MLB News

Texas Rangers outfielder Evan Carter (hip) had arthroscopic surgery on his right hip last week to address a labral injury and a hip impingement, president of baseball operations Chris Young told Kennedi Landry of MLB.com. Carter will not be ready for the start of the 2027 season. Carter played 141 games in 2026 and made all 112 of his defensive starts in center field. The 24-year-old left-handed hitter's hip likely bothered him for much of the year, which contributed to him hitting a lowly .194 (76-for-391) with nine home runs, 40 RBI, 17 stolen bases, 52 runs scored, and a 25.1% strikeout rate in 455 plate appearances in his fourth year in the big leagues. The Rangers expect Carter to play the majority of next season, but he is facing a recovery period of around six months. Carter made his MLB debut in September of 2023 and helped the Rangers win their first-ever World Series championship that fall while hitting .306 with five homers and 12 RBI in 23 games, but he played in only 108 of a possible 324 games the following two seasons due to injuries, and he has quickly developed an injury-prone label as well as struggling against left-handed pitching.

Boston Red Sox outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela won his second career Gold Glove Award in center field for the 2026 season, according to MLB.com's Shanthi Sepe-Chepuru. Rafaela took home the hardware for a second straight season after ranking second among outfielders in outs above average (16) while tying for third overall in defensive runs saved (21). He also became the first player to win back-to-back awards in center field in the American League since Kevin Kiermaier in 2015 and 2016. The other Gold Glove winners in the AL this year were Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler, Astros first baseman Christian Walker, Mariners second baseman Cole Young, Rays shortstop Taylor Walls, Red Sox third baseman Caleb Durbin, Yankees left fielder Cody Bellinger, Red Sox right fielder Wilyer Abreu, Guardians pitcher Tanner Bibee, and Rangers utility man Ezequiel Duran. Abreu has won the award three straight seasons in right field with the Red Sox. The 26-year-old Rafaela was also a first-time All-Star in his fourth year in the league while slashing .283/.319/.442 with a career-high .761 OPS. He matched his previous career high of 16 home runs while also driving in 70 runs and stealing 17 bases in 138 regular-season games.

In addition to hitting 40 home runs and stealing 40 bases in 2026, Chicago Cubs All-Star outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong won his second Gold Glove Award in center field after leading baseball with 26 outs above average, according to Shanthi Sepe-Chepuru of MLB.com. PCA also ranked sixth among outfielders in baseball with 10 defensive runs saved. The 24-year-old two-time All-Star is the favorite to take home the National League MVP Award this year after slashing .280/.372/.570 with a .943 OPS, 107 RBI, and 119 runs scored, in addition to his league-leading 45 home runs and 41 stolen bases in 162 games across 726 plate appearances. Crow-Armstrong also led the league in slugging (.570), OPS (.943), and total bases (357). The other Gold Glove winners in the NL were Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno, Braves first baseman Matt Olson, Brewers second baseman Brice Turang, Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo, Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman, Brewers left fielder Jackson Chourio, Diamondbacks right fielder Corbin Carroll, Mets pitcher Nolan McLean, and Braves utility man Mauricio Dubon.

The Houston Astros exercised infielder Isaac Paredes' $13.35 million club option for the 2027 season on Monday, according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic. Paredes had a strong second season with the Astros in 2026, slashing .262/.360/.447 with an .806 OPS, 25 home runs, 94 RBI, and 69 runs scored in 155 regular-season games across 659 plate appearances in his seventh year in the league. The 27-year-old Mexican native finished second on the team behind American League MVP finalist Yordan Alvarez in bWAR last year. Houston attempted to trade Paredes last offseason to clear their infield logjam, but that situation was cleared up when Carlos Correa suffered a season-ending ankle injury in May. Paredes could once again be on the trade block this winter if it looks like Correa is set to return healthy in 2027. Not only did Paredes have a strong 10.8% walk rate, but he also had a career-low 13.4% strikeout rate while showing his defensive versatility by playing first and second base in addition to the hot corner. His tendency to pull the ball in the air makes him an ideal fit at Daikin Park, so fantasy managers will be hoping he stays put in Houston.

The Detroit Tigers announced on Monday that they declined their $12 million 2027 club option for veteran right-handed reliever Kenley Jansen. He will instead receive a $2 million buyout. The 39-year-old will be on the free-agent market this winter after spending his 17th year in the league in Motown. The four-time All-Star made 50 appearances out of the bullpen and recorded a 3.20 ERA (4.46 FIP), 1.04 WHIP, 22 saves, 51 strikeouts, and 23 walks in 45 innings pitched. Jansen was better as the season progressed, recording a 2.40 ERA while giving up just 15 hits in 30 innings with 32 strikeouts since the start of June. Jansen's surface stats were solid, especially for a player of his age, but he also blew six saves, and his 23 walks were the third-most of his career. The veteran closer also allowed seven home runs, with four of them being walk-offs. Jansen will most likely have to settle for another one-year deal in free agency if he continues his career, and there is a good chance that he will not be guaranteed a full-time closer job. With Jansen now gone, the Tigers do not have an obvious successor in the ninth-inning role and could open next year in a committee.

