MLB Player News

Hays is back after missing five weeks with a kidney infection. Weston Wilson has cooled off of late, but the Phillies decided to keep him and demote Cal Stevenson, giving them three right-handed outfielders, along with Johan Rojas, for two spots in games against lefties. Just one of them will play alongside Brandon Marsh against righties, and it looks like Rojas’s defense might give him the upper hand for now.

Kikuchi has flashed considerable upside at times since coming over from Japan but has struggled with consistency which has led to slightly above-average results. However, he is coming off his best stretch of MLB action ever after posting a 2.70 ERA and 0.93 WHIP with 76 strikeouts in 63 innings after being traded to the Astros at the 2024 trade deadline. Much of that success coincided with him leaning on his slider more often, which is nice to see, and Kikuchi does have a good fastball, which is part of the reason he’s fifth in baseball in K-BB rate over the last two years. The Angels will just hope that he can maintain something close to the level he showed last year, but the team context makes this a slight downgrade for Kikuchi’s fantasy value.

The 33-year-old backstop hasn’t played in a big league contest since the 2022 season and missed most of the 2024 campaign after undergoing hip surgery in June. He’ll compete to be the team’s primary backup behind Patrick Bailey heading into the 2025 season.

The 30-year-old hurler underwent season-ending surgery on his pitching elbow in April. Sanchez notes that the Yankees were one of a handful of teams that went to see Loaisiga throw this past week. His recovery has gone very smoothly and he’s expected to start throwing regular bullpen sessions in January and should be ready for the start of the regular season.

The Orioles are known to be in the market for help behind the plate as James McCann hits free agency and it’s believed they will be casting a wide net. Díaz, 34, had a down season by his standards in 2024, slashing a mere .265/.313/.382 with just six homers and 39 RBI in 351 plate appearances between the Rockies and Padres. He would represent a solid, if unspectacular, backup option for the O’s behind Adley Rutschman and they wouldn’t have to break the bank to bring him in.

The 28-year-old backstop split his 2024 season between the Astros and the Nationals organizations, slashing a combined .187/.314/.335 with eight homers and 25 RBI in 300 plate appearances at the Double-A and Triple-A levels. He’ll continue to function as organizational catching depth for the Nats.

The 26-year-old hurler bounced around a lot during the 2024 season, seeing action with four different organizations (Athletics, Astros, Red Sox and White Sox) at the Triple-A level. He also made one appearance with the Astros, allowing one run and striking out a pair of batters in his two innings of work. He has a very live arm — with a fastball that has touched 101 mph — and makes for a nice depth addition for the Twins’ bullpen.

The 27-year-old latched on with the White Sox in August of last season and went on to hit .256/.358/.402 with a pair of homers and seven RBI in 95 plate appearances at Double-A Birmingham. He’ll continue to function as auxiliary infield depth for the White Sox.

The 27-year-old second baseman spent his first seven minor league seasons in the Mets’ organization. In 2024, he slashed .246/.330/.456 with 16 homers, 52 RBI, three stolen bases and a 60/37 K/BB ratio across 321 plate appearances at Triple-A Syracuse. He’ll add infield depth for the A’s at Triple-A Las Vegas.

Soto has met with several clubs, including the Mets, Dodgers, Blue Jays and Red Sox, and it really doesn’t look like his free agency will drag on long as it has with some other top free agents in recent years. That’d be a good thing, too, since the rest of the market is very much waiting on him.

It’s likely the deal includes an invite to spring training, but no official word just yet. The 28-year-old showed promise not long ago, but has dealt with injuries that have limited him to just 12 2/3 innings over his last three campaigns. If healthy, he could compete for a bullpen spot in the Cactus League, but he’ll need to be added to the 40-man roster to pitch for the Rangers.