MLB Player News

Clase came into a tie game in the ninth inning. With the Guardians season on the line again and the best closer this regular season on the mound, Clase folded once again. Anthony Rizzo and Anthony Volpe both singled to start the inning. After Volpe stole second base, Alex Verdugo reached on an error that brought in a run. Then Gleyber Torres lined an RBI single to give the Yankees an 8-6 lead. Clase has now allowed nine runs in seven innings this postseason. The Guardians offense bailed out Clase in Game 3, but they weren’t able to do it again in Game 4. Clase has certainly had his moments this postseason, like closing out the Tigers in Game 4 and Game 5 of the division series. Overall, though, he’s coughed up the lead three times and has two losses.

The 28-year-old former top prospect had just inked a minor league deal with the Reds back in early November, but he’ll join the Bombers to serve as extra catching depth with Jose Trevino being shipped to the Reds. Jackson was horrendous at the plate in 155 plate appearances with the Rays during the 2024 season, slashing a cringe-inducing .122/.201/.237 with three homers, 12 RBI and a 53/12 K/BB ratio.

The Yankees were known to be shopping some of their catching depth and wanted to get Trevino’s contract off the books, so being able to land an arm like Fernando Cruz in return seems like a huge win on their end. The 34-year-old hurler has never truly been able to harness his exceptional stuff, but his splitter registers as one of the top overall pitches in all of baseball. He’ll certainly have a major role in the Yankees’ bullpen in 2025.

This one is a bit of a head-scratcher, as you would have thought the Reds would value one of the filthiest bullpen arms in the game (and one that’s under team control through the 2028 season) more than a defensive-minded backup catcher, but I digress. In addition to his defensive prowess, Trevino will also bring moxie and veteran leadership to the Reds where he’ll serve as the primary backup behind Tyler Stephenson. He can continue to be ignored for fantasy purposes.

In return, the Reds will be sending Fernando Cruz and Alex Jackson to the Yankees. Trevino is a highly skilled defender behind the plate and a former Platinum Glove winner. He had a rough year offensively in 2024, slashing just .215/.288/.354 with eight homers and 28 RBI in 234 plate appearances. He’ll share the load behind the plate with Tyler Stephenson for the Reds in 2025 but shouldn’t garner much interest from a fantasy perspective.

That’s at least the third team that has had a face-to-face meeting with Sasaki, as he met with the Yankees and Mets on Thursday. The Mariners and Padres are known to be making a big push to sign him, while the Dodgers and Tigers are among the many other clubs known to have expressed interest already. Sasaki plans to meet with all interested parties in Los Angeles and has until January 23 to come to an agreement with a big league club.

The Marlins needed to clear a spot on their 40-man roster to sign Eric Wagaman on Friday and unfortunately the 26-year-old former top prospect was the roster casualty. Brujan hit just .222/.303/.319 with two homers, 16 RBI, five stolen bases and a 54/25 K/BB ratio in 278 plate appearances with the Fish. He’s still talented enough that there’s probably another team willing to take a chance on him.

So it is an actual MLB contract. Interesting. No financial details were announced yet, but it’s expected to be for around the league minimum. The 27-year-old will fight for a spot in the team’s Opening Day starting lineup to begin the 2025 campaign, though his fantasy appeal seems limited.

The Jays needed to free up a spot on their 40-man roster for Josh Walker on Friday and unfortunately Danner was the odd-man out this time around. The 26-year-old hurler spent the majority of the 2024 season at Triple-A Buffalo where he posted a 3.06 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and a 36/13 K/BB ratio over 35 1/3 innings. There’s a possibility that he could pique another team’s interest on waivers.

The Blue Jays wanted to make sure they got the 30-year-old southpaw, so they gave him a guaranteed one-year deal at the league minimum instead of a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. Walker has struggled mightily during his time in the big leagues with the Mets over the past two seasons, registering a 6.45 ERA, 1.66 WHIP and a 23/12 K/BB ratio over 22 1/3 innings of work. Expect him to find a spot in the club’s Opening Day bullpen.

It seems as though the Yankees were still in on Christian Walker after acquiring Cody Bellinger from the Cubs, so the fact that they’re still in the market for a first baseman isn’t terribly surprising. It seems their intention is to play Cody Bellinger in center field if they’re able to land a first baseman, and shift him to first base if they can’t. Nightengale notes that the Mariners, Giants, Nationals and Mets are all currently engaged in talks with Goldschmidt as well, so the Bombers face plenty of competition in their pursuit.