MLB Player News

The 23-year-old right-hander struggled with his command and had to battle a bit throughout the outing, but the only hit that he allowed was a leadoff single to Andrew McCutchen to start the ballgame. Diaz got nine swings and misses on 79 pitches on the day, registering a respectable CSW of 29 percent. He’ll look to carry over the momentum from this strong start as he brings a 4.05 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and a 14/8 K/BB ratio (20 innings) into Saturday’s rematch against the Pirates in Pittsburgh.

It sounds like both teams are attempting to add to the amount that they are able to offer Roki Sasaki in an effort to influence his decision. It’s unclear if the Blue Jays are doing the same thing, as Feinsand notes that are several teams looking to acquire bonus pool funds, and not just the teams that you would expect. The 23-year-old right-hander has until January 23 to finalize his decision, but with each passing day the parties involved risk losing out on other international free agents that they had agreements with.

Heyman cautions that while the two sides are making progress on the framework of the deal, there’s still said to be a “substantial financial hurdle” that would need to be cleared before coming to an agreement. The Mets have let the star slugger know that they need a decision from Alonso soon, so they have enough time to pivot to other options before spring training if the deal ultimately doesn’t come together. While a few other clubs have kicked the tires on a long-term deal, a reunion with the Mets still seems like the most likely scenario for Alonso at this stage.

Rodriguez was ranked as the fourth best prospect in this year’s international free agent class behind only Roki Sasaki, Josuar Gonzalez and Elian Peña. He represents the top IFA signing that the Tigers have ever had — both in terms of prospect ranking and guaranteed money. The top ranked power bat in the class, the soon-to-be 17-year-old from the Dominican Republic should provide a major boost to the Tigers’ system. It’ll be several years before we see that prodigious power on display at the big-league level, but those in dynasty leagues should already take note.

The Yankees are also interested in bringing back the 34-year-old southpaw. Hill appeared in 62 games between the White Sox and Yankees during the 2024 season, compiling a 3.36 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and a 31/19 K/BB ratio. Wherever he winds up, he’ll function in a middle relief role and won’t have much utility from a fantasy perspective.

The 23-year-old right-hander had been designated for assignment by the Cubs earlier in the week, so they were content to flip him for anything that they could get. Arias spent the majority of the 2024 season at Triple-A Iowa where he registered a 5.45 ERA, cringe-inducing 2.09 WHIP and a 46/36 K/BB ratio across 36 1/3 innings. He’ll add bullpen depth for the Yankees but will need to improve his command substantially before getting an opportunity at the big league level.

The 30-year-old slugger spent the 2024 season playing for the Seibu Lions of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball where he slashed .247/.322/.392 with nine homers, 53 RBI and a 105/43 K/BB ratio over 447 plate appearances. He’ll add outfield depth in big league camp for the Nats.

The 33-year-old lefty masher spent the 2024 season with the Diamondbacks where he slashed a robust .291/.348/.528 with 12 homers and 46 RBI in only 279 plate appearances. The Pirates are also known to have interest in his services. Grichuk still makes for a tremendous weapon against southpaws, so it’s surprising to see that there haven’t been more teams calling on him this winter.

Martini appeared in 52 games for the Reds during the 2024 campaign, slashing .212/.272/.370 with five homers, 24 RBI, one stolen base and a 38/9 K/BB ratio over 163 plate appearances. The 34-year-old outfielder will add quality outfield depth for the Rockies, but is highly unlikely to make any sort of impact from a fantasy perspective.

Hiura has struggled mightily since his impressive rookie campaign with the Brewers, and the 2017 first-round pick is nothing more than organizational fodder at this stage. It would be a bit of a surprise if he was able to make Colorado out of spring training.

The Pirates get de Geus after he was waived by the Blue Jays on Friday. He struggled in his time in the majors in 2024 with three different clubs, but he’ll give the Pirates some depth heading into 2025.