MLB Player News

Matz was making his first start since April 30, and all things considered it went relatively well. The southpaw gave up homers to Jackson Chourio and Joey Ortiz, but allowed just one other hit with three walks and seven strikeouts. The Brewers are a tough nut to crack right now, and the 33-year-old did show some swing-and-miss stuff. The question now is when Matz pitches again, as the Cardinals haven’t lined up their rotation just yet.

Dubroff notes that Flaherty did not have a good experience in his first stint with the O’s, so despite the reports that they have interest in a reunion it’s highly unlikely to happen. One of the top remaining starting pitchers remaining on the free agent market, expect Flaherty to make his decision soon. The Tigers, Blue Jays and Dodgers have all been linked to him at various points this off-season.

The Red Sox are expected to be in the mix as well, but Heyman sees the Tigers and Blue Jays as the current frontrunners. Both clubs are also viewed as the favorites to land Anthony Santander, so it’s possible that each club winds up with one of the top remaining free agent sluggers. Bregman is still reportedly seeking a contract in the range of $200 million after turning down a $156 million offer from the Astros.

The 25-year-old hurler spent the 2024 season in the rotation at Double-A Erie where he registered a 4.34 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and a 108/55 K/BB ratio over 120 1/3 innings in 28 appearances (27 starts). He’ll continue to function as extra rotation depth for the Tigers heading into the 2025 campaign.

Heyman noted that there remains a gap in years, but there is also a gap in years between the Mets and Pete Alonso, so it seems that Alonso currently wants more years than anybody is willing to offer. The Angels are looking for another impact bat for their lineup, and Alonso would fit the Angels’ bill as a player entering the second stage of their career. If the Angels did sign Alonso, Heyman mentions that they would move Nolan Schanuel out to left field. The situation seems like a long shot, but it’s worth keeping an eye on.

Manoah had Tommy John surgery back in June and is now in the fourth week of his throwing program. The 26-year-old claims that he aims to “pitch the last two months of the regular season,” but he also didn’t want to put a firm timeline on his recovery. Obviously, that timetable would keep him off the radar in most fantasy leagues, but it would be nice to see the talented young pitcher bounce back to his prior form.

Junis pitches 67 innings in 2024 between the Brewers and Reds, making six starts in 24 appearances. He posted a 2.69 ERA overall with a 0.85 WHIP and 51/8 K/BB ratio. There’s no indication if the White Sox would view Junis as a starter or a reliever, but his ability to go multiple innings out of the bullpen would be a major boost to a starting rotation that figures to be one of the youngest in baseball next year if the team gives a shot to guys like Drew Thorpe, Noah Schultz, and Sean Burke.

The 26-year-old pitched just 9 2/3 innings for the Diamondbacks and Blue Jays in 2024, posting a 13.97 ERA; however, he was much more effective with Arizona in 2023. That season, he had a 4.06 ERA in 31 innings with a 1.35 ERA during the 2023 postseason. Frias did post a 0.96 ERA and 28 percent strikeout rate in nine Triple-A appearances for Toronto after being claimed on waivers, so perhaps Cleveland can help him fix whatever was holding him back in 2024.

Ford played 17 games for the Cincinnati Reds in 2024, hitting .150/.177/.233 with one home run and 15 strikeouts. He was designated for assignment and decided to play in Japan, where he hit .211/.281/.429 with eight home runs and 24 strikeouts in 41 games. The 32-year-old is a career .205 hitter with a .700 OPS and even though he hit 16 home runs for the Mariners in 2023, the Twins will likely hope he doesn’t have to become a regular in their starting lineup.

Cox has been with the Royals his entire career and made his MLB debut in 2023, pitching to a 4.54 ERA and 1.26 WHIP in 35 2/3 innings. However, he tore his ACL in September of that year and then spent all of last season in the minors. The Royals will hope that he can emerge as an impactful lefty reliever now that he’s another year removed from surgery.

The Blue Jays were also heavily involved in the bidding for Juan Soto, Corbin Burnes, and Teoscar Hernandez, but each player decided to sign elsewhere, some for less money. The Blue Jays are desperate to add talent around Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in an effort to keep him in Toronto beyond this season, and Santander would certainly be a solid bat to add to the mix. The 30-year-old is coming off a career-best year in which he hit 44 home runs and drove in 102 runs for the Orioles. If he were to sign in Toronto, he would immediately slot in as the clean-up hitter behind Vlad Jr. and bump either Will Wagner or Joey Loperfido from the regular lineup, depending on whether or not Toronto chooses to play Santander in the field.