MLB News

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge headlined this year's American League Silver Slugger award winners to take home the hardware for the fifth time in his career, according to David Adler of MLB.com. Joining Judge in the AL were Athletics rookie first baseman Nick Kurtz (first-time winner), Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. (first), Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez (sixth), Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (second), Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton (first), Detroit Tigers outfielder Riley Greene (first), Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (first), Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter George Springer (third), and Tigers utility player Zach McKinstry (first). The Yankees were the best slugging team in the AL in 2025, scoring a league-best 849 runs, 51 more than any other team. They also led the AL in homers (274), slugging (.455), OPS (.787) and total bases (2,488).

The Cleveland Guardians declined their 2026 option on left-hander John Means (elbow) on Thursday, officially making him a free agent this offseason, according to Tim Stebbins of MLB.com. Means was an All-Star with the Baltimore Orioles in 2019, posting a 3.60 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and 121:38 K:BB in 155 innings over his 31 outings (27 starts) in his first full season in the big leagues. The 32-year-old veteran southpaw has struggled to return to that form, though, and injuries have been the biggest issue. He was recovering from Tommy John surgery and did not pitch at all in the big leagues in 2025. However, Means did make seven minor-league rehab appearances late in the season, so barring a setback, he should be ready for the start of the 2026 campaign. It remains to be seen where he'll land in free agency, though, and fantasy managers will want to see him stay healthy before considering him off the waiver wire.

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani headlines the list of the National League Silver Slugger award winners for the 2025 season, according to David Adler of MLB.com. The other players in the NL to win the award on Thursday were New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (first selection), Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte (second), San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (third), Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo (first), Mets outfielder Juan Soto (sixth), Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll (first), Chicago Cubs outfielder Kyle Tucker (second), Colorado Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman (first), and St. Louis Cardinals utility player Alec Burleson (first). The Dodgers were named the best slugging team in the NL after pacing the league in runs (825), homers (244), walks (580), OPS (.768), and total bases (2,415).

Catcher Austin Wynns (abdomen) and the Athletics are in agreement on Thursday on a one-year, $1.1 million deal that includes performance incentives, sources told Robert Murray of FanSided. Wynns suffered an abdominal injury in the second half of the season and landed on the injured list in August. He ended up playing in 40 big-league games in 2025 with the A's and Cincinnati Reds, slashing a solid .291/.321/.544 with a career-high six home runs, 21 RBI, and 13 runs scored in 110 plate appearances. The 34-year-old veteran will return to the Bay Area in 2026 as insurance behind starter Shea Langeliers. In his seven seasons in the big leagues, Wynns has done very little at the plate, hitting .239 (173-for-724) with 19 home runs and 84 RBI in 278 games played with six different teams. Wynns won't be on the fantasy radar anywhere.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reports that Chicago Cubs outfielder Kyle Tucker headlines a list of 13 MLB players who were tendered $22.025 million qualifying offers on Thursday, according to sources. In addition to Tucker, the other 12 players to receive qualifying offers were Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber, Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette, Houston Astros left-hander Framber Valdez, San Diego Padres right-hander Dylan Cease, Phillies left-hander Ranger Suarez, New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz, Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Zac Gallen, Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga, Padres right-hander Michael King, New York Yankees outfielder Trent Grisham, Detroit Tigers second baseman Gleyber Torres, and Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Brandon Woodruff. The deadline to accept the offers is on Nov. 18. If these players don't accept the offer and sign with other teams, their previous club will receive draft-pick compensation.

Right-handed closer Pete Fairbanks is officially on the free-agent market after the Tampa Bay Rays declined his $11 million option for the 2026 season on Thursday, sources told Jeff Passan of ESPN. Fairbanks will receive a $1 million buyout and will now be free to sign with any MLB team this winter. The 31-year-old veteran will have his fair share of suitors after a strong 2025 campaign in his sixth full season with the Rays. Fairbanks had a 2.83 ERA (3.63 FIP), 1.04 WHIP, a career-high 27 saves, 59 strikeouts, and 18 walks in 60 1/3 innings out of the bullpen. His fantasy value for the upcoming season will depend entirely on where he lands in free agency, but at the very least, Fairbanks should be attractive in fantasy as a high-leverage arm at the back end of a bullpen. He has become a high-end closer in recent seasons, saving 75 games in his 156 relief outings.

