MLB Player News

Watson was acquired by the Tigers in the ever-so-rare post-deadline trade, and the Tigers will give him another look in the Grapefruit League. In 2024, he forged an ugly 7.53 ERA over 36 appearances — 15 starts — with an 81/49 K/BB across 75 1/3 innings.

Smith projects to open next season as Arizona’s primary designated hitter against right-handed pitching after hitting .270/.348/.547 with nine round-trippers and one steal in 158 plate appearances last year at the highest level. It was a small sample size last season, but his under-the-hood Statcast metrics, most notably a near-elite 14.7 percent barrel rate, signal that he’s poised to make some noise next season in an expanded role. The 28-year-old will probably go undrafted in most fantasy formats, but he’s definitely a name to watch in deeper mixed leagues.

Nevin got into a career-high 87 contests this past season for the Athletics, batting .204/.288/.331 with seven homers and one steal in 278 plate appearances. The 27-year-old first baseman hasn’t hit for enough power at the highest level to warrant consideration for an everyday opportunity, but it wouldn’t be shocking if he wound up excelling overseas in Japan’s hitter-friendly environment.

The two sides will avoid an arbitration hearing with Burke, who was claimed off waivers last August after being cut loose by the division-rival Rangers. The 28-year-old southpaw figures to operate in low-leverage spots for Los Angeles next season.

The long-term extension is now official. Rooker’s metamorphosis into an elite slugger is remarkable considering he struggled upon arrival in the majors and spent time with three different organizations over a two-year span before landing in Oakland prior to the 2023 season. The 30-year-old is coming off back-to-back 30-homer campaigns and should benefit from the Athletics temporary relocation to Sacramento’s hitter-friendly Triple-A ballpark.

Garcia missed all of last season recovering from Tommy John surgery and isn’t expected to be ready to return to Houston’s starting rotation mix until some point in the early stages of next year. The 28-year-old righty doesn’t offer massive strikeout upside, but he’s probably going to make an impact for fantasy managers in deeper mixed leagues as a viable streaming option.

Boettcher was Houston’s 13th round selection in the 2024 MLB Draft. The 22-year-old outfielder will not report to spring training and will be placed on the restricted list at some point in the coming weeks. The Astros will retain his rights moving forward. Boettcher is expected to re-evaluate his option following the 2025 college football season.

Swaggerty was in camp last spring with the Dodgers before spending the entire year with the Kansas City Monarchs of the independent American Association, batting .269/.378/.422 with seven homers and 20 steals in 321 plate appearances over 73 contests. The 27-year-old outfielder was the 10th overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft and got into just five games for the Pirates during the 2022 season before being released midway through the following year after missing time to be with his wife while she battled a rare blood disease.

Contreras has yet to appear in the big leagues after spending the first seven years of his career between the Padres and Phillies. The 25-year-old righty struggled to a bloated 9.67 ERA, 1.81 WHIP and 51/24 K/BB ratio across 44 2/3 innings (14 appearances, eight starts) last year for Double-A Reading in Philadelphia’s system. He’s merely an experimental lottery ticket for the Padres at this stage of his career.

Hernández provides New York with some emergency infield depth heading into next season after batting .241/.333/.309 with two homers and 13 steals in 322 plate appearances last year for Triple-A Nashville in the Brewers’ system. The 26-year-old holds a lackluster .190/.286/.222 triple-slash line with 13 thefts in 221 plate appearances at the big-league level dating back to 2021.

Pelham provides the Athletics with some extra left-handed relief depth after splitting last year between a stint with the Angels at Double-A Rocket City and the independent Mexican League where he posted an absurd 1.04 ERA over 17 1/3 innings of work. The 29-year-old southpaw hasn’t appeared in the majors since the 2018 campaign when he made 10 unremarkable relief appearances for the Rangers.