5 hours agoAccording to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, free-agent second baseman
Gleyber Torres has agreed to a one-year contract worth $15 million with the Detroit Tigers. Last season with the Yankees, Torres posted a career-low .257/.33/.378 slash line with just 15 home runs and four stolen bases. He tallied 26 doubles and 63 RBI. Under the hood, he generated a poor .307 xwOBA, 2.40 xBA, and a .368 xSLG, which were all below the 40th percentile among qualified hitters. However, he showed a solid eye at the plate with a 9.8% walk rate and a 20.5% strikeout rate, both of which were above the average marks. Fantasy managers should expect Torres to spend most of his time at the keystone in Detroit, which will move
Colt Keith to the hot corner or even first base. This may make it difficult for young infielders
Jace Jung or
Trey Sweeney to find consistent playing time as well.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Jon Heyman
6 hours agoFree-agent relief pitcher
Drew VerHagen has re-signed with the Nippon Ham Fighters in Japan. The 34-year-old posted a 3.09 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, and 82/22 K/BB ratio across 20 appearances with the Ham Fighters last season. After testing the market, VerHagen has decided to head back to Japan for at least one more season. He last pitched in the MLB with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2023. VerHagen posted a 3.98 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, and 60/26 K/BB ratio in 60 appearances with the Cards that season. It's uncertain if he plans to return to the big leagues after another year overseas.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Nippon Ham Fighters
6 hours agoThe Colorado Rockies have signed relief pitcher
Diego Castillo to a minor-league deal with an invite to spring training. This isn't a blockbuster move, but Castillo has been an under-the-radar pitcher throughout his career. He didn't see much action in the MLB last season as he posted a 2.70 ERA, 1.60 WHIP, and 6/8 K/BB ratio in seven appearances with the Minnesota Twins. The 30-year-old has a 3.20 ERA across seven big league seasons and has 35 saves across his career. He has a decent shot at making the big league bullpen considering the Rockies don't have many lock-down options in their pen right now.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Sports Illustrated
6 hours agoFree-agent first baseman
Pete Alonso remains in contract talks with his former club, but there appears to be a sizable gap in terms of a deal. The rumor is that the New York Mets offer is around three years and $90 million. However, Alonso is reportedly looking for a deal that is around $200 million, which means the two sides probably aren't too close. The most likely scenario is Alonso ending up back with the Mets considering most of the other big-name first basemen have already signed.
Christian Walker,
Paul Goldschmidt, and
Carlos Santana have all signed within the last week or so, which leaves Alonso as the biggest name left at the cold corner. Alonso has been an All-Star the last three seasons with 34 home runs or more in each of the last four seasons. The 30-year-old is well deserving of a long term deal as he's one of the top hitters at his position.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Jon Heyman
7 hours agoFree-agent relief pitcher
Andrew Chafin is reportedly drawing interest from the New York Yankees. The 34-year-old became a free agent this winter after the Texas Rangers declined his $6.5 million option for the 2025 campaign. Last season, Chafin posted a 3.51 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 70/31 K/BB ratio across 62 appearances with the Detroit Tigers and Rangers. The veteran southpaw has been a capable and trustworthy option for years now. The Yankees desperately need a reliable left-handed reliever, so the addition of Chafin would make sense for this roster. This bullpen already features
Devin Williams,
Luke Weaver, and
Mark Leiter Jr., so Chafin's chances of getting regular saves is unlikely in the Bronx. That being said, Chafin wouldn't have ideal fantasy value there, but is a good fit for the team.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Jon Heyman
7 hours agoFree-agent second baseman
Gleyber Torres has reportedly declined an offer from the Washington Nationals because he doesn't want to play third base. Possibly, Torres is just giving an excuse because he didn't want to join the 71-win Nationals club. However, there have been reports in the past about Torres not wanting to move away from second base. The 28-year-old was once the top prospect in a trade to the New York Yankees that landed the Chicago Cubs reliever
Aroldis Chapman for their 2016 World Series run. Since then, Torres has put together a few All-Star seasons and has been a serviceable player over the last seven seasons. Last season, Torres hit .257/.330/.378 with 15 home runs and 63 RBI in 154 games in the Bronx. He should be able to get a multi-year deal this offseason, but his inability to move positions could hurt his market value.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Jon Heyman
19
hours
agoAccording
to
Jack
Curry
of
the
YES
Network,
the
Yankees
are
unlikely
to
target
free
agent
third
baseman
Alex
Bregman.
According
to
Curry
on
an
episode
of
Yankees
Hot
Stove,
"That's
not
a
road
the
Yankees
are
going
down."
Curry
noted
that
the
read more...
