4 weeks agoThe Chicago White Sox have designated outfielder
Corey Julks for assignment. In a corresponding move they acquired left-handed relief pitcher Corey Booser from the Boston Red Sox. Julks began his professional career with the Houston Astros. He made his major league debut in Houston in 2023 and held a .245/.297/.352 line with six home runs and 15 stolen bases across 93 games. Last summer in Chicago, he carried a .214/.275/.306 line with just three home runs and five stolen bases across 66 games. While Julks has yet to put it together in the major leagues, he has flashed upside at the Triple-A level holding a cumulative .267/.360/.491 line with 42 doubles, 40 home runs, and 35 stolen bases across 195 games. If Julks were to find a new home, he would likely compete for a spot on an Opening Day Roster during Spring Training.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Chicago White Sox
4 weeks agoAccording to Mike Mayer of MetsmerizedOnline.com, the New York Mets continue to show interest in free-agent third baseman
Alex Bregman and have emerged as a potential landing spot for him. Even after acquiring
Juan Soto on a record-breaking contract, the Mets remain very active for the top free agents on the market. Last season in Houston, Bregman posted a .260/.315/.453 slash line with 26 home runs and three stolen bases. He showed an elite eye at the plate, holding a stellar 13.6% strikeout rate and 12.8% whiff rate, which were among the top marks in the sport. If the Mets were to acquire Bregman, this would likely move
Mark Vientos to the DH spot or potentially first base. Vientos played an integral role in their postseason run this past fall, as he held a stellar .327/.367/.636 line across 13 playoff games. Given Bregman's strong contact skills and eye at the plate, he should be viewed as a top-12 option in 2025.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Mike Mayer
4 weeks agoThe Chicago White Sox have acquired left-handed relief pitcher
Cam Booser from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for right-handed pitcher Yhoiker Fajardo. In a corresponding move the White Sox designated outfielder
Corey Julks for assignment. Last season in Boston, Booser held a 3.38 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP across 42 2/3 innings of relief. He tallied one save. He generated a solid 36.3% hard-hit rate with an above-average 3.56 xERA. Across 68 1/3 Triple-A frames, Booser carried a 5.14 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP. Fantasy managers should expect Booser to operate primarily out of the bullpen in Chicago and may eventually find a high-leverage role if he has a successful Spring Training as their current bullpen lacks any proven late-inning options.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Chicago White Sox
4 weeks agoAccording to Jeff Passan, right-handed pitcher
Slade Cecconi was traded to the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for first baseman
Josh Naylor. Cecconi has spent his entire professional career in the Arizona Diamondbacks system. He made his major league debut in 2023 and posted a 4.33 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP across 27 innings. Last summer, posted a high 6.66 ERA and a 1.42 WHIP across 77 innings. The Miami product bounced between the rotation and the bullpen during both of his major league stints. In the minor leagues he operated primarily as a starter and held a 5.23 ERA and 1.27 WHIP through 163 1/3 innings. Despite his high ratios, he possess great command as he posted an impressive 5.0% walk rate. With the Guardians losing
Matthew Boyd earlier this offseason to the Chicago Cubs, Cecconi could have an opportunity to compete for a spot in the starting rotation during Spring Training.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Jeff Passan
4 weeks agoAccording to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Cleveland Guardians have signed first baseman
Carlos Santana to a one-year contract worth $12 million, pending a physical. This transaction occurred just minutes after the Guardians traded first baseman
Josh Naylor to the Arizona Diamondbacks. This will be Santana's third stint with Cleveland. Last season, the veteran first baseman posted a .238/.328/.420 line with 23 home runs and four stolen bases in Minnesota. He tallied 71 RBI with 26 doubles. He showed a great eye at the plate with a strong 10.9% walk rate and 16.7% K rate which placed him in the 82nd and 79th percentile respectively among qualified hitters. He also held a slightly above average .330 xwOBA. Fantasy managers should expect Santana to operate as the everyday first baseman and does carry solid RBI upside this season batting behind
Steven Kwan and
Jose Ramirez.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Jeff Passan
4
weeks
agoAccording
to
Jeff
Passan
of
ESPN,
the
Arizona
Diamondbacks
are
acquiring
first
baseman
Josh
Naylor
from
the
Cleveland
Guardians
in
exchange
for
right-handed
pitcher
Slade
Cecconi
and
a
competitive
balance
Round
B
draft
pick.
Naylor
has
spent
the
past
four
read more...
4 weeks agoThe Kansas City Royals announced on Friday that they signed free-agent right-hander
Junior Fernandez to a minor-league deal. Fernandez, a 27-year-old Dominican hurler, heads to Kansas City after making only two appearances overseas in Japan for the Chiba Lotte Marines. He has not appeared in the big leagues since the 2022 campaign, when he had a combined 2.41 ERA (5.79 FIP), a 1.61 WHIP and a 14:12 K:BB in 18 2/3 relief innings with the St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates. In four seasons in the majors, Fernandez has only thrown 54 innings of relief and has a 5.17 ERA and 1.72 WHIP with a weak 18.7% strikeout rate and 13.9% walk rate. He will just be hoping to impress in spring training with the Royals but will most likely open the 2025 season at Triple-A Omaha.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Kansas City Royals
4 weeks agoThe Toronto Blue Jays designated right-handed pitcher
Hagen Danner for assignment on Friday to make room on the 40-man roster for left-hander
Josh Walker, who the team signed to a big-league deal worth $760,000. The 26-year-old Danner made his major-league debut with Toronto in 2023 but only appeared for one-third of an inning. The former second-round selection in 2017 out of Huntington Beach High School went 3-0 with a 3.06 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, seven saves, 34 strikeouts and 13 walks in 34 1/3 innings over 33 appearances out of the bullpen for Triple-A Buffalo this past season. If Danner clears waivers, he'll likely return to the Blue Jays and open the 2025 regular season back at Buffalo as relief depth for the organization.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Sportsnet.ca - Ben Nicholson-Smith
4
weeks
agoThe
New
York
Yankees
acquired
right-handed
reliever
Fernando
Cruz
and
catcher
Alex
Jackson
from
the
Cincinnati
Reds
on
Friday
night
in
exchange
for
catcher
Jose
Trevino.
