MLB Player News

MLBTradeRumors.com had projected that Akin would earn $1.4 million via arbitration, so it appears to be a fair deal for both parties. The 29-year-old southpaw was an absolute force out of the O’s bullpen in 2024, registering a 3.32 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and a 97/19 K/BB ratio over 78 2/3 innings in his 66 appearances.

Rodríguez’s first-inning moonshot off Royals starter Michael Lorenzen left the bat with a 108-mph exit velocity. It was his first round-tripper of the spring. The 24-year-old fantasy superstar added another solo shot a couple frames later when he took veteran reliever Chris Stratton deep to right field. He remains a top-10 outfielder from a fantasy standpoint, and a borderline first-round pick in all fantasy formats, after an uneven season last year where he underperformed relative to expectations. If he reverts to his previous offensive approach that placed a greater emphasis on pulling the ball with authority, it’s easy to envision him returning to form as a five-category fantasy monster.

Melendez connected for a two-run homer against Mariners starter Bryce Miller in the second inning for his second big fly of the spring. The 26-year-old slugging corner outfielder overhauled his swing during the offseason, modifying his leg kick and hand positioning to improve his stance and power. He’s an interesting late-round power source with 25-plus homer potential, if everything comes together.

Robles has gotten off to a frosty start at the dish, hitting just .158 through seven Cactus League contests, but he’s firmly entrenched as the Mariners’ leadoff man entering the regular season. The 27-year-old speedster benefitted tremendously from a change of scenery last year, batting .328 with four homers and a staggering 30 stolen bases over his final 77 contests after arriving in Seattle. He started making harder contact and cutting back on the strikeouts during that span, which backs up the idea that it wasn’t a mirage. He’s a borderline top-50 outfielder for fantasy purposes this spring with the potential to vastly outperform his draft position if last year’s breakthrough carries over.

Muñoz broke out his brand-new kick-changeup for the first time in a game situation, throwing it a handful of times. The hard-throwing 26-year-old righty looks to be in midseason form already as he averaged 99.4 mph on his four-seam fastball in this one and needed just 14 pitches (11 strikes) to twirl a shutout frame. He’s a top-10 relief pitcher this spring from a fantasy standpoint with the strikeout potential to finish closer to the top-five range.

Perez doubled and scored a run in the opening frame before leaving the contest. It sounds like a precautionary exit, but fantasy managers should monitor his status in the coming days. The 34-year-old ironman remains an elite top-five backstop for fantasy purposes as one of the most reliable power sources in the entire landscape. There should be an additional update on his status relatively soon.

Lorenzen struck out three and only handed out one free pass. He gave up only one hit, but it was a gargantuan first-inning homer to Julio Rodríguez. The 33-year-old veteran righty will go undrafted in most fantasy leagues, but he offers some occasional streaming appeal in deeper mixed leagues.

Miller gave up four hits, including a two-run blast to MJ Melendez, in his second spring training outing. He struck out two and didn’t hand out a free pass while averaging 96.4 mph on his four-seam fastball. The 26-year-old is firmly in the top-20 range among starting pitchers for fantasy purposes on the heels of last year’s breakout campaign.

No real surprises here among the latest cuts for Detroit. Leonard is probably the closes to contributing at the highest level after batting .263/.326/.455 with 10 homers and seven steals across 282 plate appearances last year at Triple-A Toledo. Flores, no relation to the Giants first baseman, was limited to just 20 appearances last year in the minors due to injury, but was a highly-touted pitching prospect just two years ago.

Casparius struck out two over 1 1/3 scoreless frames on Wednesday in his latest Cactus League appearance against the Reds. The unheralded 26-year-old righty was a revelation last postseason during Los Angeles’ World Series title run, allowing one run over 6 1/3 frames in four playoff appearances. He figures to play a prominent role early on with Edgardo Henriquez (foot), Evan Phillips (shoulder) and Michael Kopech (forearm) likely to miss time at the outset of the regular season.

Teel has made six appearances for the White Sox this spring, but he’s had only eight plate appearances to date, and he’s gone 1-for-5 with three walks. There’s seemingly no chance that he’ll make the team out of spring training, and he’ll probably wind up sharing time with Edgar Quero in the first half while the White Sox figure out who is the better bet to supplant Korey Lee.