2 weeks agoAccording to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Dispatch, starting pitching prospect
Quinn Mathews will receive a non-roster invite to Spring Training. This is a great sign, as Mathews could have a great opportunity to make the Opening Day roster. The southpaw is considered one of the top pitching prospects in the sport and was named Baseball America's top pitching prospect of the 2024 season. The 24-year-old opened the season with Single-A and eventually progressed all the way up to Triple-A by August. Across all four levels of the St. Louis system, the Stanford product carried a solid 2.76 ERA and a stellar 0.98 WHIP. He struck out an incredible 202 batters across 143 1/3 innings while giving up just 49 free passes. He spent the most time at Double-A, posting a 2.41 ERA and 0.96 WHIP. Given his elite strikeout upside, fantasy managers in deeper formats should pay close attention to Mathews as he may be a popular late-round target in drafts this offseason.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Derrick Goold
2 weeks agoPittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton said at the MLB winter meetings on Monday that the expectation is that catching prospect
Endy Rodriguez (elbow) will be "fully healthy" for the start of spring training in mid-February. Rodriguez was forced to miss all of the 2024 season after undergoing surgery to fix the UCL and flexor tendon in his right elbow in December of 2023, although he did take part in a minor-league rehab assignment in September for Double-A Altoona. The 24-year-old backstop switch-hitting Dominican made his MLB debut in 2023 and slashed .220/.284/.328 with three homers and 13 RBI in 57 games for the Bucs in 57 games. Given all the time he missed last year while recovering from elbow surgery, it would not be a surprise at all to see Rodriguez start in the minors in 2025 while serving as catching depth for
Joey Bart and
Henry Davis at the big-league level.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Pittsburgh PG - Andrew Destin
2
weeks
agoNew
York
Mets
right-hander
Paul
Blackburn
(back),
who
had
surgery
on
Oct.
11
to
fix
a
spinal
fluid
leak
in
his
back,
is
on
track
to
be
healthy
and
ready
to
roll
for
Opening
Day
in
2025,
according
to
president
of
baseball
operations
read more...
2 weeks agoSan Francisco Giants manager Bob Melvin said on Monday at the MLB winter meetings that outfielder
Jung Hoo Lee (shoulder) won't have any restrictions when he reports to spring training in mid-February after his rehab from shoulder surgery has gone smoothly. "Jung Hoo is good to go. Jung Hoo is ready," Melvin said. The 26-year-old Korean had season-ending surgery to fix a torn labrum in his left shoulder in June but should be ready for Opening Day in 2025, barring a setback. The left-handed-hitting outfielder was the club's starting center fielder and leadoff man before his injury, hitting .262/.310/.331 with a .641 OPS, only two homers, eight RBI, two steals and 15 runs in 145 at-bats before his injury. Lee has more power than his surface stats in a limited sample size show, but elite contact ability and on-base skills should continue to carry his value in fantasy heading into next season.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: NBC Sports Bay Area - Alex Pavlovic
2 weeks agoMilwaukee Brewers outfielder
Christian Yelich (back) hasn't resumed swinging a bat yet, but he's doing other baseball movements and should be ready to go early in spring training. "I think that was a big part of why he had the surgery sooner than later," general manager Matt Arnold said. "He's in a really good spot right now." Yelich's 2024 season ended early when he decided to have a microdiscectomy procedure to fix a herniated disc in his lower back. It's an injury that the 33-year-old veteran has dealt with for years, so the hope is that the surgery will alleviate those concerns moving forward. Although he only played in 73 games in 2024, Yelich made his third All-Star squad by hitting .315/.406/.504 with a .909 OPS, 11 homers, 42 RBI and 21 steals in 315 plate appearances. Yelich could be a league-winner if he can return to his MVP production, but his health is a big question mark.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Todd Rosiak
2
weeks
agoMilwaukee
Brewers
general
manager
Matt
Arnold
left
some
doubt
as
to
whether
right-hander
Brandon
Woodruff
(shoulder)
will
be
ready
to
be
in
the
club's
Opening
Day
starting
rotation
in
2025.
"It's
hard
to
say
at
the
moment
(whether
he
will
be
in
the
read more...
