3
weeks
agoThe
Colorado
Rockies
are
in
the
market
for
a
second
baseman
this
winter,
and
according
to
a
source,
one
name
to
monitor
is
free-agent
infielder
Thairo
Estrada.
After
moving
on
from
Brendan
Rodgers
finally,
the
Rockies
signed
read more...
3 weeks agoAccording to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the New York Mets have signed relief pitcher
Clay Holmes to a three-year, $38 million contract. Holmes spent his past three seasons serving as a high-leverage option for the New York Yankees. Last season, Holmes began the season as the closer but eventually lost his job towards the back half of the summer after posting a 3.75 ERA and 1.29 in the second half. Earlier in the offseason, there was speculation that potential suitors were viewing Holmes as a possible starting pitcher. Fantasy managers should monitor how the Mets view Holmes during spring training, as he will likely not see any save opportunities with
Edwin Diaz on the roster. Despite his drop in production last summer, Holmes generated a strong 5.6% barrel rate, 30.2% whiff rate, and an impressive 64.6% ground-ball rate, which suggests he could be due for some positive regression in Queens.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Jon Heyman
3 weeks agoAccording to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Chicago Cubs are "determined" to trade either outfielders
Cody Bellinger or
Seiya Suzuki. While Bellinger's name has been on the trade block earlier this offseason, Suzuki's name has yet to enter the conversation. Suzuki has spent each of his first three MLB seasons with the Cubs and has posted an overall .278/.354/.470 line. Last season, he hit a career-high 21 home runs and swiped a career-high 16 bags. Under the hood, he generated a stellar 49.2% hard-hit and 11.5% barrel rates. Given Chicago's surplus of young outfielders such as
Pete Crow-Armstrong,
Owen Caissie,
Kevin Alcantara, and even top-hitting prospect infielder
Matt Shaw, the Cubs may opt to ship one of these MLB bats to improve another position on their roster, which will open a spot for one of their budding prospects.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Joel Sherman
3 weeks agoAccording to Gary Philips of the New York Daily News, New York Yankees starting pitcher
Marcus Stroman could be a potential trade candidate. Stroman signed a two-year contract with the Yankees last offseason but could already be on his way out of the Bronx. In his first season as a Yankee, the right-hander held a 4.31 ERA and 1.47 WHIP, which was his worst mark since the 2018 campaign. His underlying metrics were not overly positive as he generated a poor 4.94 xERA and struggled to generate strikeouts at a low 16.7% K rate. Earlier this week, Michael Kay of the YES Network reported that the Yankees had a successful meeting with free agent starting pitcher
Max Fried, which could also suggest that Stroman's tenure in New York could be coming to an end. Given his poor underlying metrics, Stroman will likely only be viewed as a low-end streaming option for fantasy purposes in 2025.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Gary Phillips
3
weeks
agoAccording
to
Mike
Puma
of
the
New
York
Post,
New
York
Mets
third
baseman
Brett
Baty
is
drawing
trade
interest.
Baty
was
drafted
by
the
Mets
with
the
12th
overall
pick
in
the
2019
MLB
Draft.
Baty
made
his
major
league
debut
in
read more...
3 weeks agoAccording to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, and Toronto Blue Jays have made an offer "in the ballpark" of $700 million and nearing 15-plus years to free-agent outfielder
Juan Soto. Heyman also noted that the Los Angeles Dodgers have submitted an offer of around "$600 million." The race to sign the 26-year-old superstar continues to heat up as several owners are willing to open their pockets to put themselves as the highest bidder. Last summer in his debut campaign in the Bronx, Soto posted an excellent .288/.419/.569 slash line with 41 long balls. Under the hood, he boasted a .462 xwOBA and .316 xBA, which placed him in the top 100th percentile among qualified hitters. No matter where he calls home in 2025, Soto will be a consensus first-round selection in all fantasy formats this spring.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Jon Heyman
3 weeks agoAccording to Jayson Stark of The Athletic, relief pitcher
Clay Holmes is nearing his free-agent decision. Stark noted that the clubs in talks with Holmes suggest he is nearing a final decision. However, it is still unknown whether Holmes will continue to operate as a reliever or consider moving to the rotation. Earlier this offseason, there was some speculation that teams were considering Holmes as a potential starting pitcher. In addition, Stark noted that several of the teams interested in Holmes are contenders. Last season, the 31-year-old opened the campaign as the Yankees closer but eventually lost his job later in the summer. In the second half, he posted a high 3.75 ERA and 1.29 WHIP. However, he still posted solid metrics under the hood, including a 5.6% barrel rate and a stellar 64.6% ground ball rate. Fantasy managers should monitor where Holmes signs, as he could find fantasy production either as a high-leverage option or as a starter.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Jayson Stark
3 weeks agoFree-agent right-hander
Shane Bieber (elbow) and the Cleveland Guardians agreed to a one-year, $14 million deal on Friday that includes a $16 million player option for the 2026 season, according to sources. Bieber has chosen to return on a one-year pact after undergoing Tommy John surgery back in April. He isn't expected to return until the middle of 2025, so it makes sense for him to return to the Guardians to try and boost his value once again before potentially hitting the open market again next offseason. The two-time All-Star and former American League Cy Young (2020) only made two starts in 2024 before going under the knife, but he was dominant with 20 strikeouts over 12 shutout innings. Bieber has been excellent in the past, but fantasy managers would be foolish to assume he'll suddenly regain velocity and whiffs in his return from TJ surgery in 2025. He'll be a risk/reward fantasy starter on the cheap.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com - Jeff Passan
