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MLB Player News

Rotoworld

  • SF Starting Pitcher #35
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    Giants signed RHP Justin Verlander to a one-year, $15 million contract.
    Verlander will turn 42 in February, and is coming off a season where he forged a 5.48 ERA in 17 starts and not being used in the postseason. The future Hall of Famer joins friendlier confines in San Francisco and his previous track record can’t completely be ignored, but he shouldn’t be anything more than a late-round selection.
  • MIN Starting Pitcher #49
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    Pablo López will start on Opening Day for the Twins.
    No surprise here. Twins manager Rocco Baldelli let the metaphorical horse out of the barn a few weeks earlier than expected during last week’s “Inside Twins” podcast that López will take the ball on Opening Day. The 28-year-old righty was a bit inconsistent last year for fantasy managers, but still managed to finish with a serviceable 4.08 ERA (3.65 FIP), 1.19 WHIP and 198/41 K/BB ratio across 185 1/3 innings (32 starts). He’s just a notch below the true upper-echelon aces entering next season, but López remains surefire top 25 option at the position this spring in fantasy drafts.
  • WAS Starting Pitcher #40
    Josiah Gray (elbow) resumed throwing on Monday.
    Gray is roughly six months removed from undergoing Tommy John surgery with an internal brace procedure and isn’t expected to be an option for the Nationals until sometime in the second half of next season. The 27-year-old former top pitching prospect has struggled at the highest level since coming over the Washington back in 2021, but he still misses enough bats that we’re keeping an eye on his stuff as he continues his lengthy rehabilitation process.
  • TEX Right Fielder #48
    Rangers signed OF Cody Thomas to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.
    Thomas returns stateside after spending last year in Japan with the Orix Buffaloes. The 30-year-old is merely extra organizational depth at this stage of his career. He appeared in 29 contests at the big-league level with the Athletics from 2022-2023, hitting .250 (18-for-72) with one homer and two RBI.
  • TEX Relief Pitcher #60
    Rangers signed RHP Jesse Chavez to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.
    He’s back. Chavez heads to Rangers camp as a non-roster invitee looking to win a spot in the club’s season-opening bullpen. The 41-year-old journeyman was excellent last year for the Braves, compiling a respectable 3.13 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 55/19 K/BB ratio across 63 1/3 innings (46 appearances). He’s a non-factor for fantasy purposes since he’s likely ticketed for a low-leverage role with the contending Rangers, but it’s remarkable that he’s coming back for an 18th season in the big leagues.
  • TEX Shortstop
    Rangers invited SS prospect Sebastian Walcott to spring training.
    The fourth-ranked prospect in Rotoworld’s latest Top 500 fantasy baseball dynasty rankings update, Walcott is headed to big-league spring training with the Rangers just a few weeks prior to his 19th birthday. He showcased an impressive blend of athleticism and raw power — including some stratospheric exit velocities — last year when he hit .265/.344/.452 with 11 homers and 27 steals in 515 plate appearances between High-A Hickory and Double-A Frisco. The teenage prodigy possesses the raw talent necessary to evolve into a five-category fantasy monster if he continues on his current trajectory.
  • BAL Shortstop #18
    Orioles designated SS Jacob Amaya for assignment.
    The Orioles signed Dylan Carlson to a one-year contract and needed space on the 40-man roster, so Amaya was the corresponding move. Amaya was claimed off waivers by the Orioles earlier in January and the former 11th-round pick in the 2017 MLB Draft has now been traded by the Dodgers in addition to being waived by the Marlins, White Sox, and Orioles. He will look to latch on with another team to provide depth in the middle infield.
  • BAL Right Fielder #10
    Orioles signed OF Dylan Carlson to a one-year, $975,000 contract.
    The deal also includes a $25,000 bonus if Carlson reaches 200 plate appearances. The 26-year-old former top prospect was non-tendered by the Rays back in November after hitting .219/.299/.316 with three homers, 14 RBI, two steals, and a 38/10 K/BB ratio in 127 plate appearances following his acquisition from the Cardinals at the trade deadline. With the Rays moving on, the Orioles will now give Carlson a chance to compete in spring training with Daz Cameron and top prospect Heston Kjerstad for their fourth outfielder. With Kjerstad also being able to play first base, Carlson might just compete with Cameron as two former top prospects look to get another chance with a new team. It’s hard to take a chance on either of them in fantasy leagues given that playing time is likely to be minimal.
  • FA Third Baseman #2
    KPRC 2’s Ari Alexander reported that Alex Bregman and the Astros “continue to have mutual interest in a reunion” but the current offer on the table “is unlikely to get a deal done.”
    Alexander mentioned that the current offer to Bregman is six years and $156 million. That comes out to $26 million a year for the next six years for a player who will be entering his age-31 season. Bregman is a talented player and a leader in Houston, but he also hasn’t hit over .262 or had more than 26 home runs or three steals in any of the last three seasons. The proposed contract would make him the fifth highest-paid third baseman in baseball based on Average Annual Value, so it seems like a pretty fair offer; yet, Bregman and his agent Scott Boras appear to be continuing to hold out for more from Houston, Detroit, and Boston.
  • MIA Center Fielder #8
    Marlins signed OF Albert Amora Jr. to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training.
    The 30-year-old outfielder was once a top prospect in the Cubs system but has morphed into a defense-first high-contact-rate hitter at the MLB level. He didn’t play at all in 2023 but spent the last year at Triple-A in the Diamondbacks’ organization slashing .292/.349/.438 with nine homers and 20 steals in 576 plate appearances. He did post just a 14 percent strikeout rate, which means he still has elite contact skills along with his plus defense and that could enable him to push for the fourth outfield role in Miami this season.
  • SD Relief Pitcher #34
    The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal said teams believe Michael King remains “in play” for trades this offseason.
    We already know that the Padres are debating trading Dylan Cease as they look to cut payroll and acquire more cost-controlled, long-term assets; however, Rosenthal also mentions that King is another starter who other teams believe could be traded. As Rosenthal noted, King asked for $8.8 million in arbitration and the Padres offered $7.325 million, so a hearing appears likely. This upcoming season will also be King’s last season before free agency, so if the Padres don’t feel like they have a chance to re-sign him to a longer-term deal, they could look to move him now while his return value would be highest.