MLB Player News

It’ll be Chris Flexen, Jonathan Cannon and Drew Thorpe taking the ball during a three-game set against the Royals before Erick Fedde and Crochet draw their first second-half starts against the Rangers. The 25-year-old southpaw, who excelled earlier this week in the Midsummer Classic, figures to be one of the biggest names potentially on the move at the trade deadline. This could wind up being his final outing in a White Sox uniform.

Wong had a solid season offensively for Boston in 2024, hitting .280 with 13 homers, 24 doubles, and a .758 OPS while cutting his strikeout rate down from 33.3 percent in 2023 to 23.4 percent in 2024. However, he also wore down as the season went on, posting just a .696 OPS in the second half, compared to a .809 OPS in the first half. Wong believes the added weight will help him “be a little more physical, a little more durable” while still moving “the same way I have in the past.” He also worked with new Red Sox catching instructor Packer Guinn on “Receiving, blocking, the whole thing, really. We’ve changed some of the setup.” Wong graded as a poor blocker and framer in 2024, so any meaningful improvement in his defense would be huge for Boston and Wong’s playing time in 2025.

Speaking at Fenway Fest, Cora was quick to say that Rafael Devers “is our third baseman,” but also added that he always believed Bregman profiled well defensively at second base. Cora commented that Bregman was forced to play third base in Houston because they had Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa in the infield as well. The Red Sox seem to be circling Bregman on a potential deal, but the veteran third baseman’s asking price remains high, and there are rumors that Bregman is asking for a seven-year contract. With top prospect Kristian Campbell seemingly ready to contribute at the MLB level this season, Boston has to decide if they want to block him for several years by bringing Bregman into the fold.

Despite the rumors that they have often offered the most money, Toronto has famously come up just short on big-name free agents over the last two off-seasons like Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto, and Corbin Burnes. Now they appear to be in the mix for the top prize remaining in this year’s free agent class. Sasaki can sign with a major-league club starting Wednesday when the international signing period opens; although, the common belief is that he will sign with either the Dodgers or Padres.

The 28-year-old hurler had a rough time in 2024 where he went 0-6 with a 7.97 ERA, 1.63 WHIP and a 26/9 K/BB ratio over 35 innings in nine appearances (seven starts) between the White Sox and Pirates. You can never have enough pitching depth — especially in Colorado — so the move makes sense from that perspective. Fantasy managers can obviously ignore this one.

The market has been surprisingly quiet on Flaherty over the past couple of weeks, though the Blue Jays, Cubs, Giants and Tigers have been mentioned as teams that were in the mix for his services. If it’s a short-term deal, that could open up the possibilities even further. It’s entirely possible that Flaherty is waiting until Roki Sasaki ultimately signs, to drive up the urgency of the teams that miss out.

The 33-year-old right-hander was terrific for the Padres in 2024, posting a 2.77 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and a 59/16 K/BB ratio over 65 innings while racking up 36 saves. It sounds like the Padres are simply doing their due diligence and exploring all possible avenues to improve their ballclub and that there’s nothing imminent on Suarez. It’s something that fantasy managers should at least keep in mind though when deciding to call Suarez’s name on draft day.

Alvarez, 30, saw some action in the big leagues with the Athletics in in 2024, slashing .243/.282/.270 with two RBI and a stolen base in 39 plate appearances. He’ll add infield depth for the Twins.

The 27-year-old hurler underwent Tommy John surgery back in June, so the chances of him being ready for a return in August seem a bit optimistic. The Jays will undoubtedly play it cautiously in his recovery, and despite the fact that he feels “brand new” it’s unlikely that he winds up logging meaningful innings for the Blue Jays in 2025.

Alexander notes that the Twins will be one of at least 10 teams that plan on attending Anderson’s pro day on January 23. The 34-year-old hurler appeared in 37 games out of the Royals’ bullpen during the 2024 season, registering a 4.04 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and a 29/15 K/BB ratio across 35 2/3 innings.

The 31-year-old hurler underwent his second Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery in June and will miss most, if not all, of the 2025 season while recovering. Wherever he ultimately does sign, expect it to be a two-year pact so the team can take advantage of a full and healthy season from him.