MLB Player News

He’ll make $500,000 if he earns an Opening Day roster spot. Bonine missed all of 2012 while recovering from Tommy John surgery. He most recently posted a 5.16 ERA and 44/8 K/BB ratio over 45 1/3 innings in 2011 for the Phillies’ Triple-A affiliate.

The superstar outfielder filed at $17.5 million while the Cubs filed at $15 million. There’s still a chance that the two sides could meet somewhere in the middle before going to a hearing — or come to an agreement on a long-term contract extension. Tucker has already indicated that he’s open to an extension, so expect there to be dialogue between the two sides soon if they haven’t discussed it already.

The Phillies, Yankees and Red Sox have each been connected to the 32-year-old hurler at various points this off-season, and now the Reds have been added to the mix. What’s unclear, is if the Reds would view him as an option to supplant Alexis Diaz as their closer or if they want him to work in a setup capacity. His fantasy value will ultimately lie on whether or not he pitches in the ninth inning.

The 32-year-old right-hander had been projected by MLBTradeRumors.com to earn $2.9 million via arbitration. Thompson was terrific out of the Diamondbacks’ bullpen in 2024, posting a 3.26 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and a 52/15 K/BB ratio across 66 1/3 innings in his 67 appearances. He’ll function in a middle relief role once again in 2025 and is highly unlikely to have any fantasy value outside of leagues that count holds.

The 28-year-old infielder did a nice job for the Phillies in 2024, slashing .257/.313/.422 with seven homers, 31 RBI and seven stolen bases in 274 plate appearances while filling in admirably whenever needed. He would require a long-term injury someplace in the Phillies’ infield to gain relevancy from a fantasy perspective.

Williams had been projected by MLBTradeRumors.com to earn just $7.7 million in his final season of arbitration, so he appears to have done well for himself in his first negotiation with his new squad. Perhaps the Yankees could have been also buying some goodwill in an attempt to sign up to a long-term deal. Williams was as dominant as ever after returning from a serious back injury in 2024, compiling a 1.25 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and a 38/11 K/BB ratio over 21 2/3 innings. He’ll function as the Yankees’ closer and as long as he stays healthy should finish among the elite options at the position.

Schmidt had been projected by MLBTradeRumors.com to earn $3.5 million in arbitration. The 28-year-old hurler had a dominant 2024 season for the Yankees when healthy, registering a 2.85 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and a 93/30 K/BB ratio over 85 1/3 innings in 16 starts. He makes for an intriguing mid-round option in early fantasy drafts, currently going outside the top 220 picks overall on average.

The 31-year-old southpaw had been projected by MLBTradeRumors.com to earn $17.8 million in the arbitration process, so an $18 million deal seems equitable for both parties. Valdez was outstanding for the Astros in 2024, going 15-7 with a 2.91 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and a 169/55 K/BB ratio across 176 1/3 innings in his 28 starts. He has also been a popular name in trade discussions as he’s entering the final season of his contract.

Feltner had been projected by MLBTradeRumors.com to earn $2.6 million via arbitration, so it looks like the Rockies may have ended up with a nice discount here. The 28-year-old right-hander pitched decently during the 2024 season, posting a 4.49 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and a 138/52 K/BB ratio over 162 1/3 innings. He’s still going well outside the top 600 players overall in early fantasy drafts.

The 31-year-old southpaw made 30 starts for the Rockies during the 2024 season, compiling a 4.75 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and a 116/38 K/BB ratio over 165 innings. He also served up a league-leading 30 home runs. It’s good practice from a fantasy perspective to simply ignore all Rockies’ starting pitchers and to never stream them during two start weeks unless you want to get Gombered.

The 29-year-old backstop had a down season offensively in 2024, slashing .220/.267/.336 with 13 homers, 59 RBI and one stolen base in 491 plate appearances. With Kyle Higashioka now in town, he’ll need to quickly improve upon that performance or risk ending up as the understudy to the free agent addition.