MLB Betting

The Braves were forced to pivot after presumed starting shortstop Ha-Seong Kim tore a ligament in his hand while falling on ice. Mateo was that quick pivot. The 30-year-old hit just .177 in 79 at-bats for the Orioles in 2025. He still remains a plus baserunner, but his defense at shortstop has also regressed over the last few seasons, so it’s hard to get too excited about this from a fantasy perspective.

Areinamo was shut down after just 36 games in the winter season, but that was more than enough time to impress. The 22-year-old hit .364/.420/.692 with 13 home runs, 43 RBI, and five steals. He was acquired from the Brewers at the deadline last year for Danny Jansen. This has the makings of a great return after Areinamo also impressed in 131 games split between High-A and Double-A last year.

The 33-year-old hurler played a pivotal role in the Guardians’ bullpen in 2025, registering a strong 2.97 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and a 55/18 K/BB ratio across 66 2/3 innings in 57 appearances. The expectation is that he’ll once again function in a middle relief role with the Rangers, which limits his overall appeal from a fantasy perspective.

The Yankees believe that they have made a strong offer to Bellinger — at five years and $160 million with two opt-outs — and they’re willing to let him walk if he’s unwilling to accept that or if the Mets or another big market team decide to blow that offer away. A return to the Yankees still seems like the most plausible scenario for Bellinger.

The 31-year-old southpaw appeared in 39 ballgames between the Pirates and Blue Jays in 2025, registering a 4.63 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and a 32/16 K/BB ratio over 35 innings. With a strong showing in Cactus League play, he should have a nice shot at landing a spot in the White Sox’ Opening Day bullpen.

Mark Bowman of MLB.com adds that Kim suffered the injury when he fell on ice while in Korea. He underwent surgery in Atlanta on Sunday to repair the injury. That means the slick-fielding 30-year-old won’t be available to help out the Braves until the end of May at the earliest estimate. In the meantime, the Braves are likely to slot in Mauricio Dubón as their starting shortstop.

While this report doesn’t completely rule out the Royals making a splash on the trade market, it doesn’t sound promising that anything is actually going to happen. Both Duran and Donovan have been generating plenty of buzz on the trade front and it sounds like the Royals just won’t have the right pieces in place to get a deal done.

The 32-year-old southpaw is the top remaining free agent pitcher on the market, with the Giants and Mets among the other teams that are vying for his services. It seems like the Orioles are intent on adding at least one additional starter to their rotation before the 2026 season begins. They have also been linked to Justin Verlander should they fail in their pursuit of Valdez.

The 28-year-old outfielder was a fifth-round selection by the Rangers from the 2019 draft class and spent the first seven years of his minor league career there. In 2025, he slashed .242/.347/.344 with eight homers, 40 RBI, 32 stolen bases and a 91/59 K/BB ratio across 429 plate appearances at Triple-A Round Rock. He’ll add outfield depth for the Astros.

No word yet on the financial terms of the deal, but the two sides have reached an agreement rather than going to an arbitration hearing. The 27-year-old right-hander had requested $900,000 from the Nationals when figures were exchanged while the club countered at $825,000. Expect the agreement to land near the midpoint. Cavalli is expected to open the 2026 season in the Nats’ rotation and is becoming a popular late-round breakout option for fantasy purposes.