The Baltimore Orioles announced on Monday that they extended a one-year, $23.15 million qualifying offer to left-hander Trevor Rogers. It would be a surprise if Rogers accepted the one-year offer by the Nov. 17 deadline, as only 18 of the 157 players to receive one have accepted it since the system was implemented by the league in 2012. This will be especially true this offseason in a market in which Rogers figures to be the second-best available left-handed starter on the market behind two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal. The 28-year-old southpaw should be able to land a significant multi-year contract with the Orioles or another team after declining the qualifying offer. Rogers immediately struggled in Baltimore after being traded from the Miami Marlins in 2024, posting an ERA over 7.00 over four starts and being sent to the minors. Since then, he has a 3.16 ERA in 48 starts for the O's over the last two seasons. Rogers had a sharp 1.81 ERA in 109 2/3 innings in 18 starts in 2025. He was not quite as good in 2026, with a 4.03 ERA over 30 starts, but he had a 2.90 ERA in his final 20 starts. With Chris Bassitt and Zach Eflin also becoming free agents this offseason, it would not be a surprise for Baltimore to pursue a reunion with Rogers.

As expected, the Seattle Mariners extended a one-year, $23.15 million qualifying offer to outfielder Randy Arozarena on Monday, according to Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times. The expectation is that Arozarena will decline the offer and sign elsewhere as a free agent after a career year in 2026. The good news for the M's is that if Arozarena goes elsewhere, as expected, they will receive draft-pick compensation. The 31-year-old veteran has been an All-Star in each of his two full seasons in Seattle, and he finished out his eighth year in the big leagues with a strong .281/.381/.484 slash line, an .865 OPS, 26 home runs, 79 RBI, 26 stolen bases, and a league-high 113 runs scored in 154 games across 670 plate appearances. He had one fewer home run than he did a year ago, but it was nice to see him go from a .238 batting average to .281 this year. Arozarena's power/speed profile will be very attractive going into next year for MLB teams and for fantasy managers, especially if he lands in a more hitter-friendly home ballpark on his next contract.

The New York Yankees extended a one-year, $23.15 million qualifying offer to right-handed closer David Bednar on Monday, the team announced. The deadline to accept the one-year offer will come on Nov. 17. The 32-year-old veteran had a strong first full season in the Bronx with the Yankees in 2026, going 7-3 with a 2.47 ERA (2.61 FIP), 1.04 WHIP, 35 saves, 76 strikeouts, and 20 walks in 69 1/3 innings pitched out of the bullpen during the regular season. The two-time All-Star finished third behind Bryan Baker and Cade Smith in the American League for total saves, and he now has at least 23 saves in each of the last four seasons, dating back to when he had a league-high 39 saves in 2023 with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The $23.15 million qualifying offer is a higher average annual value than Bednar is likely to receive on the free-agent market, but with less overall money. In his year and a half with the Yankees, Bednar has proved to be valuable and durable after they acquired him in a trade from Pittsburgh. He did not spend a single day on the injured list and also gave up just one run in his eight playoff appearances. Bringing Bednar back for the 2027 season is important, as the Yankees do not really have any reliable options behind him.

ESPN's Jeff Passan suggests that the World Series champion Milwaukee Brewers will at least listen to trade offers on right-handed closer Trevor Megill this offseason. Megill has one more year of team control, so the Brewers could be willing to part with Megill this winter, even after he helped them win their first-ever World Series this fall. The 32-year-old veteran was a first-time All-Star in 2025 in his fourth year in Milwaukee, but he was just as good in 2026, posting a 2.63 ERA (1.85 FIP), 0.89 WHIP, 30 saves, a career-high 69 strikeouts, and 15 walks in 61 2/3 relief innings during the regular season. Megill now has 60 saves in his last two seasons for the Brew Crew, and 81 in his last three seasons. He continued to pitch well in the playoffs in October, allowing only two earned runs on five hits while walking three and striking out 11 with one win and five saves in nine innings pitched to help the Brewers come out on top over the Tampa Bay Rays in five games in the Fall Classic. If Milwaukee decides to trade Megill this offseason, left-hander Aaron Ashby could become the team's new full-time closer in 2027.

