MLB Player News

Hernández and Anthony Santander are the top fallbacks to Soto for teams looking to add a power-hitting corner outfielder. The Dodgers are likely to bid to retain Hernández if they miss out on Soto, and the Yankees and Blue Jays could also be involved. The Mets, on the other hand, might focus more on Pete Alonso if they fail to land Soto.

Texas is already set with Jonah Heim and Kyle Higashioka behind the plate, but the light-hitting Barnhart could step in if anyone gets hurt. The Rangers might need that insurance, since usual third catcher Sam Huff is out of options and might not clear waivers in the spring. Barnhart, a former Gold Glover in Cincinnati, has seen decreasing opportunities of late, largely because he’s hit .208/.286/.255 the last three years.

The Isaac Paredes acquisition didn’t necessarily mean the Astros were moving on from Alex Bregman, since Paredes could play first base, but this would obviously close out the Bregman era in Houston. Like Paredes, Arenado is a guy with poor exit velocity numbers nevertheless very good at hitting flyballs down the left field line. That’s a skill well rewarded at the former Minute Maid Park. He also remains a fine defender at age 33.

Lao opened his career as an infielder in the Dodgers system before moving to the mound in 2023. At age 24, he had a 3.74 ERA and a 54/21 K/BB between Double- and Triple-A last season. He’s by no means a top relief prospect, but he has a decent chance of seeing some major league action within the next couple of years.

Ari Alexander of KPRC2 in Houston notes that the Yankees, Mets and Red Sox are all involved in the bidding, while the Tigers and Blue Jays are believed to be in the mix as well. With that much interest — including from some of the biggest market clubs in all of baseball — it looks increasingly likely that Bregman will wind up with a deal in the neighborhood of $200 million. The Astros are known to have offered a six-year pact worth around $156 million and may wind up getting priced out here if things get too crazy.

Twins’ bench coach Jayce Tingler mentioned in November during an interview with MLB Network Radio that the club was considering the idea, and there are some in the organization who believe he can succeed in that role, but it appears to be unlikely at the moment. The 30-year-old right-hander registered a 2.03 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and a 95/15 K/BB ratio over 71 innings out of the Twins’ bullpen in 2024, establishing himself as one of the most dominant setup men in baseball.

Fulmer logged 86 2/3 innings over 37 appearances (eight starts) for the Angels during the 2024 season, compiling a 4.15 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and an 81/40 K/BB ratio. You can simply never have enough quality pitching and Fulmer has shown the ability to pitch effectively out of the rotation and out of the bullpen at various points in his career. As a depth option on a minor league deal, it’s a nice move for the Pirates.

Carlson, 26, spent the 2024 season in the Brewers’ organization where he compiled a 4.25 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and a 51/19 K/BB ratio across 48 2/3 innings in 44 appearances out of the bullpen. He’ll add minor league bullpen depth for the defending World Champions.

Raposo was claimed off of waivers from the Cardinals in early August. The 26-year-old backstop had a rough season offensively at the Triple-A level, slashing a woeful .206/.280/.340 with just eight homers, 33 RBI and a 59/25 K/BB ratio in 280 plate appearances. There’s a decent chance that he passes through waivers unclaimed and continues to function as extra catching depth for the Jays.

The 34-year-old right-hander returns to the Jays where he functioned as one of the better setup men in the American League from 2022-2024 before he was dealt to the Mariners at last season’s trade deadline. He should return to a high-leverage role in front of Chad Green or whoever else the Blue Jays plan to bring in to work in the ninth inning.

The Cubs already made a franchise-altering move on Friday by acquiring superstar outfielder Kyle Tucker from the Astros and it doesn’t look like they are done. Nightengale notes that they have also been busy on the trade front attempting to move Cody Bellinger so stay tuned as there could be more moves to come shortly.