MLB Player News

So, it’ll go down as just a cleanup. This is certainly good news, though now we’re starting to run out of reasons to qualify Kirilloff’s performance as, well, he’s never been healthy. To be fair, Kirilloff did post a fine 117 OPS+ in his 319 plate appearances this year. It’s just that his exit velocity numbers were pretty uninspiring along the way. He’ll probably get another shot to serve as the team’s starting first baseman next year, but there might be some temptation to bring in more of a sure thing.

The Astros had asked Pressly if he would waive his no-trade clause to go to either the Tigers or the Cubs, so reading between the lines it sounds like Pressly had no interest in going to Motown. He hasn’t shot down the Cubs yet though, so there’s still hope that a deal gets done. Otherwise, he’ll return to his familiar setup role in the Astros’ bullpen in front of Josh Hader.

It sounds like the Astros are negotiating with — and may very well have separate deals in place — with both the Tigers and the Cubs. It’s now up to Pressly and his family to decide if they want to approve either deal or remain in Houston. If the 36-year-old has an interest in returning to the closer’s role, it may be enough for him to approve the move. Stay tuned.

The 29-year-old hurler is in the process of recovering from Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery and is expected to miss most — if not all — of the 2025 season. He’ll get to rehab with the Mets for the 2025 campaign and then slot into their bullpen for the 2026 campaign. No word yet on the financials of the pact.

The 23-year-old backstop doesn’t have much left to prove in the minor leagues, but with Will Smit and Austin Barnes holding things down at the game’s highest level, he’ll need to work his way into the crowded outfield mix in order to have any shot of breaking camp. He’ll be an intriguing option for fantasy purposes when he does finally arrive in Los Angeles, but it’ll probably take an injury to Smith or Barnes for it to happen. Roki Sasaki and Zyhir Hope also received official invitations to spring training on Friday.

The 28-year-old outfielder was a 17th round selection by the Braves from the 2018 draft class and had toiled in the minor leagues for them for his first six professional seasons. In 2024, Dean slashed .247/.339/.321 with three homers, 38 RBI and 61 stolen bases (in 69 attempts) over 117 games between Double-A Mississippi and Triple-A Gwinnett. He’ll add minor league outfield depth for the Dodgers.

It sounds like the Cubs and Astros were able to get an agreement in place, all that stands in the way now is the 36-year-old hurler’s approval. He has made it clear that he wants to stay in the middle of the United States, so it’s unclear if the Cubs would apply there. Perhaps the lure of the ninth-inning gig being his would be enough for Pressly to approve it. It sounds like we should have a resolution to this situation soon.

The White Sox are calling it just a minor setback in his recovery and they are hopeful that the 24-year-old hurler will be able to resume playing catch by the end of the week. As fantasy managers, you never want to hear about any type of arm-related issues — especially for a player who underwent surgery back in September to remove a bone spur from his elbow — but it doesn’t sound like they’re overly concerned about it. It’s at least something to keep an eye on.

The 31-year-old right-hander missed the end of the 2023 season due to a shoulder impingement and was outrighted off of the Dodgers’ 40-man roster. He sat out the 2024 season and has now officially decided to call it a career. Cyr made 14 appearances at the big league level in his career between the Dodgers, Phillies and Athletics, posting a strong 2.40 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and an 18/5 K/BB ratio over 15 innings.

The former first overall pick has seemingly fallen out of favor in Motown after a brutal 2024 season and he’s now without a full-time job after the club moved Colt Keith to first base following the signing of Gleyber Torres. The Tigers haven’t publicly stated that they’re looking to deal the 25-year-old slugger, but he could probably be had for the right price if the Mets are willing to ante up.

Alonso is one of — if not the — best sluggers on the market, and while he’s been linked the most heavily to the 30-year-old first baseman, it appears the Angels are also in the market for the man lovingly referred to as Polar Bear. It seems more likely that Alonso lands with either Toronto or New York at this point, but the Angels are known for doing some crazy things.