The Milwaukee Brewers announced on Monday that they exercised their $15.5 million 2027 club option on All-Star catcher William Contreras, according to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. It was a no-brainer for the World Series champions after Contreras was named World Series MVP for both his offensive and defensive contributions in the win over the Tampa Bay Rays in the Fall Classic. The Venezuelan backstop was one of the best all-around catchers in both the regular season and the playoffs, and he went 8-for-21 with four RBI and two runs scored in the five-game series against the Rays in the World Series. Overall against Tampa, he slashed .373/.448/.588 with three home runs, two doubles, nine RBI, seven runs scored, and even a stolen base in 51 plate appearances. The 28-year-old will be one of the first catchers off the board in 2027 fantasy drafts after also hitting .270/.341/.417 with a .758 OPS, 18 homers, 94 RBI, and 82 runs scored in 147 regular-season games in his fourth year in Milwaukee. Contreras has hit at least 17 home runs since the start of his 2022 season, his last in Atlanta.

Left-hander Tarik Skubal is far and away the best player in this year's free-agent class, and the expectation is that he will sign before the Dec. 1 lockout. ESPN's Jeff Passan writes that the Chicago Cubs "badly" want Skubal, but they are also skeptical that they will be willing to compete at the sort of dollars Skubal is expected to get -- well in excess of $300 million, and potentially in the $400 million range. The two most obvious suitors are the two teams with the highest payrolls in the game: the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets. The San Diego Padres, who could lose both starting pitchers Michael King and Nick Pivetta, could be a darkhorse candidate to consider. ESPN's Alden Gonzalez gets the sense that Skubal would "love" to return to the Dodgers after enjoying the culture in Hollywood. Skubal became "best buddies" with fellow lefty Blake Snell and "seemed to fit in seamlessly." Despite having arthroscopic surgery on his left elbow in 2026, Skubal did not miss a beat as one of the best all-around starting pitchers in the game, going a combined 12-7 with a 2.72 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, and 186 strikeouts in 158 2/3 innings over 26 starts with L.A. and the Detroit Tigers. Regardless of where he lands in free agency, Skubal will be a top-tier, elite fantasy SP1.

Right-hander Dustin May declined his 2027 mutual option with the Milwaukee Brewers and will enter free agency, per the MLBPA. May would have made $20 million had both he and Milwaukee picked up the option, but instead he will search for more long-term security this winter. The 29-year-old recorded a 7-9 record with a 4.70 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, and 144 strikeouts across 145 2/3 innings (31 starts) split between the Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals in 2026. May struggled down the stretch after being traded to Milwaukee, posting a 5.65 ERA across 10 starts. The hard-throwing right-hander has flashed upside at points in his career, but he's struggled to put together extended stretches of both high-end production and health. Depending on where he ends up in 2027, May could be a capable innings-eater for deep-league fantasy managers.

The Kansas City Royals have declined their $13 million team option on right-hander Carlos Estevez (shoulder) for the 2027 season, per the MLBPA. Estevez is now a free agent and is free to sign with any team this winter. The 33-year-old had a completely lost season due to injury in 2026, making just one appearance for Kansas City this past season. Estevez may also be set to miss a significant chunk of 2027 as well, as he underwent shoulder surgery in early September. The veteran right-hander was a highly productive closer for fantasy managers as recently as the 2025 season, when he recorded a 2.45 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP with 54 strikeouts and 42 saves across 66 innings (67 games). However, he faces a long road back to fantasy relevance at this point, given his current health situation.

Baltimore Orioles right-hander Zach Eflin (elbow) had his $25 million mutual option for the 2027 season declined, per the MLBPA. Eflin is now a free agent. Declining the pricey option was a no-brainer decision for Baltimore, as Eflin underwent Tommy John surgery in April and is likely to miss most or all of the 2027 season as a result. The 32-year-old made just one appearance in 2026 before suffering the season-ending elbow injury. Eflin also battled through an injury-marred 2025 campaign, recording a 6-5 record with a 5.93 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, and 50 strikeouts across 71 1/3 innings (14 starts). The veteran right-hander could find a home with a team that wants to have him rehab in their facilities with an eye toward 2028. However, he's unlikely to factor for fantasy managers in 2027.

The Minnesota Twins have declined a $10 million team option on first baseman/designated hitter Josh Bell for the 2027 season, per Dan Hayes of The Athletic. Bell will now hit free agency and appears unlikely to be back in Minnesota next year. The 34-year-old had a solid season for the Twins in 2026, hitting .255/.319/.419 with 21 home runs, 96 RBI, 78 runs scored, and two stolen bases across 631 plate appearances. The veteran switch-hitter does not offer much defensive value at this point in his career, but he's a proven run producer and an adequate power source. If he lands in a spot where he can earn everyday playing time once again in 2027, Bell profiles as a four-category compiler who can provide value in deeper fantasy leagues.

