2 weeks agoAccording to Chandler Rome of The Athletic, the Houston Astros have designated third baseman
Grae Kessinger for assignment. This was done in a corresponding move to add free agent first baseman
Christian Walker to the active roster. Kessinger only appeared in 49 games at the major league level over the past two seasons and held a poor .131/.243/.213 with just two doubles and one home run. However, across 121 games at the Triple-A level, Kessinger carried a solid .271/.363/.407 slash line with 23 doubles, 12 home runs, and nine swiped bags. Fantasy managers should expect the former second round selection out of Ole Miss to find a new home on a minor league deal and contend for a spot on an Opening Day roster if he has a successful Spring Training.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Chandler Rome
2 weeks agoThe Texas Rangers have signed right right-handed pitcher
Patrick Murphy to a minor-league deal that has an invite to spring training. The 29-year-old spent the entire 2024 campaign pitching overseas in Japan and held a 3.62 ERA across 59 2/3 innings of work. During the 2023 season, he only appeared in Triple-A and held a similar 3.69 ERA and 1.56 WHIP across 85 1/3 innings of work. During this stint, he struck out 97 batters. He last appeared in the major leagues in 2022. Across three big-league seasons (2020-2022), he logged 39 2/3 innings and pitched to the tune of a 4.76 ERA and 1.64 WHIP. Murphy will likely open the 2025 season at the minor-league level given his lack of major-league success.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Texas Rangers
2 weeks agoThe Texas Rangers met with Japanese free-agent right-hander Roki Sasaki in person last week, and general manager
Chris Young said the meeting went well. "We really enjoyed our time, but that's about the extent of anything I will say on that today," Young said. In addition to the Rangers, Sasaki has also met with the Chicago Cubs, New York Mets and New York Yankees. The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres have been considered the front-runners for the 23-year-old, though, after he was officially posted by the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball on Dec. 9. He has a 45-day window to sign with an MLB club. Sasaki is widely regarded as one of the best young pitchers in the world, but he comes with durability concerns -- he's maxed out at 20 starts in a season due to injuries -- and has also seen his strikeout rate drop in recent years due to his planned drop in velocity.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Kennedi Landry
2 weeks agoMLB.com's Mark Feinsand said on MLB Network that free-agent right-hander
Corbin Burnes, who is at the top of the free-agent starting pitching market this offseason, is seeking a deal for around $245 million this offseason. The San Francisco Giants reportedly have been very interested in Burnes and even made him an offer, but it wasn't as high as the $245 million he's seeking. It remains to be seen if San Fran will increase their offer. The Toronto Blue Jays are another team mentioned as a suitor for Burnes, but it's unclear if they are willing to take a leap on a seven-year deal for a pitcher. It's also unclear if the Baltimore Orioles would commit that type of money to bring Burnes back. The 30-year-old saw his strikeout rate drop to 23.1% in 2024, but he still had an ERA under 3.00. Regression is likely coming soon, but Burnes could still have a few solid years left as a high-end fantasy starter.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Mark Feinsand
2 weeks agoMLB.com's Mark Feinsand says that all the sources around the league he's talked with believe that free-agent first baseman
Pete Alonso will eventually re-sign with the New York Mets, even after they landed the biggest free-agent prize of all this winter in outfielder
Juan Soto. Feinsand also mentions the Seattle Mariners as potentially being a fit for Alonso, whose market has shrunk recently with several free-agent first basemen finding homes and others being acquired by teams via trade of late. However, Feinsand thinks the M's would have to move right-hander
Luis Castillo and his contract first before they'd become a serious suitor for the right-handed slugger, who is now one of the biggest free agents left available. Alonso is now 30 years old and had the worst year of his career in 2024, although that still provided fantasy managers with 34 homers and 88 RBI. A return to New York would be more ideal for fantasy purposes than a move to Seattle.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Mark Feinsand
2 weeks agoMLB.com's Mark Feinsand mentions the Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers as two teams still in the mix to sign free-agent third baseman
Alex Bregman this offseason. Re-signing with the Houston Astros is no longer an option after Houston signed
Christian Walker to play first base. The recently-acquired
Isaac Paredes is expected to open the 2025 season as the Astros' third baseman. The New York Yankees have been mentioned as a possibility for the 30-year-old right-handed slugger, but they may not be as interested after just spending plenty of money to sign lefty pitcher
