MLB Player News

The 31-year-old hurler was designated for assignment on Friday as the Cubs needed to free up a spot on their 40-man roster though. The long-time Cub passed through waivers unclaimed though and will continue to function as additional depth at the Triple-A level.

No word yet on the length or financial terms, but it’s a major-league deal for Tauchman, who was non-tendered a couple weeks ago by the Cubs after posting a serviceable .723 OPS with seven homers and six steals in 350 plate appearances last year. The 34-year-old journeyman outfielder is more of a bench option as a capable backup than anything at this stage of his career.

Rosenthal and Sammon add that the Phillies and Red Sox are among the other teams interested in Crochet, but the Mets and Yankees have been the most aggressive so far in trade talks. The 25-year-old southpaw, who is under team control for two more season before reaching free agency is the best pitcher available on the trade market this offseason following last year’s breakout campaign where he led all big-league starters with a staggering 35.1 percent strikeout rate across 146 innings (32 starts). At this point, it’s unclear how close the White Sox are to making a decision, but the asking price figures to be astronomical.

“I think he’s close,” Schmidt added. Whether Dollander can conquer the Coors Field challenge remains to be seen, but he’s the most intriguing pitching prospect the Rockies have had in at least a decade or so. The 23-year-old right-hander was outstanding last year, posting a sparkling 2.59 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 169/47 K/BB ratio across 118 innings (23 starts) between High-A Spokane and Double-A Hartford. It sounds like he’ll have a legitimate opportunity to make Colorado’s season-opening starting rotation and could make a real impact for fantasy managers early on next year. He’ll be worth monitoring closely in spring training, especially in deeper mixed leagues.

Former top prospect Spencer Torkelson was a colossal disappointment last year for Detroit, but this would qualify as a bit of a surprise. At 37 years old, Goldschmidt hardly represents a long-term solution, but he might make sense for the Tigers as a short-term stopgap. Given the lack of quality options at the cold corner, Goldschmidt still has some mixed-league relevance heading into next year as a borderline top 15 option at the position.

No word on the specific teams at this juncture. However, it would be extremely surprising if the Yankees and Red Sox weren’t among that trio, especially after missing out on Juan Soto. Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak told reporters earlier at the annual Winter Meetings in Dallas that he doesn’t anticipate moving Arenado before their conclusion, but does think his market will come together quickly. The soon-to-be 34-year-old third baseman is coming off the worst season of his career at the plate, but remains an elite defender at the hot corner.

Rainey was non-tendered last month by the Nationals after compiling a pedestrian 4.76 ERA, 1.49 WHIP and 44/29 K/BB ratio across 51 innings (50 appearances) last year. It’s worth noting that he was much better down the home stretch, so the Pirates are going to roll the dice on the 31-year-old righty and give him a chance to compete in spring training for a spot in their season-opening bullpen.

Hudson heads to Los Angeles after struggling to a bloated 6.17 ERA, 1.67 WHIP and 49/50 K/BB ratio across 89 innings (18 starts) last year for the Rockies. The 30-year-old righty hasn’t been a relevant fantasy option in years at this juncture and his odds of emerging as anything more than emergency depth for the Angels are rather slim.

Well, that was fast. It turns out Baumann did have something lined up overseas. The 29-year-old reliever will take his talents to Japan in an effort to rebuild his long-term value after making 57 relief appearances last year between the Orioles, Mariners, Giants, Angels and Marlins, finishing with a pedestrian 5.55 ERA, 1.49 WHIP and 58/28 K/BB ratio across 58 1/3 innings.

Cerda spent last year in the Reds and Giants organizations, batting .189/.289/.434 with seven homers and one steal across 121 plate appearances between High-A and Double-A. The 25-year-old outfielder was a notable prospect for the Reds a couple years ago, but has pretty much fallen off the map completely.

Mauricio underwent a cleanup procedure on his right knee back in August after tearing his ACL last offseason while playing in the Dominican Winter League. The 23-year-old middle infielder doesn’t exactly have a clear path to at-bats in New York at the moment and he’s likely going to spend a significant chunk of next season in the minors getting back up to speed.