4 weeks agoAccording to Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Cubs have non-tendered outfielder
Mike Tauchman, which will send him to free agency. Tauchman spent the past two seasons operating on the Northside and held a .250/.360/.372 line across his time there. This past summer, the 33-year-old carried a .248 AVG with seven long balls and six stolen bases. Under the hood, he held a stellar 13.4% walk rate and slightly above average .330 xwOBA. Fantasy managers should expect the veteran to find a new home, serving as a fourth outfielder, and have a chance to see starting opportunities in center field. With his departure, fantasy managers should closely monitor the team's No. 2 prospect,
Owen Caissie, during Spring Training, as he could have a clear path to a full-time role in 2025.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Meghan Montemurro
4 weeks agoAccording to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, the Tampa Bay Rays have non-tendered relief pitchers
Tyler Alexander and
Colin Poche. Alexander operated as both a starter and a reliever last summer and held a 5.10 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP across 107 2/3 innings of work. Under the hood, he carried a poor 4.68 xERA and 32.1% ground ball rate. Poche operated as a high-leverage option out of the bullpen over the past few seasons in Tampa Bay. Last summer, he took a slight step back as he posted a 3.68 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP compared to his stellar 2.23 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP he held in 2023. Fantasy managers should expect Poche to find a new club and continue to operate as a high-leverage option and could eventually mix in for save opportunities depending on his new situation. Alexander will likely find a new home in another bullpen but could see occasional starts.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Marc Topkin
4 weeks agoThe Los Angeles Angels have declined to tender
Patrick Sandoval's contract, which will send him to free agency. The 28-year-old has spent his entire six-year MLB career with the Angels and held a cumulative 4.01 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, and a 236:529 BB:K ratio through 536 innings of work. Last summer, the southpaw posted a hefty 5.08 ERA and a 1.51 WHIP through 81 frames. Under the hood, he held a strong 51.% barrel rate and an above-average 36.3% hard-hit rate. However, he struggled to command his pitches as he had a 9.9% walk rate, which was well below the average mark. This past June, Sandoval underwent an internal brace procedure, which will likely sideline him through most of the 2025 campaigns. As a result, fantasy managers should not expect him to carry any fantasy value next summer as he searches for a new club.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Los Angeles Angels PR
4 weeks agoFormer St. Louis Cardinals closer
Giovanny Gallegos is signing a minor-league deal with a spring training invite with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday, according to a source. Gallegos hit the free-agent market mid-season after being designated for assignment by the Cardinals before latching on with the Minnesota Twins in early August. The 33-year-old right-handed reliever didn't reach the majors with Minnesota late in the year, though, and finished the 2024 campaign with a career-worst 6.53 ERA (6.36 FIP) while picking up one save with a 1.64 WHIP and 21:10 K:BB in just 20 2/3 innings out of the bullpen in St. Louis. The Mexican pitcher will look to bounce back with the World Series champions. Gallegos has 45 career saves in eight big-league seasons with a decent 3.49 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 29.6% strikeout rate, so he could work his way into a setup role for LA if he can rediscover his form.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB Trade Rumors - Steve Adams
4 weeks agoThe Boston Red Sox re-signed right-hander
Bryan Mata (elbow, lat) to a minor-league deal on Friday, according to a source. Mata was designated for assignment earlier in the week and then non-tendered on Friday, but they quickly reached an agreement to bring him back. The 25-year-old Venezuelan hurler only appeared in 11 games (seven starts) in four different minor-league stops in 2024 due to his elbow and lat injuries. In 22 2/3 innings pitched, Mata had a 4.37 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 20 strikeouts and nine walks in the Florida Complex League and at High-A Greenville, Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester. Mata will now look to put his injuries behind him while competing for a big-league roster spot in spring training in 2025. Most likely, he'll start at Worcester to begin the regular season.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MassLive.com - Chris Cotillo
4 weeks agoThe New York Yankees non-tendered infielder
Jon Berti and left-hander
Tim Mayza on Friday, making them both free agents. Berti, 34, stole a league-high 41 bases just two years ago in 2022 with the Miami Marlins, but he was limited to 25 games at the big-league level in 2024 in his first year in the Bronx. In his 74 plate appearances, he hit .273 (18-for-66) with a homer, six RBI and five steals. Berti's speed, on-base abilities and defensive versatility should land him a job somewhere on the open market as a utility man in 2025. Mayza, 32, had a rough start to the year with the Toronto Blue Jays with an ERA over 8.00 in 35 relief appearances, but he was better (4.00 ERA) in 18 relief innings for New York in the second half of the season. He was a successful high-leverage arm for Toronto several years ago and will be looking to bounce back somewhere else in 2025.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Yankees PR Department
4 weeks agoThe New York Yankees avoided salary arbitration with outfielder
Trent Grisham and right-hander
JT Brubaker (oblique) by agreeing to one-year deals on Friday. Grisham, 28, will earn $5 million in his second season in the Bronx. The 28-year-old left-handed hitter saw his fantasy stock drop considerably in pinstripes in 2024, as he was essentially the team's fourth outfielder. The former first-rounder hit a disappointing .190/.290/.385 with a .675 OPS, nine home runs, 31 RBI, one steal and 21 runs scored in 179 regular-season at-bats. Depending on what the Yankees do in free agency this offseason, Grisham could have a path to a bigger role in 2025, but at best, he'll likely be in some sort of platoon in the outfield against right-handed pitching. Grisham is mostly useful for his glove at this point in his career and isn't anything more than a bench bat in AL-only leagues.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Yankees PR Department
