MLB News

According to Robert Murray of FanSided, the Philadelphia Phillies are acquiring starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo from the Miami Marlins in exchange for infield prospect Starlyn Caba and outfield prospect Emaarion Boyd. The southpaw battled numerous back and elbow injuries last season which limited to a mere 66 2/3 innings pitched. Across this small stint, Luzardo held a 5.00 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP. However, across a career-high 178 2/3 innings in 2023, the left-hander posted a strong 3.58 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP. During that season, he struck out 208 batters at a 28.1% rate and held a solid 7.4% walk rate. Fantasy managers should expect Luzardo to slide into a permanent role in the starting rotation which will move Taijuan Walker to the No.6 spot on the depth chart. Even though Luzardo battled numerous injuries in 2024, he carries strong strikeout upside and should be in line to tally double-digit wins pitching on a competing Phillies roster in 2025. Caba was considered the No.4 prospect and Boyd was considered the No.23 prospect in the Philadelphia system according to MLB Pipeline.

Right-handed pitcher Codi Heuer and the Texas Rangers have agreed on a minor league contract that has an invite to Spring Training. Heuer was sidelined throughout the entire 2024 campaign due to an elbow fracture. Heuer began his professional career with the Chicago White Sox but was eventually traded to the Chicago Cubs during the 2021 campaign. Across 91 career innings in the major leagues, the right-hander posted a 3.56 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP. He tallied three saves and struck out 81 batters. When in the majors, Heuer posted an impressive 4.5% barrel rate and a solid 36.5% hard-hit rate. While he has battled numerous injuries over the past two seasons, he flashed decent upside when in the majors. Fantasy managers in deeper formats should keep an eye on his progression during Spring Training as he may contend for a spot on the Opening Day Roster.

According to Robert Murray of FanSided, the Cincinnati Reds have signed right-handed pitcher Bryan Shaw to a minor-league contract that has an invite to Spring Training. The 37-year-old has spent 14 seasons in the major leagues and has posted a 3.96 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP. He has struck out 681 batters across 764 1/3 career innings. Last summer, he spent most of his time in Triple-A, and held a 4.14 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP. Shaw was a productive relief pitcher under manager Terry Francona during his time in Cleveland and will now reunite with his former skipper in Cincinnati. If Shaw has a successful Spring Training, he may earn a permanent low-leverage role in the Cincinnati bullpen.

The Toronto Blue Jays have signed left-handed pitcher Eric Lauer to a minor league contract that contains an invite to Spring Training. Lauer spent the 2024 campaign with Houston and Pittsburgh. Lauer spent the entire summer at the Triple-A level and held a 5.26 ERA and a 1.57 WHIP across 75 1/3 innings. However, from 2018 through 2023, Lauer spent the majority of his time in the major leagues. The southpaw made his big league debut in San Diego in 2018 and then went on to spent four seasons in Milwaukee. He posted a career-best 3.19 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP with a 7-5 record across 118 2/3 innings during the 2021 season. Fantasy managers in deeper AL-only formats should keep an eye on his status during Spring Training as he may contend for a spot in the back-half of the Toronto rotation.

The Toronto Blue Jays have signed right-handed pitcher Eric Pardinho to a minor league contract that has an invite to Spring Training. Pardinho spent the 2024 campaign in the Toronto system splitting time between Double and Triple-A. Across 26 2/3 innings of relief at the Double-A level, the 23-year-old held a stellar 1.01 ERA and 0.90 WHIP. He tallied one save and struck out an impressive 37 batters across this stint. He then moved up to Triple-A Buffalo where he held a much higher 5.34 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP across a 28 1/3 innings of work. He struck out only 29 batters and served up 18 free passes. Pardinho will likely compete for a spot on the Opening Day Roster but should be expected to open the 2025 campaign at Triple-A given that he struggled at that level last summer.

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 a record-breaking contract, the Mets remain very active for the top free agents on the market. Last season in Houston, Bregman posted a .260/.315/.453 slash line with 26 home runs and three stolen bases. He showed an elite eye at the plate, holding a stellar 13.6% strikeout 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.