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Rotoworld

  • NYY Catcher #93
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    Ben Rice is not in the lineup for Tuesday’s Subway Series opener against the Mets.
    Rice will take a seat after going 0-for-5 with three strikeouts during Monday’s contest against the Rays. The 25-year-old first baseman is mired in a 4-for-44 tailspin that includes a staggering 21 punchouts since his three-homer explosion against the Red Sox back on July 6. It’ll be Jahmai Jones leading off on Tuesday night against Mets veteran southpaw Jose Quintana.
  • NYY Second Baseman
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    Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told reporters at the Winter Meetings that prospect Caleb Durbin is the current odds-on favorite to be their starting second baseman next season.
    It doesn’t sound like free agent Gleyber Torres is returning to New York at the moment, which paves the way for Durbin to play a significant role next year. The 24-year-old speedster, who posted 10 homers and 31 steals last season across three minor-league levels, was added to the Yankees’ 40-man roster last month after breaking the Arizona Fall League’s single-season stolen base record. He’s one of the notable prospects fantasy managers should be monitoring closely in spring training, even if the overall fantasy value of stolen bases has declined in recent years.
  • OAK Left Fielder #25
    Athletics general manager David Forst told reporters at the Winter Meetings that he’s had “good dialogue” with Brent Rooker’s agent concerning a potential contract extension.
    The latest update comes shortly after a report from The Athletic’s Evan Drellich that the A’s need to continue adding payroll this offseason or risk a grievance from the Major League Baseball Players Association. Locking up Rooker to a long-term extension following last year’s 39-homer breakout campaign would certainly help. Fantasy managers are hoping to see the 30-year-old slugger spend enough time in the field next season in Sacramento to regain outfield eligibility since he’ll be utility-only in most leagues entering next spring.
  • LAA Shortstop #9
    Angels general manager Perry Minasian didn’t provide an update at the Winter Meetings regarding Zach Neto (shoulder).
    The lack of transparency from the Angels regarding the exact nature of the offseason shoulder surgery Neto underwent last month, and exactly how much time he’s likely to miss heading into next season, is downright bizarre. The 23-year-old shortstop was one of last season’s biggest fantasy breakouts, finishing with 23 homers and 30 steals in 155 contests. At this point, it’s challenging to confidently rank Neto among the top 10 options at the position heading into next season, and we’re inclined to push him back into the SS15 range until we get some much-needed clarity on his status.
  • HOU Left Fielder #44
    Astros general manager Dana Brown told reporters at the Winter Meetings that he’d like to “cut back” Yordan Alvarez’s playing time in left field.
    Brown went on to praise prospect Zach Dezenzo’s progress as he continues playing left field during winter ball action in Puerto Rico. Alvarez dealt with knee issues down the stretch late last season, so it makes sense that the Astros will want to get him off his feet as much as possible moving forward, even if it’s just for precautionary reasons.
  • MIL Right Fielder #22
    Brewers general manager Matt Arnold told reporters at the Winter Meetings that Christian Yelich (back) is expected to be fully healthy for spring training.
    It’s a positive update overall from Arnold as he added that Yelich hasn’t resumed swinging a bat yet, but has begun other baseball activities, and should be a full-go by the time spring training rolls around. The 33-year-old outfielder was excellent last year, registering a robust .909 OPS with 11 homers and 21 steals across 73 games, before undergoing season-ending back surgery in mid-August. He’s a high-end OF3 option for fantasy managers in redraft formats heading into 2025.
  • MIL Starting Pitcher #53
    Brewers general manager Matt Arnold told reporters at the Winter Meetings that it’s hard to say whether Brandon Woodruff (shoulder) will be ready for Opening Day.
    “We have expectations that he’ll be part of our rotation,” added Arnold. “We also want to be cautious with him and his health.” Woodruff is roughly 14 months removed from last October’s right shoulder anterior capsule surgery and it’s unclear whether his stuff will bounce back to its previously-elite levels as shoulder surgery is far worse for pitchers in terms of long-term recovery and performance than other surgical procedures. The 31-year-old former ace is looking like a speculative late-round gamble for fantasy managers heading into next spring based on his immense upside alone, but he’s far from a sure thing at this point of his career.
  • LAD Designated Hitter #17
    Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters Shohei Ohtani (shoulder) is unlikely to pitch in the season-opening series against the Cubs in Tokyo, Japan.
    Roberts added that Ohtani is expected to be ready to hit in time for the mid-March showdown overseas in Tokyo against the Cubs following offseason surgery to repair a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder. There should be a clearer timetable for his return to the mound at some point during spring training. The 30-year-old two-way superstar is expected to be part of a six-man rotation for the Dodgers next season.
  • PHI Relief Pitcher #68
    Phillies signed RHP Jordan Romano to a one-year, $8.5 million contract.
    The deal is now official. Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told reporters at the Winter Meetings that he wouldn’t completely rule out acquiring another reliever, but added that he’s comfortable with the club’s bullpen at this point. The 31-year-old stopper was non-tendered last month by the Blue Jays after missing four months last year due to elbow issues, but he’s expected to be ready for spring training. All signs point to Romano opening next season as Philadelphia’s primary closer, which makes him a borderline top 20 stopper from a fantasy perspective.
  • NYM Relief Pitcher #35
    Mets signed RHP Clay Holmes to a three-year, $38 million contract.
    The deal, which was originally agreed to last week, and also includes an opt-out following the 2026 season, is now official. The Mets are planning to turn Holmes, who threw a sinker, slider and sweeper last year in relief with the Yankees, back into a starting pitcher next season and we’ve witnessed several prominent examples — most notably Michael King, Seth Lugo, Reynaldo López and Jeffrey Springs — in recent years of this transition working out for fantasy purposes. The 31-year-old ground-ball machine broke into the big leagues as a starter back in 2018 with the Pirates, but has spent the last three seasons as the Yankees’ primary closer. It’ll be extremely difficult to gauge his viability as a fantasy contributor until we see Holmes in action during spring training. For now, he’s at least worthy of a late-round dart throw in deeper mixed leagues.
  • NYY Center Fielder #89
    Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told reporters at the Winter Meetings that top prospect Jasson Domínguez is a leading candidate to start in center field next season.
    The Yankees are going to pivot significantly after losing generational superstar Juan Soto to the Mets and Domínguez might finally get a real opportunity at the highest level. The 21-year-old phenom is universally-regarded as one of the top fantasy prospects in the game and could make a significant impact next year as a five-category contributor. We’re not ruling out the possibility that New York brings in some additional bats via free agency to challenge him, but he’s going to be one of the biggest names to watch in spring training.
    Yanks could field better roster with Soto to Mets
    D.J. Short and Eric Samulski know that Juan Soto signing with the Mets is a blow to the Yankees, but provide options for New York to address areas of need via free agency and trade and share how it'll impact Aaron Judge.