MLB News
Shohei Ohtani Undergoes Arthroscopic Shoulder Surgery
Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (shoulder) underwent successful arthroscopic surgery to repair a labrum tear, according to the team. Ohtani is expected to be ready in time for Spring Training. The superstar suffered this injury due to a dislocated shoulder during the World Series. However, he was able to play through it en route to winning his first championship. Fantasy managers should monitor his progression leading up to Spring Training in case he faces a setback. Operating as a pure hitter in 2024, Ohtani established the 50-50 club with an impressive .310/.390/.646 slash line. The 30-year-old will likely be a consensus top selection this year in drafts as he is expected to return to the mound, providing elite fantasy production both as a pitcher and a hitter.
Nov 5
Ronald Acuna Jr., Spencer Strider Not Expected To Be Ready By Opening Day
According to David O'Brien of The Athletic, Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) and starting pitcher Spencer Strider (elbow) are not expected to be ready by Opening Day. General manager Alex Anthopoulos said, "We're planning on not having them on the Opening Day roster. How soon after that, we'll see how that goes. And as we get closer and get into spring training, we'll probably be able to update." Fantasy managers should continue monitoring their progress during the offseason and Spring Training; they could potentially sit out significantly during the 2025 season. Acuna suffered a torn ACL in his left knee last May, while Spencer Strider underwent an internal brace procedure in April. During the 2023 season, Acuna captured the NL MVP by hitting a stellar .337/.416/.596 line with 41 home runs and 733 stolen bases. In the same season, Strider finished fourth in NL Cy Young voting with a 3.86 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 281 punchouts across 186 2/3 innings of work. When healthy, both players are elite fantasy assets and would have been consensus first-round selections in all fantasy formats.
Nov 5
Bo Bichette Not On The Trade Block
According to Jon Morosi of the MLB Network, Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette is not on the trade block. General manager Ross Atkins said it is an "easy no" when discussing potential trade inquiries surrounding the 26-year-old. Bichette had a disappointing 2024 season as he posted a career-worst .225/.277/.322 slash line with just four home runs, 31 RBI, and five stolen bases. The former second-round selection played in just 81 games this season due to numerous injuries. His metrics were not encouraging as he held a poor 4.4% barrel rate and .378 xSLG. However, given his past production, fantasy managers should expect Bichette to be in a good position to bounce back in the 2025 campaign.
Nov 5
A's Planning To Keep Brent Rooker
The Athletics plan to keep outfielder Brent Rooker this offseason despite speculation that he might be moved. "We're going to keep Rooker," general manager David Forst said. Rooker is one of the team's best bargaining chips, but they are going to hang onto him after posting a second straight strong season in 2024 with a .293/.365/.562 slash line and .927 OPS to go along with career-highs in home runs (39), RBI (112), stolen bases (11) and runs scored (82) in 614 plate appearances and 145 games played. The 30-year-old underwent surgery on his right forearm in early October for an injury he had played through for much of the year. The good news is that Rooker is expected to be fully healthy for spring training in 2025 and will be a popular outfield target in fantasy despite playing for the lowly A's.
Nov 5
Diamondbacks Decline Scott McGough's Option
The Arizona Diamondbacks declined the $4 million option for the 2025 season on right-handed reliever Scott McGough over the weekend. McGough hits the open market this winter after receiving a $750,000 buyout. McGough took a step back for the D-backs in 2024 in his second year with the team and went 1-3 with a 7.44 ERA (6.04 FIP), a 1.68 WHIP and 25:21 K:BB in 32 2/3 innings pitched in 26 appearances (two starts) for the Snakes. The 35-year-old was constantly being shipped back and forth between the minors and majors this year after spending all of the 2023 campaign in Arizona. He'll now look to latch on as relief depth with another club this offseason. In his two years in the desert, McGough posted a 5.59 ERA and 1.41 WHIP with nine saves, 111 strikeouts and 51 walks in 103 innings over 89 appearances (three starts).
