5 days agoThe Miami Marlins outrighted right-hander
Christian Roa to Triple-A Jacksonville on Friday. Roa is now off the team's 40-man roster this offseason. Roa spent the 2024 season in the minors with the Cincinnati Reds but was claimed off waivers on Nov. 1. The 25-year-old went 4-5 with a 5.55 ERA, 1.75 WHIP, 47 strikeouts and 30 walks in 48 2/3 innings pitched over 23 appearances (four starts) at Triple-A Louisville. He ended the 2024 campaign on the shelf due to a sprained right shoulder. The former second-round selection by the Reds in 2020 out of Texas A&M has yet to reach the big leagues and will most likely start the 2025 campaign with Jacksonville if he makes it through spring training with the club. In his four minor-league seasons, Roa has posted a 4.46 ERA, 1.49 WHIP and a 386:202 K:BB in 318 2/3 innings over 86 appearances (62 starts).
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoThe Arizona Diamondbacks signed infielder
Connor Kaiser and catcher
Aramis Garcia to minor-league deals on Friday that include invitations to major-league spring training next year. Kaiser spent all of last season at Triple-A Albuquerque in the Colorado Rockies' system, slashing a weak .222/.343/.339 with a .682 OPS, six home runs, 28 RBI and five stolen bases in 90 games. He made his major-league debut with the Rockies in 2023 but played in only three games and was hitless in his four trips to the plate. Garcia hit just .159/.216/.279 with eight home runs, 25 RBI and six steals in 76 games with Triple-A Lehigh Valley in the Philadelphia Phillies' organization. The 31-year-old backstop has more big-league experience than Kaiser, as he's played in 119 games over five seasons with four different teams. Both Kaiser and Garcia are likely to start at Triple-A Reno in 2025.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Reno Aces
5 days agoFree-agent left-handed reliever
Joe Jacques signed a minor-league deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday that includes an invitation to big-league spring training. Jacques pitches in 25 games in the majors with the Boston Red Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks the last two years, posting a bloated 5.46 ERA (4.90 FIP), a 1.65 WHIP, one save, 22 strikeouts and 11 walks in only 29 2/3 innings pitched over 25 appearances (one start). This past season with Boston and Arizona, he finished with a 9.00 ERA and 2.33 WHIP in just three innings out of the bullpen. He wasn't much better in three minor-league stops between both teams in 2024, sporting a 5.48 ERA and 1.59 WHIP with 41 strikeouts and 21 walks in 42 2/3 frames over 40 outings (one start). The 29-year-old southpaw is likely to start at Triple-A Oklahoma City in 2024 as left-handed relief depth for the World Series champions.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: USA TODAY Sports - Bob Nightengale
5 days agoThe Milwaukee Brewers signed infielder Ray Delgado and outfielder
Jimmy Herron to minor-league deals on Friday that include non-roster invites to major-league spring training. Delgado had a strong season in 2024 in the Cleveland Guardians organization, slashing .275/.365/.426 with a career-high nine home runs, 44 RBI, 22 steals and 41 runs scored in 93 games for Triple-A Columbus. Herron was no slouch with the Colorado Rockies at Triple-A Albuquerque, slashing .280/.357/.453 with an .810 OPS, 14 home runs, 68 RBI, 16 stolen bases and 60 runs scored in 95 games with the Isotopes. Delgado will give the Brew Crew some extra infield depth going into next year all over the infield, while Herron has the ability to play all three outfield positions.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Adam McCalvy
5 days agoLos Angeles Dodgers right-handed reliever
Brusdar Graterol (shoulder) underwent right-shoulder surgery on his labrum on Thursday and was operated on by Dr. Neal ElAttrache. Graterol is expected to return to the mound in the second half of the 2025 season as a result. The 26-year-old made a return in the postseason to help the Dodgers win the World Series in October, but he missed the vast majority of the 2024 regular season due to right-shoulder issues. The Venezuelan reliever allowed two earned runs while walking two and striking out seven in 7 1/3 innings of work in just seven appearances in his sixth year in the big leagues. He had his best season in 2023, posting a 1.20 ERA with a career-high seven saves in 67 1/3 frames. Graterol will be off the fantasy radar next spring and won't return to LA until after the All-Star break.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Los Angeles Dodgers
