MLB News

The New York Mets and left-handed pitcher Anthony Gose have agreed to a minor league contract that has an invite to Spring Training. Gose began his professional career as an outfield prospect with the Toronto Blue Jays but then switched positions and became a pitcher. Last summer in Triple-A, Gose held a solid 3.22 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP across 44 2/3 innings of relief. He tallied ten saves while striking out an impressive 59 batters. However, in the majors he has held a career 4.78 ERA and 1.34 WHIP across a small 32 inning sample size. The 34-year-old has flashed decent strikeout upside but has yet to take the next step in the major leagues. He will likely spend Spring Training competing for a spot in the New York bullpen.

The Chicago White Sox have designated outfielder Corey Julks for assignment. In a corresponding move they acquired left-handed relief pitcher Corey Booser from the Boston Red Sox. Julks began his professional career with the Houston Astros. He made his major league debut in Houston in 2023 and held a .245/.297/.352 line with six home runs and 15 stolen bases across 93 games. Last summer in Chicago, he carried a .214/.275/.306 line with just three home runs and five stolen bases across 66 games. While Julks has yet to put it together in the major leagues, he has flashed upside at the Triple-A level holding a cumulative .267/.360/.491 line with 42 doubles, 40 home runs, and 35 stolen bases across 195 games. If Julks were to find a new home, he would likely compete for a spot on an Opening Day Roster during Spring Training.

According to Mike Mayer of MetsmerizedOnline.com, the New York Mets continue to show interest in free agent third baseman Alex Bregman and have emerged as a potential landing spot for him. Even after acquiring Juan Soto on aa record-breaking contract, the Mets remain very active among the top free agents on the market. Last season in Houston, Bregman posted a .260/.315/.453 line with 26 home runs and three stolen bases. He showed an elite eye at the plate, holding a stellar 13.6% K rate and 12.8% whiff rate which were among the top marks in the sport. If the Mets were to acquire Bregman, this would likely move Mark Vientos to the DH spot or potentially first base. Vientos played an integral role in their postseason run this past fall as he held a stellar .327/.367/.636 line across 13 playoff games. Given Bregman's strong contact skills, and eye at the plate, he should be viewed as a top-12 option in 2025.

The Chicago White Sox have acquired left-handed relief pitcher Cam Booser from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for right-handed pitcher Yhoiker Fajardo. In a corresponding move the White Sox designated outfielder Corey Julks for assignment. Last season in Boston, Booser held a 3.38 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP across 42 2/3 innings of relief. He tallied one save. He generated a solid 36.3% hard-hit rate with an above-average 3.56 xERA. Across 68 1/3 Triple-A frames, Booser carried a 5.14 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP. Fantasy managers should expect Booser to operate primarily out of the bullpen in Chicago and may eventually find a high-leverage role if he has a successful Spring Training as their current bullpen lacks any proven late-inning options.

According to Jeff Passan, right-handed pitcher Slade Cecconi was traded to the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for first baseman Josh Naylor. Cecconi has spent his entire professional career in the Arizona Diamondbacks system. He made his major league debut in 2023 and posted a 4.33 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP across 27 innings. Last summer, posted a high 6.66 ERA and a 1.42 WHIP across 77 innings. The Miami product bounced between the rotation and the bullpen during both of his major league stints. In the minor leagues he operated primarily as a starter and held a 5.23 ERA and 1.27 WHIP through 163 1/3 innings. Despite his high ratios, he possess great command as he posted an impressive 5.0% walk rate. With the Guardians losing Matthew Boyd earlier this offseason to the Chicago Cubs, Cecconi could have an opportunity to compete for a spot in the starting rotation during Spring Training.

According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Cleveland Guardians have signed first baseman Carlos Santana to a one-year contract worth $12 million, pending a physical. This transaction occurred just minutes after the Guardians traded first baseman Josh Naylor to the Arizona Diamondbacks. This will be Santana's third stint with Cleveland. Last season, the veteran first baseman posted a .238/.328/.420 line with 23 home runs and four stolen bases in Minnesota. He tallied 71 RBI with 26 doubles. He showed a great eye at the plate with a strong 10.9% walk rate and 16.7% K rate which placed him in the 82nd and 79th percentile respectively among qualified hitters. He also held a slightly above average .330 xwOBA. Fantasy managers should expect Santana to operate as the everyday first baseman and does carry solid RBI upside this season batting behind Steven Kwan and Jose Ramirez.

According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Arizona Diamondbacks are acquiring first baseman Josh Naylor from the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for right-handed pitcher Slade Cecconi and a competitive balance Round B draft pick. Naylor has spent the past four seasons with Cleveland after making his major league debut in San Diego. Last summer, the 27-year-old posted a .243/.320/.456 slash line with 31 home runs, 27 doubles, and 108 RBI. He also swiped six bags. Under the hood, he generated an above average .335 xwOBA, and a .443 xSLG. In addition, he also posted a solid 16.6% K rate. Naylor has been a great RBI producer as he has tallied at least 97 RBI in each of the past two seasons. With Christian Walker now playing in Houston, fantasy managers should expect Naylor to see the vast majority of starts at first base in the desert. He should see similar RBI production batting behind Corbin Carroll and Ketel Marte. Cecconi has held a career 6.06 ERA across 104 major league innings and will likely compete for a spot on the Opening Day Roster.

