1 week agoThe Milwaukee Brewers are declining their 2025 club option on right-handed pitcher
Colin Rea, which sends him to free agency, according to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. Rea started a career-high 27 games in 2024 and logged a career-high 167 2/3 innings in the process. He posted a 4.29 ERA and 1.26 WHIP, with a 43:115 BB:K ratio. The Indiana State product showed excellent command with a solid 6.0% walk rate, placing him in the 81st percentile among qualified hitters. However, he generated whiffs at a poor 19.3% rate and allowed hard contact at a hefty 42.0% rate. Fantasy managers should expect Rea to find a new home in 2025 serving as a back-end starting pitcher.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Adam McCalvy
1 week agoThe Detroit Tigers declined right-handed pitcher
Casey Mize's 2025 club option, according to Cody Stavenhagen. However, the 27-year-old remains under team control and is eligible for arbitration. Mize posted a modest 4.49 ERA and 1.47 WHIP in his first full campaign post-Tommy John surgery in 2024. This was a decline compared to his 3.71 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP, which he held in the 2022 campaign, his other full season. Under the hood, the former first-overall pick generated ground balls at an elite 49.6% mark. However, he allowed hard contact at a poor 44.6% hard-hit rate and could not generate strikeouts at an underwhelming 17.3% K rate. Mize remains a low-end starter for deeper formats heading into the 2025 season.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Cody Stavenhagen
1 week agoThe New York Mets are extending a one-year, $21.05 million qualifying offer to free-agent right-hander
Luis Severino. If Severino rejects the team's qualifying offer and signs with another team on the open market, the Mets will receive draft-pick compensation. In his first year in Queens, Severino went 11-7 for the Mets with a 3.91 ERA (4.21 FIP), a 1.24 WHIP and a 161:60 K:BB in 182 innings over his 31 starts. The 30-year-old veteran from Dominican Republic allowed nine runs (six earned) on 17 hits while walking six and striking out 13 in his three playoff starts in October. It was a serviceable season for Severino, but his strikeout rate was still at only 21.2 percent, and injury questions aren't going to go away. Severino's fantasy value will probably be the highest if he remains with the Mets for a second go-round.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: New York Post - Jon Heyman
1 week agoThe Atlanta Braves exercised designated hitter
Marcell Ozuna's $16 million club option for the 2025 season on Monday. It was a no-brainer decision for the Braves after Ozuna was once again one of the best all-around hitters in the game in 2024. The 33-year-old veteran Dominican slugger helped carry Atlanta's offense this year with
Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) suffering a season-ending torn ACL. Ozuna made the All-Star team for the third time in his career and finished his fifth year with the Braves with an impressive .302/.378/.546 slash line, .925 OPS, 39 home runs, 104 RBI, one steal and career-high 96 runs scored in a league-high 162 games played. He's recorded a whopping 79 home runs and 204 RBI the last two seasons, but his loss of outfield eligibility makes him a bit more volatile for fantasy managers heading into 2025.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Mark Feinsand
1 week agoThe Atlanta Braves declined their $8 million club option on catcher
Travis d'Arnaud for the 2025 season, according to sources. d'Arnaud will now hit the open market. In addition, the Braves also declined the option on right-handed reliever
Luke Jackson. The Braves were expected to pick up d'Arnaud's option after they were eliminated in the wild-card series against the San Diego Padres, but Atlanta evidently decided to go in another direction with catching prospect
Drake Baldwin being a realistic option to make his big-league debut in 2025. The Braves also have
Sean Murphy at the position. d'Arnaud, 35, hit .238/.302/.436 with an above-average .739 OPS, 15 homers and 48 RBI in 99 games in 2024, but his fantasy value was capped while sharing playing time with Murphy. He could have more fantasy upside next year, depending on whether he can land a starting role elsewhere.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com - Jeff Passan
1 week agoCleveland Guardians catcher/outfielder/designated hitter
David Fry (elbow) is expected to miss six to eight months after undergoing surgery to fix the UCL in his right elbow. Fry is expected to initially return as a full-time DH, as it's going to take him a full year to return to playing the field. It was an injury that he suffered way back in June, but Fry played through it the rest of the way and was a first-time All-Star in 2024 in his first full MLB campaign, slashing .263/.356/.448 with an .804 OPS, 14 home runs, 51 RBI, four stolen bases and 44 runs scored in 122 games played for Cleveland. The 28-year-old right-handed hitter was mostly the Guardians' DH in the second half of the season after his injury. However, it remains to be seen if Fry will have similar success in 2025 after coming off a pretty serious procedure. It should at least have fantasy managers hesitant to invest at his elevated cost.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Mandy Bell
1 week agoThe New York Yankees and right-hander
Gerrit Cole agreed on Monday to add a fifth year and $36 million after Cole opted out of his four-year, $144 million contract over the weekend. With the Yankees essentially voiding Cole's opt-out decision, the 34-year-old will now be owed $180 million through the 2029 season. The former first overall pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates out of UCLA won the American League Cy Young award in 2023 but had the start of his 2024 campaign delayed by right-elbow issues. Cole finished with an 8-5 record, 3.41 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 99:29 K:BB in 95 innings over his 17 regular-season starts. Although he looked good in the playoffs, Cole has had a concerning trend of his strikeout rate falling for the third straight year to 25.4% in 2024. Still, as long as he's healthy heading into the start of next season, he should be a No. 1 fantasy starter.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: New York Post - Jon Heyman
1 week agoThe Baltimore Orioles are picking up designated hitter/first baseman
Ryan O'Hearn's $7.5 million option for the 2025 season. O'Hearn finished the 2024 regular season strong at the plate and ultimately hit .264/.334/.427 with a .761 OPS, career-high 15 home runs, 59 RBI, three stolen bases and career-high 60 runs scored in 142 regular-season games in his second year in Baltimore. He has slashed .275/.329/.450 with an above-average .779 OPS, 29 home runs, 119 RBI, eight steals and 108 runs scored in 254 games in his two seasons with the O's and will remain a part of the organization as the team looks to make the postseason for the third straight year in 2025. The 31-year-old lefty swinger should remain a lineup regular for Baltimore next year against right-handed pitching.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: New York Post - Jon Heyman
1
week
agoMLB
announced
their
2024
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Gold
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award-winners
on
Sunday
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with
14
first-time
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coming
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with
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which
ties
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mark
for
most
in
a
single
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with
2022.
