MLB Player News

Newcomb, who is currently on the 60-day injured list with left knee irritation, is working his way back from last year’s knee surgery and is expected to return as a reliever. The 30-year-old southpaw might be ready to rejoin Oakland’s bullpen in a couple weeks.

The Jays had to clear a spot on their 40-man roster after signing Jeff Hoffman on Friday and de Geus drew the short straw this time around. The 27-year-old hurler struggled to a 7.15 ERA, 1.59 WHIP and a 7/4 K/BB ratio over 11 1/3 innings between the Blue Jays, Marlins and Mariners during the 2024 season. He could pique another team’s interest on waivers.

The two sides went as far as having Hoffman take a physical earlier this week, where the O’s found something that they didn’t like and ultimately decided not to move forward. That’s not to say that Hoffman isn’t healthy at the moment or that he won’t play out his contract with the Blue Jays without any trips to the injured list, but it’s at least something that fantasy managers should keep in mind when calling Hoffman’s name in drafts this spring.

Jon Morosi of MLB Network had reported earlier in the day on Friday that the two sides had productive talks, and now it looks like they were able to push it across the finish line. Hoffman had been seeking something in the range of the three-year, $38 million deal that Clay Holmes inked with the Mets and wound up with something very similar. While he had been exploring options with teams that would allow him to return to the starting rotation, the early expectation is that the Blue Jays signed him to work out of the bullpen — and if that’s the case he should supplant Chad Green as their closer. Either way, it’s good news from a fantasy perspective.

The 32-year-old hurler is seeking a deal in the same range as the three-year, $38 million pact that Clay Holmes signed with the Mets earlier this winter. It makes sense, as both are bullpen aces who are looking to transition back to the starting rotation this season. It honestly looks like Hoffman would be a bargain at that price and he would represent a strong addition to the Jays’ rotation if they’re able to get a deal done.

While Jac Caglianone is the biggets name on the list of non-roster invitees, Cross is intriguing in his own right. The 23-year-old outfielder — and ninth overall pick from the 2022 draft class — slashed .261/.342/.428 with 15 homers, 59 RBI and 30 stolen bases (32 attempts) in 101 games at Double-A Northwest Arkansas in 2024. There’s a good chance that we see him in Kansas City at some point during the 2025 season and his speed would give him some appeal from a fantasy perspective.

Pinto, 28, was cut loose by the Orioles to free up a spot on their 40-man roster for Charlie Morton last week. Viewed as an extremely strong defensive catcher, Pinto will add quality catching depth for the D’Backs, though he’ll remain irrelevant for fantasy purposes.

The O’s picked up Roansy Contreras off of waivers from the Reds on Friday, but in doing so they had to free up a spot on their 40-man roster. That unfortunately left Soto without a job for the time being. The 24-year-old infielder went 3-for-10 (.300) with a 3/2 K/BB ratio over 13 plate appearances in his limited action with the Orioles during the 2024 campaign.

The talented right-hander was designated for assignment by the Reds earlier in the week and it didn’t take long for another interested club to scoop him up. Contreras posted a 4.35 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and a 56/31 K/BB ratio over 52 frames between the Angels and Pirates in 2024. The assumption is that the O’s will view him as bullpen depth, but they could always stretch him back out instead if they still believe he can have success as a starter.

The White Sox’ plan at the catcher position appears to be throw as much as you can at a wall and hope that something sticks. They have a couple of very intriguing prospects in Edgar Quero and Kyle Teel that fantasy managers would love to see, but they also have Korey Lee, Matt Thaiss and now Narváez hanging around to muddy up the waters. Eventually, something has to give.

That contract will reportedly pay him $5 million, which is $500,000 less than the $5.5 million team option that the Brewers declined. instead Rea got a $1 million buyout, so that on top of his new deal has him out ahead. Jesse Rogers of ESPN notes that there’s also a club option for 2026. The 34-year-old forged a 135/43 K/BB over 167 2/3 innings with a 4.29 ERA and 12-6 record for Milwaukee last season. Rea should occupy one of the backend spots of the Chicago rotation, but at this salary he also could be a multi-inning reliever if Chicago wants to go that route.