The Minnesota Twins are declining their half of a 2027 mutual option for starting pitcher Joe Ryan, per Dan Hayes of The Athletic. However, Hayes notes that Ryan remains under team control via arbitration for 2027. Thus, this is a cost-cutting maneuver for Minnesota, as Ryan's $9.6 million arbitration projection comes in below the value of the $13 million option. Ryan dealt with some injury issues in 2026 but still put together a productive season, recording a 7-10 record with a 3.79 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 159 strikeouts across 144 2/3 innings (27 starts). If declining the mutual option signals that Minnesota is not looking to sign Ryan Long-term, the 30-year-old could be a trade candidate this winter ahead of his final season of team control.

The Cincinnati Reds announced on Saturday that right-handed reliever Emilio Pagan declined his $10 million 2027 player option to become a free agent. Pagan did not pitch for the Reds from May 5 to July 3 due to a strained left hamstring. He finished the 2026 campaign with a 5-1 record, 3.38 ERA, and 25 saves in 28 chances while making $10 million. The 35-year-old veteran has 90 saves in his 10 seasons in the big leagues, with the last three coming with the Reds. The former 10th-round pick in 2013 out of Belmont Abbey College by the Seattle Mariners should attract plenty of interest on the open market for a multi-year contract after recording 57 saves in the last two seasons in Cincy, but he might not be guaranteed a primary closing job with a new organization. Pagan also had 20 saves in 70 innings pitched in his third year in the majors in 2019 with the Tampa Bay Rays. He has 90 career saves in 549 1/3 innings pitched in his 10 years in the league with six different teams. The journeyman reliever had a nice 6.3% walk rate this year, but his strikeout rate dropped from 30% in 2025 to 25.9% in 2026.

The Cincinnati Reds announced on Saturday that they declined the $16 million 2027 mutual option on veteran third baseman Eugenio Suarez. This one comes as no surprise after the Reds tried to trade the 35-year-old Venezuelan slugger late in the year. In his 13th year in the big leagues, the two-time All-Star continued to regress offensively, slashing .212/.307/.433 with a .740 OPS, 26 home runs, 74 RBI, 50 runs scored, one stolen base, 52 walks, and 169 strikeouts in 498 plate appearances across 125 games in his return to Cincinnati. It was a major step back for Suarez, who hit 49 home runs and drove in a career-best 118 runs in 159 games in 2025 with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Seattle Mariners. He will not be back in Cincy next year, but he should still attract interest as more of a designated hitter with some power. Suarez's inability to make consistent contact -- he had a career-high 33.9% strikeout rate in 2026 -- will make him a hard-to-roster slugger in deeper fantasy formats if his power continues to decline, as expected, as he nears the end of his career.

The Boston Red Sox, as expected, exercised right-handed reliever Garrett Whitlock's $8.25 million club option for the 2027 campaign on Sunday, according to Ari Alexander of 7 News. It is no surprise that Whitlock will be back in Boston next year after another outstanding performance in 2026, going 7-2 for the BoSox with a career-low 1.72 ERA (2.11 FIP), 0.89 WHIP, four saves, 59 strikeouts, and only nine walks in 52 1/3 innings pitched across his 54 appearances out of the bullpen. Whitlock pitched through a broken tibia down the stretch of the regular season, but despite doing so, he did not give up a single run in his final nine appearances. He should be fully healed for the start of spring training next year and a key late-inning cog in front of veteran closer Aroldis Chapman for his seventh season in the big leagues. Since becoming a full-time reliever in 2025, Whitlock has been lights-out out of the Red Sox's bullpen, posting a 2.03 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and 150:33 K:BB in 124 1/3 frames, but he has only five saves in that span, limiting his fantasy value to holds leagues.

The San Diego Padres declined the $14 million 2027 option on right-hander Nick Pivetta's contract on Saturday, making him a free agent, according to Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune. After a breakout 2025 campaign in his first season in San Diego, Pivetta injured his right forearm/elbow early on in 2026 and ended up making only eight starts (34 2/3 innings) during the regular season in his 10th year in the big leagues. Pivetta was strong when available to the Friars, though, going 3-2 with a 2.86 ERA (2.21 FIP), 1.01 WHIP, and 42:8 K:BB. In his two postseason starts versus the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers, Pivetta gave up three earned runs on eight hits (one homer) while walking two and striking out eight in 7 2/3 innings. The Padres may have declined Pivetta's 2027 option, but they should be very interested in signing him to a lesser deal coming off his injury, especially since right-hander Michael King is now on the open market. Acee writes that there is still some concern about Pivetta's elbow, but the Padres could work out a deal that protects the team if he gets hurt again while also rewarding Pivetta if he stays healthy.