5 days agoBaltimore Orioles general manager Mike Elias said on Friday that the team will once again be making changes to their left-field wall for next season. Before the start of the 2022 season, the Orioles moved the wall at Camden Yards back and made it significantly taller. Elias said that the team "overcorrected" and will try to find a "happier medium" heading into 2025. Specifically, the Orioles play to move the left-field wall farther in, particularly in left-center field near the bullpens, while also reducing the wall in height. Camden Yards became more pitcher-friendly than the team had intended after making those changes before the 2022 season. The changes should be friendlier to hitters going forward, but it's unclear how much of an impact it will have.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MASN Sports - Steve Melewski
5 days agoBaltimore Orioles general manager Mike Elias said the team is expecting both right-handers
Kyle Bradish (elbow) and
Tyler Wells (elbow) to be ready to return around midseason in 2025. When Bradish underwent Tommy John surgery in mid-June with an internal brace, he was given a 12- to 18-month recovery timetable. The 28-year-old has yet to resume throwing, so it's almost a certainty that he won't make his 2025 debut until after the All-Star break. Wells also had season-ending surgery in mid-June due to UCL revision surgery while also receiving an internal brace. Bradish is the more established starter in Baltimore, while Wells' role is to be determined whenever he's ready to return. Bradish broke out to the tune of a 2.83 ERA and 1.04 WHIP in 30 starts in 2023 and had a 2.75 ERA after eight starts this past season before injuring his elbow.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MASN Sports - Steve Melewski
5 days agoBaltimore Orioles general manager Mike Elias said that infielder
Jorge Mateo (elbow) might not be fully ready for the start of spring training in mid-February but should be ready to play close to a 162-game season in 2025. Mateo had UCL reconstructive surgery on his left (non-throwing) elbow last year, causing him to be shut down for the remainder of the season. It sounds like the 29-year-old Dominican should have close to a full season next year, although his fantasy appeal will be limited in a utility infield role in Baltimore. Speed is the biggest attraction with Mateo, as he had 30-plus stolen bases in both 2022 and 2023. He was able to play in only 68 games in 2024 in his third full season with the team, finishing with a .229/.267/.401 slash line, below-average .668 OPS, five home runs, 18 RBI, 13 stolen bases and 30 runs scored in 208 plate appearances.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Baltimore Banner - Andy Kostka
5 days agoBaltimore Orioles general manager Mike Elias is optimistic that right-hander
Grayson Rodriguez (lat) will have a normal, full spring training in 2025. Rodriguez's 2024 campaign ended early due to a right-lat issue, but it's no longer a concern. Specifically, the 24-year-old starter missed the final two months of the regular season for the O's, but he resumed throwing off a mound in September and should be full-go for spring training, barring a setback this winter. The former 11th overall pick in 2018 improved in his second big-league season, going 13-4 with a 3.86 ERA (3.66 FIP), a 1.24 WHIP, a career-high 130 strikeouts and only 36 walks in 116 2/3 innings over his 20 starts before injuring his lat. The rising young pitcher should once again be a coveted early-round target as a high-end fantasy starting pitcher now that he shouldn't have any injury question marks going into 2025.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Jake Rill
6 days agoThe Los Angeles Dodgers outrighted right-hander
