MLB Player News

Francis, the AL Pitcher of the Month for August, gave up a homer to the very first batter he faced, Kyle Schwarber, in September. He later allowed a two-run homer to Kody Clemens in the second. He bounced back nicely afterwards, though, and wound up with six strikeouts and no walks. He’ll face the Mets next.

As Matheson noted, “This is a bit of a ‘prove it’ spring for Martinez, coming off his suspension.” However, Martinez is one of the few players who can play the infield and DH who actually hits for power. Other options like Will Wagner, Leo Jimenez, and Addison Barger are most contact-oriented hitters; however, “Martinez needs to prove he’s competent in the field, which has been a challenge at times.” While Matheson admitted that there is a chance Martinez could play it way into a starting opportunity, it seems like a longshot for now.

The Pirates signed Alvarado to a one-year deal but chose to designate him for assignment earlier this week to make room for Adam Frazier. Now Alvarado will get a chance to latch on with the Athletics. The 25-year-old has yet to make his MLB debut but did register a 2.79 ERA and a 71/38 K/BB in 48 1/3 innings for the Marlins’ Triple-A affiliate last season.

The 28-year-old Hernández was tremendous out of the bullpen for Texas in 2020 and 2022 and looked to be a potential closer of the future. However, he struggled in 2023 and then again last season, pitching to a 5.05 ERA, 1.59 WHIP, and 36/26 K/BB ratio in 41 innings before Texas put him on waivers. Given how much success Tampa Bay has had in the past with getting veteran relievers to put forth career-best efforts, it wouldn’t surprise us if Hernández becomes another name they can add to the list.

Castillo mentions that the Yankees still want to acquire a third baseman or second baseman and have Jazz Chisolm Jr. play the other position, but they are not looking at either of the high-profile veterans. Bregman is looking for a five-year contract or longer and still asking for nearly $30 million in AAV, and Nolan Arenado would require a trade and the Yankees to take on his salary. For now, the expectation is for the Yankees to look to fill the position internally or will a lower-cost option.

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.