MLB Player News

What a game. Freeman certainly didn’t appear to be bothered by the ankle, and that was obviously early on when he was able to pick up a triple in the first inning after Alex Verdugo misplayed the baseball. A three-bagger is nice, but obviously what will be remembered was a two-out, bases-loaded homer off Nestor Cortes that secured a 1-0 lead in the Fall Classic for Los Angeles. Game 2 will be Saturday, with Carlos Rodon on the mound for New York and Yoshinobu on the bump for the Dodgers.

It’s perplexing that Avila went unclaimed on waivers after posting a solid 3.25 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 73/30 K/BB ratio across 74 2/3 innings (50 appearances) last year in his Guardians debut. The 28-year-old righty will head to Triple-A Columbus as extra relief depth, but should factor into Cleveland’s relief mix in short order.

MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand adds it’s a two-year, $20.2 million deal with a $13 million club option for 2027 that also includes a $2 million buyout. Estévez’s arrival certainly complicates matters from a fantasy standpoint as lefty Lucas Erceg was the presumptive favorite to close this season for Kansas City. The 32-year-old righty, who has recorded 57 saves combined over the past two seasons, is coming off the best season of his career last year when he posted a stellar 2.45 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 50/12 K/BB ratio across 55 innings (54 appearances) for the Angels and Phillies. He figures to be in the mix with the Royals for saves right away, which puts him squarely in the RP18-25 range.

Gibaut returns to Cincinnati as extra organizational relief depth heading into spring training after being non-tendered earlier this offseason. The 31-year-old righty made just two relief appearances last year for the Reds on the heels of a career-high 74 the prior season.

The trade is now official. Rogers provides Cincinnati with an experienced setup option to bridge the gap to fire-balling closer Alexis Díaz. The 34-year-old southpaw leaves his twin brother, Tyler, behind in San Francisco after a stellar two-year run where he compiled a strong 3.06 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 128/47 K/BB ratio across 11 2/3 innings (124 appearances) during that span. He’d be the favorite for saves with the Reds if Díaz wound up hitting the injured list, which keeps him on fantasy manager’s radar screens entering next season.

Roxby has yet to pitch above Double-A and heads to San Francisco after registering a lackluster 5.21 ERA, 1.51 WHIP and 65/24 K/BB ratio across 48 1/3 innings (39 appearances) last year for Double-A Chattanooga. The 25-year-old is merely extra organizational relief depth for the Giants, who manage to clear $12 million off their books by shipping Rogers to Cincinnati. The move leaves just Erik Miller and Joey Lucchesi as left-handed relief options for the Giants entering spring training.

White draws the short straw for the Reds following the club’s acquisition of veteran southpaw reliever Taylor Rogers. The 25-year-old former top pitching prospect was acquired earlier this month in a trade with the Rangers and is a near-lock to be claimed off waivers by another organization.

Faedo, who is out of minor-league options entering spring training, loses his spot on Detroit’s 40-man roster following the addition of veteran reliever Tommy Kahnle. The 29-year-old former first-round selection excelled last year upon transitioning to a full-time relief role, posting a respectable 3.61 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 55/28 K/BB ratio across 57 1/3 innings (37 appearances, six starts). He should attract some interest on waivers in the coming days.

Rogers represents an interesting addition for Cincinnati’s high-leverage mix to help bridge the gap to closer Alexis Díaz before hitting free agency next offseason. The 34-year-old veteran southpaw has averaged 63 relief appearances over the past three years and posted a strong 3.06 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 128/47 K/BB ratio across 11 2/3 innings (124 appearances) over the past two seasons for San Francisco.

Scherzer has been linked to the Blue Jays previously this offseason with Feinsand adding that Toronto appears to be the most serious about signing him. The 40-year-old future Hall of Fame starter’s days as a front-of-the-rotation arm are in the rearview, but he’s still capable of contributing on a contender. He was limited to just nine starts last year due to injury, but looked healthy during a recent throwing session for teams at Cressey Sports Performance in Florida. His addition would bolster a Toronto starting rotation mix that currently includes Kevin Gausman, José Berríos, Chris Bassitt and Bowden Francis.

Fitzgerald was a fan favorite in the Red Sox organization for a couple years before heading to Kansas City last year where he batted .244/.336/.418 with 14 homers and three steals for Triple-A Omaha. The versatile 30-year-old infielder provides Minnesota with some emergency infield depth at Triple-A St. Paul but doesn’t have much of a path to the big leagues there.