MLB Player News

There was some optimism for Varland coming into this outing given his recent success at Triple-A St. Paul, but things unraveled quickly in this one. He gave up five hits, including a two-run homer to veteran slugger Yandy Díaz and wound up being tagged for a season-high eight runs. He’ll likely be utilized in a long relief role moving forward for Minnesota as they enter the home stretch of the year and it’s difficult to recommend him as a fantasy option moving forward.

Fulmer logged 86 2/3 innings over 37 appearances (eight starts) for the Angels during the 2024 season, compiling a 4.15 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and an 81/40 K/BB ratio. You can simply never have enough quality pitching and Fulmer has shown the ability to pitch effectively out of the rotation and out of the bullpen at various points in his career. As a depth option on a minor league deal, it’s a nice move for the Pirates.

Carlson, 26, spent the 2024 season in the Brewers’ organization where he compiled a 4.25 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and a 51/19 K/BB ratio across 48 2/3 innings in 44 appearances out of the bullpen. He’ll add minor league bullpen depth for the defending World Champions.

Raposo was claimed off of waivers from the Cardinals in early August. The 26-year-old backstop had a rough season offensively at the Triple-A level, slashing a woeful .206/.280/.340 with just eight homers, 33 RBI and a 59/25 K/BB ratio in 280 plate appearances. There’s a decent chance that he passes through waivers unclaimed and continues to function as extra catching depth for the Jays.

The 34-year-old right-hander returns to the Jays where he functioned as one of the better setup men in the American League from 2022-2024 before he was dealt to the Mariners at last season’s trade deadline. He should return to a high-leverage role in front of Chad Green or whoever else the Blue Jays plan to bring in to work in the ninth inning.

The Cubs already made a franchise-altering move on Friday by acquiring superstar outfielder Kyle Tucker from the Astros and it doesn’t look like they are done. Nightengale notes that they have also been busy on the trade front attempting to move Cody Bellinger so stay tuned as there could be more moves to come shortly.

Jon Heyman of MLB Network had reported earlier in the week that the two sides were nearing an agreement, so it’s no surprise to see that they got the details ironed out. The contract also includes a $7.5 million mutual option for the 2027 season. The 30-year-old backstop split his 2024 season between the Tigers and Rangers where he slashed .238/.313/.374 with nine homers and 37 RBI while grading out well in all defensive metrics. It’ll be interesting to see how exactly the playing time shakes out there between Kelly and Miguel Amaya with Matt Thaiss also potentially in the mix.

Brown made it clear that he doesn’t anticipate dealing the 31-year-old southpaw, but he is at least willing to entertain the idea. The club’s ace is entering his final season of arbitration before he’s scheduled to hit free agency in 2026 and after the Astros parted with Kyle Tucker in a similar situation on Friday it wouldn’t be a surprise to hear that teams are now inquiring on Valdez. The left-hander went 15-7 with a stellar 2.91 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and a 169/55 K/BB ratio over 176 1/3 innings in 28 starts during the 2024 campaign.

Smith, 21, was the 14th overall selection by the Astros from the 2024 MLB draft. He was extremely impressive in his first professional half season, slashing .313/.396/.609 with seven homers, 24 RBI, two swipes and a 24/15 K/BB ratio in 134 plate appearances across three minor league levels — culminating in a five-game audition at Double-A Tennessee. He could be on the fast-track to the big leagues for the Astros, especially if they’re unable to retain Alex Bregman.

The Astros have long had interest in the 27-year-old right-hander and now they’ll get the opportunity to add him to their starting rotation. Wesneski pitched in a hybrid role for the Cubs during the 2024 season, registering a 3.86 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and a 67/21 K/BB ratio across 67 2/3 innings in 28 appearances (seven starts). His fantasy value will obviously get a major boost if he secures a spot in the Astros’ Opening Day rotation.

It’s odd to see a talented slugger traded four different times before his 26^th birthday, but perhaps that’s just because there’s such a high demand for his services. Paredes split the 2024 campaign between the Rays and Cubs, slashing .238/.346/.393 with 19 homers and 80 RBI in 641 plate appearances. His extreme pull-happy ways at the dish should play beautifully at Minute Maid Park in Houston where he’ll have a chance to eclipse his career-high mark of 31 long balls set with the Rays in 2023.