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MLB Player News

Rotoworld

  • FA Second Baseman #7
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    The Athletic’s Chandler Rome reports the Astros continue to show strong interest in Jorge Polanco.
    Rome’s latest reporting backs up previous speculation that the Astros put an offer out to Polanco earlier this offseason. It seems like Houston’s front office is viewing the 31-year-old veteran as a potential low-cost insurance policy at the keystone and hot corner behind Jose Altuve and Isaac Paredes in the event that they’re unable to bring Alex Bregman back at the hot corner, which would shift Altuve to left field. There are a ton of moving parts here, especially after the club was able to jettison Ryan Pressly to the Cubs last weekend in an effort to get back into the Bregman sweepstakes. It seems like the Astros are at least the front-runners to bring in Polanco with just a few weeks left prior to spring training, especially if they’re unable to re-sign Bregman.
  • MLB Commissioner
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    ESPN’s Jesse Rogers reports 13 spring training stadiums will feature an automated ball-strike (ABS) challenge system.
    The robot umpires are finally here. Rogers adds that the league is testing out the system this spring in roughly 60 percent of Grapefruit and Cactus League contests for the first time after years of experimenting with ABS in the minor leagues. MLB isn’t expected to implement ABS in regular season contests until at least 2026. Each team will be given two challenges per game, and will retain successful challenges, while only the batter, catcher or pitcher can initiate a challenge. It’s an interesting wrinkle to monitor during spring training contests, but won’t have a tangible fantasy baseball impact for at least another year.
  • LAD Starting Pitcher #11
    Roki Sasaki will face hitters on Wednesday in a live batting practice session.
    Sasaki figures to be the talk of the Cactus League this spring as he kicks off his stateside debut in a handful of exhibition outings before taking the ball for Los Angeles’ second regular season contest on March 19 against the Cubs in Japan. The 23-year-old figures to be a bit of a work in progress as the Dodgers tinker with his mechanics and arsenal, but his top-of-the-rotation talent is undeniable.
  • MLB Commissioner
    Rob Manfred told reporters the Athletics are in line to play in Las Vegas starting in 2028.
    The Athletics will play at Triple-A Sutter Health Park in Sacramento for the next three seasons while their new home in Las Vegas is under construction. It’s a definite upgrade from a park factors standpoint for the club’s sluggers as their temporary minor-league home is a much friendlier offensive environment than Oakland Coliseum.
  • MIL Shortstop #3
    Brewers owner Mark Attanasio said Tuesday that Joey Ortiz will play shortstop this season.
    Attanasio added that the club wants to give prospect Tyler Black a shot at third base along with incumbent Oliver Dunn. His remarks come on the heels of offseason comments from manager Pat Murphy that highlighted Ortiz as the most logical choice to replace Willy Adames. The 26-year-old is a gifted defender and also boasts double-digit homer and steal potential for fantasy purposes. The interesting wrinkle here is Black, who has put up phenomenal numbers at the Triple-A level, but has yet to carve out a permanent role in the big leagues.
  • CHC Starting Pitcher #18
    Shota Imanaga will start on Opening Day against the Dodgers.
    As expected, Imanaga draws the starting assignment for Chicago’s season-opener on March 18 against the defending World Series champions overseas in his native Japan. He’ll square off against his fellow countryman Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the highly-anticipated Tokyo Series opener. The 31-year-old southpaw was a revelation last year in his stateside debut, finishing fourth in NL Rookie of the Year balloting after posting a sparkling 2.91 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 174/28 K/BB ratio across 173 1/3 innings (29 starts). He’s a top 20 starting pitcher for fantasy purposes entering 2025.
  • BOS Starting Pitcher #66
    Brayan Bello (shoulder) played catch on Monday.
    Bello dealt with some shoulder soreness last week at the outset of spring training, but it doesn’t sound like a serious concern. The 25-year-old righty should begin ramping up his throwing program in the next few days, barring any additional setbacks.
  • LAA Shortstop #2
    Luis Rengifo (wrist) is fully healthy entering spring training.
    Rengifo is back at 100 percent entering spring training after undergoing wrist surgery last August. The switch-hitting 27-year-old stole a career-high 24 bases last year in just 78 games and figures to play everyday for the Halos at second base. He could wind up spending some time at shortstop to open the year with Zach Neto (shoulder) likely ticketed for the injured list.
  • CWS Starting Pitcher #33
    Drew Thorpe (elbow) threw a 20-pitch bullpen session Tuesday.
    Thorpe clearly wasn’t going 100 percent, as he was reportedly throwing 84-85 mph during the bullpen. The 24-year-old received a cortisone injection near the start of February, and is considered “behind” the other White Sox starters. The next step is three weeks of bullpens, followed by live BP. Assuming good health, Thorpe should pitch near the back of the Chicago rotation to begin the 2025 campaign.
  • COL Catcher #25
    Jacob Stallings is expected to be the starting catcher for the Rockies to open the 2025 season.
    Stallings, 35, was re-signed to a one-year contract in November with a mutual option for 2025. The expectation is that he’ll see the bulk of the starts behind the plate and Drew Romo, Hunter Goodman and Austin Nola will battle for backup duties. Even playing at Coors Field half of the time, Stallings offers minimal fantasy upside for the comping campaign.
  • OAK Starting Pitcher #59
    Jeffrey Springs is not expected to face any workload restrictions to open the 2025 season.
    A’s manager Mark Kotsay told reporters that Springs had a normal offseason, and enters the 2025 season healthy. The 32-year-old southpaw has been extremely effective when on the mound, but he’s gone over 120 innings just once in his career. He could be a fantasy steal if he can stay healthy, but there’s risk that obviously comes with that potential reward.