2 days agoAccording to Aram Leighton of Just BB Media, the Chicago Cubs have signed right-handed pitcher Trevor Richards to a minor-league deal. Richards logged 65 1/3 innings at the major league level across stints with the Toronto Blue Jays and the Minnesota Twins. He posted a 4.55 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP and was deployed primarily out of the bullpen. He struck out batters at a low 22.4% K rate and struggled with his command as he held a hefty 12.6% walk rate. However, he generated a 3.62 xERA and a 2.05 xBA, both above the average marks. During the 2023 season, Richards posted a similar 4.95 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP through 72 2/3 innings. However, that season, he struck out batters at an impressive 33.3% rate. Richards will likely compete for a spot in the bullpen during spring training.Source: Aram Leighton
2
days
agoAccording
to
Scott
Mitchell
of
TSN
Sports,
free-agent
first
baseman
Pete
Alonso
is
still
"in
play"
for
the
Toronto
Blue
Jays.
Earlier
on
Monday,
the
Blue
Jays
signed
outfielder
Anthony
Santander
to
a
five-year
deal
worth
$92.5
million,
but
theread more...
2 days agoAccording to Keegan Matheson of MLB.com, the Toronto Blue Jays have designated left-handed pitcher Brandon Eisert for assignment. This transaction opened a roster spot for outfielder Anthony Santander, who the team signed to a five-year contract earlier on Monday. Eisert made his major league debut last summer. Across a small six 2/3 inning stint, the southpaw allowed three earned runs with a 4:2 BB:K ratio. Through 53 2/3 innings at Triple-A Buffalo, Eisert posted a 3.86 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP. He struck out 66 batters. This was a slight improvement compared to the 4.17 ERA and the 1.32 WHIP he posted with Triple-A Buffalo during the 2023 season. Given his lack of major league experience and success, Eisert will likely spend most of the 2025 season in the minor leagues.Source: Keegan Matheson
2 days agoSt. Louis Cardinals left-hander Matthew Liberatore, who served as a dependable reliever for the team in 2024, said that he's preparing to be a starter in spring training and for the 2025 regular season. "It's easier to go from five innings to one than one to five," Liberatore said. MLB's John Denton writes that the key for Liberatore will be getting better against right-handed hitters, and that could ultimately determine if the Cardinals are comfortable giving him a starting-rotation spot to begin the regular season. The 25-year-old southpaw and former first-rounder by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2018 held a 4.40 ERA and 1.23 WHIP overall with a career-high 76 strikeouts and 28 walks in 86 innings over 60 outings (six starts) for St. Louis last year, but he had an ERA under 4.00 in relief. In his career as a starter, Liberatore holds an ERA just south of 6.00.Source: MLB.com - John Denton
2 days agoDerrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker has been working with new hitting coach Brant Brown to retool and rediscover his swing this offseason for what he hopes will be a bounce-back season in 2025. Brown discovered that Walker's hands were separating from his body too soon in his swing last year, and his balance was also inconsistent with the wider stance he used. The 22-year-old will now try to be more of a gap-to-gap hitter instead of trying to mostly loft balls over the fences. The former first-round pick struggled to a .201/.253/.366 slash line with a weak .619 OPS in 51 big-league games in 2024, leading to a minor-league demotion. Walker looked better down the stretch, but his strikeout and walk rates regressed. The good news going into 2025 is that the former top prospect should get a longer leash in St. Louis with the Cards prioritizing giving their young players more playing time.Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch - Derrick Goold
2
days
agoMLB.com's
John
Denton
reports
that
St.
Louis
Cardinals
rising
shortstop
Masyn
Winn
has
spent
the
bulk
of
his
offseason
training
in
Jupiter,
Fla.,
to
improve
his
speed
and
has
been
working
with
a
track
coach
again.
"I
didn't
take
as
many
bags
asread more...