The Kansas City Royals announced on Friday that they signed free-agent right-hander Junior Fernandez to a minor-league deal. Fernandez, a 27-year-old Dominican hurler, heads to Kansas City after making only two appearances overseas in Japan for the Chiba Lotte Marines. He has not appeared in the big leagues since the 2022 campaign, when he had a combined 2.41 ERA (5.79 FIP), a 1.61 WHIP and a 14:12 K:BB in 18 2/3 relief innings with the St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates. In four seasons in the majors, Fernandez has only thrown 54 innings of relief and has a 5.17 ERA and 1.72 WHIP with a weak 18.7% strikeout rate and 13.9% walk rate. He will just be hoping to impress in spring training with the Royals but will most likely open the 2025 season at Triple-A Omaha.

The Toronto Blue Jays designated right-handed pitcher Hagen Danner for assignment on Friday to make room on the 40-man roster for left-hander Josh Walker, who the team signed to a big-league deal worth $760,000. The 26-year-old Danner made his major-league debut with Toronto in 2023 but only appeared for one-third of an inning. The former second-round selection in 2017 out of Huntington Beach High School went 3-0 with a 3.06 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, seven saves, 34 strikeouts and 13 walks in 34 1/3 innings over 33 appearances out of the bullpen for Triple-A Buffalo this past season. If Danner clears waivers, he'll likely return to the Blue Jays and open the 2025 regular season back at Buffalo as relief depth for the organization.

The New York Yankees acquired right-handed reliever Fernando Cruz and catcher Alex Jackson from the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night in exchange for catcher Jose Trevino. Both Cruz and Jackson will give the Yankees some extra depth at their respective positions going into 2025. Cruz, 34, has experience in high-leverage situations out of the bullpen, but his numbers in two full seasons in Cincy haven't been very impressive. He has a 4.88 ERA and 1.27 WHIP with 207 strikeouts and 63 walks in 132 2/3 innings pitched. However, Cruz also had 23 holds in 2024 and could rack up some holds as more of a middle-relief option in pinstripes next year. Jackson, 28, will be competing with J.C. Escarra and Jesus Rodriguez in spring training to be the backup to Austin Wells in 2025. The former first-rounder in 2014 hit just .122 with three homers and 12 RBI in 58 games with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2024.

Free-agent first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and the New York Yankees agreed on a one-year, $12.5 million deal on Saturday, pending a physical, according to a source. Goldschmidt was also receiving interest from the Arizona Diamondbacks, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners and New York Mets, but he'll instead head to the Bronx and replace Anthony Rizzo as the club's regular first baseman in 2025. The 37-year-old right-handed slugger has been an All-Star seven times and was the National League MVP in 2022 with the St. Louis Cardinals, but he declined significantly on offense in 2024 with a .245/.302/.414 slash line with a career-worst .716 OPS and 22 home runs in 154 games. Although Goldy was better in the second half, it's concerning that his strikeout rate rose to a career-high 26.5% while his walk rate was at a career-low 7.2%. There could be some juice left, and New York isn't a bad landing spot.

The Cincinnati Reds acquired catcher Jose Trevino from the New York Yankees on Friday night in exchange for right-handed reliever Fernando Cruz and catcher Alex Jackson, according to sources. Trevino was the primary backup for Austin Wells in the Bronx in 2024 and slashed a weak .215/.288/.354 with eight home runs and 28 RBI in 234 plate appearances in the regular season. The 32-year-old veteran backstop will now head to Cincinnati, where he'll once again be in a backup role, this time behind Tyler Stephenson. His backup role won't provide him much fantasy value, if any at all, heading into the 2025 campaign. The former sixth-round pick by the Texas Rangers in 2014 out of Oral Roberts University carries a .236/.275/.362 career slash line with a .637 OPS and only 32 home runs in 399 games over seven MLB seasons.

According to Ben Nicholson-Smith of SportsNet, the Toronto Blue Jays have signed left-handed pitcher Josh Walker to a one-year contract worth $760,000. In a corresponding move the Blue Jays released right-handed pitcher Hagen Danner. Walker has spent his entire professional career with the New York Mets after being selected in the 2017 MLB Draft out of New Haven. Across 22 1/3 major league innings of relief, the southpaw has held a 6.45 ERA and a 1.66 WHIP. He struck out 23 batters and allowed 12 free passes. In 37 2/3 innings at the Triple-A level last summer, he posted a 4.06 ERA and 1.27 WHIP. Fantasy managers should expect Walker to have a low-leverage role in the Toronto bullpen if he is able to earn a spot on the Opening Day Roster.

