4
weeks
agoThe
Los
Angeles
Dodgers,
Baltimore
Orioles
and
Boston
Red
Sox
are
reportedly
viewed
as
the
major
contenders
to
try
and
trade
for
Chicago
White
Sox
left-hander
Garrett
Crochet
this
offseason.
According
to
a
National
League
executive,
"the
team
to
watch
on
(Crochet),
for
read more...
1 month agoThe New York Mets signed free-agent left-hander
Genesis Cabrera to a minor-league deal on Wednesday that includes an invitation to major-league spring training. Cabrera, a 28-year-old Dominican hurler, made his big-league debut back in 2019 with the St. Louis Cardinals and has posted a 3.89 ERA, a 1.35 WHIP, five saves and a 268:136 K:BB in 275 2/3 innings over 272 appearances (two starts) in his six MLB seasons. He held a 3.59 ERA (5.13 FIP) and 1.47 WHIP while saving two games and striking out 50 batters in 62 2/3 relief innings for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2024. Cabrera's strikeout rate fell to 18.5% this past season, while he remained inconsistent throwing strikes with a 10.7% walk rate. He will represent left-handed relief depth for the Mets heading into spring training in 2025 and will be off the fantasy radar.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Will Sammon
1 month agoSeattle Mariners left-hander
Brandyn Garcia has emerged as a realistic candidate to make the team's Opening Day roster in 2025. Garcia was the team's 11th-round pick out of Texas A&M in 2023 and pitched exclusively out of the bullpen in college. The 24-year-old southpaw won the team's minor-league co-pitch of the year in 2024 and has emerged as one of Seattle's best pitching prospects. He held a 2.25 ERA with 134 strikeouts, 47 walks and only four home runs allowed over 116 innings in 27 appearances (25 starts) with High-A Everett and Double-A Arkansas this past season. Garcia could be a starter in the big leagues in the long term, but the Mariners view him as a potentially valuable left-handed arm out of their bullpen next year. His transition to the bullpen during spring training will be something to watch next spring.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Seattle Times - Adam Jude
1 month agoSeattle Mariners right-hander
Matt Brash (elbow) had an internal-brace procedure in early May, but he has been working out at the team's spring training facility in Arizona this fall and is ahead of schedule in his rehab from elbow surgery. As a result, the Mariners are optimistic that Brash could return to their bullpen by the end of April. Seattle's bullpen was hampered by injuries all year in 2024, so the return of Brash to a key late-inning role as a setup man would be excellent news for the M's. The 26-year-old Canadian hurler was excellent in his second major-league season in Seattle in 2023, going 9-4 with a 3.06 ERA (2.26 FIP), a 1.33 WHIP, his first four career saves, 107 strikeouts and 29 walks in 70 2/3 innings over a league-high 78 appearance out of the bullpen.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Seattle Times - Adam Jude
1 month agoChicago Cubs right-hander
Ben Brown (neck) has been cleared for a normal offseason throwing program, according to a team source. Brown is one of the team's promising young pitchers, but unfortunately he didn't appear in a game after June 8 in his rookie season in 2024 due to an unusual neck injury. The 25-year-old had a 3.58 ERA in 55 1/3 innings for the Cubbies in a swing role and showed dominant tendencies at times as both a starter and reliever. It remains to be seen how the Cubs will choose to use him moving forward, but when healthy, Brown has the stuff to be fantasy relevant in all leagues. The most likely scenario is that the former 33rd-round pick by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2017 will be given a chance to win an Opening Day rotation spot. If health issues resurface, though, a long-term relief role could be in the cards for Brown.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney
1
month
agoThe
New
York
Yankees
have
raised
their
offer
to
try
and
re-sign
superstar
outfielder
Juan
Soto
in
the
last
couple
of
days,
according
to
people
familiar
with
the
situation.
The
news
could
come
as
a
response
to
a
report
on
Tuesday
that
said
the
read more...
1 month agoShortstop
Brandon Crawford officially announced his retirement from professional baseball on Wednesday on his Instagram account. It ends a successful 14-year major-league career that saw Crawford win two World Series with the San Francisco Giants while also being named to three All-Star teams. The 37-year-old spent the first 13 years of his career with the Giants before ending it in 2024 with the St. Louis Cardinals after he hit .169 in 28 games. Crawford was originally a fourth-round pick by the Gigantes in 2008 out of UCLA. Perhaps his best season came in 2021, when he had a career-highs in batting average (.298), home runs (24), RBI (90) and stolen bases (11). He won his first World Series ring in 2012 in his second year in the league. In addition to being steady with the bat, Crawford won four Gold Gloves in his career and finishes with a .249/.318/.395 career slash line and .713 OPS in 1,682 games.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: FOX Sports
1 month agoWith the Los Angeles Dodgers signing left-hander
Blake Snell to a five-year, $182 million deal on Tuesday night, USA TODAY's Bob Nightengale reports that the Boston Red Sox are now focusing on free-agent lefty
Max Fried to upgrade their starting rotation this offseason. In addition to Fried, the BoSox are reportedly upping their efforts to land free-agent superstar outfielder
Juan Soto, so Boston appears to be quite serious about opening up their wallet this winter. Fried, who has been an All-Star for the Atlanta Braves in two of the last three seasons, bounced back health-wise in 2024 to go 11-10 with a 3.25 ERA (3.33 FIP), a 1.16 WHIP and 166:57 K:BB in 174 1/3 innings over 29 regular-season starts. Fried isn't a huge strikeout guy and relies more on inducing ground balls, so a move to a bad defensive team in the Red Sox in the tough AL East might not be the best landing spot for fantasy purposes.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: USA TODAY Sports - Bob Nightengale
1
month
agoFree-agent
left-hander
Blake
Snell
will
stay
in
the
National
League
West
after
agreeing
to
a
five-year,
$182
million
deal
on
Tuesday
night
with
the
Los
Angeles
Dodgers,
according
to
sources.
