MLB Player News

Of course he will. Severino was signed by the A’s to a three-year $67 million contract with the expectation he’d be the ace of the staff, so, he’s the ace of the staff. Severino is a risky fantasy option because of the ballpark and quality of team behind him, but there’s obviously AL-only and streaming appeal.

Solis was a notable pitching prospect with some serious swing-and-miss stuff roughly a half-decade ago before undergoing the second Tommy John surgery of his career back in 2021. The 25-year-old righty has yet to reach the big leagues and it’s unclear whether another organization out there is willing to give him a look.

Both Ottavino and Moore, who were in camp this spring as non-roster invitees, presumably have opt outs in their minor league deals with the club, so we’re anticipating them winding up somewhere else.

It’s official, according to a league-issued social media graphic anyways, that Eovaldi will take the ball on Opening Day against his former team. The 35-year-old veteran, who allowed one run over four innings on Friday against the Angels in his final Cactus League tune-up, was the logical choice for the Rangers with Jacob deGrom set to open up in the back of the team’s rotation mix.

Poche was in camp this spring as a non-roster invitee and appears to have made Washington’s season-opening bullpen after striking out eight batters over 4 2/3 innings of work. The 31-year-old southpaw has some high-leverage experience, but will presumably operate in middle relief for the Nationals.

Tigers manager A.J. Hinch told reporters Saturday that Meadows can continue light baseball activities, but isn’t able to resume throwing for at least another month. It’s unclear whether additional rest and treatment will ultimately lead to some improvement in his condition, but Meadows remains sidelined due to a nerve issue in his upper right arm. There isn’t a definitive return timetable at this juncture, but fantasy managers should expect him to remain out until sometime in late May or June, even in a best-case scenario since he’ll need several additional weeks to ramp up in the minors.

The moves leave Kody Clemens and Buddy Kennedy fighting for the final spot on Philadelphia’s season-opening bench. There are some notable names here, but Stevenson, Arroyo and Mercado are merely emergency depth at this stage of their respective careers.

It’s an interesting wrinkle as Detroit continues to search for solutions to replace center fielder Parker Meadows, who remains sidelined with an upper-arm nerve issue. Báez boasts the athleticism required to excel in the outfield, but has has pretty much zero professional experience there. He’s been working out at third base this spring in the wake of second baseman Gleyber Torres’ offseason arrival. We’ll see.

The move isn’t completely unexpected since Varsho, who has been limited to DH this spring, is still working his way back from offseason shoulder surgery and needs some extra time to ramp-up his throwing program. The 28-year-old’s absence leaves the door slightly ajar for unheralded prospect Alan Roden, who has turned heads this spring. The most likely outcome involves some combination of Myles Straw, Nathan Lukes and Addison Barger breaking camp in part-time roles along with Davis Schneider. He’s likely facing a multi-week absence since he’ll require a minor league rehab assignment to get back up to full speed.

Universally-regarded as one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, Jobe made a pair of late-season relief appearances last year for the Tigers, and boasts significant fantasy upside as he joins Detroit’s season-opening rotation. The 22-year-old righty hasn’t missed a ton of bats this spring in Grapefruit League action, but he recorded a near-26 percent strikeout rate last year in the upper minors. The third overall pick from the 2021 MLB Draft boasts triple-digit fastball velocity and added a curveball and sinker to his repertoire during the offseason. He’s a top-60 range starting pitcher for fantasy purposes at the moment with the realistic upside to finish significantly higher. There will be some growing pains as he acclimates to life in the big leagues, but his talent is off the metaphorical charts. He should be rostered in all fantasy formats.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza made it official that Reed Garrett, José Butto and Danny Young will open the year in New York’s bullpen. The decision to jettison Walton leaves Brett Baty and Luisangel Acuña as the Mets’ primary bench options, but they haven’t officially made the team yet, added Mendoza. It also means that A.J. Minter and Dedniel Nuñez are probably headed to the injured list.