4 weeks agoInfielder
Andy Ibanez and the Detroit Tigers avoided salary arbitration on Friday by agreeing to a one-year, $1.4 million deal, according to sources. Ibanez gets a raise after earning $633,900 in his second year with Detroit in 2024. The 31-year-old veteran from Cuba wasn't quite as good this past season, though, slashing a very mediocre .241/.295/.357 with a below-average .652 OPS, only five home runs, 32 RBI, two stolen bases and 30 runs scored in 99 regular-season games. Ibanez's greatest asset is his glove and his ability to play pretty much anywhere on the infield besides catcher. He also makes plenty of contact with the lumber, but there's very little power to speak. Ibanez will likely be in a utility role again for the Tigers in 2025, which limits his fantasy value to AL-only leagues as depth. He has a career .256/.305/.396 slash line with 24 homers in four MLB seasons.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Francys Romero
4 weeks agoFree-agent shortstop
Kyle Farmer agreed to an undisclosed one-year deal on Friday with the Colorado Rockies. The deal includes an option for the 2026 season. Farmer became a free agent this offseason when the Minnesota Twins declined his mutual option for the 2025 season on Halloween, but the 34-year-old infielder didn't last on the open market for long. He'll head to the National League West after the Rockies just non-tendered second baseman
Brendan Rodgers. Farmer was forced into action with
Carlos Correa battling injuries again in 2024, and he played in over 100 games for the fourth straight season, slashing .214/.293/.353 with five home runs, 25 RBI, three steals and 26 runs scored in 107 games. Farmer had double-digit homers in three previous seasons and could be an interesting infielder in NL-only leagues in a utility role with his move to hitter-friendly Coors Field.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: New York Post - Jon Heyman
4 weeks agoInfielder
Nick Madrigal was non-tendered by the Chicago Cubs on Friday, making him a free agent, according to a source. The former fourth overall pick by the Chicago White Sox in 2018 out of Oregon State will now be free to sign with any team this winter. Madrigal certainly has not lived up to his draft pedigree, and it hasn't helped that he's battled injuries in recent seasons. The 27-year-old has just four career home runs in five seasons and slashed a weak .221/.280/.256 with a career-worst .535 OPS, no homers, 10 RBI and five runs scored in only 51 games in his third season with the Cubbies in 2024. Madrigal fractured his left hand in June while in the minors at Triple-A Iowa. He's pretty much lost any fantasy appeal he once had and will merely be looking to latch on with a team looking for infield depth going into 2025.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN Chicago - Jesse Rogers
4 weeks agoOutfielder
Austin Hays was informed that he was non-tendered on Friday by the Philadelphia Phillies, making him a free agent. It was a tough year for Hays, who battled a kidney infection after being dealt to the Phillies from the Baltimore Orioles at the trade deadline in the summer. The 29-year-old should attract plenty of interest on the open market this offseason, as he's just a year removed from being an All-Star and Gold Glove finalist. The former third-round pick of the O's in 2016 out of Jacksonville University hit a combined .255/.303/.396 with a below-average .699 OPS, only five home runs, 20 RBI, two steals and 26 runs scored in 85 games with Baltimore and Philly. With better health in 2025, Hays could most certainly carve out a starting role with another team if he lands in the right situation.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: New York Post - Jon Heyman
4 weeks agoRight-hander
Michael Tonkin and the Minnesota Twins agreed to a one-year, $1 million deal on Friday to avoid salary arbitration. It was an interesting season in 2024 for Tonkin, to say the least. The 35-year-old veteran began the season with the Twins before spending time with the New York Mets and New York Yankees. He was eventually claimed on waivers and returned to Minnesota in August. With those three teams, Tonkin held a 3.63 ERA (3.44 FIP), a 1.26 WHIP, his first two career saves, a career-high 85 strikeouts and 30 walks in 79 1/3 innings out of the bullpen. The former 30th-round pick of the Twins way back in 2008 should return to a middle-relief role in Minnesota this next season but won't have a ton of fantasy value.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: New York Post - Jon Heyman
4 weeks agoInfielder
Santiago Espinal and the Cincinnati Reds agreed to a one-year, $2.4 million contract on Friday to avoid salary arbitration. Espinal ended up playing a pretty significant role as a utility infielder for the Reds in 2024 after they acquired him from the Toronto Blue Jays in March given all of Cincy's injuries to infielders. In 118 games over 391 plate appearances, the Dominican slashed .246/.295/.356 with a below-average .650 OPS, career-high nine home runs, 45 RBI, career-high 11 stolen bases and 32 runs scored. The 30-year-old will stick in the Reds organization for a second season but probably shouldn't be guaranteed nearly as much playing time. Espinal makes plenty of contact and is useful for his ability to play multiple infield positions, but beyond that, there isn't much fantasy upside at all.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: New York Post - Jon Heyman
4 weeks agoThe Pittsburgh Pirates are expected to non-tender outfielder
Bryan De La Cruz and first baseman/outfielder
Connor Joe, according to a source. It will make both players free agents this winter. De La Cruz didn't impress the Bucs after the acquired him from the Miami Marlins at the trade deadline in the summer, as he hit just .200/.220/.394 with three homers, 17 RBI and 52 strikeouts in 168 plate appearances in the second half. The 27-year-old did manage a career-high 21 round-trippers in 149 total games in 2024, though, so he will attract interest on the free-agent market. Joe, 32, hit .238/.330/.396 with a .726 OPS, 20 homers, 78 RBI and five steals in 256 games the last two years in Pittsburgh and will look for a platoon/utility role with another organization on the free-agent market. The former first-rounder had a career-high 11 homers in 2023 in his first year in Pittsburgh.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Alex Stumpf
4
weeks
agoThe
Atlanta
Braves
non-tendered
right-handers
Griffin
Canning,
Royber
Salinas,
Huascar
Ynoa,
left-hander
Ray
Kerr,
and
outfielder
Ramon
Laureano
on
Friday,
making
them
all
read more...
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