MLB Player News

Congratulations to Vázquez and his growing family. He will be out for the next three games, which will likely mean two starts for Ryan Jeffers. Jair Camargo was called up in a corresponding move.

Posey alluded to utilizing incumbent shortstop Tyler Fitzgerald in a versatile multi-position role instead of locking him in as San Francisco’s everyday shortstop next year. The 27-year-old rookie faded down the home stretch after exploding onto fantasy radar screens right around midseason, finishing with an .831 OPS along with 15 homers and 17 steals across 341 plate appearances. He projects as a borderline top 20 shortstop for fantasy managers heading into next season given his power/speed combination, but it’s worth noting there’s some legitimate risk the batting average department given his propensity to strike out and pedestrian exit velocities.

Eovaldi declined his $20 million option with the Rangers for 2025 and will be one of the more sought after hurlers on the market. Atlanta has needs in its rotation even before considering the potential loss of Max Fried, so this fit makes a lot of sense on paper. Eovaldi has had issues in terms of durability, but he’s been very effective whenever he’s been on the bump.

Stearns noted that the team was impressed with how quickly Baty picked up second base. The 24-year-old has been a significant bust thus far in the majors, and his chance of being the team’s everyday third baseman has been put away for the foreseeable future thanks in large part to the success of Mark Vientos. Baty is going to have to show versatility to be a part of the roster in 2025.

The hope according to Posey is that a move away from shortstop will help “unlock” Luciano’s offensive potential. The 23-year-old has not had much success at the highest level with a line of just .217/.286/304 in 135 appearances at the plate, but he isn’t far removed from being considered one of the top prospects in baseball. He also will likely be eligible at a couple of positions in 2025, which doesn’t hurt.

Porter, 29, was outrighted off the 40-man roster by the Mets in August, and elected minor-league free agency after the season. The 29-year-old has bounced around organizations, and he’ll likely provide depth for the Giants in 2025 with an outside chance he earns the backup backstop job.

Slusser notes that teams have interest in acquiring Doval to start the year as the closer; a role that Doval filled until losing it to Ryan Walker late in the 2024 season. He was outstanding in that role in 2022-2023 with 66 saves and 167 strikeouts over 135 1/3 innings, but he saw his ERA jump from 2.93 to 4.88 in 2024. Doval offers volatility, but his fantasy value obviously shoots up if he plays for someone other than the Giants at this point.

Naughton announced the deal on Instagram, which will keep him with the Cardinals as he continues his rehabilitation after missing all of last year recovering from flexor tendon surgery. The 28-year-old southpaw has made 37 appearances in the big leagues dating back to 2021.

Devenski has bounced around between several organizations over the last couple seasons and is at least a half-decade removed from being one of the better relievers in the game. The 33-year-old veteran will compete for a spot in New York’s bullpen next spring after struggling last year in 19 relief outings with the Rays.

Urquidy and Ortega have both opted to elect free agency following their removal from Houston’s 40-man roster. Urquidy underwent Tommy John surgery back in early June and will miss the vast majority of the 2025 campaign. He could make sense as a long-term stash option for a contender willing to wait until he’s finished his lengthy rehabilitation process. Ortega didn’t make an appearance last year for the Astros after undergoing a pair of elbow surgeries.

Petersen is on the move again after being claimed off waivers back in early September from the Dodgers. The towering 30-year-old righty will augment Toronto’s relief depth heading into the offseason.