MLB Player News

Brasier is back following a nearly four-month absence recovering from a right calf strain that sent him back to the injured list in late April.

Blum mentioned that, based on comments from Angels’ management, “it seems more likely for a backup first baseman to come in the form of a more versatile infielder.” That means Niko Kavadas and Ryan Noda are less likely to win the job. Blum suggests that Rendon, “who isn’t likely to get everyday reps at third base,” could serve as a backup at both positions, potentially starting versus left-handed pitchers. Maybe this part-time role could keep him healthy all season, but it’s hard to see him having much fantasy value outside of the deepest formats.

Blum noted that the Angels were planning to call up Moore in September last season before he suffered a meniscus injury. The 22-year-old, who was the eighth overall pick in last year’s draft, hit .347/.400/.584 in 25 minor league games last season with six home runs and two steals. With Anthony Rendon now transitioning to a bench role, the Angels could slot Luis Rengifo in at third base and let Moore battle Kevin Newman for the starting second base job. Moore’s chances of making the Opening Day roster may also be improved by shortstop Zach Neto (shoulder) likely starting the year on the IL. That would mean the Angels could play Newman at shortstop and give Moore the second base job. This will certainly be a situation to monitor this spring.

It’s not a huge surprise since Stephenson underwent Tommy John surgery in April of last season, but this is the first confirmation that we’re hearing. The 31-year-old signed a three-year, $33 million contract last offseason after re-inventing himself in Tampa Bay and posting a 2.35 ERA, 0.68 WHIP, and 60/8 K/BB ratio in 38 1/3 innings. Stephenson figures to be back in action by the summer and could emerge as a late-inning option if Ben Joyce is unable to hold down the job.

The Angels assured Kyle Hendricks that he would have a spot in the rotation when they signed him this offseason. That means four rotation spots are locked up with Hendricks, Tyler Anderson, Yusei Kikuchi, and Jose Soriano, and everybody else is competing for one spot. Kochanowicz has an interesting case for the job since he posted a 2.78 ERA in his final nine starts of the season and pounds the strike zone with a good sinker that induces plenty of groundballs. However, Blum gives Detmers the leg up in the competition but acknowledges that the left-hander “will be on a much shorter leash this year, given how poorly he performed in 2024.” Also, Detmers “still has minor-league options, so he has flexibility” where the Angels could start him in the minors if he doesn’t have a great spring training.

Now that fellow left-handed reliever Taylor Rogers was traded to the Reds, teams are checking in on Coulombe. The 35-year-old posted a 2.12 ERA and 0.67 WHIP in 33 games with the Orioles in 2024, but he ended the season on the IL and had surgery to remove bone spurs from his elbow. Assuming he’s healthy, Coulombe has been one of the better left-handed relievers in baseball of late and would be a strong addition to any bullpen.

The Padres are “bumping up against much more of a payroll restriction than they were a year ago,” so they are looking to create payroll flexibility and add cost-controlled young talent. That has led the Padres to look to trade away Cease and Michael King. As Morosi noted, Cease is the more likely of the two to be dealt since he is making more money, and the Cubs are an interesting fit since they have seven of the top 100 prospects in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline. Morosi mentioned Owen Caissie as a potential name that could go back and start right away in San Diego, but it remains to be seen if Chicago would be willing to give up that much for one year of Cease.

Rosenthal mentioned that “the teams could not find a middle ground on players or dollars,” which is why the Reds pivoted and signed Austin Hays. Robert will earn $15 million in 2025, and his contract also includes $20 million club options for each of the next two seasons. Rosenthal mentions that each option comes with a $2 million buyout, so Robert is guaranteed at least $17 million per season, which could be seen as a lot to pay for somebody who has only played in more than 100 games once during his career. Of course, that was an elite season. The Reds had discussed infield prospect Edwin Arroyo with the White Sox, but they ultimately “could not get comfortable with the total cost,” so now Chicago will head into spring training with Robert Jr. on their roster.

The 29-year-old Abreu was once an intriguing relief prospect for the Yankees, who posted a 4.58 ERA and 22.4 percent strikeout rate in 135 2/3 career innings before being non-tendered after the 2023 season. He spent last year with the Seibu Lions of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. In 49 innings he pitched to a 2.39 ERA but that came with just a 16.3 percent strikeout rate.

It’s perplexing that Avila went unclaimed on waivers after posting a solid 3.25 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 73/30 K/BB ratio across 74 2/3 innings (50 appearances) last year in his Guardians debut. The 28-year-old righty will head to Triple-A Columbus as extra relief depth, but should factor into Cleveland’s relief mix in short order.

MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand adds it’s a two-year, $20.2 million deal with a $13 million club option for 2027 that also includes a $2 million buyout. Estévez’s arrival certainly complicates matters from a fantasy standpoint as lefty Lucas Erceg was the presumptive favorite to close this season for Kansas City. The 32-year-old righty, who has recorded 57 saves combined over the past two seasons, is coming off the best season of his career last year when he posted a stellar 2.45 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 50/12 K/BB ratio across 55 innings (54 appearances) for the Angels and Phillies. He figures to be in the mix with the Royals for saves right away, which puts him squarely in the RP18-25 range.