MLB Player News

Pinto gets sent down after picking up his first major league save last night. He gave up four runs over three innings in the blowout of the Nationals.

Gurriel underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL in his right knee back in September and is likely to be sidelined until at least the second half of next season, even if he makes a lightning-quick recovery. The 32-year-old corner outfielder is entering the final year of his deal with Arizona and could make an impact for fantasy managers over the final few months once he makes it back. There should be a clearer return timeline once he’s officially cleared to resume baseball activities.

Richards bolsters Philadelphia’s relief corps entering spring training after making just five appearances last year between the Diamondbacks and Royals. The 32-year-old journeyman isn’t far removed from being a durable workhorse with the Blue Jays where he made a whopping 195 appearances over a four-year span from 2021-2024 before the metaphorical wheels came off. He’s a low-risk emergency depth addition for the Phillies.

Madrigal’s career has been derailed by physical issues the past few years as he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury during spring training while in Mets camp. The 28-year-old former top prospect was limited to just 51 games for the Cubs back in 2024 due to a fractured finger. He’s a decent low-risk depth addition for the Angels and it wouldn’t be shocking if he made their season-opening roster out of camp. He doesn’t offer enough power or speed potential to merit consideration for fantasy purposes even if he were to carve out a significant role with Los Angeles next season.

Cora’s remark came in response to a question at Fenway Fest about whether the club would consider moving Rafaela to the keystone to alleviate its outfield logjam. The 25-year-old’s offensive production cratered in the second half of last season after a stellar opening act that featured 14 homers and 13 steals in 88 games. The constant shuffling between second base and center field may have contributed to the slide considering the Red Sox are going out of their way to dismiss the possibility of him playing second base, prioritizing Rafaela’s elite defense in center field after he earned the AL Gold Glove at the spot. From a fantasy standpoint, the added stability represents a positive development for Rafaela as he’ll have fewer variables to worry about heading into next season. However, losing second-base eligibility down the road would be a tough break for fantasy managers.

Cora added that he’s reserving the right to change his mind, but his initial lineup projection has the newly-acquired veteran slugger occupying the cleanup spot. The 33-year-old’s arrival solves Boston’s first base quagmire and it’s a notable development from a counting stats perspective that he’ll be locked into the middle of their lineup, regardless of whether Alex Bregman returns. He should have plenty of opportunities from a run-production standpoint with Roman Anthony and Trevor Story serving as top-of-the-order table-setters next season. The big question heading into the late stages of the offseason is where Jarren Duran fits into the lineup if he’s on the roster once spring training opens up in early February.

Crawford added that he’s fully healthy entering spring training after missing last season with knee and wrist issues that ultimately required a mid-summer procedure on his wrist. The 29-year-old figures to transition to a versatile swingman role, likely operating in long relief for the Red Sox next season, but he could be in the mix for one of their final rotation spots along with veterans Johan Oviedo and Patrick Sandoval in addition to top prospects Connelly Early and Payton Tolle.

It’s a phenomenal landing spot for the speedy McCarthy, who stands to benefit exponentially from Coors Field’s high-octane offensive environment — particularly from a BABIP standpoint — as he steps into a corner outfield role for Colorado next season. The 28-year-old former first-round pick was out of minor-league options this spring and hemmed in Arizona by a surplus of outfield depth. He scuffled in the majors last season, but he’s only one year removed from a 25-steal campaign where he slashed .285/.349/.400 with eight homers in 142 games. He’s at least an interesting late-round flyer as a low-risk rebound candidate for fantasy purposes heading into drafts this spring.

Grosz heads to Arizona just a few months after arriving in Colorado from the Yankees as part of the Ryan McMahon deal at the trade deadline. The 23-year-old righty was an 11th-round pick back in 2023 and spent all of last season at the High-A level where he fanned 135 batters over 125 1/3 innings of work. He’s an interesting pitching prospect for the Diamondbacks’ front office to sink their teeth into considering McCarthy was out of options and likely to be on the move at the end of spring training.

Walker passed through waivers earlier this week after being designated for assignment back in late December. The 31-year-old southpaw has bounced around between the Braves and Orioles over the past couple months but it appears he’ll enter spring training as part of Baltimore’s relief mix now that the dust has settled.

Richardson went unclaimed on waivers earlier this week after being jettisoned from Cincinnati’s 40-man roster back in late December. The 25-year-old reliever will compete for a spot in the club’s season-opening bullpen during camp after posting a respectable 4.54 ERA — 4.06 FIP — and 30/21 K/BB ratio across 37 2/3 innings over a career-high 34 appearances this past season at the big-league level.