3 weeks agoMLB.com's Steve Gilbert wonders if the Arizona Diamondbacks would consider turning shortstop
Blaze Alexander into a
Chris Taylor-type of multi-positional player moving forward. Alexander has appeared at shortstop, second base and third base at the major-league level, but he has yet to play the outfield. The 25-year-old is an above-average athlete that can run, and he also possesses a strong arm, so he shouldn't have a ton of issues learning the outfield. Using Alexander at other positions in the outfield would make him much more valuable and give manager Torey Lovullo a lot more options in game. An 11th-round selection in 2018, Alexander made his big-league debut in 2024 for the Snakes and saw extensive action, appearing in 61 games and slashing .247/.321/.343 with a .664 OPS, three home runs, 21 RBI, three steals and 19 runs scored in 185 plate appearances.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Steve Gilbert
3 weeks agoThe Arizona Diamondbacks will likely look at right-hander
Drey Jameson (elbow) as a reliever in his first season back from Tommy John surgery in 2025. Jameson is one of the team's top prospects, but he had Tommy John surgery in September of 2023 and will be ready to go in spring training in February. He threw only 68 2/3 innings between Triple-A Reno and the majors before having surgery in 2023 and obviously didn't pitch at all in 2024, so he'll be on a strict innings limit in his return next year. If that's the direction the Snakes go in, Jameson will lack fantasy upside in 2025, but he could still be an extremely valuable piece out of Arizona's bullpen. The 27-year-old made 15 big-league appearances (three starts) for the D-backs in 2023 and had a 3.32 ERA, a 1.43 WHIP, one save, 37 strikeouts and 18 walks in 40 2/3 innings.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Steve Gilbert
3
weeks
agoAs
the
St.
Louis
Cardinals
transition
this
offseason,
they
are
focused
on
letting
most
of
their
youngers
players
play
regularly
in
order
to
evaluate
their
roster
for
the
coming
seasons.
Infielder
Nolan
Gorman
is
one
such
young
player
set
to
play
regularly
in
read more...
3 weeks agoKansas City Royals infielder
Maikel Garcia (elbow) underwent a minor procedure to remove bone chips in his right elbow on Thursday. Garcia reported elbow soreness to the Royals after playing catch at home the week before Thanksgiving, which prompted the team to send him for an MRI exam, in which bone chips were found. Garcia is expected to be ready for spring training in February and is expected to return as the team's primary third baseman in 2025 after hitting .231/.281/.332 in 2024 with 27 doubles and 37 stolen bases. In addition to his 27 doubles and 37 stolen bases for the Royals in a career-high 157 games in his third year in the big leagues, the Venezuelan infielder hit a career-high seven home runs, drove in 58 runs and scored 84 runs in 626 plate appearances. The 24-year-old doesn't have typical home run power for a third baseman, but the speed is nice for a corner-infield target in fantasy.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
3 weeks agoFree-agent catcher
Danny Jansen and the Tampa Bay Rays agreed on a one-year, $8.5 million deal on Friday that includes a mutual option for a second season in 2026, according to sources. Jansen played for the Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox in 2024 and will remain in the American League East. In 92 games for the Jays and Red Sox this past season, Jansen struggled to the tune of a .205/.309/.349 slash line with a well below-average .658 OPS, nine home runs, 24 RBI and 35 runs scored in 324 total plate appearances. Injuries continue to limit the 29-year-old's playing time, but he did post double-digit home runs in the previous three seasons at the weak catcher position. Jansen could have a rebound season in Tampa in 2025 while splitting playing time with
Ben Rortvedt, but he's going to need to stay healthy, which has been an issue for him in his MLB career.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com - Jeff Passan
3 weeks agoThe Athletic's Ken Rosenthal suggests that free-agent first baseman
Christian Walker, who is from the eastern part of Pennsylvania, could be an ideal fit for the Pittsburgh Pirates, a team looking for upgrades on offense. However, many other teams will be interested in Walker this offseason, including both New York teams if they lose out on superstar free-agent outfielder
Juan Soto. The Pirates expect outfielder
Bryan Reynolds to play some first base in 2025, but ideally, the Bucs are looking to add a first baseman and a corner outfielder this offseason. The 33-year-old Walker turned down the Arizona Diamondbacks' $21.50 million qualifying offer, so if Pittsburgh signs him, they'll give up draft compensation. Walker has been a model of power consistency in recent seasons, although an oblique injury hampered him down the stretch in 2024. A move to Pittsburgh wouldn't be ideal for fantasy, but he'll still be a decent target at the position once the elite names come off the board.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Ken Rosenthal
3 weeks agoIf the Houston Astros are unable to re-sign third baseman
Alex Bregman this offseason, free-agent infielder
Jorge Polanco is at the top of their list as a contingency plan at the hot corner. Polanco will be looking for a rebound season in 2025 after coming off knee surgery. The veteran switch-hitter had a career-low .651 OPS in 118 games with the Seattle Mariners this past season but also had a .724 OPS with 11 of his 16 long balls on the year in 63 games from July 9 on. If the team loses Bregman and goes cheaper at third base, they could look to upgrade at first base, where they've discussed free-agent first baseman
Christian Walker. Polanco is capable of bouncing back and should be ready for the start of the 2025 regular season, but his health is a major question mark, as he's played in 120 games only three times since debuting in 2014.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Brian McTaggart
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