Nov 5
Tyler Fitzgerald, Marco Luciano Could Move Around In 2025
San Francisco Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey said that the team is looking for a shortstop this offseason. Tyler Fitzgerald impressed at the 6 in his rookie season, but he can also play multiple positions. Meanwhile, the Giants hope that moving infielder Marco Luciano to the outfield will help him unlock his true potential offensively. If Fitzgerald continues to hit like he did this year, the Giants will find a place for him in their everyday lineup. In 96 games after debuting in 10 games in 2023, Fitzgerald hit a strong .280/.334/.497 with an .831 OPS, 15 home runs, 34 RBI, 17 steals and 53 runs scored. Over a full season, that kind of production will be very attractive in all fantasy leagues. Luciano has struggled defensively up the middle and also hit just .211/.259/.303 with no homers and 28 K's in 76 at-bats in 27 games in 2024.
Nov 5
Brett Baty Could See Action In The Outfield
New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns isn't ruling out the possibility that third baseman Brett Baty will see action in the outfield moving forward. The Mets were impressed with how quickly Baty picked up second base in 2024 and could further add to his versatility by playing him in the outfield in 2025. The 24-year-old lost out on the starting gig at the hot corner this year to Mark Vientos, so he'll need to move around more next season if he wants to stick around in the big leagues. Baty did see some time in left field in the minors in 2024, so the outfield won't be completely foreign to him. The former 12th overall pick in 2019 made his MLB debut in 2022 and has so far disappointed in 169 games, slashing .215/.282/.325 with a .607 OPS, 15 homers and 55 RBI. He's likely heading for a platoon role with the Mets in 2025.
Nov 5
Braves Interested In Nathan Eovaldi
According to an industry source, the Atlanta Braves are interested in free-agent right-hander Nathan Eovaldi after he declined his $20 million 2025 option to stay with the Texas Rangers. Eovaldi is now looking for a multi-year contract on the open market that will likely exceed an average annual value of at least $20 million. In 29 starts for Texas in 2024, he had a 3.80 ERA in 170 2/3 innings, and his 23.9 percent strikeout rate was his highest mark since 2021. Eovaldi's postseason ledger -- 9-1 with a 2.85 ERA in 12 starts -- stands out with the Braves potentially looking to replace lefty Max Fried, who is also a free agent. Chris Sale, Reynaldo Lopez and Spencer Schwellenbach are all locked into rotation spots in 2025, with Spencer Strider returning from right-elbow surgery. In addition to Fried, the Braves are likely to lose veteran Charlie Morton.
Nov 5
Josh Sborz Still Deciding On Course Of Action
Texas Rangers right-handed reliever Josh Sborz (shoulder) has visited with several shoulder expects since the season ended and both he and the team have yet to decide on a path forward, according to president of baseball operations Chris Young. Sborz appeared only 17 times out of Texas' bullpen in 2024 due to his right-shoulder troubles, ultimately culminating with him finishing the year on the injured list. The 30-year-old is likely deciding on whether to go under the knife, which would almost assuredly mean that he won't be ready for the start of the 2025 regular season. The Rangers' bullpen could look quite different next year, with Kirby Yates, David Robertson and Jose Leclerc all being free agents. Sborz had a 3.86 ERA and 1.22 WHIP with 17 K's and only four walks in his 16 1/3 relief innings in 2024.
Nov 5
Carlos Santana Wants To Play 3-4 More Seasons
Free-agent first baseman/designated hitter Carlos Santana, who is 38 years old, said he wants to play another three or four seasons in the big leagues, according to his agent, Ulises Cabrera. The veteran Dominican switch-hitter won his first career Gold Glove at first base with the Minnesota Twins in 2024 and is coming off his best OPS (.749) since 2019 with the Cleveland Guardians. In addition to his .749 OPS, he hit .238/.328/.420 with 23 home runs, 71 RBI, four stolen bases and 63 runs scored in 594 trips to the plate and 150 games for Minnesota in 2024 in his 15th major-league season. Santana has had a long and successful career as a patient hitter, with high on-base percentages being his calling card in fantasy. He's had a little resurgence the last two years, but fantasy managers can't count on that moving forward, and there's almost zero upside.
