MLB Player News

Manoah underwent Tommy John surgery two months ago and will be sidelined into the second half of next season.

Bauers augments Milwaukee’s bench depth heading into next season after batting .199/.301/.361 with 12 round-trippers and 13 steals in 346 plate appearances over 116 contests last year with the Brewers. The 29-year-old is merely a platoon option at this stage of his career, but he’s capable of filling in at several defensive spots, if needed.

Passan adds that the deal also includes a $12 million mutual option for 2026. Lorenzen has been a quality back-end rotation stabilizer the past few years but doesn’t offer a ton of fantasy appeal at this stage of his career. The 33-year-old veteran right-hander posted a strong 3.31 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 97/60 K/BB ratio across 130 1/3 innings (26 appearances, 24 starts) last year between the Rangers and Royals. He’ll bolster Kansas City’s starting rotation depth heading into 2025.

It’s unclear how exactly Lux fits into Cincinnati’s mix since they have a ton of infield options already, but he provides them with a versatile multi-position bench option. The 27-year-old former top prospect became expendable after the Dodgers signed Korean second baseman Hyeseong Kim last weekend. Passan adds that outfield prospect Mike Sirota and a competitive balance draft pick are heading to Los Angeles in the deal.

There’s zero indication that the Cardinals are close to finalizing a potential deal, but Denton adds that the Red Sox have emerged as a strong contender to land Arenado. Boston has been linked to free agent Alex Bregman throughout the offseason, but it’s unclear whether there’s any traction there at this juncture. The presence of franchise cornerstone Rafael Devers at the hot corner, and emerging slugger Triston Casas at first base, further complicate matters from a fit standpoint. There’s also the matter of how much of Arenado’s contract, which still has three years and roughly $74 million left on it, the Cardinals would have to absorb to facilitate a deal. Stay tuned.

Wingenter will take his talents overseas after being non-tendered a couple weeks ago by the Cubs. The hard-throwing 30-year-old righty reliever has made 97 appearances in the big leagues dating back to 2018.

McAdam mentioned that it’s “a crowded market for Tanner Scott,” who will set the relief pitcher market when he finally does sign with a team. Mass Live’s Chris Cotillo also reported that there are “likely multiple big-market bidders” who could meet Scott’s asking price. Edwin Diaz currently has the most expensive contract for a relief pitcher in terms of AAV (Average Annual value), coming in at $20.4 million. It sounds like Tanner Scott might have a chance to match that or perhaps leapfrog Josh Hader with the second-largest relief pitcher contract in baseball.

White, the Rangers’ 25th-ranked prospect, was designated for assignment at the end of December to clear space on the 40-man roster. The 25-year-old split 2024 between the rotation and the bullpen for Texas’ Triple-A team, posting a 5.64 ERA, 1.57 WHIP, and 87/48 K/BB ratio in 99 innings. He has a true five-pitch mix that had previously graded out as above-average; however, both his raw stuff and his command have faltered over the last two seasons. It’s unclear what role he will serve in Cincinnati, but he seems to fit best as a multi-inning reliever.

Weathers recently discovered that he had high insulin resistance and switched to a keto diet that allowed him to drop significant weight this offseason. The 25-year-old is looking to cement a spot in the starting rotation after Jesus Luzardo was traded to the Phillies in the offseason. Weathers posted a 3.55 ERA in his first 13 starts of the season before being forced to miss three months due to a left index finger strain. He made three starts in September and finished with 86 2/3 innings on the year. Perhaps the weight loss will help him maintain his cardio and strength through a full season as he looks to strengthen his case for a full-time spot in the Marlins rotation.

While the Yankees are reportedly inquiring about trading for Luis Arraez or Gavin Lux to fill their void at second base, Hoch mentions that the team has not ruled out using DJ LeMahieu at either second or third base, depending on where they decide to play Jazz Chisholm Jr. As Yankees’ manager Aaron Boone said “it comes down to health. I feel really good about where he was at the very end of the season physically. Now, can he maintain that and improve upon that in the winter and put himself in the mix heading into Spring Training?” If the Yankees don’t sign a free agent then the in-house candidates for second and third base include LeMahieu, Oswaldo Cabrera, Oswald Peraza, and Andrew Velazquez. Hoch believes that, if he’s healthy, “LeMahieu would likely become the front-runner in that group.”

Both Garcia and McCullers underwent surgery and missed the entirety of the 2024 season. There has been some thought that Garcia would be on track to start the season in the rotation since he will be almost 21 months removed from surgery on opening day, but this report pours some cold water on that. It’s too early to tell for sure, but it seems like the Astros may be comfortable going into the season with a rotation of Framber Valdez, Hunter Brown, Ronel Blanco, Spencer Arrighetti, and Hayden Wesneski and then bring Garcia and McCullers along in the middle of the season, or if Wesneski can’t stick as a starter.