4 days agoThe Chicago Cubs are likely to designate former closer
Adbert Alzolay (elbow) for assignment on Tuesday, according to a source. Alzolay underwent Tommy John surgery in August and won't put again until late 2025, at the earliest. The 29-year-old Venezuelan right-hander had a career-high 22 saves in 2023 and entered the 2024 campaign as the favorite for saves in Chicago, but he certainly didn't have the year the Cubs were hoping for. Before his season-ending elbow injury, Alzolay had a rough 4.67 ERA (7.38 FIP), a 1.44 WHIP, four saves, 13 strikeouts and six walks in 17 1/3 innings over 18 appearances out of the bullpen. If another club doesn't claim Alzolay on waivers, there's a chance the Cubs could work out a trade to send him elsewhere. Obviously, Alzolay will be off the fantasy radar in 2025 as he recovers from elbow surgery.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN Chicago - Jesse Rogers
4 days agoThe Philadelphia Phillies plan to meet with superstar free-agent outfielder
Juan Soto at some point, although nothing has been scheduled yet. Soto has already met with the Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets and New York Yankees and is scheduled to meet with the Los Angeles Dodgers next. However, it's believed that no offers have been made to Soto yet. The Phillies already have one of the most complete rosters in the game, but they continue to look for ways to improve, and their ownership has shown a willingness to pay for some of the top free agents. It's believed that Soto prefers to stay in New York, but the Phillies could become a "stalking horse," according to Phillies CEO John Middleton. However, Mets owner Steve Cohen is willing to beat any other club's offer to Soto by $50 million, according to a source.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: New York Post - Jon Heyman
4 days agoFree-agent right-hander
Luis Severino is officially rejecting the New York Mets' $21.05 million qualifying offer for one year on Tuesday, according to a source. The Mets and Severino are allowed to discuss a potential deal for a reunion, but if he signs elsewhere on the open market, the Mets will get an extra draft pick as compensation. The Mets could get additional compensation if left-hander
Sean Manaea also rejects his qualifying offer and signs with another club. Severino will be heading into his age-31 season in 2025 coming off a year in which he went 11-7 with a 3.91 ERA (4.21 FIP), a 1.24 WHIP and 161:60 K:BB in 182 innings over his 31 starts in his first year in Queens. The two-time All-Star was able to stay healthy all year, but fantasy managers probably shouldn't expect a second straight year of good health for the oft-injured hurler.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Newsday - Tim Healey
4 days agoFree-agent shortstop
Willy Adames has officially declined the Milwaukee Brewers' $21.05 million qualifying offer on Tuesday, as expected. With Adames declining, the Brewers will be assured draft-pick compensation if he signs with another team on the open market this offseason. This was the first time that the Brewers have ever extended a qualifying offer. Adames is 29 years old and is the top SS in the free-agent class, which made it a no-brainer move for him to decline the offer. Assuming he signs for more than $50 million, Milwaukee would be given a draft pick between the end of the first round and the start of the competitive balance Round A. Adames was one of the team's top offensive performers in 2024, slashing .251/.331/.462 with a .794 OPS and career-highs in homers (32), RBI (112) and steals (21) in 161 regular-season games. He's reportedly open to the idea of moving to third base for a new team.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Adam McCalvy
4 days agoFree-agent outfielder
Teoscar Hernandez declined the Los Angeles Dodgers' $21.05 million qualifying offer on Tuesday, as expected, according to sources. Hernandez is looking for a richer long-term deal on the open market this winter after excelling in his first year with the Dodgers, which led to a World Series title. It's believed that there is plenty of mutual interest in a reunion, but the Dodgers will at least receive draft-pick compensation if Hernandez signs elsewhere. The 32-year-old Dominican outfielder most likely won't have the type of lineup protection that he had with the Dodgers if he departs in free agency. If 589 at-bats with LA in 2024 during the regular season, Hernandez hit a strong .272/.339/.501 with an .840 OPS, career-high 33 home runs, 99 RBI, a career-high-tying 12 steals and 84 runs scored in 154 games. He had three homers and 12 RBI in 16 playoff games.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Francys Romero
