseball America recently ranked the elder Salas the No. 4 prospect in Miami's system and said his "offensive skills will make him a valuable player." The younger Salas has all the tools to be an impact player at the game's most demanding position.
The Padres' signing bonus pool was just over $5.8 million, meaning they used almost all of it to nab Salas.
Cubs keeping tabs on relievers
The Cubs made their latest addition on Saturday night, inking first baseman Trey Mancini to a two-year deal. They may have at least one more signing in mind, as they remain intrigued by left-handed relievers Andrew Chafin and Matt Moore, according to The Athletic's Sahadev Sharma.
Chafin, 32, made 47 appearances for the Cubs during the 2020-21 seasons. He spent last year with the Tigers, amassing a 2.83 ERA in 57 innings. Moore, 33, returned from a stint in Japan in 2021 and had a resurgent campaign last year. He posted a 1.95 ERA in 74 innings as a member of the Rangers bullpen.
As it stands, the Cubs bullpen is projected to include just one left-hander: sophomore Brandon Hughes.
