5 days agoAccording to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the A's have re-signed relief pitcher
T.J. McFarland on a one-year contract. McFarland posted a 3.81 ERA and 1.24 WHIP with a 17:39 BB:K across 56 2/3 innings of work. Under the hood, he carried a stellar 59.4% ground-ball rate and was able to maintain soft contact at a 4.6% barrel rate and a 34.9% hard-hit rate. However, he struggled in generating whiffs, as he posted a mere 16.6% strikeout rate, one of the lowest marks among qualified pitchers. Fantasy managers should expect McFarland to return to his high-leverage role pitching in the seventh or eighth innings of games, but he will have his save opportunities capped with
Mason Miller poised to return to his closer role.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Bob Nightengale
5 days agoAccording to Katie Woo of The Athletic, St. Louis Cardinals catchers
Ivan Herrera and
Pedro Pages are set to split catching duties in 2025. Earlier this week, it was reported that
Willson Contreras would be moved to a first base role and see very little catching opportunities. As a result, fantasy managers should expect Herrera and Pages to see the vast majority of starts behind the dish next summer. Last season, Herrera held a solid .300/.372/.428 slash line with five home runs and five stolen bases. Under the hood he boasted a stellar .369 xwOBA. Pages was a much better defender last season and carried a .238/.281/.376 line in the batter's box. Fantasy managers should monitor their progress during Spring Training but Herrera will likely be better target for fantasy purposes given his offensive upside.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Katie Woo
5 days agoFree-agent third baseman
Alex Bregman could opt to play second base in the upcoming season, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Scott Boras, Bregman's agent, noted that the two-time World Series champion can cover the keystone in addition to his usual position at the hot corner. Bregman is currently a free agent and is expected to receive a significant contract. Given his willingness to move to a different position, it could open the door for more suitors to place their bid on the 30-year-old. Last season, Bregman posted a .260/.315/.453 slash line with 26 home runs and three stolen bases. Fantasy managers should monitor where Bregman decides to sign in the offseason, as his fantasy value could increase significantly if he earns eligibility in the middle infield as well as at third base.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Bob Nightengale
5 days agoFree-agent outfielder
Teoscar Hernandez is reportedly drawing interest from the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles on the open market, according to sources. Other teams are involved, but the Red Sox and Orioles have similar needs for a right-handed power bat. There's mutual interest between Hernandez and the Los Angeles Dodgers, too, which is probably stronger after they won the World Series over the Yankees in October. The 32-year-old Dominican outfielder thrived hitting in the middle of LA's stacked lineup in his first year with the team in 2024, slashing .272/.339/.501 with an .840 OPS, a career-high 33 home runs, 99 RBI, 12 steals and 84 runs scored in 154 games during the regular season. It will certainly be tough to live up to those numbers if he leaves the Dodgers in pursuit of the American League East or somewhere else.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB Network - Jon Morosi
5 days agoNew York Mets owner Steve Cohen is heading west soon to meet with free-agent outfielder
Juan Soto and his agent, Scott Boras, according to industry sources. Soto, a generational free agent, is expected to be pursued most heavily by the Mets and New York Yankees this offseason. Several other owners are expected to meet with Boras and Soto in the coming weeks. The deep-pocketed Cohen has been active on the free-agent market since taking over the team, and he could get into a bidding war for Soto with the Yankees and perhaps one or two other big-market clubs. The 26-year-old superstar outfielder could command a deal for 10-plus years and approaching $700 million. It helps that the Mets have $90 million alone coming off the books this offseason with the departures of
Max Scherzer,
Justin Verlander and
James McCann in the middle of their contracts.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: New York Post - Mike Puma
5 days agoWith Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder
Mookie Betts expected to move back to the infield and likely at second base next season, infielder
Gavin Lux appears to be the odd-man out. Lux will especially be the odd-man out of the Dodgers end up bringing free-agent outfielder
Teoscar Hernandez back. If the Dodgers don't decide to trade Lux this offseason, he'll most likely head to the bench if Betts becomes the primary second baseman in 2025. The Dodgers have both veteran
Miguel Rojas and
Tommy Edman as options to play shortstop. Lux was much better offensively in the second half of the regular season but struggled mightily at the plate in the first half and in the playoffs. The 26-year-old left-handed hitter batted .251/.320/.383 with a below-average .703 OPS, a career-high 10 homers, 50 RBI and five steals in 139 regular-season games after missing all of 2023 due to injury.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Foul Territory
5 days agoWhile the Boston Red Sox have no interest in re-signing closer
Kenley Jansen after he skipped the final series of the season to return home early, Boston reportedly is interested in bringing back right-handed reliever
Chris Martin. The 38-year-old veteran has a 2.16 ERA in 100 appearances for the BoSox the last two years combined. He is expected to be seeking just a one-year deal because he plans on hanging up his cleats after the 2025 campaign. Martin missed some time this past year due to right-elbow inflammation and finished with a 3-1 record, 3.45 ERA (2.78 FIP), a 1.13 WHIP, two saves, 50 strikeouts and only three walks in 44 1/4 innings out of the bullpen. With Jansen unlikely to return to Beantown, too, there's a chance Martin could be used more in save chances in 2025 if he re-signs with Boston for the final year of his career.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MassLive.com - Christopher Smith
5 days agoChicago White Sox left-hander
Garrett Crochet is certain to generate plenty of trade interest this offseason after he was one of the most sought after-players at last summer's trade deadline in late July. "Based on conversations I've had with other clubs when we talk about potential trades, Garrett certainly garners a lot of attention," general manager Chris Getz said. Unless the team thinks they can sign the 25-year-old southpaw to an extension, moving him -- he has two years of club control left -- might be the best course of action for the rebuilding White Sox. Outfielder
Luis Robert Jr., meanwhile, is less likely to be moved. He was an All-Star in 2023 but struggled this past season with a .224/.278/.379 slash line, 14 home runs, 35 RBI and 23 steals in 100 games.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Mark Feinsand
6 days agoFree-agent infielder
Ha-Seong Kim (shoulder) is generating "lots of interest" in the early days of free agency, according to a source. The San Francisco Giants are reportedly one of the teams focused on signing Kim, while the Milwaukee Brewers have also been connected to the 29-year-old, who finished the year on the injured list with a torn labrum in his right shoulder.