Max Fried and lefty slugger
Cody Bellinger in a trade. It's a question of whether the Tigers would spend the money to reunite Bregman with manager A.J. Hinch. The Red Sox have the money and would have a reason to move
Rafael Devers off 3B to preserve his health.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Mark Feinsand
2 weeks agoContract negotiations between the Houston Astros and free-agent third baseman
Alex Bregman recently "stalled," prompting general manager Dana Brown to pivot and add first baseman
Christian Walker in free agency. The signing of Walker all but eliminated a reunion between the Astros and Bregman this offseason after the team took him second overall in the 2015 draft. Houston's offer to Bregman was reportedly for six years and around $156 million. Owner Jim Crane has never guaranteed a player more than $151 million or given out a contract longer than six years. Before acquiring
Isaac Paredes from the Chicago Cubs in the deal that sent outfielder
Kyle Tucker to Chicago, St. Louis Cardinals third baseman
Nolan Arenado apparently nixed a potential trade to the Astros. Now that Walker is in Houston, Paredes figures to open the 2025 season as Houston's starting third baseman.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Chandler Rome
2 weeks agoThe Philadelphia Phillies are planning to save most of right-handed pitching prospect
Andrew Painter's (elbow) limited innings for "July-ish" as he makes his way back from Tommy John surgery, according to president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski. Painter will throw during spring training but will not pitch in games. Before making his big-league debut in 2025, the Phillies will build him up in the minor leagues. The team's No. 2 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, didn't pitch at all in 2023 and threw only 15 2/3 innings in the Arizona Fall League this year, so the 21-year-old will certainly have a strict innings cap in 2025, which will limit his fantasy appeal in single-year leagues. The recent additions of left-hander
Jesus Luzardo and right-hander
Joe Ross also give the Phils more rotation insurance, so it remains to be see how big of a need they'll have for Painter around midseason.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Philadelphia Inquirer - Scott Lauber
2 weeks agoThe Philadelphia Phillies agreed to a one-year deal worth $4 million with free-agent right-hander
Joe Ross on Monday, according to sources. Ross is expected to serve in a swing role for the Phillies as both a starter and reliever in 2025 after he went 3-6 with a 3.77 ERA (3.83 FIP), a 1.36 WHIP and a 66:29 K:BB in 74 innings over 25 appearances (10 starts) with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2024. The 31-year-old veteran hurler essentially takes the place of
Spencer Turnbull, who remains on the open market. Ross will only be worth considering as a fantasy streamer in deeper fantasy leagues and DFS contests if he's starting, but it will be more likely that most of his appearances in Philly will come in a relief role. He was better as a reliever last year with a 1.98 WHIP and 24.1% strikeout rate compared to an ERA just south of 5.00 with an 18.7% K rate as a starter.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Matt Gelb
2 weeks agoFree-agent right-hander
Noah Davis announced on his Instagram account that he signed a minor-league deal with the Boston Red Sox over the weekend. Davis debuted in the big leagues in 2022 for the Colorado Rockies but has appeared in only 18 games (six starts) since then, posting a 7.71 ERA (5.65 FIP) and a 1.95 WHIP with 43 strikeouts and 23 walks in 51 1/3 innings pitched. The 27-year-old was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 11th round out of the University of California at Santa Barbara in 2018. In 19 outings (eight starts) at Triple-A Albuquerque in the minors this past season, he went 2-3 with a 5.77 ERA, a 1.65 WHIP and 72:31 K:BB in 68 2/3 frames. Davis will give the Red Sox some pitching depth as both a starter and reliever heading into spring training in February, but he'll likely open the year at Triple-A Worcester.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Noah Davis On Instagram
2 weeks agoFree-agent outfielder/first baseman
Wil Myers said last week that his professional playing career is over, even though he doesn't plan on officially retiring. Myers was most notably acquired by the San Diego Padres from the Tampa Bay Rays 10 years ago in a three-team trade that also sent shortstop
Trea Turner to the Washington Nationals. The right-handed-hitting outfielder never lived up to the hype, though, after he won American League Rookie of the Year in 2013 with the Rays. He did hit 134 home runs and started an All-Star game while in San Diego. "I had a great career," Myers said. "I loved what I did. I made a lot of great friends. I have no regrets. If you had told me the day I was drafted that this would be your career, I would've taken it in a heartbeat. I loved what I did, and now it's just kind of onto the next chapter of life."
