3 weeks agoAccording to Robert Murray of FanSided.com, the Arizona Diamondbacks and first baseman
Josh Naylor have agreed to a one-year, $10.9 million contract to avoid salary arbitration. The Diamondbacks acquired Naylor earlier this offseason via a trade with the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for right-handed pitcher
Slade Cecconi. Last season in Cleveland, Naylor posted a .243/.320/.456 slash line with 31 home runs and six stolen bases. He also tallied an impressive 108 RBI. This was his second straight campaign tallying at least 97 RBI. He generated a solid .335 xwOBA and a .443 xSLG. With
Christian Walker now in Houston, fantasy managers should expect Naylor to operate as the everyday first baseman in Arizona. He should continue to be viewed as an elite option for RBI and will now bat behind
Ketel Marte and
Corbin Carroll.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Robert Murray
3 weeks agoAccording to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, the Toronto Blue Jays and first baseman
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. agreed on a one-year contract worth $28.5 million to avoid arbitration. The 25-year-old enjoyed a fantastic campaign last summer, posting a stellar .323/.396/.544 slash line with 30 home runs and two stolen bases. Under the hood, he generated a .408 xwOBA, .321 xBA, and a .567 xSLG, which placed him in the 98th, 100th, and 98th percentile, respectively, in each statistic. He also posted an excellent 54.9% hard-hit rate and showed an elite eye at the plate with a 13.8% K rate. Guerrero's eventual contract extension remains a top priority for the Blue Jays as he will enter free agency next winter. Heading into 2025, fantasy managers should view Guerrero as the top first baseman on the board, given his elite hitting profile and power upside.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Mark Feinsand
3 weeks agoAccording to Jesse Rogers of ESPN, outfielder
Kyle Tucker and the Chicago Cubs could not come to a settlement on a salary for 2025. As a result, both sides will now exchange arbitration figures. Tucker was acquired by the Cubs earlier this offseason in a blockbuster trade that sent top prospect Cam Smith, third baseman
Isaac Paredes, and right-handed pitcher
Hayden Wesneski to the Houston Astros. Tucker is one of the best outfielders in the sport, as he posted a stellar .289/.408/.585 slash line with 23 home runs and 11 stolen bases across 78 games last season. Tucker missed time due to a shin fracture. Under the hood, the 27-year-old generated a stellar .400 xwOBA with a strong 16.5% strikeout rate and a 15.9% walk rate. Given his elite bat and speed, Tucker is viewed as a consensus first-round pick in all formats.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Jesse Rogers
3 weeks agoAccording to Robert Murray of FanSided.com, the Los Angeles Angels and outfielder
Jo Adell have settled on a one-year, $2.1 million contract to avoid salary arbitration. Adell has spent his entire professional career with the Angels after being drafted by them with the 10th overall pick in the 2017 MLB draft. Last summer, Adell caught fire in April, posting a stellar .327/.379/.615 slash line with four home runs and five stolen bases but struggled the rest of the season with a .190/.266/.368 line. However, he was able to hit a career-high 20 long balls and swipe 15 bags last season. He continued to hit the ball hard with an 11.7% barrel rate and a 44.7% hard-hit but held a hefty 27.9% strikeout rate. Adell should be viewed as a decent target for power and speed that comes with risk given his lack of contact skills.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Robert Murray
3 weeks agoAccording to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Baltimore Orioles have signed relief pitcher
Andrew Kittredge to a one-year deal worth $10 million. Kittredge spent the entire 2024 season pitching in St. Louis and operating as the setup man for closer
Ryan Helsley. With
Felix Bautista expected to reclaim the closer role in 2025, Kittredge will likely be deployed in a setup role once again. Last season, the veteran posted a 2.80 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP across 70 2/3 innings of work. He generated a solid 45.5% ground-ball rate and showed strong command with a 7.0% walk rate. He struck out batters at a modest 28.3% clip and generated whiffs at a 27.8% rate. Fantasy managers in leagues that score holds should view Kittredge as one of the top options, as he should be given ample opportunities to pitch with a lead on a competing Baltimore team.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Ken Rosenthal
3 weeks agoAccording to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Houston Astros and starting pitcher
