2 weeks agoSt. Louis Cardinals starting pitchers
Kyle Gibson and
Lance Lynn had their club options declined and will be headed to free agency. Gibson logged 169 1/3 innings in his debut season in St. Louis with a 8-8 record, 4.24 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, and a 68:151 BB:K ratio. Lynn posted a 3.84 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP with a 7-4 record across 117 1/3 innings last season. Both remained in the starting rotation the entire season. In the same move, the Cardinals also declined the 2025 club option for pitcher Kenyan Middleton. Middleton logged only five innings in the minor leagues this season due to a forearm injury. This transaction allows the Cardinals to trim substantial payroll off of their pitching staff. Currently, the Cardinals rotation consists of
Miles Mikolas,
Erick Fedde,
Sonny Gray,
Andre Pallante, and
Michael McGreevy.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: St. Louis Cardinals
2 weeks agoLos Angeles Angels starting pitcher
Roansy Contreras was claimed off of waivers by Texas Rangers earlier on Thursday according to Kiley McDaniel of ESPN. The 24-year-old logged 52 frames with the Angles last summer to the tune of a 4.33 ERA and 1.29 WHIP after being designated for assignment by the Pittsburgh Pirates in May. Contreras operated out of both the rotation and the bullpen in Los Angeles but never exceeded more than three innings in an outing. For now, fantasy managers should expect the right-hander to continue to be deployed out of the bullpen but could be given an opportunity to compete for a spot in the rotation during Spring Training.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Kiley McDaniel
2 weeks agoMinnesota Twins first baseman/outfielder
Alex Kirilloff announced his retirement from professional baseball earlier on Thursday on his personal social media account. The 26-year-old emphasized how the numerous injuries he sustained as a professional athlete has taken on toll on him both "mentally and physically." In addition, he expressed that he can no longer give the game the "110%" it requires. Throughout his four-year MLB career with the Minnesota Twins, the former 15th-overall selection held a .248/.309/.412 slash line with 27 home runs, 116 RBI, and a 62:215 BB:K ratio.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Minnesota Twins
2 weeks agoAtlanta Braves outfielder
Jorge Soler is being traded to the Los Angeles Angels in exchange right-hander
Griffin Canning according to Jeff Passan of ESPN. Last season with both the Giants and Braves, Soler held a .241/.338/.442 line with 21 home runs, 64 RBI with a 68:141 BB:K ratio. Canning held an underwhelming 5.19 ERA, 1.40 WHIP with a 66:130 BB:K ratio across 171 2/3 innings of work. Soler should be expected to have a spot in the Opening Day lineup either serving as an outfielder or the designated hitter. Canning will likely compete for a spot in a crowded Atlanta rotation that will welcome back ace
Spencer Strider who missed most of the 2024 season due to UCL damage in his throwing elbow.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Jeff Passan
2 weeks agoNew York Yankees third baseman
Jazz Chisholm Jr. went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and a walk in their Game 5 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Chisholm hit his second home run of October in the opening frame directly after
Aaron Judge hit a two-run shot which gave the Yankees an early three-run lead. However, the Bronx Bombers were unable to hold their lead as the Dodgers eventually tied the game in the fifth and took the lead in the eighth. Chisholm's other postseason long ball came in Game 2 of the ALDS against the Kansas City Royals. The former Miami Marlin joined the Yankees at the trade deadline and finished his postseason run with a disappointing .182/.250/.309 slash line.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
2 weeks agoLos Angeles Dodgers outfielder
Teoscar Hernandez extended his hitting streak to six games by tallying two hits in their series-clinching victory on Wednesday evening. Hernandez tallied two hits including the game-tying two-run double in the fifth inning which capped an impressive five-run inning for the Dodgers. This double scored outfielder
Mookie Betts and first baseman
Freddie Freeman. After struggling through most of the NLCS, Hernandez safely reached in every game during the World Series and tallied at least two hits in two of the games. Throughout all of the postseason, the 32-year-old posted a solid .250/.352/.417 line with three home runs and 12 RBI.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
2 weeks agoNew York Yankees outfielder
Aaron Judge went 2-for-3 with two walks and two RBI in their series-clinching loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Judge opening the scoring with a two-run shot in the first inning which also scored outfielder