Nov 5
Jorge Polanco On Track To Be Cleared For Baseball Activity By January
Free-agent infielder Jorge Polanco (knee) is on track to be cleared for full baseball activities by January and is currently recovering on schedule after having surgery to fix the patellar tendon in his left knee, according to his agent, Ulises Cabrera. Polanco dealt with the knee issue for much of his first season with the Seattle Mariners in 2024 and was limited to 118 games, slashing a weak .213/.296/.355 with a career-worst .651 OPS, 16 home runs, 45 RBI, four stolen bases and 43 runs scored in 469 plate appearances. As a result of the disappointing season and his injury, the Mariners wisely declined Polanco's $12 million club option for the 2025 season. With better health, Polanco could have a bounce-back season elsewhere, but the Dominican infielder is known to be injury-prone, only playing in over 150 games twice in his 11 big-league seasons.
Nov 5
Nationals Decline Option On Joey Gallo
As expected, the Washington Nationals declined their $8 million 2025 mutual option for outfielder/designated hitter Joey Gallo on Monday. It was the no-brainer move after Gallo showed more decline in his first year in the nation's capital. The two-time All-Star hit an abysmal .161/.277/.336 with a career-worst .613 OPS, 10 home runs, 27 RBI, three stolen bases and 24 runs scored in 260 plate appearances and 76 games played. The whiff-happy 30-year-old veteran left-handed slugger was always a big swing and miss guy, but it's gotten worse, with Gallo fanning in 102 of his 223 at-bats in 2024. In 10 big-league seasons since debuting in 2015 with the Texas Rangers, he has hit .194 with a .319 on-base percentage in 939 regular-season games. Gallo may have to settle for a minor-league deal elsewhere if he wants to continue his playing career.
Nov 5
Red Sox Pick Up Rob Refsnyder's Option
The Boston Red Sox announced on Monday that they exercised outfielder Rob Refsnyder's $2.1 million option for the 2025 season. In a Red Sox lineup with plenty of left-handed hitters, Refsnyder was once again very valuable as a right-handed bat in Beantown in his third year with the team. In 307 plate appearances over 93 games, he hit .283/.359/.471 with an .830 OPS, a career-high 11 home runs, 40 RBI, two stolen bases and 32 runs scored as a platoon outfielder. Refsnyder doesn't receive the playing time to make him all that valuable in regular fantasy leagues, but he stands out as a DFS streamer because of his dominance over left-handed pitching. The South Korean outfielder hit .302 (38-for-126) with eight of his 11 home runs against southpaws in 2024.
Nov 5
Cardinals Don't Extend Qualifying Offer To Paul Goldschmidt
As expected, the St. Louis Cardinals did not extend a $21.05 million qualifying offer to free-agent first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, according to president of baseball operations John Mozeliak. If Goldschmidt signs with another team on the open market this offseason, the Cardinals won't receive draft-pick compensation. The Cardinals reportedly don't have a ton of interest in re-signing him on a lesser deal after a disappointing 2024 campaign. The 37-year-old slugger had a second straight down year after winning National League MVP in 2022. The seven-time All-Star slashed .245/.302/.414 with a career-worst .716 OPS, 22 home runs, 65 RBI, 11 steals and 70 runs scored in 654 plate appearances and 154 games. While Goldy looks to be past his prime, there's still some power in his bat, and he could rebound with a change of scenery.
Nov 5
Reds Give Nick Martinez A Qualifying Offer
The Cincinnati Reds extended a $21.05 million qualifying offer to free-agent right-hander Nick Martinez on Monday, according to sources. He already declined a $12 million player option last week. Martinez and the Reds actually discussed a multi-year contract extension before this point, but neither side could agree to anything, and now the 34-year-old veteran swingman is on the open market. If Martinez rejects the offer and signs with another club this winter, the Reds will receive draft-pick compensation. He had a great first season in Cincy in 2024, going 10-7 with a career-best 3.10 ERA (3.21 FIP), a 1.03 WHIP and a career-high 116 strikeouts in 142 1/3 innings over 42 appearances (16 starts). Martinez might see plenty of money on the open market given his versatility, but it also wouldn't be a surprise if he accepted the one-year qualifying offer to stay with the Reds.