Tyler Fitzgerald was impressive for the Giants at shortstop in 2024, but new president of baseball operations
Buster Posey said this week that the team prefers to add a shortstop this winter. Skipper Bob Melvin managed Kim in San Diego, and Kim played with outfielder
Jung Hoo Lee for Team Korea in the World Baseball Classic. Kim won a Gold Glove in 2023 but came back down to Earth in 2024 while posting 11 homers, 47 RBI, 22 steals and a .700 OPS in 121 games.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Mark Feinsand
6 days agoThe Baltimore Orioles are casting a wide net for starting pitching this offense, and general manager Mike Elias said he expects to make an effort similar to what the team did last year while trying to acquire someone who can "lead" the rotation. Elias thinks the team has the money and flexibility to shop at the top of the market for the position given the club's new ownership. "We have everything that we need from them if we find those opportunities. And if finances are what's required for us to execute on those, I'm very confident and bullish that those are going to be there for us," Elias said. It's unclear if they will make a serious effort to re-sign right-hander
Corbin Burnes, though, who is projected to land a seven-year contract worth $200 million-plus on the open market. If they don't bring him back, though, it sounds like they are willing to commit big money to another top-of-the-rotation arm.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Will Sammon and Katie Woo
6 days agoTampa Bay Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander has identified catcher as a position of need for the team this offseason as they look to improve defensively. "The catching position, the production we got last year was nowhere near where it needed to be to be a playoff-contributing position," Neander said. "We need to find a way to score more runs. I think there's a few different ways we can go about doing that. But upgrading the catcher situation, without question." Tampa's backstops had just a 67 wRC+ last year, which was third-worst in baseball behind the Miami Marlins and Chicago White Sox.
Ben Rortvedt played solid defense for the Rays, but he also hit .228/.317/.303 with just three home runs. With Rotvedt hitting from the left side, expect Tampa to look for a right-handed complement with better offensive skills at catcher.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Will Sammon and Katie Woo
6 days agoFree-agent shortstop
Willy Adames reportedly wants to stay at shortstop but would be willing to move elsewhere if he gets a strong offer on the open market this winter from a contending team, according to league sources. Adames is the top available shortstop in free agency this offseason and one of the top available position players after setting career-highs in home runs (32), RBI (112), stolen bases (21) and runs scored (93) in 161 games in 2024 with the Milwaukee Brewers. ESPN's Kiley McDaniel projects him to find a seven-year deal worth around $189 million in free agency this winter as both a stalwart defensively and offensively at a premier position. If a contending team lands Adames and already has a stud at the 6, he could be moved to either third or second base, which would make him even more attractive in fantasy next year with added positional eligibility.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Will Sammon and Katie Woo
6 days agoAmong non-leadoff hitters in 2024, Kansas City Royals shortstop
Bobby Witt Jr., who hit second for the team, had the most plate appearances (433) with the bases empty. Witt still impressed with 109 RBI, 211 hits, 32 home runs and a .332 batting average, but the Royals are looking to prioritize quality contact and on-base percentage as they look for a new leadoff hitter this offseason. Royals hitters struck out at just a 19.4% clip (third-lowest in baseball) but also had a .306 on-base percentage (19th). Among players that KC might be looking at include Reds infielders
Jonathan India and
Spencer Steer and free agent
Jurickson Profar. If the Royals explore the trade market, league sources suggest they would listen to offers for left-hander
Kris Bubic and right-hander
Alec Marsh.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Will Sammon and Katie Woo
6 days agoSt. Louis Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak stated Wednesday that catcher
Willson Contreras will be transitioned to a first base/designated hitter role in 2025. The hope is that the move will keep the 32-year-old healthy and allow him to extend the life of his career. The veteran backstop had a solid season for the time he was on the field in 2024, posting a .262-15-36-48-4 line with a .370 wOBA and 140 wRC+, but played in just 84 games due to varying injuries. He's expected to be ready to go for 2025, and the added positional flexibility should give him some additional value in fantasy leagues.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: Katie Woo - The Athletic
6 days agoChicago Cubs pitcher
Ben Brown (neck) is expected to have a scan on his neck in the coming weeks, and if he gets the all-clear, then the 25-year-old could resume throwing without restriction. If the youngster is cleared then the expectation is that he'll be ready to compete for a rotation spot in spring training. The former 33rd-round draft pick showed well in his MLB debut last season, posting a 3.58 ERA (3.11 FIP), 1.08 WHIP, and a 64:19 K:BB in 55 1/3 innings over his first 15 big-league appearances (eight starts), including a seven-inning outing on May 28 in which he allowed no hits, two walks, and struck out 10. With his 28.8% strikeout rate, the righty is worth keeping an eye on, as he'd at least have value in NL-Only leagues were he to win a rotation spot.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: Chicago Tribune - Meghan Montemurro
RADIO
