MLB Player News

The move from Minute Maid Park to Wrigley Field is a slight negative for left-handed power, but it really shouldn’t impact Tucker too badly. Where he should benefit, at least from a fantasy perspective, is the fact that Cubs’ skipper Craig Counsell is much more willing to led his squad run wild on the basepaths than Joe Espada was in Houston. Even though he missed more than half of the 2024 season with a shin injury, the three-time All-Star still slashed a robust .289/.408/.585 with 23 homers, 49 RBI, 11 stolen bases and a 54/56 K/BB ratio across 339 plate appearances. He should be a first-round selection in all fantasy drafts once again in 2025.

Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young told reporters Monday that the club is still pursuing high-leverage relievers, which seems to corroborate Rosenthal’s reporting that the club is actively pursuing a reunion with the veteran stopper. They’ve brought in Robert Garcia, Jacob Webb, Shawn Armstrong and Hoby Milner to bolster a relief corps, which also figures to have hard-throwing prospect Emiliano Teodo next season. However, that group lacks an established proven ninth-inning option. The soon-to-be 38-year-old converted 33 of 34 save opportunities last year, finishing with a sparkling 1.17 ERA (2.50 FIP), 0.83 WHIP and 85/28 K/BB ratio across 61 2/3 innings (61 appearances).

Davis is not long removed from being considered one of the top outfield prospects in the sport, but injuries and inconsistent performance have seen his stock drop so much he was designated for assignment in the middle of November. The 6-foot-4 outfielder did have an .828 OPS in his time with Triple-A Iowa last year, and the Yankees will give him a shot with no risk involved.

Feinsand notes that the Giants were interested earlier this offseason but their offer to Burnes didn’t come close to meeting that number. He also noted that the Blue Jays have continued expressing interest in Burnes, but they’re another team that might not be willing to make the massive long-term commitment on a pitcher entering his 30’s. The long-time fantasy stalwart is the top pitcher left on the free agent market by a considerable margin. The big question is whether he’s open to taking a short-term deal with opt-outs to potentially hit the market again in the near future if that lucrative long-term offer isn’t out there.

Feinsand adds that Alonso’s market has shrunk considerably in the wake of nearly a quarter of the league turning over their first base situation within the past week. A return to New York seems like the most logical move for Alonso at this point given their financial resources and desire to compete for a World Series title over the next few years. With very few attractive landing spots left for Alonso besides the Mets, it wouldn’t be shocking if the two sides were able to hammer out an agreement at some point in the near future. We’ll see.

Feinsand added that Bregman’s market appears to be shrinking after Houston pivoted to signing veteran Christian Walker earlier this week and the Yankees made a flurry of costly free agent signings and trades over the past few weeks, most notably signing Max Fried and trading for Cody Bellinger. Boston would make a ton of sense for Bregman, especially given his close relationship with Red Sox manager Alex Cora from his days as Houston’s bench coach. However, they would have to free up a spot, likely by moving franchise cornerstone Rafeal Devers over to first base, to facilitate the move. It’s unclear whether Detroit would be willing to make the lucrative financial investment necessary to land Bregman, especially with top prospects like Colt Keith and Jace Jung already at the big-league level. Yet the presence of his former manager in A.J. Hinch can’t be ruled out as a potential variable that might make a difference in negotiations, especially if it’s a short-term deal.

Rivero hasn’t appeared in the big leagues since getting into 34 contests for the Royals from 2021-2022. The 26-year-old backstop spent all last year in Atlanta’s system, batting .186/.239/.249 with one homer and one steal in 259 plate appearances between Double-A Mississippi and Triple-A Gwinnett. He’s merely emergency catching depth at this stage of his career.

It is the holiday season, after all. Crismatt bounced around quite a bit last season, spending time with the Dodgers, Rangers and Padres. The 29-year-old journeyman sipped a couple cups of coffee in Los Angeles, but wound up making only five early-season relief appearances for the eventual World Series champions. He’ll augment Philadelphia’s middle relief depth heading into next season.

Zuñiga finds a new opportunity with the Phillies just a few weeks after being cut loose by the Angels. The 26-year-old reliever made 15 appearances last year for Los Angeles, finishing with a respectable 5.09 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 12/8 K/BB ratio across 17 2/3 innings of work. He’s merely extra organizational relief depth at this point.

Gómez was a notable power-hitting prospect with the Cardinals a couple years ago when he launched 39 round-trippers in the upper minors during the 2022 campaign. Unfortunately, he never quite panned out for St. Louis and was ultimately released a couple months ago without ever reaching the big leagues. The 26-year-old outfielder will get a fresh start in San Diego where he’ll likely head to Triple-A El Paso to open next season.

Gillaspie was non-tendered last month by the Padres, but winds up returning as extra organizational relief depth. The 27-year-old righty made nine relief appearances last year for San Diego, posting an inflated 7.15 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 7/2 K/BB ratio across 11 1/3 innings.