Both
Cruz
and
Jackson
will
give
the
Yankees
some
extra
read more...
4 weeks agoFree-agent first baseman
Paul Goldschmidt and the New York Yankees agreed on a one-year, $12.5 million deal on Saturday, pending a physical, according to a source. Goldschmidt was also receiving interest from the Arizona Diamondbacks, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners and New York Mets, but he'll instead head to the Bronx and replace
Anthony Rizzo as the club's regular first baseman in 2025. The 37-year-old right-handed slugger has been an All-Star seven times and was the National League MVP in 2022 with the St. Louis Cardinals, but he declined significantly on offense in 2024 with a .245/.302/.414 slash line with a career-worst .716 OPS and 22 home runs in 154 games. Although Goldy was better in the second half, it's concerning that his strikeout rate rose to a career-high 26.5% while his walk rate was at a career-low 7.2%. There could be some juice left, and New York isn't a bad landing spot.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Ken Rosenthal
4 weeks agoThe Cincinnati Reds acquired catcher
Jose Trevino from the New York Yankees on Friday night in exchange for right-handed reliever
Fernando Cruz and catcher
Alex Jackson, according to sources. Trevino was the primary backup for
Austin Wells in the Bronx in 2024 and slashed a weak .215/.288/.354 with eight home runs and 28 RBI in 234 plate appearances in the regular season. The 32-year-old veteran backstop will now head to Cincinnati, where he'll once again be in a backup role, this time behind
Tyler Stephenson. His backup role won't provide him much fantasy value, if any at all, heading into the 2025 campaign. The former sixth-round pick by the Texas Rangers in 2014 out of Oral Roberts University carries a .236/.275/.362 career slash line with a .637 OPS and only 32 home runs in 399 games over seven MLB seasons.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com - Jeff Passan
4 weeks agoAccording to Bruce Levine of 670 The Score, the Chicago Cubs met with free-agent right-handed pitcher Roki Sasaki earlier on Friday. Sasaki was officially posted earlier this month from Nippon Professional Baseball. In the 2024 season, the hard-throwing right-hander struck out 129 batters across 111 innings of work. He posted a strong 2.35 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP. The 23-year-old is viewed as one of the top pitchers on the current free-agent market despite him not having pitched in an MLB setting. Earlier this week, Sasaki met with the New York Mets and has been linked to the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres, among others. Earlier this offseason, the Cubs signed left-handed pitcher
Matthew Boyd to operate at the back end of their rotation. If Sasaki were to sign with the Cubs,
Javier Assad would likely shift to a long-relief role.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Bruce Levine
4 weeks agoAccording to Ben Nicholson-Smith of SportsNet, the Toronto Blue Jays have signed left-handed pitcher
Josh Walker to a one-year contract worth $760,000. In a corresponding move the Blue Jays released right-handed pitcher
Hagen Danner. Walker has spent his entire professional career with the New York Mets after being selected in the 2017 MLB Draft out of New Haven. Across 22 1/3 major league innings of relief, the southpaw has held a 6.45 ERA and a 1.66 WHIP. He struck out 23 batters and allowed 12 free passes. In 37 2/3 innings at the Triple-A level last summer, he posted a 4.06 ERA and 1.27 WHIP. Fantasy managers should expect Walker to have a low-leverage role in the Toronto bullpen if he is able to earn a spot on the Opening Day Roster.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Ben Nicholson-Smith
4 weeks agoAccording to Daniel Alvarez-Montes of the Miami Chapter Chair, the Miami Marlins have released infielder
Vidal Brujan to make room for third baseman
Eric Wagaman. Brujan began his major league career in the Tampa Bay system. Across 227 games at Triple-A, Brujan posted a solid .272/.357/.451 line with 29 home runs and 89 stolen bases. However, he struggled when he was given the call to the big leagues. In 2022, the infielder carried an underwhelming .163/.228/.259 line across a 52-game stint. Last season he played 102 games with the Miami Marlins and struggled as well posting a .222/.303/.319 line with just two home runs and five swiped bags. While he flashed great contact skills and speed in the minor leagues, he has yet to put it together in the majors. If he does find a suitor, he will likely compete for a spot on an Opening Day Roster during Spring Training.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Daniel Alvarez-Montes
4 weeks agoAccording to Daniel Alvarez-Montes of the Miami Chapter Chair, the Miami Marlins are signing third baseman
Eric Wagaman to a one-year contract. Wagaman made his major league debut last season with the Angles and posted a .250/.270/.403 line with five doubles and two home runs across a small 18-game stint. Across 27 games at Triple-A last season, Wagaman held an impressive .320/.355/.500 slash line with five doubles, three home runs, and a 6:14 BB:K ratio. Across 146 games at the Double-A level the 27-year-old held a solid .282/.352/.468 line. Fantasy managers should monitor his progress during Spring Training as he may contend for a spot on the Opening Day Roster especially with
Jake Burger departing for Texas earlier this offseason.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Daniel Alvarez-Montes
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