3 days agoThe Tampa Bay Rays have picked up the 2025 club option on second baseman
Brandon Lowe according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. Lowe is coming off another solid season where he hit at least 20 home runs for the second-straight campaign. He also held a .244/.311/.473 slash line with 58 RBI and five stolen bases. Under the hood, he held an above-average 44.7% hard-hit rate and a 12.4% barrel rate which suggest his power numbers should continue to remain stable heading into 2025. Fantasy managers should view Lowe as a solid late-round option for power as a middle infielder.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Mark Feinsand
3 days agoCincinnati Reds starting pitcher
Nick Martinez opted out of his contract and will test free agency according to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. Martinez is coming off the best season of his seven-year MLB career where he held a solid 3.10 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, with a 18:116 BB:K ratio. Martinez was deployed as both a starter and reliever but took significant strides this summer. He showcased elite command with a 3.2% walk rate and was able to limit hard contact at a strong 30.5% hard-hit rate and 5.1% barrel rate. Martinez will likely continue to operate as a back-end starter and could be worth a look in deeper formats this upcoming season given his progression.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Mark Sheldon
3 days agoCincinnati Reds pitcher
Brent Suter signed a one-year extension with the Cincinnati Reds that has a club option for 2026 according to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. Suter typically operated a relief option for the Reds but did manage to make two starts this season. Across 65 2/3 innings of work this summer, the 35-year-old held a 3.15 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, with a 12:50 BB:K ratio. Under the hood, Suter boasted a stellar 30.2% hard-hit rate which is one of the best marks in the sport. Fantasy managers should expect Suter to continue to operate as a relief option in 2025 with the opportunity to earn a few saves.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Mark Sheldon
3 days agoThe New York Yankees and New York Mets and a few other organizations will be in a battle to sign superstar outfielder
Juan Soto according to Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post. Following his Game 5 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series, Soto told the media that, "I feel every team has the same opportunity" in relation to his pending free agency. With Scott Boras severing as his agent, baseball fans should expect the highest bidder to open their pockets in hopes of acquiring Soto as Boras has negotiated several of the largest contracts in recent history such as
Gerrit Cole's 2022 contract with the New York Yankees. With Steve Cohen and Hal Steinbrenner at the forefront of the bidding, the 26-year-old should be in store for a record breaking deal coming off of his stellar 2024 campaign where he held a .288/.419/.569 line with 41 home runs.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Mike Vaccaro
3 days agoThe Philadelphia Phillies have traded infielder
Scott Kingery to the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for cash considerations according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. The 30-year-old has not appeared in a major league game since 2022 and has spent the past two seasons playing with Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Last season in the top level of the minor leagues, the former second-round pick held a .268/.314/.488 line with 17 doubles, 25 home runs, 67 RBI, and 25 stolen bases. Kingery will likely compete for a spot on the Opening Day Roster in Los Angeles but will more than likely spend most of the 2025 season in the minor leagues.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Mark Feinsand
3 days agoSan Francisco Giants starting pitcher
Blake Snell is opting out of his two-year deal with the San Francisco Giants and will test the open market according to Alex Pavlovic. The 31-year-old had a tale of two seasons in his debut campaign in San Francisco. Through the first-half, the southpaw he held a 6.31 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP and was hindered by several injuries. However, after the All-Star break, Snell returned to his Cy Young form as he logged 68 1/3 innings to the tune of a stellar 1.45 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, with a 27:103 BB:K ratio. Given his performance down the stretch, Snell will likely be in line to receive a large contract and will be a popular starting pitcher taken early in drafts this upcoming offseason.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Alex Pavlovic
4 days agoKansas City Royals second baseman/outfielder
Adam Frazier had his 2025 club option declined and will instead head to free agency according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. Frazier had the worst season of his MLB career in 2024 as he hit for an underwhelming .202/.282/.294 slash line with just ten doubles, four home runs, and three swiped bags. From 2021 through 2023, Frazier hit at least 20 doubles in each season. The 32-year-old also saw his underlying metrics decline as he posted a 2.9% barrel rate and 22.8% hard-hit rate, which were both lower than his 2023 totals. Frazier should be left off your fantasy radar in 2025 given his drop in batting average and minimal power output.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Mark Feinsand
4 days agoMinnesota Twins outfielder
Manuel Margot and infielder
Kyle Farmer had their 2025 club options declined and will head to free agency according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. Margot held a .238/.289/.337 line with four home runs and five stolen bases across 129 games last season. Farmer posted a similar .214/.293/.353 slash line with five home runs and three swiped bags in 107 games of action in 2024. Margot logged most of his starts in center field while Farmer was deployed all over the infield. Both batters will likely be viewed as reserve options during free agency and should not be on your fantasy radar heading into 2025.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Mark Feinsand
