MLB Player News

Liranzo took home MVP honors after blasting a tie-breaking moonshot to right field during the ninth inning of Sunday’s All-Star showcase in the desert. The 21-year-old backstop, who was the centerpiece of the Jack Flaherty deal with the Dodgers back in August, has made some serious noise in the AFL this fall, batting .326 with one homer in 14 contests, after posting a 1.031 OPS in 26 contests for High-A West Michigan following the trade. He’s quickly becoming one of the better catching prospects in the game, but it might be a long shot for him to reach the majors during the 2025 campaign. He’s a name to watch.

The Rangers were going to lose Anderson on waivers without getting anything for him after he was designated for assignment earlier in the week, so instead they opted to flip him to the Brewers for a low-level prospect. Molina, 21, was a seventh-round pick from the 2024 draft class and hurled five scoreless innings at Single-A Carolina in his professional debut last season. He’s probably a couple of years away from being an option at the big-league level.

The 27-year-old hurler had been designated for assignment by the Rangers earlier in the week, so they were content to flip him for anything that they could get at this stage. Anderson made 23 appearances at the big league level for the Rangers in 2024 — posting an 8.10 ERA, 1.61 WHIP and a 29/10 K/BB ratio over his 26 2/3 innings of work. He’ll add bullpen depth for the Brewers.

The parallels make sense, as both Hoffman and Holmes were standouts in their respective teams’ bullpens the past few seasons and both are hoping to make the transition back to the starting rotation in 2025. Interest in Hoffman has been slow to develop this winter though, most likely as teams are still waiting for some of the names at the top of the market (Roki Sasaki, Jack Flaherty) to sign before proceeding to their fallback options.

Dubroff notes that Flaherty did not have a good experience in his first stint with the O’s, so despite the reports that they have interest in a reunion it’s highly unlikely to happen. One of the top remaining starting pitchers remaining on the free agent market, expect Flaherty to make his decision soon. The Tigers, Blue Jays and Dodgers have all been linked to him at various points this off-season.

The Red Sox are expected to be in the mix as well, but Heyman sees the Tigers and Blue Jays as the current frontrunners. Both clubs are also viewed as the favorites to land Anthony Santander, so it’s possible that each club winds up with one of the top remaining free agent sluggers. Bregman is still reportedly seeking a contract in the range of $200 million after turning down a $156 million offer from the Astros.

The 25-year-old hurler spent the 2024 season in the rotation at Double-A Erie where he registered a 4.34 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and a 108/55 K/BB ratio over 120 1/3 innings in 28 appearances (27 starts). He’ll continue to function as extra rotation depth for the Tigers heading into the 2025 campaign.

Heyman noted that there remains a gap in years, but there is also a gap in years between the Mets and Pete Alonso, so it seems that Alonso currently wants more years than anybody is willing to offer. The Angels are looking for another impact bat for their lineup, and Alonso would fit the Angels’ bill as a player entering the second stage of their career. If the Angels did sign Alonso, Heyman mentions that they would move Nolan Schanuel out to left field. The situation seems like a long shot, but it’s worth keeping an eye on.

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.