MLB Player News

Ortiz, in his first year of Hall of Fame eligibility, appeared on 77.9 percent of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America ballots, just north of the 75-percent threshold. He’ll be officially inducted this summer in Cooperstown, New York. No other player on the current BBWAA ballot got elected, though Buck O’Neil, Gil Hodges, Minnie Minoso, Jim Kaat, Tony Oliva, and Bud Fowler are all going in as Veterans Committee selections. Tim Kurkjian will be presented as the 2022 winner of the BBWAA Career Excellence Award “for meritorious contributions to baseball writing.” Also of note: Barry Bonds (66 percent), Roger Clemens (65.2 percent), Curt Schilling (58.6 percent), and Sammy Sosa (18.5 percent) are now off the writers’ ballot after exhausting their 10 years of voting eligibility. Scott Rolen (63.2 percent) seemingly has a good shot at induction in 2023 or 2024.

The 39-year-old Bard missed all of last season after suffering a knee injury in spring training and then hurting his elbow. He had a 4.56 ERA in 49 1/3 innings for the Rockies in 2023.

France underwent surgery last July to repair a capsule tear in his right shoulder which carried a 12-14 month return timetable. The additional clarity on his recovery timeline puts him back in Houston’s rotation mix at some point during the second half. The -year-old righty has resumed a throwing program and is expected to progress long-tossing this week. With Framber Valdez, Hunter Brown, Ronel Blanco and Spencer Arrighetti locked into rotation spots, it’ll likely be Hayden Wesneski opening the year as the Astros’ fifth starter until some combination of Luis Garcia, Lance McCullers Jr. or France are ready to return.

Painter is the highest-profile inclusion among Philadelphia’s batch of non-roster invitees, but the widely-held expectation is that he won’t factor into the club’s starting rotation mix until sometime around midseason. Miller tore through three levels last year to make it to the upper minors at just 20 years old. He’s one of the more intriguing shortstop prospects in the dynasty landscape. Crawford boasts blazing speed and is going to be a steals source for fantasy purposes the moment he arrives on the scene.

Heasley fortifies Chicago’s bullpen depth heading into spring training after making four unremarkable relief appearances last year for the Orioles. The 27-year-old former starter hasn’t missed a ton of bats, even in shorter bursts out of the bullpen, but is capable of soaking up multiple frames, if needed. He’s merely extra organizational depth at this stage of his development.

DeLauter was once again plagued by foot issues last year, which limited him to just 39 contests between Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus. The 23-year-old former first-round pick was really starting to take off on the doorstep of the big leagues before a late August hamstring strain ended his shot at making Cleveland’s postseason roster. The positive news is that he looked sharp during a 12-game stint in the Arizona Fall League and projects as an impact fantasy contributor at the highest level due to his combination of elite contact skills and plus raw power. It’s only a matter of time before he’s a fixture in the Guardians’ outfield mix.

Thompson hasn’t officially announced his retirement from professional baseball. However, he’ll pick up the pigskin at South Alabama as a walk-on in the coming weeks during their offseason workouts and spring practices. The athletic soon-to-be 27-year-old former first-round pick was a standout quarterback at McGill-Toolen Catholic High School in Mobile, Alabama prior to being selected 26th overall in the 2017 MLB Draft by the Rangers. If his baseball career is finished, he’ll end with an underwhelming .232/.273/.295 triple-slash line with one homer and 27 stolen bases in 109 games between the Rangers and Reds from 2022-2024.

Lantigua provides the Phillies with some extra infield depth at Triple-A Lehigh Valley after spending the last seven seasons in Toronto’s system. The 26-year-old second baseman batted .265/.367/.336 with four homers and 16 steals in 521 plate appearances last season for Triple-A Buffalo.

This comes shortly after the Dodgers were reportedly named one of three finalists for Sasaki’s services. He recently completed meetings with those other two finalists and the Padres and Blue Jays as he gets close to the January 23 deadline. Whatever club lands Sasaki is gaining one of the most talented — and productive, particularly for his age — pitchers in the sport.

Wendelken spent the last two years overseas, and the 31-year-old right-hander was able to post a 1.57 ERA in 95 games in Japan the last two seasons. He’ll compete for a bullpen spot with the Padres, and while he has a chance to make the team even with the minor-league contract, it likely won’t be in a role that provides fantasy upside.

Stock has not pitched in the majors since 2021. The 35-year-old throws hard, but hasn’t been able to find success at the highest level thus far. He provides some depth at the Triple-A level for 2025..