Juan Soto. This was his first round-tripper of the World Series and only third of the postseason. Later in the eighth inning, Judge hit a double to left field. Judge finished his postseason run with an underwhelming .184/.344/.408 slash line with just five extra-base hits and a 11:20 BB:K ratio.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
2 weeks agoNew York Yankees designated hitter
Giancarlo Stanton went 1-for-4 with his seventh home run of the postseason in their Game 5 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Stanton hit this solo shot off Dodger right-hander
Jack Flaherty and at the time gave the Yankees a five-run lead. However, they were unable to hold it as the Dodgers pulled off the rally and won the series. Stanton was previously named the ALCS MVP and has been the most consistent bat in the Yankee lineup during October. In the postseason, the 34-year-old held an impressive .273/.339/.709 slash line with nine total extra-base hits and 16 RBI.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
2 weeks agoLos Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher
Walker Buehler was tasked to record the final three outs in the Game 5 of the World Series. Buehler previously got the starting nod in Game 3 of the World Series but was available out of the bullpen on Wednesday. In the final frame, the 30-year-old got
Anthony Volpe to ground out and then proceeded to strike out the next two batters,
Austin Wells and
Alex Verdugo en route to winning his second World Series. This postseason, Buehler logged 15 innings to the tune of a 3.60 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP. During the regular season, the right-hander carried a 5.38 ERA and a 1.55 WHIP.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
2 weeks agoLos Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher
Daniel Hudson announced his retirement shortly after the Dodgers won the World Series on Wednesday evening. Hudson stated that he "cannot make it another 162" and will instead opt to cap off his 15-year career with a championship. This season, Hudson operated in a high leverage role for the Dodgers and held a solid 3.00 ERA and 1.03 WHIP with ten saves across 63 innings of work. During October he allowed five earned runs in six innings of work. The now two-time World Series Champion ends his career with a cumulative 3.74 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 43 saves in 855 1/3 innings of work.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Rowan Kavner
2 weeks agoLos Angeles Dodgers first baseman
Freddie Freeman was down in the count 1-2 versus Yankees starter
Gerrit Cole in the fifth inning of Game 5 of the World Series on Wednesday when he singled to center, driving in two runs in what would end up being a five-run inning for the Dodgers that would tie the game 5-5. Los Angeles would ultimately go on to win 7-6, securing their eighth World Series title, and Freeman would go on to win World Series MVP. The 35-year-old finished the series 6-for-20 (.300) with home runs in each of the first four games, striking out just once and walking twice, while adding 12 RBI along the way. It was the exclamation point on another fine season for the future Hall of Famer, and with an offseason of rest, he should be able to get his hobbled ankle back to full health for the 2025 campaign.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 weeks agoThe New York Mets have signed veteran pitcher Chris Devenksi to a minor league deal with an invite to camp next season. Devenski began 2024 with the Tampa Bay Rays but was released and picked up by Seattle, spending time from mid-July through the end of the season with the Mariners' Triple-A affiliate, posting a strong 2.35 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and a 22.6% K-BB% over 23 innings of relief. The 33-year-old was an All-Star back in 2017 with Houston and has a career 3.98 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and 18.6% K-BB%.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: Anthony DiComo - MLB.com
2
weeks
agoCincinnati
Reds
first
baseman
Christian
Encarnacion-Strand
was
activated
off
the
60-day
IL
on
Monday.
With
Encarnacion-Strand
playing
in
the
Arizona
Fall
League,
he
was
initially
on
a
rehab
assignment
but
with
it
expiring
he
needed
to
be
put
back
on
the
active
roster
read more...
2
weeks
agoCincinnati
Reds
infielder
Matt
McLain
was
starting
in
center
field
on
Tuesday
for
the
Glendale
Desert
Dogs
in
the
Arizona
Fall
League.
While
the
25-year-old
hit
a
home
run
in
the
contest,
the
fact
that
he
was
playing
the
outfield
was
perhaps
the
read more...
2 weeks agoThe Chicago White Sox have hired
Will Venable as their new manager. Grady Sizemore had served 45 games as interim manager, finishing out the 2024 season after Pedro Grifol had been let go amid a campaign of futility. The 42-year-old Venable played nine seasons in the majors and was with the Rangers as associate manager under Bruce Bochy prior to joining Chicago. The Sox are coming off a record-setting 121-loss season in 2024, so Venable has an uphill challenge in front of him to get the team winning consistently again.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: Jeff Passan
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