MLB Player News

Diaz appears poised to take over as Houston’s primary backstop entering next season following a stellar 23-homer rookie campaign, which he accomplished in just 377 plate appearances over 104 games. The 25-year-old catcher remains a work in progress from a defensive standpoint, but he’s unquestionably one of the most gifted slugging catchers in baseball already. It’s possible veteran defensive stalwart Martín Maldonado, who is currently a free agent, could return in a reserve role, but it looks like the Astros are finally ready to hand Diaz the metaphorical car keys. He’s a realistic 30-homer threat, and a potential top-10 option at the position, heading into fantasy drafts next spring.

The Halos needed to free up a spot on their 40-man roster for Kyle Hendricks and unfortunately Miller was the odd-man out this time around. The 28-year-old right-hander made his big-league debut with the Angels in 2024, registering a 4.15 ERA, 1.62 WHIP and an 11/8 K/BB ratio over his 13 frames. There’s a decent chance that he’ll pass through waivers unclaimed and continue to function as extra bullpen depth for the Angels at the Triple-A level.

The deal, which was agreed to on Wednesday, is now official. The 34-year-old hurler struggled to a 5.92 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and an 87/43 K/BB ratio over 130 2/3 innings in 29 appearances (24 starts) for the Cubs during the 2024 season. While he’s not a frontline starter, the Angels need all of the help that they can get in their starting rotation and Hendricks should prove to be a valuable innings eater. The major lack of strikeouts make him irrelevant in most fantasy formats.

The 32-year-old right-hander has been working out in Texas since the summer and is hopeful for a return to a big-league rotation in 2025. The last time we saw Syndergaard on the mound he registered a 6.50 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and a 56/19 K/BB ratio across 88 2/3 innings between the Guardians and Dodgers during the 2023 campaign. Stranger things have happened, but Syndergaard’s return to fantasy relevance seems highly unlikely.

It’s no secret that Crochet’s name has come up in a plethora of trade discussions, so Getz is running with it and admitting that he wants young position players in return. It doesn’t sound like he’s in any hurry to make a move though and noted that “the right players have to be there” and that they “can’t force anything”. Where there’s this much smoke, there’s usually fire, so it would be a surprise if the 25-year-old southpaw opened up the season in a White Sox’ jersey.

The 26-year-old southpaw had a very rough go at High-A Quad Cities during the 2024 season, registering an uninspiring 7.84 ERA, 1.94 WHIP and a 47/44 K/BB ratio across 31 innings. He has a very intriguing arm, but he still has a lot of work to do in order to harness his stuff.

The 30-year-old just nabbed his first career Gold Glove award at third base, but he’s willing to keep his options open as he explores the open market. The Astros are still optimistic that they’ll be able to retain the two-time All-Star, but expect them to face fierce competition for his services.

This certainly isn’t shocking news as the Mets have been heavily linked to Soto, but it’s worth noting that Cohen is already starting to make his move. Juan Soto’s agent, Scott Boras, has said that Soto wants to play for a contender but also will be looking for a big deal. There is likely no owner willing to spend more money than Cohen and with the Mets fresh off an appearance in the NLCS, they are certainly one of the favorites to sign Soto this offseason.

Varsho had rotator cuff surgery at the end of the season and there was always an expectation that he would miss some time in 2025 but that now seems all but assured. With Kevin Kiermaier also retiring, the Blue Jays are currently without an option in center field until Varsho is healthy enough to take the field.

Morosi mentions that other teams are interested in Hernández, but the Red Sox and Orioles appear to be the biggest suitors, along with the Dodgers, who extended a qualifying offer to the 32-year-old after he hit 33 home runs for them this season. The Red Sox were also in on Hernández in free agency last year but the Dodgers offered him more money, so perhaps the Red Sox will decide to pony up this year.

Both Kieboom and Denaburg were once first-round picks for the Nationals but neither of them has panned out. Kieboom did hit .265 in 91 games in Triple-A this season with seven home runs and a 13 percent walk rate, so he will likely get a minor league contract with another organization this off-season.