2 days agoHouston Astros manager Joe Espada said on Monday that the team is open to the possibility of re-signing free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman. "Our arms are still open. The door is still open. There's always a chance," Espada said. The Astros are leaving the door open, but it's still unlikely there will be a reunion after the team signed Christian Walker to play first base and acquired third baseman Isaac Paredes from the Chicago Cubs this winter. In the unlikely event that Bregman did re-sign with Houston, the Astros would probably have to move one of Walker or Paredes to a full-time designated-hitter role. The Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers might be the most likely landing spots for the 30-year-old veteran this offseason. The two-time All-Star dealt with injuries down the stretch in 2024 and finished with a .260/.315/.453 slash line, 26 homers, 75 RBI and 79 runs scored in 145 games played.Source: FOX 26 Houston - Will Kunkel
2 days agoFree-agent outfielder Anthony Santander agreed to a five-year deal worth at least $92.5 million guaranteed on Monday with the Toronto Blue Jays, according to a source. With an option involved in the deal, Santander has the potential to make $110 million. KPRC's Ari Alexander also reports that there is deferred money in the deal. Santander has an opt-out after the 2027 season that can be voided if a 2030 team option is exercised. It's the first big signing this offseason for Toronto and will give them a rising switch-hitting power bat to pair with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the middle of their lineup. The Venezuelan outfielder was a first-time All-Star in 2024 and hit .235/.308/.506 with an .814 OPS, a career-high 44 home runs and a career-high 102 RBI in 155 games with the Orioles. Although his power will play nicely in Toronto, fantasy managers may want to expect a slight step back in his power numbers in 2025.Source: KPRC 2 Sports - Ari Alexander
2 days agoAccording to Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat, the St. Louis Cardinals are not expected to trade starting pitcher Erick Fedde before spring training. President of Baseball Operations, John Mozeliak, noted that while the team would like to continue increasing their financial flexibility, with spring training around the corner, the team would rather hold on to Fedde instead. However, trade talks will likely resume if the Cardinals fall out of playoff contention early in the summer. The 31-year-old opened the 2024 season with the Chicago White Sox before being shipped to St. Louis before the trade deadline. Across 177 1/3 innings, the right-hander posted a 3.30 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP. He struck out 154 batters with a 7.2% walk rate. Fantasy managers should expect Fedde to open the season as the No.2 option in the St. Louis rotation.Source: Jeff Jones
2
days
agoAccording
to
Bruce
Levine
of
670
The
Score,
the
Chicago
Cubs
are
not
expected
to
utilize
young
outfielder
Pete
Crow-Armstrong
as
their
leadoff
hitter
early
in
the
season.
Manager
Craig
Counsell
said
he
is
"open-minded"
about
the
decision
but
will
probably
not
haveread more...
2 days agoAccording to Ben Nicholson-Smith of SportsNet, free-agent pitcher Max Scherzer is drawing interest from the Toronto Blue Jays. Nicholson-Smith noted that while Scherzer is already drawing interest from the Blue Jays, adding another top bat from the market, such as Anthony Santander or Pete Alonso, could create an even more appealing destination for the 40-year-old. Last season, Scherzer was limited to just 43 1/3 innings of work due to numerous injuries. The right-hander posted a 3.95 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP through this small stint. He struck out 40 batters and held a strong 5.6% walk rate. He generated hard contact at a solid 34.9% rate and whiffs at a 29.2% rate. The Blue Jays were very interested in adding Roki Sasaki to their starting rotation but fell just short in the bidding. If Scherzer were to join the Blue Jays, this would likely move Yariel Rodriguez to a long-relief role.Source: Ben Nicholson-Smith
2
days
agoAccording
to
Jon
Morosi
of
the
MLB
Network,
the
Chicago
Cubs
and
Toronto
Blue
Jays
are
among
the
teams
pursuing
free-agent
relief
pitcher
Carlos
Estevez.
Morosi
noted
that
following
the
signings
of
A.J.
Minter
andread more...
2 days agoAccording to Jon Morosi of the MLB Network, the Texas Rangers have signed catcher Chad Wallach to a minor-league contract that includes an invite to spring training. Wallach did not make an appearance in the majors last season. He spent the entire campaign with Triple-A Salt Lake and posted a .247/.337/.430 line with 15 doubles, 12 home runs, and two stolen bases. During the 2023 campaign, Wallach held a .197/.259/.376 line through 65 games with the Los Angeles Angels. This production was in line with his career .198/.263/.328 line he has held throughout his seven-year major league career. Given his lack of consistent major league production, the 33-year-old backstop will likely open the campaign at the Triple-A level.Source: Jon Morosi
3 days agoMLB Pipeline named Boston Red Sox prospect Kristian Campbell as the top second base prospect entering the 2025 season. Campbell was selected in the 2023 MLB Draft out of Texas Tech. Campbell was given a brief look at High-A ball in 2023 and held a .267/.400/.422 line across a small 14-game stint. In 2024, the infielder posted a strong .306/.418/.558 line through 40 games at High-A before earning a promotion to Double-A. With the Portland Sea Dogs, Campbell continued to perform as he held a stellar .362/.463/.582 line with 17 doubles, eight home runs, and 17 stolen bases in 56 games. The 22-year-old then finished the campaign with a brief 19-game stint with Triple-A Worcester, where he posted a strong .286 AVG with four home runs. Campbell will likely open the 2025 season at Triple-A but should be in the mix for a big league debut this summer.Source: MLB Pipeline
3 days agoAccording to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com, the Boston Red Sox remain active in the relief pitcher market. Cotillo said that even though the team was targeting Tanner Scott, who signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers earlier on Sunday, the team wants to add "another veteran reliever" to their bullpen. While several of the names the team was targeting, including Scott, have signed with a new club, some of the remaining names are Kirby Yates, David Robertson, and Kyle Finnegan, among others. While the Red Sox already brought in Aroldis Chapman as a high-leverage option, another strong arm would significantly boost this bullpen. However, Cotillo noted that adding another right-handed bat remains the "top priority," while the bullpen is a close second. Fantasy managers should continue monitoring this situation, but for now, Chapman is expected to be the top option for the ninth inning.Source: Chris Cotillo