MLB Player News

It’s a fitting way to end the season for Francis, who was one of the most impressive pitchers down the stretch. Francis returned to the starting rotation on August 7th, leaning on his splitter more, adding a sinker, and relying on his curve much less. The results were outstanding with a 1.53 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 59 innings. The 28-year-old may not be guaranteed a spot in the starting rotation in 2025, but his pitch mix changes and late-season results make him one of the more interesting starting pitchers to watch in spring training.

The deal includes an opt-out for Flaherty if he chooses to exercise it. He’ll earn $25 million in 2025 and then has a $10 million option for the 2026 season that will jump to $20 million if he makes 15 starts in 2025. The 29-year-old hurler spent the first half of the 2024 season with the Tigers before getting dealt to the Dodgers at the trade deadline and helping his new club win a World Series. The Tigers picked up a strong pair of prospects in the deal and now get the added benefit of Flaherty returning to slide in behind Tarik Skubal at the top of their rotation. As we saw in the first half of 2024, pitching in Detroit is about as good of a situation as it gets for Flaherty’s fantasy value.

The 24-year-old played a pair of minor league seasons in the Diamondbacks’ organization and also appeared in 14 games for the Washington WildThings in the independent Frontier League in 2024. He’ll add minor league depth for the Phillies.

FVV exited Saturday’s loss to the Nets early with the injury, and it’ll cost him at least one contest. Aaron Holiday should see increased run in VanVleet’s absence, but Amen Thompson and Jalen Green should be the biggest beneficiaries from a fantasy standpoint.

The 29-year-old infielder will make $1.5 million if he makes the team’s Opening Day roster. Lopez appeared in 124 games for the White Sox during the 2024 season, slashing a woeful .241/.312/.294 with one homer, 21 RBI, five stolen bases (in 12 attempts) and a 67/37 K/BB ratio in 445 plate appearances. He can be completely ignored for fantasy purposes.

Cronenworth, 31, split his time between first base (85 games) and second base (70 games) during the 2024 campaign, but it looks like he’ll be able to focus on playing second base regularly heading into 2025. The means that Luis Arraez should function as the club’s primary first baseman — barring any additional roster moves.

Aranda is probably going to have a chance to start against righties initially this year, but this does give the Rays some extra flexibility if Eloy Jiménez or someone else outperforms him this spring. Hopefully, it won’t end up mattering; Aranda’s strong exit velocity numbers suggest that he’ll be a nice middle-of-the-order bat, at least as a platoon guy.

Sheehan, 25, underwent Tommy John surgery in May. The right-hander is one of the more talented hurlers in the Los Angeles system, and even with a loaded rotation, he has a chance to make starts at some point in 2025 for the Dodgers. In terms of fantasy, he’s more of a 2026 play.

Freeman underwent the operation in early December. Gomes said that the first baseman won’t be in Cactus League games to begin the year, but he’s expected to be ready for the start of the year in Tokyo. Even with the operation, Freeman should be one of — if not the — first players at his position off the board.

More importantly — or at least equally as important — Gomes said that the team remains in contact about a possible reunion. Kershaw declined his $5 million player option at the end of the 2024 campaign, but the only question is whether he’ll retire or spend at least one more season as a member of the Dodgers. It’s hard to imagine he’ll help as a fantasy contributor even if the Hall of Famer returns in 2025.

It’s a little difficult to see a role for Hernandez on the current version of the Dodgers, but his ability to play everywhere and handle left-handed pitching — on top of the good vibes he provides the clubhouse — makes a reunion make sense. Wherever he lands, there won’t be a ton of fantasy value.