MLB Player News

Bibee was in midseason form during Monday’s Cactus League nightcap, scattering two baserunners over six strong frames. He struck out four and only handed out one free pass. The 26-year-old righty is locked in as a top-25 range starting pitcher for fantasy purposes this spring.

McLain continues to make plenty of hard contact this spring and looks like a potential top-five fantasy option at the keystone heading into the regular season. The 25-year-old former top prospect missed all of last year due to shoulder and rib injuries, but put up 16 homers and 14 steals over 89 games as a rookie back in 2023.

McCann got into 54 games last year for the Athletics as a rookie, batting .236/.318/.371 with five homers and 15 RBI in 157 plate appearances. The 27-year-old backstop played sparingly this spring in Cactus League action and will search for a new opportunity elsewhere with Shea Langeliers and Jhonny Pereda handling the catching duties for the Athletics.

It’s merely a procedural move after Carter was informed earlier on Tuesday that he wasn’t going to be on the Rangers’ Opening Day roster. We’re still confident in Carter’s long-term future, which makes him one of the better trade targets in dynasty leagues at the moment, but he was truly abysmal this spring at the dish, batting .154 (6-for-39) with two extra-base hits in 15 contests. The 22-year-old former top prospect will get a chance to play everyday and get his confidence back out of the national spotlight on a contending roster.

Thompson figures to elect free agency in search of a new opportunity after passing through waivers unclaimed. The 30-year-old righty was designated for assignment last week to free up a spot on Chicago’s 40-man roster for top prospect Matt Shaw. He’ll be the answer to a trivia question someday in the Windy City if Shaw goes on to become a franchise cornerstone.

Waters will open the regular season back in the minors after batting .188 (6-for-32) in Cactus League play. His fate was sealed after Kansas City swung a trade last weekend to acquire veteran outfielder Mark Canha from the Brewers.

Miller won’t be part of Chicago’s season-opening relief mix. There should be an official return timetable in the coming days, but there’s a decent chance he’s back before the end of April.

It wasn’t exactly a ringing endorsement from Cora, who added that he wouldn’t be surprised if there was some mixing and matching depending on situational matchups. It sounds like Cora is leaving the door open to use Chapman prior to the ninth inning with a lead to protect if there are a couple tough left-handed batters coming up, which would lead to someone like Liam Hendriks, Justin Slaten or Garrett Whitlock to vulture the occasional save. It’s not quite a full-fledged closer by committee situation, but it’s close.

The deal is now official. Lopez will occupy a spot on the Angels’ bench as a utility infielder to open the regular season. The 30-year-old remains a strong defender at multiple positions, but he doesn’t offer much at the dish at all. He can be safely ignored in all fantasy formats.

Anderson has officially made Los Angeles’ season-opening roster and will be the club’s starting shortstop while Zach Neto (shoulder) is sidelined. It’s an open question whether the 31-year-old former All-Star has anything left in the tank, but the Angels are going to give him a couple weeks to prove it. There’s some fantasy appeal here in AL-only leagues as a cheap speed source, but we’re not anticipating a significant impact.

The move is now official. Johnson, who was selected 74th overall in last year’s MLB Draft, will bypass the minor leagues completely and make the leap directly into Los Angeles’ bullpen. The 22-year-old is talented enough to hold his own in a relief role, but he’s just the second pitcher in the last half-decade to jump to the big leagues without spending any time in the minors.