2 weeks agoThe Chicago White Sox agreed to terms on an undisclosed deal with free-agent outfielder
Mike Tauchman on Monday evening, according to a source. Tauchman will head across town in Chicago after spending the last two seasons with the Cubs, where he hit .250/.360/.372 with a .732 OPS, 15 home runs, 77 RBI, 13 stolen bases and 114 runs scored in 217 games. He hit .248/.357/.366 with seven long balls, 29 RBI, six steals and 50 runs in 109 games in 2024, mostly in right field for the Cubbies. The 34-year-old has experience at all three outfield spots, though, and should at least be in position to earn part-time playing time. While Tauchman hits from the left side, he's had similar success against righties and lefties in his career. Most of the veteran's value comes as a fourth outfielder/DH type, but more playing time should be available with the Pale Hose.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Scott Merkin
2
weeks
agoHouston
Astros
manager
Joe
Espada
said
he
would
like
to
"cut
back"
on
outfielder
Yordan
Alvarez's
playing
time
in
left
field
next
year.
Espada
also
praised
Zach
Dezenzo's
development
in
left
field
during
winter
ball
in
read more...
2 weeks agoNew York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said on Monday at the MLB winter meetings that it "makes sense" to move outfielder
Aaron Judge back to right field in 2025 after failing to re-sign superstar outfielder
Juan Soto in free agency. And with Judge likely going back to right field, outfield prospect
Jasson Dominguez is a leading candidate for starting center-field duties. The 32-year-old Judge's outfield positioning likely won't matter to most fantasy managers. A toe injury in 2023 limited the power-hitter to only 37 long balls and 75 RBI in 106 games, but the six-time All-Star bounced back in a big way in 2024 to win his second MVP award by leading the league in homers (58), RBI (144), walks (133), on-base percentage (.458), slugging (.701), OPS (1.159) and total bases (392). RBI opportunities might not be as plentiful with Soto now in Queens, but otherwise Judge is an elite class of power.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Bryan Hoch
2 weeks agoSan Diego Padres manager Mike Shildt said on Monday at the MLB winter meetings that the club expects to be in the running to sign Japanese right-hander Roki Sasaki this offseason. "We fully expect to be right there in the mix and at the end of the day have Sasaki a Padre," Shildt said. No matter what, the Friars skipper expects the club to make a big addition to their starting rotation for the 2025 campaign. The 23-year-old was officially posted on Monday by the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball, which opens Sasaki's 45-day posting window to sign with an MLB club. He'll be an incredible value for clubs pursuing him. In addition to the Padres and Dodgers, the Giants, Cubs, Rangers and Mets are expected to be involved. Sasaki has the potential to be a front-line starter for years to come, but he's also young and inexperienced and has had durability issues.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM
2
weeks
agoNew
York
Yankees
general
manager
Brian
Cashman
said
that
it
"makes
sense"
to
move
outfielder
Aaron
Judge
back
to
right
field
in
2025
after
the
team
failed
to
re-sign
superstar
outfielder
Juan
Soto.
Manager
Aaron
Boone
mentioned
outfield
read more...
2
weeks
agoBoston
Red
Sox
manager
Alex
Cora
said
he
can
"guarantee"
he
hasn't
had
any
talks
with
third
baseman
Rafael
Devers
this
offseason
about
moving
him
off
the
hot
corner.
There
have
been
talks
around
the
league
that
the
Red
Sox
could
look
to
read more...
2
weeks
agoThe
New
York
Yankees
and
New
York
Mets
are
now
both
vying
for
Chicago
White
Sox
left-hander
Garrett
Crochet
via
trade
after
just
competing
in
a
bidding
war
for
superstar
outfielder
Juan
Soto,
according
to
sources.
read more...
2 weeks agoLos Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he expects two-way superstar
Shohei Ohtani (shoulder) to be ready to hit in the season-opening series in Tokyo, Japan, against the Chicago Cubs, but he's unlikely to pitch in the series. Ohtani had Tommy John surgery in 2023 and did not pitch at all during the 2024 campaign, but it didn't stop him from winning his third MVP award in the last four seasons by making history with 54 home runs, 130 RBI and 59 RBI while also leading the league in runs (134), on-base percentage (.390), slugging percentage (.646), OPS (1.036) and total bases (411). The Japanese superstar will be more attractive as a hitter in fantasy in 2025, but he still has ace potential on the mound in his first year back from TJ surgery. Ohtani is a unicorn on the baseball field and became the only player in MLB history with 50-plus homers and 50-plus steals in a single season.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: FOX Sports - Rowan Kavner
2
weeks
agoLos
Angeles
Dodgers
general
manager
Brandon
Gomes
said
on
Monday
that
outfielder
Mookie
Betts
is
preparing
to
play
shortstop
in
2025.
It
means
that
Tommy
Edman
would
be
the
club's
regular
center
fielder,
while
read more...
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