MLB Player News

Howard hit .268/.357/.470 with eight homers in 227 plate appearances last year between Gastonia and Southern Maryland in the independent American Association. The 26-year-old infielder will get a shot in affiliated ball with Arizona this season.

Smith, 21, was the 14th overall selection by the Astros from the 2024 MLB draft. He was extremely impressive in his first professional half season, slashing .313/.396/.609 with seven homers, 24 RBI, two swipes and a 24/15 K/BB ratio in 134 plate appearances across three minor league levels — culminating in a five-game audition at Double-A Tennessee. He could be on the fast-track to the big leagues for the Astros, especially if they’re unable to retain Alex Bregman.

The Astros have long had interest in the 27-year-old right-hander and now they’ll get the opportunity to add him to their starting rotation. Wesneski pitched in a hybrid role for the Cubs during the 2024 season, registering a 3.86 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and a 67/21 K/BB ratio across 67 2/3 innings in 28 appearances (seven starts). His fantasy value will obviously get a major boost if he secures a spot in the Astros’ Opening Day rotation.

It’s odd to see a talented slugger traded four different times before his 26^th birthday, but perhaps that’s just because there’s such a high demand for his services. Paredes split the 2024 campaign between the Rays and Cubs, slashing .238/.346/.393 with 19 homers and 80 RBI in 641 plate appearances. His extreme pull-happy ways at the dish should play beautifully at Minute Maid Park in Houston where he’ll have a chance to eclipse his career-high mark of 31 long balls set with the Rays in 2023.

The move from Minute Maid Park to Wrigley Field is a slight negative for left-handed power, but it really shouldn’t impact Tucker too badly. Where he should benefit, at least from a fantasy perspective, is the fact that Cubs’ skipper Craig Counsell is much more willing to led his squad run wild on the basepaths than Joe Espada was in Houston. Even though he missed more than half of the 2024 season with a shin injury, the three-time All-Star still slashed a robust .289/.408/.585 with 23 homers, 49 RBI, 11 stolen bases and a 54/56 K/BB ratio across 339 plate appearances. He should be a first-round selection in all fantasy drafts once again in 2025.

The switch-hitting slugger is one of the top outfielders remaining on the free agent market following Juan Soto signing his historic deal with the Mets, so expect some of the teams that missed out on Soto to pivot in his direction. Heyman notes that the Blue Jays have made him a priority while the Yankees and Red Sox are believed to be in the mix as well. A return to the Orioles could be possible as well, so there appears to be a strong likelihood that Santander remains in the American League East.

The 29-year-old southpaw was released by the Astros in early August and latched on with the Kia Tigers in the Korea Baseball Organization where he went on to spin 34 2/3 innings of 4.93 ERA, 1.36 WHIP baseball with a 37/12 K/BB ratio across seven starts. Lauer had plenty of success with the Brewers at the big league level in 2021 and 2022, so the Jays are hoping that he can return to that form. Either way, you can never have enough pitching and Lauer makes for a quality depth addition.

Cortes was traded Friday to the Yankees in the three-player deal with New York for All-Star closer Devin Williams. Arnold said the Brewers did extensive work on his medicals, and expect the left-hander to be fully healthy for the Brew Crew heading into 2025. Cortes unfortunately will be “best” remembered in 2024 for giving up the grand slam to Freddie Freeman in Game 1, but the 30-year-old threw a career-high 174.1 innings with a 3.77 ERA and 162/39 K/BB prior to dealing with his flexor tendon injury at the end of the year.

In the deal, the Cubs will send the Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes, right-handed pitcher Hayden Wesneski and 2014 first-round pick Cam Smith. Tucker is a massive upgrade to the Chicago lineup, and is coming off a season where he was able to hit 20 homers and register a .993 OPS despite missing half the year with a shin fracture. It’s worth noting that he’s hitting free agency in 2025, but his offensive upside competes with anyone in baseball.

Durbin was a 14th round pick in 2021 by Atlanta who came over to the Yankees in a deal for Lucas Luetge. He was solid in the minors in 2024, but really impressed in the Arizona fall League with a record 29 steals in 24 games. Durbin has strong bat-to-ball skills, and while he doesn’t offer much power, his strong approach at the plate and ability to play multiple positions should allow him to carve out an MLB career.

Cortes will maybe be “best” remembered for giving up the grand slam to Freddie Freeman in Game 1 of the World Series, but he did enjoy a solid regular season with the Yankees in 2024 with a 3.77 ERA over 174-plus innings, and he’s been a very solid starting option over the past few seasons. He should pitch in the middle of the Milwaukee rotation, and he offers a high floor for deeper fantasy formats in 2025.