MLB Player News

Sampson is the most likely to contribute for the Rays over the final two months as he’s made 72 appearances (44 starts) in the big leagues dating back to 2016. The 31-year-old righty hasn’t pitched in the majors this season, and missed a significant portion of the year due to knee surgery, but could wind up helping down the home stretch.

The free agent left-handed pitcher underwent Tommy John surgery in June of this past season. It was his second elbow surgery in the last three years and will likely keep Means out for all of 2025. However, the 31-year-old had a 2.64 ERA in his eight starts for the Orioles over the last two years in between his injuries, so the Red Sox may sign him to a two-year contract, as they did with Michael Fulmer and Liam Hendriks, and then let him rehab for one season in the hopes of getting at least one fully healthy season out of him in 2026.

There has been rampant speculation this off-season that the Red Sox are looking to add a third baseman and move Devers to first base; however, Red Sox manager Alex Cora said those conversations never happened with Devers. Now Breslow is stating firmly that Devers will indeed be the starting third baseman in 2025. Perhaps he will move at some point in his career but that doesn’t figure to be happening next year.

The 41-year-old is still weighing whether or not he wants to return in 2025, but he is leaning towards coming back and might have to find another team. O’Brien mentioned that “Morton would strongly prefer to pitch for a team that has its spring training camp within commuting distance of his wife and kids and their home in Bradenton, Fla.” That means he would hope to latch on with the Pirates, Orioles, Rays, Phillies, or Yankees if things don’t come together with the Braves.

According to Heyman, the Yankees are interested in adding Bellinger as their starting first baseman with the knowledge that his center field defense would also give them an insurance policy in case rookie Jasson Dominguez isn’t ready. However, the Cubs are “asking the Yankees to take on nearly the full $52.5M Bellinger’s due over the next couple years, and the Yankees are expecting more cash coming back.” The Yankees can certainly take on that level of contract, but with Christian Walker and Pete Alonso also still free agents, it’s possible that New York doesn’t feel the need to give up assets and take on all of Bellinger’s salary until they’re sure he’s the best and most realistic option for them.

Last week Ken Rosenthal mentioned that the Blue Jays were preparing to offer Burnes a “monster deal” and with the Red Sox seemingly balking at the price tag, it might be down to the Blue Jays and Giants for the 30-year-old right-hander. Nightengale mentioned that Burnes’ contract should be larger than the one Max Fried got from the Yankees and there’s a “possibility that Burnes’ deal could soon be agreed upon.” So while the Giants may be in the driver’s seat now, there could be time for the Blue Jays to sweep in and land an ace.

Witnessing a trade between the two longtime rivals is a bit like seeing a shooting star. It doesn’t happen very often. However, the Yankees had a surplus with five catchers on their 40-man roster and the Red Sox needed to fortify their depth after shipping top prospect Kyle Teel to the White Sox in the Garrett Crochet blockbuster. Narváez got into six contests last year for New York and figures to open next season as emergency depth at Triple-A Worcester.

The interesting wrinkle here is the international bonus pool money, which could factor into the impending Roki Sasaki sweepstakes. Rodriguez-Cruz was a fourth-round pick in the 2021 MLB Draft and has yet to pitch above High-A. He’s a lottery ticket for the Yankees.

Valdez looked like a potential impact contributor for the Red Sox during his rookie campaign back in 2023 when he posted a .764 OPS with six round-trippers across 149 plate appearances. The 25-year-old’s offensive production fell off a cliff last year and he’s always been a liability defensively. With top prospects like Marcelo Mayer and Kristian Campbell on the doorstep of the majors it was time for the Red Sox to move on.

Loáisiga returns to New York where he’s been a key component of the Yankees’ relief mix since breaking into the majors back in 2018. The 30-year-old righty, who holds a strong 3.44 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 207/72 K/BB ratio across 219 2/3 innings (163 appearances) at the highest level, underwent elbow surgery back in April to address a right flexor strain and made just three appearances last season. He’s expected to be ready to contribute at some point in the early stages of next year.

The landmark contract, which represents the largest financial commitment in professional sports history, is now official. Soto heads to the Mets to complement Francisco Lindor as their franchise cornerstones for at least the next half-decade. The 26-year-old generational talent isn’t immune to environmental factors as it’s worth noting that the move from Yankee Stadium to Citi Field might result in fewer round-trippers per season, but we’re comfortable locking in a 35-homer floor as his baseline until further notice. It’s possible last year’s 41-homer explosion was his career apex, but even baking in some regression, he’s among the most impactful five-category superstars in the entire fantasy landscape.