The
winners
were
Mariners
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Cal
Raleigh,
Twins
1B
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1 week agoThe Los Angeles Dodgers exercised shortstop
Miguel Rojas' $5 million club option for the 2025 season on Saturday. Although Rojas finished the team's World Series championship season battling a groin injury, the 2024 campaign was a very successful one for the 35-year-old veteran Venezuelan infielder. Known mostly for his glove at the 6, Rojas impressed in 103 regular-season games in his second year in Hollywood with a .283/.337/.410 slash line, six home runs, 36 RBI, eight stolen bases and 41 runs scored. He will need surgery on his torn groin this offseason, but he should be recovered in time to be ready for the start of the 2025 regular season, where he'll once again serve as a solid defender for the Blue at shortstop. Fantasy managers in NL-only leagues shouldn't expect Rojas to swing the bat as well as he did in 2024, though.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ElExtraBase - Daniel Alvarez-Montes
1 week agoThe New York Mets declined relief pitcher
Phil Maton's $7.75 million option for the 2025 season on Monday and instead paid him a $250,000 buyout. Maton is now on the free-agent market and will be looking for a new team to pitch for next season. It wouldn't be a surprise for the Mets to try to re-sign him, though, after how effective he was out of their bullpen in 2024 after they acquired him in a trade from the Tampa Bay Rays. The 31-year-old right-hander had a 2.51 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, a save, 30 strikeouts and six walks in 28 2/3 regular-season innings for the Mets in the second half of the season. In 40 outings in relief for the Rays before the trade, Maton wasn't quite as good, recording a 4.58 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, two saves, 30 strikeouts and 18 walks in 35 1/3 innings pitched. Perhaps he'll land somewhere where he'll have a better shot at save chances in 2025.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: New York Post - Jon Heyman
1 week agoTexas Rangers right-hander
Nathan Eovaldi declined his player option on Monday morning, which will make him a free agent this offseason. President of baseball operations
Chris Young said the team still has plenty of interest in bringing Eovaldi back to the starting rotation for next season. In his second season with the Rangers in 2024, Eovaldi went 12-8 with a 3.80 ERA (3.83 FIP) and a 1.11 WHIP with 166 strikeouts and 42 walks in 170 2/3 frames over his 29 starts. The 34-year-old two-time All-Star has a 3.72 ERA (3.86 FIP) and 1.12 WHIP with a 298:89 K:BB in his 54 starts in his two seasons in Texas. Eovaldi is a hard-throwing, injury-prone starter that profiles as a risk/reward midrange starter for fantasy managers heading into next season. We'll have a better idea of his fantasy value for next year once we know where he'll be pitching.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Kennedi Landry
1 week agoThe Milwaukee Brewers declined closer
Devin Williams' 2025 club option for $10.5 million on Sunday, according to a source. Williams will instead receive a $250,000 buyout. He will remain with the Brewers and will be in his final year of salary arbitration while expected to make $8-9 million in 2025. Williams will also be a trade candidate this winter. The 30-year-old right-hander missed the entire first half of the 2024 season due to a serious back injury, but when he returned, he was once again lights-out for the Brew Crew with a 1.25 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 14 saves, 38 strikeouts and 11 walks in 21 2/3 innings during 22 regular-season outings out of the bullpen. A trade out of Milwaukee could make Williams less attractive from a fantasy perspective, depending on where he lands, but if he stays with the Brewers, he'll be an elite fantasy closing option in 2025.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com - Jeff Passan
1 week agoThe Kansas City Royals and right-hander
Michael Wacha agreed to a three-year, $51 million deal on Sunday, according to sources. The deal to keep Wacha in town includes a club option and can max out at four years and $72 million. The 33-year-old veteran and former first-rounder was a big reason why the Royals surprised with a playoff appearance in 2024 and advanced to the American League Division Series before losing to the New York Yankees. He was fully expected to decline his $16 million player option for 2025 after going 13-8 with a 3.35 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 145 strikeouts in 166 2/3 innings in his 29 regular-season starts. Wacha has pitched pretty well the last three seasons with the Royals, Padres and Red Sox when he's managed to stay healthy. However, he's had issues avoiding the injury bug in the past and doesn't miss as many bats as fantasy managers would like.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com - Jeff Passan
1 week agoThe Atlanta Braves signed right-hander
Reynaldo Lopez to a new three-year, $30 million deal on Saturday, the team announced. Lopez will earn $8 million in 2025, $14 million in 2026, and $8 million in 2027. He originally signed a three-year deal with the Braves last November that included a club option for 2027. Additionally, the team signed left-hander
Aaron Bummer to a two-year, $13 million deal on Saturday. He'll make $3.5 million next season and $9.5 million in 2026. The 30-year-old Lopez was originally set to make $11 million in both 2025 and 2026. He faded down the stretch due to injuries, but overall, the Dominican hurler had a fantastic first season in Atlanta in a return to a starting role, going 8-5 with a 1.99 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 148 strikeouts in 135 2/3 innings over his 26 outings (25 starts) during the regular season.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Atlanta Braves
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