Framber Valdez have agreed to a one-year contract worth $18 million to avoid arbitration. The southpaw is expected to be among the top free agents following the 2025 season. Last summer, the 31-year-old posted a 2.91 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP across 176 1/3 innings of work. Valdez has made at least 28 starts over the past three seasons and logged at least 175 innings in each campaign. Last summer, Valdez generated a stellar 61.7% ground-ball rate, which placed him in the 99th percentile among qualified pitchers. He also limited hard contact with an excellent 5.3% barrel rate. Despite his modest strikeout production, Valdez remains one of the safest pitchers in fantasy baseball, given his ability to log a high total of innings each year and produce strong ratios.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Jeff Passan
3 weeks agoAccording to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, the New York Yankees and infielder
Jazz Chisholm Jr. have agreed to a one-year contract worth $5.85 million to avoid arbitration. The 26-year-old began the 2024 season with the Miami Marlins but was eventually traded to the New York Yankees during the stretch run. Across 147 games last summer, Chisholm held a .256/.324/.436 line with 24 home runs and 40 stolen bases. However, in 46 games with the Yankees, Chisholm performed very well as he held a .273/.325/.500 line with 11 home runs. The 26-year-old was deployed primarily at the hot corner during his short tenure with the Yankees last season but could move to the keystone as the Yankees are actively trying to add another infielder to their roster. Chisholm carries an elite combination of power and speed and should be viewed as a high-end third baseman in standard category leagues.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Mark Feinsand
3 weeks agoAccording to the team, outfielder
Jarred Kelenic and the Atlanta Braves have agreed to a one-year contract worth $2.3 million to avoid arbitration. The former top prospect spent the entire 2024 campaign with the Atlanta Braves. While he performed well at times, he struggled to find consistency as he held an overall .231/.286/.393 slash line with 15 home runs and seven stolen bases. During the first half, he held a solid .255 AVG and a .418 SLG but saw his production drop considerably in the second half to a mere .182 AVG and a .343 SLG. The 25-year-old generated a modest 45.2% hard-hit rate and a 9.9% barrel rate. Fantasy managers should expect Kelenic to operate as the everyday left fielder in Atlanta in 2025 but could be given a shorter leash given his late-season struggles in 2024.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Atlanta Braves
3 weeks agoAccording to Mandy Bell of MLB.com, the Cleveland Guardians and outfielder
Steven Kwan have agreed to a one-year contract worth $4.175 million to avoid arbitration. In 2024, Steven Kwan enjoyed the best season of his career as he posted a .292/.368/.425 line. He launched a career-best 14 home runs. He also swiped double-digit bags for the third straight campaign. This was a nice bounce-back compared to the .268/.340./.370 line he held in 2023. Last summer, he generated an impressive .284 xBA, which placed him in the 94th percentile among qualified hitters. In addition, the 27-year-old showed a great eye at the plate with a 9.4% K rate, 8.2% whiff rate, and 19.2% chase rate, which placed him within the 96th percentile among qualified hitters. Despite his lack of power, Kwan remains a top pick for batting average, given his elite contact skills.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Mandy Bell
3 weeks agoAccording to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, the Seattle Mariners and outfielder
Randy Arozarena have agreed on a one-year contract worth $11.3 million to avoid arbitration. Arozarena opened the 2024 campaign with the Tampa Bay Rays but was eventually shipped to Seattle during the second half. The outfielder had a down year to his standards as he held a .219/.332/.388 line across 154 games. This was a stark drop to the .254/.364/.425 line he held during the 2023 campaign. However, he did hit 20 home runs and swiped 20 bags. Under the hood, he generated a solid 43.5% hard-hit rate but struggled at the plate with a hefty 29.7% whiff rate and a 26.1% K rate, which were both significantly below the average marks. Fantasy managers should expect Arozarena to operate as the everyday left fielder in Seattle in 2025.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Mark Feinsand
3 weeks agoAccording to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, the San Diego Padres and right-handed pitcher