The Los Angeles Dodgers designated right-hander Tony Gonsolin (elbow) for assignment on Thursday, according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Gonsolin only made seven starts for the Dodgers in 2025 before being shut down and undergoing an internal-brace procedure on his right elbow. The 31-year-old veteran hurler will not be ready for the start of the 2026 season, but barring a setback in his recovery, there's a chance he'll be ready to make his season debut before the All-Star break in mid-July. Gonsolin also had Tommy John surgery back in 2023, so he may never return to his All-Star form in 2022, when he won 16 games, posted an ERA of .214, and struck out a career-high 119 hitters in 130 1/3 innings. He had an ERA just under 5.00 in 2023, missed all of 2024, and had a 5.00 ERA in his seven starts this year. You can see why Gonsolin was DFA'd by the world champions.

The Toronto Blue Jays extended a $22.025 million qualifying offer to star shortstop Bo Bichette on Thursday, according to the team. Bichette can either accept the offer and return to Toronto for the 2026 season or decline it and officially become a free agent. If Bichette declines and signs with another team this offseason, the Blue Jays would receive draft-pick compensation. The 27-year-old two-time All-Star had a bounce-back season for the Jays in 2025 and came just short of helping the team win their first World Series championship in over 30 years. He hit .311/.357/.483 with an .840 OPS, 18 home runs, 94 RBI, 78 runs, and four steals in 139 regular-season games. A knee sprain in early September knocked him out until the World Series, where he went 8-for-23 with a homer and six RBI in seven games. The expectation is that Bichette will turn down the qualifying offer and hit the open market.

The San Diego Padres hired former right-handed relief pitcher Craig Stammen to a three-year deal on Thursday to be their new manager, according to Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune. Stammen, who just retired from professional baseball three years ago, will take over for Mike Shildt. The Padres chose Stammen, who has no managerial experience, over Texas Rangers special assistant Nick Hundley, current pitching coach Ruben Niebla, and future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols. Stammen was mostly used as a reliever in his 13 big-league seasons, six of which came with the Padres from 2017-22. After retiring, he joined San Diego's front office, serving as a special assistant to the major-league staff and baseball operations. The Padres are still looking for their first World Series championship, although they have been to the postseason in three of the last four years.

Free-agent right-hander Kenta Maeda announced on Wednesday that he will return to his native country of Japan in 2026 to continue his career. Maeda made his debut in the big leagues in 2016 with the Los Angeles Dodgers and pitched for the Blue until 2019 before short stints with the Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers. The 37-year-old veteran spent the last two seasons with Detroit and was demoted to a bullpen role in 2024. He only made seven appearances out of the bullpen for the Tigers this past season, allowing eight runs (seven earned) on nine hits (one homer) while walking six and striking out eight in eight innings pitched. Maeda also pitched at the Triple-A level in 2025 in the Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees organizations and wasn't very sharp, posting a combined 5.40 ERA and 1.32 WHIP in 100 innings. There's a good chance we won't see Maeda in MLB again.

Free-agent outfielder Leody Taveras is signing with the Baltimore Orioles on a one-year, $2 million deal, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Taveras will be hoping to bounce back in 2026 in the American League East after hitting rock bottom this past season with the Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners. In just 58 combined games with two teams, he hit .205/.226/.304 with a .530 OPS, three home runs, 17 RBI, 13 runs scored, nine stolen bases, and a 50:5 K:BB in 180 plate appearances. The 27-year-old Dominican brings versatility at all three outfield spots, but he'll strictly be outfield depth in Baltimore and will merely be battling to make the major-league roster out of spring training. Taveras has a lot to prove after once being a top prospect in the Rangers' system. Since debuting in the big leagues in 2020, he's hit .236 (418-for-1,769) with 41 homers, 177 RBI, and 75 steals in 533 games.

