MLB Player News

Mears has been heavily utilized out of the Rockies’ bullpen this season but hasn’t been particularly effective — posting a 5.56 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and a 57/21 K/BB ratio across his 45 1/3 innings of work. He’ll slot into the middle innings for manager Pat Murphy and isn’t expected to have any relevancy from a fantasy perspective.

McFarland was acquired from the Dodgers prior to the 2024 season and posted a 3.81 ERA over 56 2/3 innings pitched last season. He’ll give the Athletics more veteran bullpen depth in 2025.

Martin has been stellar for the Red Sox in his two seasons, posting a 2.16 ERA in 100 appearances, while walking just 11 batters. “He’s earned the right to get here (to free agency) and we need to figure out how all the pieces come together but guys who can go months and months between walks (are valuable),” said Red Sox president of baseball operations Craig Breslow. With Kenley Jansen also a free agent, Martin would join a late-inning group of Kiam Hendriks and Garrett Whitlock, if he were to return.

Specifically, Feinsand mentions that the Giants and Brewers have been the two teams most connected to Kim, with the Giants currently being the team most interested in signing the 29-year-old. Kim won a Gold Glove and received five down-ballot MVP votes in 2023, but he hit just 11 home runs with 47 RBIs, 22 stolen bases, and a .700 OPS in 121 games in 2024 before tearing his labrum in mid-August and missing the remainder of the season. If the Giants were to sign Kim, it would likely mean that Tyler Fitzgerald would move to more of a versatile role where he can play all over the field, which is what new GM Buster Posey has seemed to want.

Hoffman began his career as a starter, but he has a 5.64 career ERA in 237 2/3 innings as a starter. He shifted full-time to the bullpen in 2022 and has emerged as one of the better relievers in baseball. Since the start of the 2022 season, Hoffman has posted a 2.28 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, and 33.4 percent strikeout rate with 11 saves in 118 2/3 innings out of the bullpen. Even if Hoffman would prefer to remain in the bullpen, Gelb mentions that “keeping the door open on a potential shift back to a rotation could help Hoffman make more money this winter.” It would also change the potential landing spots for the 31-year-old, so it will be a situation to monitor in the offseason.

Pressly was a solid closer for the Astros before the team signed Josh Hader, but with Hader now in town and Bryan Abreu continuing to thrive in the bullpen, Pressly is now a bit more expendable. The soon-to-be 36-year-old is also coming off a down season that saw him post a 3.49 ERA and 1.34 WHIP across 59 appearances. He also allowed 9.2 hits per nine innings which was his most in any 162-game season since 2016. Additionally, his whiff rate fell to 26.9 percent, which was four percent below his career average so now could be time for the Astros to see what they can get for him.

Kim is coming off an impressive season for the Kiwoom Heroes in the Korean Baseball Organization. The 25-year-old hit .326 with a .841 OPS, 11 home runs, and 30 steals. Kim has had at least 25 steals in five seasons and has never stolen fewer than 20 bases in any KBO season. The speed is obviously an asset, but Kim has also made double-digit errors in three straight seasons at 2B and was a disaster defensively at shortstop in 2021, so he’s likely a high batting average hitter with little power and good speed. That could make him a solid fantasy asset in deep leagues.

Alcántara augments San Francisco’s infield depth heading into next season as a capable defender at several spots. The 28-year-old hasn’t appeared in the majors since getting into 192 contests between the Tigers, Cubs, Diamondbacks and Padres from 2020 to 2022. He batted .271/.388/.416 with eight homers and eight steals across 123 contests last season at the Triple-A level.

Garcia can earn $900,000 this season if he’s added to New York’s active roster at any point. The 30-year-old righty spent all of last year at Triple-A Rochester in the Nationals’ system, finishing with 20 saves to accompany a 3.94 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 89/30 K/BB ratio across 61 2/3 innings (55 appearances). He’s made 30 appearances in the big leagues for five different organizations since 2019. He provides the Mets with some extra organizational relief depth heading into spring training.

Caglianone’s gargantuan dinger to right field carried a stratospheric 113.1 mph exit velocity and traveled 418 feet, which represents the hardest-hit round-tripper of the AFL season. The colossal over-the-fence pop is undeniable, but the central question for fantasy managers is whether Caglianone will make enough contact at the highest level to emerge as a certifiable four-category impact contributor. We’ll see.

We’re unwilling to speculate on exactly how the six-man rotation will be comprised, but it’s a logical solution to accommodate Ohtani’s return to pitching, which Gomes added likely won’t be on Opening Day in Tokyo 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 move also builds in some extra rest for Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow, who dealt with their share of injuries last year. With Clayton Kershaw, Jack Flaherty and Walker Buehler hitting free agency, fantasy managers should anticipate Los Angeles adding at least a couple veteran starters during the offseason to bolster their depth heading into 2025.