MLB Player News

It’s unclear if this will just be a brief stint for Fletcher until Miguel Vargas joins the team or if he’ll get a longer look in the outfield. He hasn’t earned the latter, considering that he’s hit .243/.319/.355 in 28 minor league games ant .173/.254/.227 in 28 major league games this season.

Santos was limited to just eight late-season relief appearances last year during his Seattle debut due to lat and biceps issues. It’s a positive sign that the 25-year-old righty is feeling healthy in the lead up to spring training and he should help bolster the Mariners’ high-leverage mix behind incumbent closer Andrés Muñoz.

Dipoto added that Brash hasn’t experienced any setbacks during his rehabilitation process from last year’s persistent elbow issues and is expected to be ready to throw at the outset of spring training. There are zero guarantees until he gets into game action, but the 26-year-old righty should be ready to rejoin Seattle’s high-leverage mix behind stopper Andrés Muñoz by the end of April.

Taylor is going to be a bit delayed in his ramp-up process after suffering the injury last week during offseason workouts. The 23-year-old hurler posted a serviceable 3.72 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 25/7 K/BB ratio across 19 1/3 innings (21 appearances) last year for Seattle after getting called up directly from Double-A Arkansas. There should be a more definitive timetable for his return once spring training opens up.

The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Chandler Rome reported last week that Bregman has interest from five teams prior to Detroit re-signing Jack Flaherty to a $35 million contract. With spring training camps set to open next week, fantasy managers should anticipate some much-needed clarity on his destination and the subsequent fallout soon. It’s been a tumultuous offseason for Bregman, but it sounds like the Tigers and Astros remain his most likely landing spots at this juncture. Stay tuned.

The deal is now official. Faedo grew up in the Tampa Bay area and gets to head home after losing his spot last week on Detroit’s overcrowded 40-man roster. The 29-year-old former top pitching prospect represents a worthwhile gamble for the Rays as a low-leverage relief specialist after he posted a serviceable 3.61 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 55/28 K/BB ratio across 57 1/3 innings (37 appearances, six starts) last year for the Tigers.

The league’s decision to terminate Hoberg – who has denied betting on baseball and a league investigation found no evidence that he placed bets on games or took any action to manipulate the outcome of any games – was held up following an appeal process in accordance with the league’s collective bargaining agreement. The report details that Hoberg, who had been a full-time umpire since 2017, shared legal sports betting accounts with a friend who placed bets on baseball and impeded a subsequent investigation by deleting text messages between the two parties.

Aranda, who batted .247 with five homers over his final 26 games last year, is expected to pick up some additional at-bats in a complementary role behind Yandy Díaz at the cold corner. The 26-year-old fits the profile of a potential breakout candidate for fantasy purposes since he hits the ball extremely hard, typically to right field, and should thrive in a ballpark ideally suited for his offensive approach. He ranked sixth in the major leagues last year in Baseball Savant’s barrels per plate appearance (11.2 percent) metric among hitters with at least 50 batted ball events and projects to benefit exponentially this upcoming season from Tampa Bay’s unplanned relocation to George M. Steinbrenner Field. He’s an interesting late-round sleeper candidate and a name to watch closely in the early stages of spring training.

Song was returned to the Red Sox from the Phillies after previously being selected in the Rule 5 Draft. Song then underwent Tommy John surgery in March of last season but is reportedly on the way back. The Red Sox are “optimistic about his progress” but “will see how spring training goes... He’s strong, showing good progress.” Song won’t face live hitters until later in the spring so he’ll likely stay in extended spring training to continue to rehab instead of heading to a minor-league affiliate. The 26-year-old has a 3.81 career minor league ERA in 49 2/3 innings with a 50/22 K/BB ratio.

McCarthy also acknowledged that “If [Kristian] Campbell comes out too hot to ignore, they may end up starting Campbell at second over Grissom and keep Grissom on the bench"; however, the Red Sox have a lot invested in Grissom after trading Chris Sale for him last year. Before last year’s injury-plagued season, Grissom had gone 62-for-216 (.287) with five home runs, five steals, and a 49/13 K/BB ratio. He doesn’t have tons of power, but he’s proven himself to be a strong contact hitter who could make good use of the Green Monster in left field. If Grissom does win the second base job, he has a chance to hit for a .270-.280 average with 10 home runs and 10 steals while hitting near the end of a solid lineup. That could be enough for deep league value.

Allard pitched to a 5.00 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, and 23/8 K/BB ratio in 27 innings last year for the Phillies. He wasn’t much better in Triple-A with a 5.66 ERA in 90 2/3 innings. The left-hander figures to serve as organization depth for the Guardians.