Michael King did not come to an agreement prior to the deadline. As a result, they will now exchange arbitration figures. King performed very well in his first season as a full-time starter. Despite his slow start in April, the right-hander posted a 2.95 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP across a career-high 173 2/3 innings. He struck out batters at a strong 27.7% rate and generated hard contact at an elite 30.3% clip. He also generated an above-average 3.59 xERA and a .226 xBA. Fantasy managers should expect King to continue to have a role in the starting rotation in 2025. Given his impressive second half, where he posted a strong 2.15 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP, fantasy managers should view King as a high-upside SP2 in all formats.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Mark Feinsand
3 weeks agoThe Houston Astros and utility man
Mauricio Dubon settled on a $5 million deal for the 2025 season on Thursday to avoid salary arbitration, according to a source. Dubon will have one more year of arbitration eligibility. The 30-year-old veteran is currently recovering after having surgery to fix a torn UCL in his left thumb in October, but barring a setback, he should be ready for Opening Day in 2025. The Honduras native slashed .269/.296/.361 with a .657 OPS, only four home runs, a career-high 47 RBI, three stolen bases and 45 runs scored in 137 games in his second full season with the Astros in 2024. Dubon's game on offense is based on putting the ball in play, but he doesn't hit the ball very hard and has limited power, making him a low-upside commodity in AL-only leagues mostly. His biggest draw in those fantasy leagues is his positional versatility, as he can basically play anywhere on the diamond.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Chandler Rome
3 weeks agoRight-hander
Kutter Crawford and the Boston Red Sox settled on a one-year, $2.75 million deal on Thursday to avoid salary arbitration. In his fourth year with Boston in 2024, Crawford made a career-high 33 starts (183 2/3 innings ) and went 9-16 (most losses in the league) with a 4.36 ERA (4.65 FIP), 1.12 WHIP, 175 strikeouts, 51 walks and a league-high 34 home runs allowed. The 28-year-old was an innings-eater for the Red Sox last year but struggled with a career-high workload. His strikeout percentage (23.1 percent) and hard-hit rate (36.3%) regressed last year with more innings under his belt. The BoSox added left-hander
Garrett Crochet and right-hander
Walker Buehler to their starting rotation this offseason, so there's no guarantee Crawford will open 2025 in the rotation in Beantown. At worst, though, he could be a valuable swingman for Boston's pitching staff.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: New York Post - Jon Heyman
3 weeks agoAccording to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, starting pitcher
Kyle Bradish (elbow) and the Baltimore Orioles have agreed to a one-year, $2.35 million contract to avoid salary arbitration. The 28-year-old logged 39 1/3 innings in 2024 before undergoing season-ending Tommy John surgery. In this small stint, the right-hander posted a 2.75 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP. Under the hood, he generated a stellar 28.6% hard-hit rate and 56.0% ground-ball rate. He also struck out batters at an elite 32.5% rate. In 2023, Bradish posted a 2.83 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP across 168 2/3 innings of work in a breakout season. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status throughout the season, as he may be eligible to return to the Baltimore rotation sometime during the second half of the 2025 campaign.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Jon Heyman
3 weeks agoInfielder
Luis Arraez and the San Diego Padres settled on a $14 million deal for the 2025 season on Thursday to avoid salary arbitration, according to a source. Arraez will get a $3.5 million raise in his final year of arbitration eligibility. With the Padres looking to cut salary this year, they've explored trading Arraez to the New York Yankees, although no deal is close. The 27-year-old Venezuelan is the best contact hitter in the game and won the batting title for the third straight season while playing for the Padres and Miami Marlins. It's hard to believe his .314 average was a step back from 2023, and he also had surgery in October to fix a torn ligament in his left thumb. Arraez surely has a unique skill set, but his lack of defensive prowess and speed mostly make him a one-category contributor (average) in fantasy. If he stays in SD, Arraez should hit leadoff in a strong lineup.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Mark Feinsand
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