Phils could be searching for higher-caliber arms

There had been some hope that Smith, who was a starter in the minors, would get a chance to move into the rotation in 2027, but that spot appears to be going to Grant Taylor. Smith was electric out of the bullpen for the White Sox after getting called up, posting a 1.29 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, and 41/16 K/BB ratio in 28 innings. Obviously, remaining in the bullpen puts a damper on his fantasy value, but he is going to pitch lots of innings out of the White Sox bullpen and could produce similar value to what Didier Fuentes did last season or perhaps similar value to Grant Taylor, if the White Sox mix in some save opportunities for Smith as well.

The White Sox had always expressed a belief that Taylor, who was a starter in the minors, could return to the rotation. That was part of the reason he was used in multi-inning stints so much this season. In 84 innings, he posted a 2.25 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and 106/30 K/BB ratio. He has the pitch mix to succeed as a starter but hasn’t been a regular one since early in the 2025 season. With this news, Taylor should immediately become a top-50 starting pitcher in 2027 rankings and has the potential to be a true breakout star in fantasy. There just remains some risk because it’s a role we haven’t seen him in for a while.

He’ll earn about $900,000 next season. The 28-year-old McGee had a 7.15 ERA in nine appearances for the Brewers and Royals last season, leaving him with a 4.54 ERA in 35 2/3 innings since he debuted with the Rays in 2022.

Perhaps the most alarming detail from Sharma’s report is that future surgery to address Brown’s lingering neck issue remains a possibility. The 27-year-old was in the midst of a breakthrough campaign before a stress reaction in his neck landed him on the injured list in mid-June. He appeared to be making progress toward a late-season return before a recurrence of symptoms ultimately ended those hopes. The fact that he still hasn’t been cleared to begin an offseason throwing program is another concerning development. Unfortunately, the impending lockout figures leave fantasy managers without any meaningful updates on his prognosis.

Stewart received 20 of 30 first-place votes to claim the award ahead of Carson Benge and JJ Wetherholt, who collected seven and three votes, respectively. The power-hitting 22-year-old first baseman put together an impressive campaign from a traditional numbers standpoint, slashing .263/.330/.457 with 32 homers, 112 RBI and 15 steals across 162 games. Benge made a serious late push to fortify his case for the hardware, hitting .282/.346/.430 with 20 homers and 22 steals over 156 contests to finish second in the balloting. He also held a considerable edge in WAR, finishing at 4.3 compared to Stewart’s 2.0 mark, though it wasn’t enough to sway the voters.

McGonigle received 28 of 30 first-place votes to claim the hardware, with Parker Messick collecting the other two to finish a distant second in the balloting. Payton Tolle placed third, narrowly ahead of Munetaka Murakami and Carter Jensen. The 22-year-old on-base machine set the tone with a four-hit performance on Opening Day and never looked back, finishing the season with a sublime .278/.376/.430 slash line, 97 runs scored, 18 homers, 72 RBI and 12 steals across 707 plate appearances over 156 games. He provided top-10 fantasy value at both shortstop and third base, cementing his status as an early-round selection in drafts for years to come.

What better way for a new ownership group to make an immediate splash than by signing the most accomplished starting pitcher to hit the open market in recent memory. Morosi previously reported that San Diego was among the most active teams this offseason in pursuing starting pitching upgrades. They have multiple spots to fill with Michael King, Casey Mize, Nick Pivetta, Robbie Ray and Walker Buehler all currently free agents. It’s worth noting that The New York Post’s Jon Heyman told MLB Network earlier on Monday that the Mets are “probably the favorite” to sign Skubal. All indications are that the 29-year-old two-time Cy Young Award winner will choose his next destination before the lockout commences on December 1.

The deal presumably includes an invitation to spring training, whenever that might be. The 29-year-old is a few years removed from a 15-homer, 17-steal rookie campaign, but didn’t end up appearing in the majors this past season. He’s merely emergency organizational depth at this stage of his career.

The Mets tried to make Cairo more expensive to poach off waivers, offering him a financial bump last week in hopes of keeping rival organizations at bay. The gambit didn’t work this time. The 25-year-old heads to Los Angeles as organizational infield depth after hitting .230/.381/.300 with four homers and 25 steals in 525 plate appearances over 130 games at the Triple-A level between the Mets and Phillies this past season.

Paris passed through waivers unclaimed after being claimed from the Angels last month. The 24-year-old former prospect figures to be in the mix for a bench spot with the Mets in spring training. He’ll function as organizational depth for New York heading into next year.