MLB Player News

Neto missed most of the end of the season while dealing with shoulder issues, and the 23-year-old shortstop will go under the knife after he wasn’t able to fix the issue through rehab. Minasian wasn’t sure if Neto would need to miss time to begin the year, so it’s something to monitor for those who are considering Neto as a helper up the middle on their fantasy team.

Festa went unclaimed on waivers after being designated for assignment last week by the Cubs. The 31-year-old righty has the option to elect free agency and might opt to test the open market rather than accept the outright assignment. He made 19 relief appearances last year between the Mets and Rangers.

The deal is now official. Mayza supplements Pittsburgh’s left-handed relief depth after splitting last year between the Blue Jays and Yankees. The 33-year-old southpaw was a mainstay in Toronto’s bullpen for the previous few seasons before struggling last year to the point that he was released in early July.

Williams loses his spot on Pittsburgh’s 40-man roster following the addition of veteran lefty reliever Tim Mayza. The 25-year-old shortstop owns a lackluster .202/.257/.271 triple-slash line with zero homers and one steal in 208 plate appearances in the big leagues since 2023.

The deal, which also includes $2 million in incentives and an opt-out following the 2025 season, is now official. Kim is expected to take over as Tampa Bay’s primary shortstop in late April or early May once he’s completed his rehabilitation process from offseason shoulder surgery. It’s unclear whether the previously elite stolen base totals are coming back after he managed only 22 thefts last year in 121 games. The 29-year-old infielder’s plate skills remain at near-elite levels, but he simply doesn’t make enough consistent hard contact to forecast anything beyond 10-15 homers. If he’s not swiping 30-plus bases it’s difficult to envision him making a significant fantasy impact, but his path to relevance is exponentially easier at the keystone as opposed to shortstop.

It winds up being a short stay for Eisert on Tampa Bay’s 40-man roster as he winds up being jettisoned to make room for Ha-Seong Kim. The 27-year-old lefty was acquired last week from the Blue Jays in a small trade. He made three appearances last year for Toronto at the highest level.

Santos was limited to just eight late-season relief appearances last year during his Seattle debut due to lat and biceps issues. It’s a positive sign that the 25-year-old righty is feeling healthy in the lead up to spring training and he should help bolster the Mariners’ high-leverage mix behind incumbent closer Andrés Muñoz.

Dipoto added that Brash hasn’t experienced any setbacks during his rehabilitation process from last year’s persistent elbow issues and is expected to be ready to throw at the outset of spring training. There are zero guarantees until he gets into game action, but the 26-year-old righty should be ready to rejoin Seattle’s high-leverage mix behind stopper Andrés Muñoz by the end of April.

Taylor is going to be a bit delayed in his ramp-up process after suffering the injury last week during offseason workouts. The 23-year-old hurler posted a serviceable 3.72 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 25/7 K/BB ratio across 19 1/3 innings (21 appearances) last year for Seattle after getting called up directly from Double-A Arkansas. There should be a more definitive timetable for his return once spring training opens up.

The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Chandler Rome reported last week that Bregman has interest from five teams prior to Detroit re-signing Jack Flaherty to a $35 million contract. With spring training camps set to open next week, fantasy managers should anticipate some much-needed clarity on his destination and the subsequent fallout soon. It’s been a tumultuous offseason for Bregman, but it sounds like the Tigers and Astros remain his most likely landing spots at this juncture. Stay tuned.

The deal is now official. Faedo grew up in the Tampa Bay area and gets to head home after losing his spot last week on Detroit’s overcrowded 40-man roster. The 29-year-old former top pitching prospect represents a worthwhile gamble for the Rays as a low-leverage relief specialist after he posted a serviceable 3.61 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 55/28 K/BB ratio across 57 1/3 innings (37 appearances, six starts) last year for the Tigers.