MLB Player News

Garlick has been removed from Minnesota’s 40-man roster to make room for righty reliever Oliver Ortega to get the call to the majors ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Red Sox. The 31-year-old lefty-masher figures to go unclaimed on waivers and remain with the Twins as extra depth.

Jax arrived in the majors as a starter in 2021, but he had a 6.37 ERA in 82 innings that season and hasn’t done anything but relieve since. Especially given that he still uses five pitches, it’d be fascinating to see what he could do as a starter now. He was outstanding late in games last season, racking up a 95/15 K/BB in 71 innings.

Okert heads to Houston as extra left-handed relief depth after struggling to a lackluster 5.09 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 33/16 K/BB ratio across 35 1/3 innings (44 appearances) last season with the Twins. The 33-year-old veteran southpaw has made 272 appearances in the big leagues dating back to 2016. He’ll compete in spring training for a spot in the Astros’ season-opening bullpen.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported earlier this week that the Blue Jays and Red Sox are in line to meet with Soto at the outset of free agency. That doesn’t necessarily mean the Giants won’t be involved in the Soto sweepstakes at some point, but it’s an unexpected wrinkle considering they were expected to be in the mix.

Crochet is the most appealing trade target for any franchise looking to significantly upgrade their starting rotation mix and the White Sox are looking to capitalize with his trade value seemingly at an absolute apex. The 25-year-old southpaw, who has two years left before reaching free agency, finished last year’s breakthrough campaign with a strong 3.58 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 209/33 K/BB ratio across 146 innings (32 starts). He’ll command an astronomical prospect haul, but there should be several organizations willing to meet Chicago’s asking price.

Passan adds that Pivetta has “at least a three-year deal” waiting for him in free agency. The 31-year-old righty was among the more surprising impending free agents to receive a qualifying offer and there was some speculation that he might accept it. That doesn’t appear to be happening. Fantasy managers should anticipate the Red Sox being extremely aggressive on the starting pitching front to fortify their rotation.

Passan adds that the Phillies are looking to shake up their roster following last year’s postseason loss to the Mets. Bohm would certainly fit the bill coming off the best season of his career, despite fading down the home stretch. Given the tremendous depth at the hot corner, Bohm is a borderline top 12 option at the position heading into 2025, but a change of scenery could wind up boosting his appeal.

Painter averaged a crisp 95.8 mph on his four-seam fastball in this one and topped out at 98.9 mph as well. He wraps up a highly-impressive fall showcase stint with a microscopic 2.30 ERA and 18/4 K/BB ratio across 15 2/3 innings (six starts). The 21-year-old prodigy, who is fully recovered from Tommy John surgery at this point, is arguably the top pitching prospect in baseball for fantasy purposes and appears to be a legitimate contender to break camp in the majors with Philadelphia.

The fourth overall selection from the 2024 MLB Draft has torn the cover off the ball in Arizona, batting .364 with two homers in just 11 AFL contests. The 21-year-old first baseman tore through a couple levels in the Athletics’ system to finish last year at Double-A Midland and could easy arrive in the big leagues at some point next season. He’s a name fantasy managers, even those in re-draft leagues, should be keeping a close eye on during spring training.

Hope’s dynasty value has skyrocketed this offseason with an extremely impressive showing out in Arizona. The 19-year-old’s fifth round-tripper of the fall circuit carried a stratospheric 105.8 mph exit velocity. His power/speed combination makes him a borderline top 20 prospect for fantasy purposes entering 2025. He’s highly unlikely to reach the majors next season, but he’s one of the most promising five-category fantasy prospects in the entire landscape, especially since he’ll be joining the Dodgers’ star-studded lineup at some point.

Briceño has been among the hottest hitters in the AFL over the last few weeks as the five-hit effort raises his batting average to a surreal .439 mark to go along with an AFL-leading nine round-trippers. The 20-year-old catcher is still at least a year or two away from reaching the big leagues, but the over-the-fence pop has been extremely impressive in the fall showcase.