4 days agoAs expected, free-agent outfielder
Juan Soto declined the New York Yankees' $21.05 million qualifying offer on Tuesday. It means that if Soto signs with another team on the free-agent market this offseason, the Yankees will receive draft-pick compensation. The 26-year-old is expected to land a mega deal for over 10 years and potentially for more than $600 million after leading the Yankees to the World Series in his first year in the Bronx in 2024. The Yankees would really like to bring him back, but the crosstown New York Mets could be looking to outbid them and steal Soto away. Other teams already involved are the Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers. Soto is a generational talent and had a career-high 41 home runs and 109 RBI in 157 regular-season games for the Yankees while leading the league with 128 runs scored.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: New York Post - Jon Heyman
4 days agoThe New York Yankees signed utilityman
Pablo Reyes and right-hander
Cristian Hernandez to minor-league deals on Monday. Reyes, 31, has six seasons of MLB experience, most recently playing for the Boston Red Sox and New York Mets in 2024, where he hit a combined .183/.234/.217 with no homers and five RBI in 22 games played. He has played every position on the field except catcher and sports a career .248/.309/.349 slash line with eight homers, 54 RBI and 13 steals in 233 games. Hernandez, 24, has not pitched above Double-A and had a 3.40 ERA with 44 strikeouts and nine stolen bases in 42 1/3 innings for Double-A Reading in the Philadelphia Phillies organization this past season. Reyes, given his experience, is probably the better bet to play for the Yankees during the 2025 season as a utility bench option.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: New York Daily News - Gary Phillips
4 days agoFree-agent outfielder
Juan Soto has already met with the Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox and New York Mets, and his agent, Scott Boras, met with the New York Yankees on Monday. The Los Angeles Dodgers are the next team up to meet with Soto, possibly as early as Tuesday, according to sources. No conclusion is expected before Thanksgiving next Thursday, but the feeling around the industry is that he could make a decision before the winter meetings, which begin on Dec. 9. The superstar outfielder is expected to sign a deal for at least 10 years and for a dollar amount that could exceed $600 million. One source said Soto has spoken with at least one other mystery team. Other teams that could meet with Soto include the Giants, Phillies and Rays, with Tampa being the biggest long shot. The Mets and Yankees are considered the favorites to secure Soto's services this offseason.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Mark Feinsand
4 days agoFree-agent right-hander
Deivi Garcia agreed with the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday on a minor-league deal that includes an invitation to major-league spring training, according to sources. Garcia was once a top prospect in the New York Yankees system and will now become a reclamation project for the Brewers. The 25-year-old's stuff still grades out well despite sporting a 7.07 ERA (5.24 FIP), 1.93 WHIP, 15 strikeouts and 11 walks in 14 innings out of the bullpen at the major-league level with the Chicago White Sox in 2024. He was no better at Triple-A Charlotte on the farm with a 6.18 ERA. Garcia debuted with the Yankees in the COVID-shortened 2020 season and has a 5.02 ERA and 1.41 WHIP with a 20.4% strikeout rate and 10.3% walk rate. He's going to need to lower his walk rate significantly if he wants to resurface in the big leagues with the Brew Crew.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com - Jeff Passan
4 days agoNew York Yankees right-hander
Luis Gil was named the 2024 American League Rookie of the Year on Monday night. Gil had a phenomenal year, considering he was two-plus years removed from Tommy John surgery. The 26-year-old received 15 of the 30 first-place votes to narrowly top Orioles outfielder