The
deal
is
pending
a
physical.
It's
the
first
nine-figure
deal
of
the
MLB
read more...
1 month agoAccording to sources, the Boston Red Sox are stepping up their efforts to land free-agent superstar outfielder
Juan Soto and are trying to sell him on his fit in Beantown. Boston's best hitters in franchise history have mostly been left-handers, and Soto is coming off his best full season in his first year with the division-rival New York Yankees. However, his road OPS was 57 points higher than in the Bronx. Defensively, if Boston were to pry him away from their bitter rivals, Soto would likely shift from right field to left field at Fenway Park. The 26-year-old Dominican is expected to sign a deal worth more than 10 years and possibly more than $600 million. Spending that kind of money would be a major shift from the Red Sox's strategy in recent seasons, but perhaps they're fed up with just one playoff appearance in the last six seasons, including three last-place finishes in the AL East.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: New York Post - Jon Heyman and Mark W. Sanchez
1 month agoKorean second baseman Hyeseong Kim said the process of him being posted for major-league clubs this offseason will begin after Thanksgiving this Thursday, at which point he will travel to the United States. The Kiwoom Heroes of the Korean Baseball Organization, who hold Kim's rights, are expected to announce a posting decision sometime early next week. The 25-year-old infielder (26 in January) is the former middle-infield partner of current free-agent infielder
Ha-Seong Kim and has hit an impressive .321/.381/.418 from the left side of the plate in Korea over the last four seasons. While he makes plenty of contact and has the ability to hit for a high average, he doesn't bring much power to the table, although he did have a career-high 11 round-trippers in 2024. In addition to his bat-to-ball skills, Kim has plus speed and is a solid defender up the middle.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Yonhap News - Jeeho Yoo
1 month agoThe Kiwoom Heroes of the Korean Baseball Organization announced on Monday that they officially signed former Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder
Yasiel Puig to a $1 million deal. The club also added
Ruben Cardenas for $450,000 ($150,000 in incentives) and pitcher
Kenny Rosenberg ($700,000 with $100,000 in incentives). The 33-year-old Puig will leave his winter league team in Venezuela as a result. He has not played in the big leagues since 2019, when he hit .267 with 24 home runs and 84 RBI in 149 games with the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Guardians. The Cuban star hit .279 with 108 homers and 331 RBI in six seasons with the Dodgers, finishing second in National League Rookie of the Year voting in 2013. Puig played in 126 games with Kiwoom in 2022 and hit .277 with 21 homers and 73 RBI. Multiple sexual-assault allegations and illegal sports-betting allegations effectively ended his tenure in MLB.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MyKBO.net - Dan Kurtz
1 month agoThe Cleveland Guardians re-signed outfielder
George Valera (knee) to a minor-league deal on Monday that includes an invitation to major-league spring training next year. Valera was non-tendered by the team last Friday but quickly has rejoined the organization. The 24-year-old underwent surgery on his right knee in September and therefore will probably be unavailable for the start of spring training and the start of next season. In all likelihood, he will be assigned to Triple-A Columbus in 2025 when he's fully recovered from his knee surgery. Valera spent the entire 2024 season at Columbus, slashing .248/.337/.452 with a .789 OPS, 17 home runs, 50 RBI, six stolen bases and 51 runs scored in 90 games and 374 trips to the plate. He sports a .243/.358/.452 career slash line with 80 homers and 273 RBI in his six minor-league seasons.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: GuardsInsider
1 month agoSt. Louis Cardinals third baseman
Nolan Arenado is willing to play first base or less third base to create roster flexibility for a potential new team as the Cardinals contemplate trading him this offseason, according to league sources briefed on the situation. A few teams have expressed interest in Arenado, and talks are likely to intensify with the annual winter meetings approaching in early December. There is growing sense in the industry that the 33-year-old eight-time All-Star will be moved. Arenado has not demanded a trade but was open to the idea when approached by president of baseball operations John Mozeliak as the team shifts its focus to developing their young players in 2025. Arenado will turn 34 in April and has shown signs of offensive decline the last two seasons. However, his defense remains superior. Per sources, Arenado will only waive his full no-trade clause to play for a contender.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Katie Woo
1 month agoTexas Rangers outfielder
Evan Carter (back) has resumed swinging a bat this offseason, according to the team, and is expected to be ready for the start of spring training in mid-February without restrictions. It's excellent news for Carter, who was limited to only 45 games in 2024 due to back issues. The 22-year-old youngster eventually needed an ablation procedure in October to remove tissue from his back, but apparently he's recovered nicely and should be ready for Opening Day in 2025, barring a setback. The former second-round pick in 2020 burst onto the scene in 2023 and hit .306 (19-for-62) with five homers and 12 RBI in 23 regular-season games and was a lineup mainstay during the club's World Series run that fall. He went 27-for-144 (.188) with five homers and 15 RBI in 45 games in 2024 before being shut down. Carter is going to need to improve against lefties in 2025 to keep a regular role.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Dallas Morning News - Evan Grant
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