MLB Player News

Snell’s season ends at 5-3 with a 3.12 ERA and a 145/44 K/BB in 104 innings. All signs point to him opting out of his deal with the Giants and returning to free agency, where he’ll, uhhhh, surely enjoy a much more robust market than he did in coming off a Cy Young campaign in 2023.

Salas won’t turn 17 until March, but still is eligible for a massive bonus. if the last name sounds familiar, he’s the brother of Ethan Salas; one of the top prospects in the sport at the catching position. Andrew offers a chance to hit for a high average and is viewed as a strong defender who could end up at shortstop or in the outfield. He won’t be ready for MLB action for several years.

De Jesus Gonzalez is considered by many — including MLB Pipeline — to be the top international player on the market not including Roki Sasaki. The switch-hitting shortstop has a chance to hit for average and power from both sides of the plate, and there’s enough speed to project some stolen bases in his future. Considering he doesn’t turn 18 until October, it’s likely De Jesus Gonzalez doesn’t play in the majors until the end of the decade, but there’s significant fantasy upside that comes with a good amount of risk, too.

It’s the top bonus of any international signing Thursday. Peña is a left-handed hitting shortstop who projects to hit for a high average thanks to his smooth left-handed stroke with solid power potential as well. It’ll be years until he reaches the majors, but he has some of the best upside of any IFA signing of this class.

The 39-year-old Bard missed all of last season after suffering a knee injury in spring training and then hurting his elbow. He had a 4.56 ERA in 49 1/3 innings for the Rockies in 2023.

France underwent surgery last July to repair a capsule tear in his right shoulder which carried a 12-14 month return timetable. The additional clarity on his recovery timeline puts him back in Houston’s rotation mix at some point during the second half. The -year-old righty has resumed a throwing program and is expected to progress long-tossing this week. With Framber Valdez, Hunter Brown, Ronel Blanco and Spencer Arrighetti locked into rotation spots, it’ll likely be Hayden Wesneski opening the year as the Astros’ fifth starter until some combination of Luis Garcia, Lance McCullers Jr. or France are ready to return.

Painter is the highest-profile inclusion among Philadelphia’s batch of non-roster invitees, but the widely-held expectation is that he won’t factor into the club’s starting rotation mix until sometime around midseason. Miller tore through three levels last year to make it to the upper minors at just 20 years old. He’s one of the more intriguing shortstop prospects in the dynasty landscape. Crawford boasts blazing speed and is going to be a steals source for fantasy purposes the moment he arrives on the scene.

Heasley fortifies Chicago’s bullpen depth heading into spring training after making four unremarkable relief appearances last year for the Orioles. The 27-year-old former starter hasn’t missed a ton of bats, even in shorter bursts out of the bullpen, but is capable of soaking up multiple frames, if needed. He’s merely extra organizational depth at this stage of his development.

DeLauter was once again plagued by foot issues last year, which limited him to just 39 contests between Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus. The 23-year-old former first-round pick was really starting to take off on the doorstep of the big leagues before a late August hamstring strain ended his shot at making Cleveland’s postseason roster. The positive news is that he looked sharp during a 12-game stint in the Arizona Fall League and projects as an impact fantasy contributor at the highest level due to his combination of elite contact skills and plus raw power. It’s only a matter of time before he’s a fixture in the Guardians’ outfield mix.

Thompson hasn’t officially announced his retirement from professional baseball. However, he’ll pick up the pigskin at South Alabama as a walk-on in the coming weeks during their offseason workouts and spring practices. The athletic soon-to-be 27-year-old former first-round pick was a standout quarterback at McGill-Toolen Catholic High School in Mobile, Alabama prior to being selected 26th overall in the 2017 MLB Draft by the Rangers. If his baseball career is finished, he’ll end with an underwhelming .232/.273/.295 triple-slash line with one homer and 27 stolen bases in 109 games between the Rangers and Reds from 2022-2024.

Lantigua provides the Phillies with some extra infield depth at Triple-A Lehigh Valley after spending the last seven seasons in Toronto’s system. The 26-year-old second baseman batted .265/.367/.336 with four homers and 16 steals in 521 plate appearances last season for Triple-A Buffalo.