Colton Cowser. Gil was initially expected to begin the year in the minors to work on his command after throwing just four innings at Single-A in 2023. He ended up making the Opening Day rotation, though, and took advantage, going 15-7 with a 3.50 ERA in 29 starts. Gil led all AL rookies in wins, innings pitched (151 2/3) and strikeouts (171). The Dominican hurler allowed one or fewer hits in five outings, which tied for the most by a rookie since the mound was moved in 1893. In winning the award, Gil became the 10th Yankees player to do so.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB
4 days agoPittsburgh Pirates right-hander
Paul Skenes was named the 2024 National League Rookie of the Year on Monday evening. Skenes, last year's first overall pick out of LSU, debuted less than a year after being drafted and is a generational talent at the position. The 22-year-old went 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA over 23 starts in 133 innings for the Pirates this year, and his 170 strikeouts were a franchise record. His ERA was the lowest for a rookie pitcher with at least 20 starts in the live-ball era (dating to 1920) and the lowest of any pitcher in 2024 with at least 130 innings. Skenes' fWAR was 10th among big-league pitchers, and he was also named one of the finalists for the NL Cy Young, joining lefty
Chris Sale and right-hander
Zack Wheeler. Skenes is already one of the most dominant pitchers in the sport and will be a highly-coveted fantasy ace in 2025.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB
5 days agoThe Chicago Cubs are hiring
Tyler Zombro as a special assistant in their front office, according to source. The 30-year-old has become one of the sport's preeminent trainers at Tread Athletics and will now work in the Cubs' organization to help improve the performance of their pitchers. Not only will the addition of Zombro hopefully improve the effectiveness of Cubs' pitchers, but he could help lure one of the top free-agent arms, right-hander
Corbin Burnes, to the Cubbies this offseason. Manager Craig Counsell also has experience working with Burnes in Milwaukee. Despite not having many big-name arms in their starting rotation and bullpen in 2024, the Cubs had a team ERA of 3.78 under manager Craig Counsell, which ranked 10th in all of baseball.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com - Jeff Passan
5
days
agoCincinnati
Reds
second
baseman
Jonathan
India
is
one
of
several
hitters
that
the
Kansas
City
Royals
are
targeting
in
a
trade,
according
to
sources
briefed
on
the
team's
talks.
On
the
flip
side,
right-hander
Brady
Singerread more...
5 days agoFree-agent left-hander
Sean Manaea is expected to reject the New York Mets' $21.05 million qualifying offer. If Manaea ends up signing elsewhere on the open market this winter, the Mets will receive draft-pick compensation. The 32-year-old veteran southpaw is looking for a more lucrative long-term deal this offseason after having a career resurgence in 2024 with the Mets. In his 32 starts, he went 12-6 with a 3.47 ERA (3.83 FIP), a 1.08 WHIP and a 184:63 K:BB in 181 2/3 innings pitched. He wasn't quite as effective in his four postseason starts in October, allowing 11 runs (10 earned) on 17 hits (three homers) while walking eight and striking out 19 in 19 innings. The key to Manaea's solid year was his ability to unlock more velocity due to mechanical tweaks. It remains to be seen if he'll be able to build on it in 2025. Fantasy managers will likely be skeptical, depending on where he lands in free agency.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com - Alden Gonzalez
5 days agoMLB Network's Jon Morosi likes free-agent first baseman
Christian Walker as a fit for the New York Yankees this offseason, whether or not they end up re-signing superstar outfielder
Juan Soto. The Arizona Diamondbacks extended a $21.05 million qualifying offer to Walker, so if the Yankees or any other team scoop him up, the D-backs will receive draft-pick compensation. Walker represents a nice fallback option for teams looking to add a first-base power bat this offseason that don't want to pony up to pay free-agent first baseman
Pete Alonso. The 33-year-old doesn't have the type of power upside that Alonso has, but Walker is an elite, Gold Glove-caliber defender at the cold corner and has 30-plus homers in two of the last three seasons. A move to the Bronx and the Yankees' stacked lineup would certainly give Walker more fantasy upside in 2025 and beyond.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB Network - Jon Morosi
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