Connor Brogdon to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday. Brogdon is now off the team's 40-man roster this offseason after missing most of this past season due to a foot injury. He made four relief appearances with the Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies in the big leagues in 2024, surrendering nine runs (eight earned) while walking six and striking out three in three innings out of the bullpen. The 29-year-old former 10th-round selection by the Phillies in 2017 out of Lewis-Clark State College has a career 3.97 ERA (4.47 FIP), a 1.26 WHIP, three saves and a 146:53 K:BB in 145 innings over 143 appearances (two starts) in his five major-league seasons since debuting with Philadelphia back in the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoThe Baltimore Orioles signed free-agent right-hander Robinson Martinez to a minor-league deal on Thursday, the team announced. Martinez has been a career minor-leaguer. He has been plagued by injuries throughout his career but is only 26 years old and will give the Orioles some extra right-handed pitching depth heading into the 2025 campaign. The Dominican hurler hasn't pitched in the minors since the 2022 season due to injuries. In 42 relief appearances with High-A Beloit and Double-A Pensacola in 2022, he went 2-3 with a 4.45 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 76 strikeouts and 28 walks in 54 2/3 innings as a member of the Miami Marlins organization. Martinez is most likely to report to Double-A Bowie after spring training.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Baltimore Sun - Matt Weyrich
6 days agoFree-agent left-hander
Cole Irvin is signing with the Doosan Bears of the Korean Baseball Organization on a $1 million deal. The 30-year-old southpaw will head overseas for the 2025 season after going 6-6 with a 5.11 ERA (4.82 FIP) and a 1.45 WHIP with 78 strikeouts and 29 walks in 111 innings over 29 appearances (16 starts) with both the Baltimore Orioles and Minnesota Twins in 2024. He also recorded his second career save. The former fifth-round pick by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2016 out of Oregon has pitched six seasons in the big leagues with the Phillies, Orioles, Twins and Athletics. In his 593 major-league innings, Irvin has a 4.54 ERA (4.45 FIP), a 1.31 WHIP, two saves and a 434:142 K:BB in 134 outings (93 starts). If he pitches well in Korea, he could be looking to return to the States again in 2026.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Yonhap News - Jeeho Yoo
6 days agoThe Boston Red Sox had a "productive" first meeting with free-agent outfielder
Juan Soto in southern California on Thursday night, according to a source with knowledge of the sit-down meeting. Team president Sam Kennedy, chairman Tom Werner, chief baseball officer
Craig Breslow and manager Alex Cora were all in attendance for a meeting that lasted roughly three hours. Soto was said to be impressed by the presentation in which Boston laid out their plans for the future. The Red Sox didn't discuss money or terms with Soto and did not make a formal offer at this early stage of Soto's free-agent process. The 26-year-old superstar could be seeking a deal for longer than 10 years and with a total value potentially exceeding $500 million. He's expected to remain in California through early next week for additional meetings with the Yankees, Blue Jays and Mets, among others, interested in his services.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MassLive.com - Sean McAdam
6 days agoChicago Cubs catching prospect
Moises Ballesteros put his final stamp on his 2024 Arizona Fall Campaign on Thursday, notching a double and an RBI in a 1-for-4 day at the plate. With the Mesa Solar Sox not playing for the AFL championship, the 21-year-old finishes the fall campaign with a .316/.376/.557 slashline, including five home runs, 16 RBI, and a 10:15 BB:K in 19 games. It's a strong ending after a superb 2024 regular season. Should he continue to swing a hot bat come next spring, it shouldn't be long before he's with the big league club that could use some offense at the position. While his defense is not quite as strong, he could also spend time at DH while he works on the glove, which should put him squarely on both dynasty and redraft radar.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoSan Diego Padres catching prospect
Ethan Salas went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run on Thursday, his fourth of the Arizona Fall League (AFL) campaign. Salas now has 21 RBI which is tied for third-most in the AFL, but is hitting just .228 and has a 13:27 BB:K over 23 games. Still, the 18-year-old is one of the youngest players in the AFL, competing against older, more seasoned pitchers. The youngster ranks as the Padres' top prospect and 19th in all of baseball but isn't expected to make his debut for a couple of years yet. Nevertheless, he's a strong defender already and has all the tools to make it to the big leagues with the potential to be a star, so fantasy managers should take notice.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
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