According to Daniel Alvarez-Montes of the Miami Chapter Chair, the Miami Marlins have released infielder Vidal Brujan to make room for third baseman Eric Wagaman. Brujan began his major league career in the Tampa Bay system. Across 227 games at Triple-A, Brujan posted a solid .272/.357/.451 line with 29 home runs and 89 stolen bases. However, he struggled when he was given the call to the big leagues. In 2022, the infielder carried an underwhelming .163/.228/.259 line across a 52-game stint. Last season he played 102 games with the Miami Marlins and struggled as well posting a .222/.303/.319 line with just two home runs and five swiped bags. While he flashed great contact skills and speed in the minor leagues, he has yet to put it together in the majors. If he does find a suitor, he will likely compete for a spot on an Opening Day Roster during Spring Training.

According to Daniel Alvarez-Montes of the Miami Chapter Chair, the Miami Marlins are signing third baseman Eric Wagaman to a one-year contract. Wagaman made his major league debut last season with the Angles and posted a .250/.270/.403 line with five doubles and two home runs across a small 18-game stint. Across 27 games at Triple-A last season, Wagaman held an impressive .320/.355/.500 slash line with five doubles, three home runs, and a 6:14 BB:K ratio. Across 146 games at the Double-A level the 27-year-old held a solid .282/.352/.468 line. Fantasy managers should monitor his progress during Spring Training as he may contend for a spot on the Opening Day Roster especially with Jake Burger departing for Texas earlier this offseason.

The Texas Rangers announced that they have DFA'd right-handed pitching prospect Owen White to make room for free agent left-handed pitcher Hoby Milner. The Rangers agreed to a one-year contract with Milner on Thursday evening. White was drafted by the Rangers in the second round of the 2018 MLB Draft out of Jesse Carson HS. White made his major league debut in 2023 and posted a 11.25 ERA across four innings of work. Then, last summer, White held a hefty 24.00 ERA across three innings of work. Across 154 1/3 innings at Triple-A, the right-hander held a 5.41 ERA and a 1.58 WHIP with a 80:119 BB:K ratio. Given his struggles not only in the big leagues but at the top level of the minor leagues, White will likely operate primarily in the minor leagues if he finds a new home in 2025.

The Atlanta Braves acquired right-hander Davis Daniel from the Los Angeles Angels on Friday in exchange for minor-league left-hander Mitch Farris. Daniel will head to the National League after the Angels designated him for assignment this offseason. The 27-year-old former seventh-rounder in 2019 out of Auburn made his big-league debut in Anaheim in 2023 and went 1-for-4 in his second season in 2024 with a rough 6.23 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 28 strikeouts in just 30 1/3 innings pitched over his six starts. The Braves have some opportunities in their starting rotation in 2025, but Daniel will most likely begin the 2025 campaign at Triple-A Gwinnett. Farris, 23, was taken in the 14th round in 2023 out of Wingate. He held a 3.08 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 131:43 K:BB in 108 innings over 25 outings (19 starts) at three minor-league levels in 2024.

The Baltimore Orioles signed free-agent outfielder Jordyn Adams to a minor-league deal on Friday that includes an invitation to major-league spring training, according to a source. The 25-year-old was a first-round pick by the Los Angeles Angels in 2018. He made his big-league debut with the Angels in 2023 and played in only 17 games. In 2024, Adams played in only 11 games in the majors and went 8-for-35 (.229) with his first home run, four RBI, two steals and four runs scored in 38 plate appearances. In his 28 combined games at the big-league level, Adams has hit only .176/.205/.216 with a homer, five RBI and 28 strikeouts in 78 plate appearances, so he'll be a long shot to become fantasy relevant suddenly in 2025, especially on a stacked Orioles roster. Adams, who hits from the right side, has a .252/.333/.377 career slash line with 42 homers in 561 games in the minors over six seasons.

Free-agent right-hander Matt Bowman signed a minor-league deal that includes an invitation to major-league spring training on Friday with the Baltimore Orioles. Bowman will make $1.1 million if he's in the majors plus $400,000 in incentives. The 33-year-old veteran was originally a 13th-round pick out of Princeton in 2012 by the New York Mets. He bounced around in 2024 with four different teams at the major-league level -- the Minnesota Twins, Arizona Diamondbacks, Seattle Mariners and Orioles -- and finished with a 4.40 ERA (5.19 FIP), a 1.27 WHIP and a 24:13 K:BB in only 30 2/3 combined innings over 25 appearances (one start). Bowman has a 4.17 ERA, a 1.28 WHIP, two saves and a 176:77 K:BB in 216 career innings at the big-league level since debuting with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2016. He'll represent relief depth for Baltimore in 2025.

Free-agent left-hander Patrick Sandoval (elbow) and the Boston Red Sox agreed on a two-year, $18.25 million deal on Friday, according to sources. The 28-year-old left-hander is coming off an internal-brace procedure on his left elbow but expects to return at some point in the second half of the 2025 season. He became a free agent after the Los Angeles Angels non-tendered him in November. Sandoval won't be on the fantasy radar to begin the season and will probably be too risky to roster in the majority of formats once he returns in the second half in his debut with Boston. He's the second left-handed starter the BoSox have added this offseason after the traded for Garrett Crochet. Sandoval leans more on his secondary pitches than he does an average fastball, which limits his fantasy upside with a career 22.7% strikeout rate. He has a 4.01 career ERA with a 1.39 WHIP in six MLB seasons to date.