MLB Player News

Alonso had struggled down the stretch of the season, but all is forgiven after getting the biggest hit of the Mets’ season. The Polar Bear hit a Devin Williams changeup out to right field for a go-ahead three-run home run with one out in the ninth inning. He certainly gave the Mets at least one memorable moment before heading into free agency this offseason.

Manoah had Tommy John surgery back in June and is now in the fourth week of his throwing program. The 26-year-old claims that he aims to “pitch the last two months of the regular season,” but he also didn’t want to put a firm timeline on his recovery. Obviously, that timetable would keep him off the radar in most fantasy leagues, but it would be nice to see the talented young pitcher bounce back to his prior form.

Junis pitches 67 innings in 2024 between the Brewers and Reds, making six starts in 24 appearances. He posted a 2.69 ERA overall with a 0.85 WHIP and 51/8 K/BB ratio. There’s no indication if the White Sox would view Junis as a starter or a reliever, but his ability to go multiple innings out of the bullpen would be a major boost to a starting rotation that figures to be one of the youngest in baseball next year if the team gives a shot to guys like Drew Thorpe, Noah Schultz, and Sean Burke.

The 26-year-old pitched just 9 2/3 innings for the Diamondbacks and Blue Jays in 2024, posting a 13.97 ERA; however, he was much more effective with Arizona in 2023. That season, he had a 4.06 ERA in 31 innings with a 1.35 ERA during the 2023 postseason. Frias did post a 0.96 ERA and 28 percent strikeout rate in nine Triple-A appearances for Toronto after being claimed on waivers, so perhaps Cleveland can help him fix whatever was holding him back in 2024.

Ford played 17 games for the Cincinnati Reds in 2024, hitting .150/.177/.233 with one home run and 15 strikeouts. He was designated for assignment and decided to play in Japan, where he hit .211/.281/.429 with eight home runs and 24 strikeouts in 41 games. The 32-year-old is a career .205 hitter with a .700 OPS and even though he hit 16 home runs for the Mariners in 2023, the Twins will likely hope he doesn’t have to become a regular in their starting lineup.

Cox has been with the Royals his entire career and made his MLB debut in 2023, pitching to a 4.54 ERA and 1.26 WHIP in 35 2/3 innings. However, he tore his ACL in September of that year and then spent all of last season in the minors. The Royals will hope that he can emerge as an impactful lefty reliever now that he’s another year removed from surgery.

The Blue Jays were also heavily involved in the bidding for Juan Soto, Corbin Burnes, and Teoscar Hernandez, but each player decided to sign elsewhere, some for less money. The Blue Jays are desperate to add talent around Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in an effort to keep him in Toronto beyond this season, and Santander would certainly be a solid bat to add to the mix. The 30-year-old is coming off a career-best year in which he hit 44 home runs and drove in 102 runs for the Orioles. If he were to sign in Toronto, he would immediately slot in as the clean-up hitter behind Vlad Jr. and bump either Will Wagner or Joey Loperfido from the regular lineup, depending on whether or not Toronto chooses to play Santander in the field.

Rojas’ market was surprisingly active this offseason given that the 30-year-old can play most positions on the diamond and is a career .247/.323/.362 hitter. He did have a bit of a down year in 2024 but posted a career-high barrel rate and fly ball rate, so perhaps getting out of T-Mobile Park, which is the worst park in baseball for left-handed hitters, according to Statcat Park Factors, will be a boost for him. Rojas should be the everyday third baseman for the White Sox and could post 15 steals with a .260 average which is valuable in deeper formats.

Heyman added during a live stream for Bleacher Report on Wednesday that Scherzer’s market is “heating up” so it’s not out of the question that he could decide on his future at some point in the coming days. No word on which specific teams are in the mix at this juncture. The 40-year-old former ace was limited to just nine starts last season for the Rangers due to a series of injuries following his midseason return from offseason back surgery. Fantasy managers shouldn’t anticipate Scherzer shouldering a considerable workload at his advanced age, regardless of where he winds up signing. However, he remains a viable streaming option in favorable matchups, especially in deeper mixed leagues.

Luzardo, who was acquired by the Phillies a couple weeks ago in a late-December trade, added that he’s had a normal throwing program this offseason after being limited to just 12 starts this past season for the Marlins due to a flexor strain and back issue. The 27-year-old southpaw is the front-runner to open next season as the Phillies’ fifth starter and figures to make an impact for fantasy managers, even in shallow mixed leagues, if his strikeout rate returns to pre-2024 levels.

Gilbert was designated for assignment by the Phillies, and will now go from a World Series contender to a team that lost 121 games. Happy New Year. Gilbert should actually get a chance to pitch for the White Sox, however, something that wasn’t likely as a member of the Philadelphia organization.