19 hours agoAccording to Jack Curry of the YES Network, St. Louis Cardinals third baseman
Nolan Arenado is "not a fit" for what the Yankees are trying to do. Curry reported this on Yankees Hot Stove on the YES Network. Curry noted that while the Yankees may attempt to move starting pitcher
Marcus Stroman to shed payroll, they are not trying to swap him for Arenado. While the 33-year-old has remained an elite defender throughout his career, his hitting metrics have dropped. Last summer, Arenado hit just 16 home runs and held a .394 SLG. He generated a poor .356 xSLG and a .296 xwOBA, both well below the average marks. While the Yankees may still be in the market for a third baseman, it looks like Arenado does not fit their current plan.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. and
Oswaldo Cabrera are current candidates to be the Opening Day third baseman.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: New Jersey Advanced Media
19
hours
agoAccording
to
Justin
Tasch
of
the
New
York
Post,
the
New
York
Mets
had
interest
in
designated
hitter
Joc
Pederson
before
he
signed
a
two-year
contract
with
the
Texas
Rangers.
Last
summer,
Pederson
performed
very
well
being
deployed
on
the
strong
side
of
a
read more...
19
hours
agoAccording
to
Mark
Feinsand,
Bryan
Hoch,
and
John
Denton
of
MLB.com,
St.
Louis
Cardinals
starting
pitchers
Erick
Fedde
and
Steven
Matz
are
gaining
interest
on
the
trade
market
from
several
clubs
such
as
the
Detroit
Tigers
and
Cleveland
read more...
19 hours agoAccording to Mark Feinsand, Bryan Hoch, and John Denton of MLB.com, St. Louis Cardinals right-handed pitcher
Ryan Helsley is drawing interest from several clubs, including the Toronto Blue Jays and the Arizona Diamondbacks. The three insiders noted that the Cardinals are looking for a "reset" in 2025, and moving one of their top players could allow them to acquire a top prospect. Last season, the right-hander tallied the most saves in the major leagues (49) and pitched to the tune of a 2.04 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP. Across 66 1/3 innings, Helsley generated a stellar 2.72 xERA with a 36.1% whiff rate and 29.7% K rate. Helsley should be viewed as a top relief pitcher heading into the 2025 season, as he would be the go-to ninth-inning option wherever he calls home next summer.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
3 days agoAccording to Jake Oliver of Sports Illustrated, right-handed pitcher
David Robertson could be a potential target for the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Diamondbacks have expressed interest in adding a reliable high-leverage option and given Robertson's experience, he could fit that bill. Last summer across 72 innings with the Texas Rangers, the 39-year-old held a strong 3.00 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP. He struck 99 batters with a 9.4% walk rate. Robertson was deployed as the set-up man behind
Kirby Yates. Under the hood, he generated a strong 3.19 xERA and 5.5% barrel rate which were both above the average marks of qualified pitchers. If the Diamondbacks do not pursue Robertson, they could look internally for their ninth-inning arm such as
Justin Martinez or
A.J. Puk.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Sports Illustrated
3 days agoAccording to MLB.com, left-handed pitcher
Raymond Burgos is returning to San Francisco on a minor league contract. Burgos spent most of the 2024 season in the minor leagues but did make one appearance in the majors. Across his lone inning, Burgos allowed one run and three hits. However, across 26 2/3 innings at the Triple-A level, Burgos performed very well boasting a stellar 1.69 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP. He struck out 27 batters and served up just five free passes. In a similar 21 1/3 innings of work at Triple-A in 2023, Burgos held a much higher 5.48 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP. Given his excellent production at Triple-A last season, Burgos could find himself in a permanent role in the big leagues next summer if he has a successful Spring Training.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
3 days agoAccording to MLB.com, right-handed pitcher
Enyel De Los Santos has signed a minor-league deal with the Atlanta Braves. De Los Santos spent the 2024 campaign with the San Diego Padres, New York Yankees, and Chicago White Sox. Across 64 innings, the 29-year-old held a 5.20 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP. Under the hood, he generated a strong 29.3% whiff rate but allowed hard contact at a hefty 42.3% hard-hit rate. In 2023, De Los Santos posted a 3.29 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP. Fantasy managers should expect De Los Santos to serve as a low-leverage relief option in the Atlanta bullpen if he can make the Opening Day roster.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
3 days agoAccording to Chris Cotillo of MassLive, the Boston Red Sox have acquired left-handed pitcher
Jovani Moran from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for catcher
Mickey Gasper. The 27-year-old missed the entire 2024 campaign due to Tommy John surgery. Across 42 1/3 innings in 2023, the southpaw held a 5.31 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP. He struck out 48 batters. During this stint he generated a strong 3.69 xERA and a .211 xBA. In 2022, Moran posted a stellar 2.21 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP in a similar 40 1/3 inning sample size. Fantasy managers in deeper formats should monitor his progress during Spring Training as he may earn a spot in the Boston bullpen when healthy.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Chris Cotillo
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