4 days agoMilwaukee Brewers starting pitcher
Wade Miley had his club option declined according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. Miley was only able to make two starts in 2024 to the tune of a 6.43 ERA and 1.43 WHIP before undergoing season-ending elbow surgery. The southpaw would be entering his 15th MLB season in 2025 and faces a tall task to rebound from that procedure if he decides to continue pitching. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status during the offseason as he could serve as a back-end option to a rotation if he decides to continue his professional career. In 2023, the left-hander posted a solid 3.14 ERA, 1.14 WHIP with a 9-4 record.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Mark Feinsand
4 days agoBoston Red Sox starting pitcher
Lucas Giolito (elbow) had his 2025 club option exercised. The right-hander was not able to take the mound last summer after undergoing an internal brace operation in his throwing elbow in March. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his progression during Spring Training as he may be able to return to action during the early part of the 2025 campaign. In 2023, Giolito spent time in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Cleveland and held a cumulative 4.88 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, with a 73:204 BB:K ratio across 184 1/3 innings of work. Giolito could be a sneaky late-round target this offseason if he is able to return to from during Spring Training.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Boston Red Sox
4 days agoKansas City Royals outfielder
Hunter Renfroe and relief pitcher
Chris Stratton both had their 2025 club options exercised according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. Renfroe had a down year in 2024 as he hit just 15 home runs, his lowest total in a full season throughout his career. He held a .229/.297/.392 slash line. Stratton served as a high-leverage reliever this past summer and posted a 5.55 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP with four saves and five holds. Fantasy managers should expect Renfroe to be deployed as a platoon option early on in right field with the opportunity to grow into a full-time role if he can get back on track. He could be worth a look as a late-option for power in deeper formats. Stratton should be in the mix to see a handful of save opportunities in 2025.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Mark Feinsand
4 days agoArizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher
Jordan Montgomery had his club option exercised for 2025 according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. The southpaw had a rough debut season in the desert as he posted a hefty 6.23 ERA and a 1.65 WHIP, which were both significantly lower compared to his 3.20 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP he held in the 2023 campaign. Under the hood, Montgomery held a 5.10 xERA and .290 xBA which were among the worst marks among qualified pitchers. He also generated strikeouts at a low 15.6% mark. Fantasy managers should expect the 31-year-old to remain in the Arizona rotation throughout all of next season but is no more than a late flier in drafts this offseason given his struggles this past summer.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Mark Feinsand
4 days agoOakland Athletics outfielder
Daz Cameron was traded to the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday in exchange for cash considerations. The 27-year-old appeared in 66 games in Oakland last summer and held a .200/.258/.329 line with five home runs, 15 RBI, and five stolen bases. Cameron previously spent time in the Baltimore organization playing with Triple-A Norfolk during the 2023 season. With Norfolk, Cameron posted a .268/.364/.452 slash line with 16 home runs and 23 stolen bases. The 27-year-old will likely be in the mix for the a spot on the Opening Day Roster but will have few opportunities given how deep the current Baltimore outfield is, consisting of
Colton Cowser,
Cedric Mullins, and
Anthony Santander.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Baltimore Orioles
4 days agoSt. Louis Cardinals starting pitchers
Kyle Gibson and
Lance Lynn had their club options declined and will be headed to free agency. Gibson logged 169 1/3 innings in his debut season in St. Louis with a 8-8 record, 4.24 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, and a 68:151 BB:K ratio. Lynn posted a 3.84 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP with a 7-4 record across 117 1/3 innings last season. Both remained in the starting rotation the entire season. In the same move, the Cardinals also declined the 2025 club option for pitcher Kenyan Middleton. Middleton logged only five innings in the minor leagues this season due to a forearm injury. This transaction allows the Cardinals to trim substantial payroll off of their pitching staff. Currently, the Cardinals rotation consists of
Miles Mikolas,
Erick Fedde,
Sonny Gray,
Andre Pallante, and
Michael McGreevy.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: St. Louis Cardinals
4 days agoLos Angeles Angels starting pitcher
Roansy Contreras was claimed off of waivers by Texas Rangers earlier on Thursday according to Kiley McDaniel of ESPN. The 24-year-old logged 52 frames with the Angles last summer to the tune of a 4.33 ERA and 1.29 WHIP after being designated for assignment by the Pittsburgh Pirates in May. Contreras operated out of both the rotation and the bullpen in Los Angeles but never exceeded more than three innings in an outing. For now, fantasy managers should expect the right-hander to continue to be deployed out of the bullpen but could be given an opportunity to compete for a spot in the rotation during Spring Training.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Kiley McDaniel
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