The Orioles have claimed left-hander Walter Pennington off unconditional release waivers, reports MLBTR’s Steve Adams. The Rangers had designated the lefty for assignment last week. His transaction tracker at MLB.com listed him as released by the Rangers over the weekend but the O’s put in a claim. The Orioles had an open 40-man spot and won’t need to make a corresponding move.
Pennington, 27, made his major league debut with the Royals last year but was flipped to the Rangers in July as part of the Michael Lorenzen trade. Between those two clubs, he tossed 18 innings in the big leagues last year. He allowed 3.00 earned runs per nine, with a 20.2% strikeout rate, 13.1% walk rate and 45.3% ground ball rate. He has posted some strong minor league numbers in recent years. Over the 2023 and 2024 seasons, he logged 134 innings on the farm with a 2.69 ERA, 28.6% strikeout rate, 10.2% walk rate and grounders on more than half of the balls in play he allowed.
This year, Pennington hasn’t pitched in any official action. The Rangers optioned him to Triple-A Round Rock on March 9th. Per his transactions tracker, he was transferred to the club’s Arizona Complex League affiliate on March 28th. MLBTR has learned that he is healthy and has been working on some mechanical stuff in extended spring lately.
The O’s had an open roster spot and are intrigued enough to bring him into their system, with the southpaw likely reported to Triple-A Norfolk soon. The Orioles aren’t hurting for lefty relievers, as they currently have Keegan Akin, Gregory Soto, Cionel Pérez and Grant Wolfram on the big league squad. Still, clubs always like to add more pitching depth when they can and both Pérez and Wolfram have poor numbers at the moment.
Photo courtesy of Joe Camporeale, Imagn Images
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With less than 48 hours to go until the 2025 MLB trade deadline, the New York Yankees are still flirting with the Pittsburgh Pirates over some pitching. According to insider Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Yankees and Pirates are still discussing reliever David Bednar and starter Mitch Keller on Tuesday night. But while there’s interest in both arms, the Yankees might not like the price. “Bednar is a target. Keller interests them, too, but the price tag might discourage them,” Heyman reported Tuesday. That lines up with what we’ve seen from the Yankees so far this month. They’ve been aggressive in scouting relievers but cautious about overpaying, especially for pitchers under long-term control. Bednar, who has a 4.19 ERA and 16 saves in 2025, would fill a pressing need for a club that ranks near the bottom of the league in bullpen ERA for July. His late-inning experience and high ground-ball rate make him a logical fit. Keller, meanwhile, would be a luxury at this point, especially after Luis Gil’s impending return. The right-hander is having a bounce-back year for the Pirates, with a 3.56 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and a team-leading 121 strikeouts in 125 innings. But he’s under team control through 2028, and Pittsburgh doesn’t appear eager to move him unless blown away. That’s likely where the Yankees’ caution kicks in. The team has shown a willingness to deal mid-tier prospects but has reportedly been hesitant to part with top-end talent like Cam Schlittler or Spencer Jones, especially for non-rental pieces. Still, the fact that conversations have occurred shows that even in the wake of Aaron Judge’s injury news, the Yankees remain active on both the bullpen and rotation fronts. The Yankees front office is casting a wide net. With time running out, names like Bednar and Keller remain firmly in the mix.
Jonathan Kuminga has remained a free agent this offseason. There's no telling how his situation will resolve itself with the Golden State Warriors, but ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel has confirmed that the Sacramento Kings are among his interested suitors. It's unclear if the Warriors want to keep Kuminga around, but it's also clear that if he wants to join another team, they wouldn't want to lose him for nothing. One way the Warriors and Kings could resolve the Kuminga situation is by agreeing to a sign-and-trade that would swap Kuminga for players on the Kings roster. It would depend on who the Warriors would want in return for Kuminga. The Kings have some players to offer in exchange for the wing, like DeMar DeRozan or Devin Carter, so getting them would be something for Kuminga. However, even if the Warriors could entertain a sign-and-trade for the young wing, they're not interested in those two Kings. More than that, Sacramento may want Kuminga but only at a fair price. Sam Amick revealed the details during his appearance on Warriors Plus/Minus. "My understanding is the Warriors weren't interested in Carter or DeRozan," Amick said, which was aggregated by 95.7 The Game's Evan Giddings. "As of a couple weeks ago, the Kings weren't willing to pay Kuminga into the $20 million range (per year)." DeRozan is a six-time All-Star who will enter the second year of a three-year, $78.9 million contract. The Warriors are not above either of the NBA's tax aprons at the moment, while the Kings are hard-capped at the first apron.
