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MLB Player News

Rotoworld

  • CHC Third Baseman #13
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    Cubs selected the contract of INF David Bote.
    Bote is back in the majors for the first time in 2024. The infielder will take the roster spot of Nick Madrigal, with Madrigal heading to Iowa in the corresponding move. Bote is starting Sunday and playing third base against the Reds, but there’s no real potential fantasy significance in his profile.
  • FA Starting Pitcher #54
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    MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reports the Yankees are willing to make a seven-year contract offer to Max Fried.
    We’d certainly hope so. The expectation all along was that New York would be in the mix for Fried, but their pursuit has presumably ramped up in recent days after failing to retain generational slugger Juan Soto. All indications point to Fried, who has also been linked to the Red Sox and Blue Jays as well, making his final decision this week before the Winter Meetings wrap up. The 30-year-old southpaw struck out 23 percent of the batters he faced last year with the Braves, finishing with a strong 3.25 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 166/57 K/BB ratio across 174 1/3 innings (29 starts).
  • DET Starting Pitcher #35
    Tigers signed RHP Alex Cobb to a one-year, $15 million contract.
    The deal, which was agreed to earlier this week, is now official after Cobb passed his physical. The 37-year-old veteran hurler’s ongoing injury issues curtail his realistic upside for fantasy purposes, but he’s remained a viable streaming option for fantasy managers in recent years, especially in deeper mixed leagues. He was limited to just three starts last year with the division-rival Guardians due to hip, shoulder and blister issues. He’s unlikely to reverse a three-year decline in strikeout rate, but his above-average control remains intact. He’s probably best left on the waiver wire to open the year, but if he’s healthy there aren’t a ton of more pitcher-friendly ballparks than Detroit, especially in the early portion of the year when the temperatures are near the freezing mark.
  • SF Shortstop #27
    Giants signed SS Willy Adames to a seven-year, $182 million contract.
    The deal is now official after Adames passed his physical. Without being too hyperbolic, the move to San Francisco is pretty much the worst-case scenario landing spot for fantasy purposes since Oracle Park ranks almost dead-last (28th) in home runs for right-handed batters, according to Statcast park factors over the last three seasons. That doesn’t mean Adames won’t remain a strong fantasy contributor with the Giants. We’re confident projecting the 29-year-old stalwart as a top 10 shortstop from a fantasy perspective heading into 2025 since we’re still comfortable locking in a realistic 25-homer floor. However, it’s difficult to forecast a repeat of last year’s career-high 32 round-trippers with the Brewers since Oracle Park puts a realistic ceiling on his over-the-fence pop upside.
  • FA Second Baseman #25
    MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reports Gleyber Torres is drawing interest from the Blue Jays and Angels.
    The Blue Jays would be the preferred landing spot for fantasy purposes since it would keep Torres in the hitter-friendly AL East, but he would make a ton of sense for Los Angeles, enabling them to move Luis Rengifo around the diamond. The big question here is whether signing Torres would be a bigger statement about the health of shortstop Zach Neto heading into next year in the wake of his offseason shoulder surgery.
  • FA Shortstop #7
    The New York Post’s Jon Heyman reports Jorge Polanco has met with the Astros and Blue Jays at the Winter Meetings.
    Polanco’s persistent knee issues are the biggest obstacle to his fantasy relevance at this juncture of his career. If he’s able to stay on the field, he would make a ton of sense for Houston or Toronto as additional infield insurance. He would give the Astros a fallback option at the hot corner in case they’re unable to retain star Alex Bregman.
  • FA Relief Pitcher #93
    Ari Alexander of KPRC reports that the Blue Jays are signing Yimi Garcia to a two-year contract.
    Garcia joins the Blue Jays after spending most of the 2024 season with Toronto before a deadline trade to the Mariners. The right-hander picked up an elbow injury to end the year, but was effective with a 3.46 ERA and 49/12 K/BB in 34 innings prior to being placed on the injured. He should serve as a bridge to whomever the Blue Jays sign to close in 2025.
  • BAL Catcher #99
    Orioles signed C Gary Sanchez to a one-year, $8.5 million contract.
    Sanchez will be the backup backstop to Adley Rutschman, but should see playing time against left-handed pitching as a designated hitter as well. His position makes him a bit more appealing in fantasy than any other, but Sanchez would need an injury to Rutschman to be a truly viable starting catcher in fantasy.
  • BAL Right Fielder #17
    Orioles signed OF Tyler O’Neill to a three-year, $49.5 million contract.
    O’Neill and Gary Sanchez both became official Tuesday. The outfielder will be a starting corner outfielder for the Orioles after hitting .241 with 31 homers and an .847 OPS in his first and only season with the Red Sox in 2024. He won’t help in the average category, but O’Neill has enough pop to be a solid run producer while playing in a quality Baltimore lineup.
  • FA Second Baseman #39
    Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports that the Rockies are signing Thairo Estrada to a one-year contract.
    No word yet on the financial terms. Estrada joins the Rockies from the Giants, and is coming off an awful year where he hit just .217/.243/.343 over 96 games. He’s had previous success with an OPS+ above 100 over the previous three seasons. He’ll be the everyday second baseman in Colorado, and while that’s a friendly offensive ballpark, it’s hard to see him as more than a bench option in fantasy formats to begin 2025.
  • FA Starting Pitcher #54
    Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that Max Fried will pick his new team by Thursday.
    Fried is believed to have the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees as his frontrunners. The 30-year-old southpaw will likely be leaving Atlanta after a solid eight-year run with a 3.07 career ERA and 73-36 career win-loss record. Fried would pitch near the top of the rotation for either team, and would present fantasy intrigue with any of those AL East clubs.