Nov 5
Christian Walker Receives Qualifying Offer From D-Backs
The Arizona Diamondbacks extended a $21.05 million qualifying offer to free-agent first baseman Christian Walker on Monday, according to sources. If Walker chooses to reject the offer and signs with another team on the open market, the Diamondbacks would receive draft-pick compensation. Not only is the 33-year-old veteran one of the better first-base bats in baseball, but he also just won a third straight National League Gold Glove at the position. The former fourth-round pick by the Baltimore Orioles out of South Carolina, Walker hit .251/.335/.468 with an .803 OPS, 26 home runs, 84 RBI, two steals and 72 runs scored in 552 plate appearances over 130 games in his eighth year in the desert. It was a slight drop in production from the previous two years, but he did miss some time late in the year due to injury. He has 25-plus homers in each of the last three campaigns.
Nov 5
Dodgers Extend Qualifying Offer To Teoscar Hernandez
The Los Angeles Dodgers extended a $21.05 million qualifying offer to free-agent outfielder Teoscar Hernandez on Monday, according to sources. Even though the Dodgers and Hernandez could reunite in 2025, he's almost certainly going to reject the offer. If Hernandez then signs with another team in free agency, the Dodgers would be receive draft-pick compensation. The 32-year-old right-handed slugger helped LA win another World Series title in his first year with the team and was a consistent offensive force all year on a team stacked with All-Stars. Hernandez hit .272/.339/.501 with an .840 OPS, career-high 33 home runs, 99 RBI, career-high-tying 12 steals and 84 runs scored in 154 regular-season games for the Blue. For fantasy purposes, Hernandez's fantasy value would be at its highest if he stays in LA's stacked lineup.
Nov 5
Jake Bauers, Bryse Wilson Become Free Agents
Milwaukee Brewers first baseman/outfielder Jake Bauers and right-hander Bryse Wilson both cleared waivers on Monday and were outrighted to Triple-A Nashville. Both Bauers and Wilson were arbitration-eligible but will become free agents after being cast off the team's 40-man roster. Bauers matched his previous career-high of 12 home runs and also drove in 43 and stole a career-high 13 bases in 116 games in 2024 in his first year in Milwaukee, but he also hit just .199 with a .301 on-base percentage, .361 slugging percentage and below-average .662 OPS. He's now hit only .208 in five big-league seasons with five different teams. Wilson, 26, served as a swingman for Milwaukee this year, going 5-4 with a 4.04 ERA and 1.27 WHIP with a career-high 82 K's and 31 walks in 104 2/3 frames over his 34 outings (nine starts).
Nov 5
Frankie Montas Declines Mutual Option
Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Frankie Montas declined his portion of his $20 million mutual option for the 2025 season on Monday to officially become a free agent. The Brewers also claimed right-hander Kevin Herget off waivers from the New York Mets and claimed left-hander Rob Zastryzny off waivers from the Chicago Cubs. Montas will receive a $2 million buyout and is now free to sign with any team. The 31-year-old veteran began the year with the Cincinnati Reds before being traded to the Brewers at the deadline. The Dominican hurler went a combined 7-11 with a 4.84 ERA (4.71 FIP), a 1.37 WHIP, 148 strikeouts and 66 walks in 150 2/3 innings over 30 starts after missing pretty much all of 2023 due to injury. He was slightly better in 11 regular-season starts for the Brewers and will be hoping to take that momentum into 2025.
Nov 5
Willy Adames Receives Qualifying Offer From Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers extended a $21.05 million qualifying offer to free-agent shortstop Willy Adames on Monday, according to sources. If Adames rejects the offer, which is likely, and signs with another team, the Brewers will receive draft-pick compensation. The 29-year-old should be able to find a lucrative long-term deal on the open market that will pay him more than $21.05 million in 2025 after he hit .251 (153-for-610) with career-highs in home runs (32), RBI (112), stolen bases (21) and runs scored (93) in 688 plate appearances and 161 regular-season games in his third full season in Milwaukee. Adames offers above-average defense at a premiere position on the infield and is an above-average hitter as well, which is hard to come by at shortstop. He's clubbed 24-plus home runs in each of the last four seasons.
Nov 5
Shohei Ohtani
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Dodgers
