Seattle

Mariners

The Blue Jays designated Raposo for assignment last week after the 26-year-old hit .206/.280/.340 with just eight homers, 33 RBI, and a 59/25 K/BB ratio in 280 plate appearances at Triple-A this season. Since he was claimed off waivers, Raposo has to be added to the 40-man roster, which means he’ll be squarely in the competition to be the backup catcher this spring.

Fleming pitched to a 4.02 ERA in 25 appearances (three starts) for the Pirates in 2024 before being designated for assignment. He signed a minor league deal with the Mariners and registered a 4.50 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, and 13/5 K/BB ratio in 16 innings for Triple-A Tacoma. The Mariners obviously saw enough to bring him back on another minor league deal where he will likely serve as organization depth.

The Mariners have also approached the Red Sox about trading for Triston Casas, so they appear to be serious about upgrading at first base this off-season. For the Guardians, trading Naylor makes sense if they are getting a big enough return. The 27-year-old is set to be an unrestricted free agent after this season and may be out of Cleveland’s price range. The team could look to trade him now when they are likely to get more in return than if they waited for the trade deadline. With Kyle Manzardo on the roster, the team also has a built-in replacement at first base, so this is a situation that’s worth monitoring.

Castillo, 32, has been the subject of trade rumors as of late, with the Red Sox and Cubs being mentioned as the top suitors for the right-hander. Rosenthal note that the Mariners won’t just dump Castillo and will only move him if it makes the team better, and both New York and Baltimore — among others — have players that could make Seattle’s lineup better. It won’t be a big surprise if Castillo plays elsewhere before the start of 2025.

Lao opened his career as an infielder in the Dodgers system before moving to the mound in 2023. At age 24, he had a 3.74 ERA and a 54/21 K/BB between Double- and Triple-A last season. He’s by no means a top relief prospect, but he has a decent chance of seeing some major league action within the next couple of years.

Feliz, who recorded 107 major league saves from 2009-17, has spent the past three years pitching in Mexico and also toiling for Estrellas in the Dominican Winter League. The 36-year-old has a 3.55 ERA in 393 1/3 career innings as a major leaguer.

Morosi doesn’t specify which one of Seattle’s arms the Red Sox are targeting. However, The Seattle Times’ Adam Jude notes that the two sides have engaged in trade talks this offseason before adding that a Luis Castillo for Triston Casas swap would make sense for both sides. It doesn’t sound like anything is imminent, but it’s a developing situation fantasy managers should monitor following the Winter Meetings.

Nottingham has had a couple of stops with Seattle but has never appeared in an MLB game with the organization. He’ll be a depth piece in the minors for 2025.

The ping pong balls came through for the Nationals as they secure the top selection in next year’s MLB Draft after having just 10 percent odds of landing the first overall pick. Washington hasn’t picked first overall since taking Stephen Strasburg (2009) and Bryce Harper (2010) in consecutive seasons. Oklahoma prep shortstop Ethan Holliday — son of former Rockies star Matt Holliday and brother of Orioles top prospect Jackson Holliday — and Texas A&M outfielder Jace LaViolette are among the top candidates for the first-overall selection next year. The biggest movers were the Mariners, who went from the second-lowest odds at less than one percent, jumping all the way to the third pick. The Marlins, who came into the lottery tied with the Rockies for the best odds to secure the first pick, fell all the way to seventh. Here are the complete lottery results: (1) Nationals, (2) Angels, (3) Mariners, (4) Rockies, (5) Cardinals, (6) Pirates, (7) Marlins, (8) Blue Jays, (9) Reds, (10) White Sox, (11) Athletics, (12) Rangers, (13) Giants, (14) Rays, (15) Red Sox, (16) Twins, (17) Cubs, (18) Diamondbacks.

Sasaki cited his previous experience with the media in Japan as a reason for a softer landing spot for the 23-year-old. The Dodgers have widely been considered the overwhelming favorite to land the right-hander, but the Dodgers are anything but a small-to-mid market team. It’s been widely reported that the Mariners and Padres are expected to make a big push for Sasaki, and both teams would qualify in that regard. Wolfe didn’t rule out a big team either, and it’d be foolish to eliminate any team from bidding at this point.