Bard (elbow) plans to start throwing off a mound in early February and hopes to be ready to pitch in games early in the season, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports.

Bard underwent right flexor tendon surgery in April and is currently a free agent. The 39-year-old wants to continue his career, though, and hopes to sign with a team by April after proving his health, with the goal of being game-ready not long after that. Bard wasn't all that successful when he last pitched in 2023, holding a 4.56 ERA and 47:49 K:BB over 49.1 innings with the Rockies. However, he had a 1.79 ERA and 69:25 K:BB across 60.1 frames in 2023 and should be able to land at least a minor-league contract for 2025, provided his arm bounces back OK from surgery.

Hoffman on Wednesday confirmed that Baltimore and Atlanta backed away from pursuing him over concerns about his physical, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Speaking to reporters following his signing with the Blue Jays, Hoffman said he was surprised his physicals raised red flags about his right shoulder, adding that he feels healthy and the shoulder is a "non-issue." Based on the size of his contract, Hoffman should head into spring training as the favorite to be Toronto's closer after posting a 2.28 ERA and 158:35 K:BB over 118.2 regular-season innings across the last two seasons. If healthy, the righty has elite potential as a fantasy closer.

Thompson has enrolled at South Alabama and will join its football team as a walk-on, Creg Stephenson of AL.com reports.

Thompson was an all-state quarterback in Alabama before being taken by the Rangers in the first round of the 2017 First-Year Player Draft. The 26-year-old has slashed .232/.273/.295 over parts of three major-league seasons. It's not clear whether Thompson has completely closed the door on baseball if football doesn't work out, but he would certainly appear to be a longshot to ever wear a big-league uniform again.

Kelly (shoulder) indicated on The Dodgers Bleed Los Podcast on Jan. 7 that he will either re-sign with the Dodgers or retire.

Kelly also revealed that he's not yet recovered from the right shoulder injury which prematurely ended his 2024 season. It's not clear what the Dodgers' level of interest in re-signing Kelly is, but if the 36-year-old is able to get over the hump with his shoulder, it sounds like he's only interested in staying in Los Angeles. Kelly posted a 4.78 ERA and 35:16 K:BB over 32 innings during the 2024 regular season.

The Mariners designated Raposo for assignment Tuesday, Shannon Drayer of SeattleSports.com reports.

The move frees up a spot on the 40-man roster for Miles Mastrobuoni, who was acquired via trade. Raposo was a waiver claim by the Mariners in December and will now go through the waivers process again.

The Mariners acquired Mastrobuoni from the Cubs on Tuesday in exchange for cash considerations, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Mastrobuoni had been designated for assignment but will now get to join a new 40-man roster. A .219/.279/.263 hitter across 272 career plate appearances in the majors, the utility player will compete for a reserve role this spring but does have minor-league options remaining.

France (shoulder) will expand his flat-ground throwing program to 90 feet Wednesday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Working his way back from surgery in July to repair a torn right shoulder capsule, France was clocked at 72-74 mph while throwing from 75 feet, which is on target for where he's supposed to be at this stage of his rehab. The right-hander is not expected back until at least the second half of the 2025 season and might not be ready to be a real contributor for the Astros again until 2026.

The Yankees signed Smith to a minor-league deal Monday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Smith opted to enter free agency after being DFA'd by the Reds in early September. He appeared in 93 major-league games between Boston and Cincinnati during the 2024 regular season and posted a .691 OPS with six home runs, 34 RBI and 33 runs across 307 plate appearances. Smith will likely begin the 2025 campaign with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes/-Barre but could be called up to the big club if Paul Goldschmidt or Ben Rice were to miss time.

The Orioles designated Hunt for assignment Monday, Andy Kostka of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.

The Orioles made the signing of Andrew Kittredge official Monday and needed to free up a spot on their 40-man roster. Hunt, 26, slashed only .179/.219/.278 over 42 games during his time with Triple-A Norfolk last season.

The Mariners designated Kitchen for assignment Monday, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

The transaction clears a spot on the 40-man roster for Donovan Solano, who was signed Monday. Kitchen was a September waiver claim of the Mariners and didn't make an appearance for them. He allowed 12 runs (11 earned) over seven innings with the Marlins in 2024.