The Philadelphia Phillies announced on Wednesday that they exercised the $9.5 million club option on left-handed reliever Jose Alvarado (forearm) for the 2026 season. Alvarado will be back with the Phillies next season despite ending the season on the 15-day injured list with a left-forearm strain. The 30-year-old veteran southpaw had a 2025 campaign to forget after being suspended for the first 80 games due to a performance-enhancing drug violation. The Venezuelan reliever appeared in 28 games out of the bullpen and managed to save seven games while producing a 3.81 ERA (3.60 FIP) and 1.31 WHIP with 32 strikeouts and only seven walks in 26 innings pitched. Barring a setback, Alvarado should be ready for the start of spring training in February and should be an important piece at the back end of Philadelphia's bullpen.

The Cincinnati Reds announced on Wednesday that they declined the $12 million mutual option on outfielder Austin Hays for the 2026 season, making him a free agent. The team also declined the 2026 club options on right-hander Scott Barlow and left-hander Brent Suter. Hays will be given a $1 million buyout and will be free to sign with any MLB team this offseason. The 30-year-old veteran was on the injured list multiple times with various injuries in his first and only season in Cincinnati, but when he was active, he played well, slashing .266/.315/.453 with a .768 OPS, 15 home runs, 64 RBI, 60 runs scored, and a career-high seven stolen bases in 416 plate appearances over 103 games played. Hays will garner attention in free agency as a platoon outfielder who is best used against left-handed pitching. He hit .319 against southpaws in 2025.

Seattle Mariners second baseman Jorge Polanco declined his $6 million vesting player option for the 2026 season on Wednesday, a source told Daniel Kramer of MLB.com. Polanco is now officially a free agent, although there will be interest from the Mariners to try and re-sign him. The 32-year-old Dominican switch-hitter played in 138 games in 2025 for the M's, just the fourth time in his 12 MLB seasons he's played over 130 games, and hit .265/.326/.495 with an .821 OPS, 26 home runs, 78 RBI, 64 runs scored, and six stolen bases in his second year in Seattle. The oft-injured middle infielder will now try to parlay his strong season into a multi-year deal on the open market. The Mariners are expected to make a strong push to retain Polanco's services after they came just one game shy of advancing to their first-ever World Series appearance.

The New York Yankees declined to pick up right-hander Jonathan Loaisiga's (elbow) $5 million club option for the 2026 season on Wednesday, making him a free agent, a source told Jorge Castillo of ESPN. It's not much of a surprise after Loaisiga had another injury-plagued season that limited him to just 30 relief appearances (29 2/3 innings pitched). He allowed 15 runs (14 runs) on 34 hits (seven homers) while walking 10 and striking out 25. The 31-year-old Nicaraguan picked up one save. A back injury and a flexor strain in his right elbow kept him out for the final two months of the season, and he eventually underwent surgery on his right elbow. The good news is that Loaisiga is expected to be ready for spring training, but it remains to be seen where he'll be pitching. Loasiga has become a full-time reliever since 2021 and won't have much fantasy appeal, if any, regardless of where he lands.

The Atlanta Braves are picking up future Hall of Fame left-hander Chris Sale's $18 million option for the 2026 season on Wednesday, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Even though Sale missed extended time once again in 2025 due to injury (a left rib-cage fracture), there was never any doubt that the Braves would bring him back for his 16th MLB season. The 36-year-old nine-time All-Star and former Cy Young winner looked good again when he was healthy, going 7-5 for Atlanta with a 2.58 ERA (2.67 FIP) and 1.07 WHIP with 165 strikeouts and 32 walks in 125 2/3 innings over 21 outings (20 starts). Sale won the National League Cy Young in 2024 in his first year with the Braves, when he led the league with 18 wins, a 2.38 ERA, and 225 punchouts. Injuries are an issue, but Sale's high-end strikeout upside makes him worth the risk in fantasy.