The Boston Bruins have been under pressure to retool after a disappointing season, and now a potential blockbuster move could shake the entire NHL. A major trade proposal has surfaced that could send a star goaltender to the Edmonton Oilers, a move that would give them the elite presence they've lacked in net while forcing Boston closer to a rebuild. The deal being floated by multiple outlets would send Edmonton's current starter, Stuart Skinner, along with Matthew Savoie, Beau Akey, and a 2028 first-round pick to Boston, while the Oilers land a goaltender capable of changing their Cup window overnight. Edmonton's push for a franchise goalie could reshape the Western Conference and challenge the Dallas Stars' path to the Cup If this trade goes through, the Oilers would instantly address one of their biggest weaknesses, setting up a showdown with teams like the Dallas Stars, who already see Edmonton as one of their toughest rivals. Boston, on the other hand, would fully commit to a rebuild, pairing Joonas Korpisalo with Skinner in what could be one of the NHL's weakest tandems, likely boosting their draft lottery odds in one of the most hyped draft classes in recent memory (NHL.com). An insider noted, "They weren't the only ones who had inquired about Swayman, but yes, I was told they poked around." That comment shows just how wide the interest is for this level of goalie talent (Heavy.com). I think this kind of trade would completely shift the balance of power in the West, making Edmonton even more dangerous for teams like Dallas, who could end up facing a vastly upgraded Oilers team in the playoffs. If Boston truly embraces a rebuild, moving their top goaltender could be the first domino in a massive roster overhaul, something that could shake the market for weeks.
David Reinbacher impressed Montreal Canadiens management enough for general manager Kent Hughes to deal fellow right defense prospect Logan Mailloux to the St. Louis Blues for sophomore forward Zachary Bolduc. Because of his ability to shut down the rush, cut off checkers at the blueline and then spring a pass or use his feet to skate his way out of trouble consistently, the six-foot-four Austrian defender (despite limited experience on North American ice) has many believers. The idea that Reinbacher and Ivan Demidov could play out their Calder seasons together in 2025-26 doesn't seem so far-fetched, because Reinbacher emerged as the Laval Rocket's top dog on defense, during his first taste of American Hockey League playoff hockey. For the fans that enjoy Kaiden Guhle's responsible style of hockey, and ability to scan and react, breaking potential oddman rushes, thanks to great anticipation, foot speed and defensive details, Reinbacher displays many of those tools. You could argue that Reinbacher has a much higher offensive upside, but in any world where both are playing in your top four defense, as a head coach, you would feel incredibly spoiled with riches. The pair are 23 and 20 years old respectively, so there is significant development leash ahead. There is a very good argument to be made that while Reinbacher looked like an NHL player during the AHL playoffs, he has played just 21 games of North American regular-season professional hockey under his belt, so further seasoning isn't going to overcook the prospect, but ensure he is ready when he makes the jump. However, there are exceptions, and if Reinbacher can follow up his brilliant playoff debut with the Rocket, where he registered six points in 13 games, and emerged as an all-situations defenseman, that head coach Pascal Vincent leaned on for big and important minutes, with a great training camp in the fall, he could put himself on the fast track to the big league. Reinbacher has tremendous upside, and is still learning to use his big frame to punish opponents along the boards and in front of the net, but once he integrates some added physicality and some daring offensive sequences into his game with more regularity, he could put himself and the Canadiens blueline in a great spot to accelerate their rebuild exponentially in 2025-26. The playoffs are the standard for the Canadiens now, regardless of what the media might say, and it wouldn't be wise to suggest to any of the players that the team will regress and achieve anything less than another playoff berth next season. Montreal's 2023 fifth overall selection is hoping to earn his stripes and help push the team beyond the first round, and perhaps further in the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs.
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