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - AJ Cassavell
2 weeks agoFree-agent outfielder/designated hitter
Andrew McCutchen re-signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday on a one-year deal worth $5 million, according to a source. Although McCutchen is clearly past his prime and is basically a full-time DH at this point in his career, the 38-year-old was highly coveted by the Pirates for his leadership skills in the clubhouse. In 448 at-bats over 120 games for Pittsburgh in 2024 in his 16th year in the big leagues, the five-time All-Star and former National League MVP hit .232/.328/.411 with a .739 OPS, 20 home runs, 50 RBI, three steals and 66 runs scored. McCutchen should once again be expected to serve as the team's full-time DH in 2025, and while he still has decent pop for his age, fantasy managers would be foolish to expect another season of 20 homers.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Alex Stumpf
2 weeks agoFree-agent designated hitter
Eloy Jimenez and the Tampa Bay Rays agreed to a minor-league deal on Monday, according to sources. The 28-year-old played for the Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles this past season and is now hoping to rebuild his career with the Rays. The 28-year-old right-handed hitter slashed only .238/.289/.336 with six home runs in 98 total games in 2024 with the White Sox and Orioles and is no lock to make it back to the major-league level, let alone find a significant role in Tampa in 2025. The Dominican outfielder was once a prized prospect in the White Sox system, but injuries have mostly derailed his career -- Jimenez has played in over 100 games at the MLB level just twice, with one of them being his rookie year in 2019, when he hit a career-high 31 homers and drove in 79 runs. He did hit the ball hard last year, but he also was on the injured list twice.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN Chicago - Jesse Rogers
2 weeks agoFree-agent right-hander
Walker Buehler and the Boston Red Sox agreed to a one-year, $21.05 million deal on Monday, according to sources. The two-time All-Star will head to the American League East after helping the Los Angeles Dodgers win the World Series in October. Buehler can make more money in incentives in 2025 as he looks to bounce back from a frustrating 2024 season in which he had a bloated 5.38 ERA over 16 starts for the Dodgers in the regular season in his return from Tommy John surgery. The 30-year-old veteran was a high-end fantasy arm before undergoing elbow surgery. Although he looked much better in the playoffs with the Dodgers, Buehler has thrown only 140 1/3 innings in the last three seasons due to injury. If Buehler can stay healthy and regain some of his fastball velocity, he could be a fantasy bargain in a rebuilt Red Sox rotation.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com - Jeff Passan
2 weeks agoStarting pitcher
Sean Manaea signed a three-year contract worth $75 million to return to the New York Mets. Manaea spent the entirety of the 2024 campaign in Queens. Across 181 2/3 innings, the left-handed pitcher held a 3.47 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP. During the second-half of the summer, he held a stellar 0.94 WHIP. Under the hood, he generated a 3.75 xERA and .227 xBA which were both slightly above the average marks of qualified hitters. He also generated strikeouts at a solid 24.9% rate and allowed hard contact at a 37.8% hard-hit rate. However, he did hold a high 8.5% walk rate which placed him in the 41st percentile. Fantasy managers should expect Manaea to operate towards the front half of the Mets starting rotation during the 2025 campaign. The 32-year-old should be viewed as a high-floor investment for fantasy purposes as he should provide a reliable innings count with a solid ERA and a strong WHIP.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Jeff Passan
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