Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up
Odds by

    Hagen Smith perfect for three in victory

    Link copied to clipboard!

    CWS Starting Pitcher #82
    Player Stats
    Link copied to clipboard!

    Hagen Smith got the win for throwing three perfect innings in the White Sox’s bullpen game against the Twins on Sunday night.

    Bryan Hudson, Jordan Hicks, Smith, Grant Taylor and Tyler Davis combined to limit the Twins to one run and strike out 15 batters. Smith got four of the strikeouts in his longest major league outing to date. It was surprising to see him pitch a third inning, given that he just threw two innings on Friday, but he was quite efficient in throwing 35 pitches. In part because of Smith’s success, José Urquidy never pitched in the game, though he probably would have if the White Sox had known they’d score eight runs between the sixth and the eighth to turn it into a rout.
2026: A peak sports year?
On Not So Fast, Paul Pabst and Andrew Perloff debate whether 2026 is a "great" year in the world of sports.

Related Player News

  • CWS Starting Pitcher #82
    Personalize your Rotoworld feed by favoriting players
    Smith draws the opening assignment after throwing 21 pitches in relief during Wednesday’s Game 3 loss to the Guardians. He walked a pair of batters and gave up on hit during the abbreviated outing. The 23-year-old southpaw has been a revelation this season and has allowed just one run over 6 1/3 innings this postseason. Ideally, the White Sox would like to jump out to an early lead before turning the ball over the Grant Taylor with a chance to wrap up the series and advance to face the Rays in the ALCS this weekend.
  • CWS Starting Pitcher #82
    Smith struck out four, and he was able to work around three free passes while not allowing a hit. In his two playoff appearances, the 23-year-old has yet to allow a run, and he’s shown why he has the stuff to someday be an upper-echelon fantasy starter. He threw 51 pitches in this contest, so he could be a multi-inning option for Game 3 or 4 — if necessary — in Chicago.
  • PIT Starting Pitcher #70
    The 31-year-old right-hander signed a similar deal with the Pirates last offseason and wound up making five appearances for the Bucs at the MLB level before being traded to the White Sox in late July. He’ll once again add rotation depth for the Pirates and can continue to be ignored for fantasy purposes.
  • FA Starting Pitcher #70
    The 31-year-old hurler was designated for assignment when the Phillies set their roster for the Wild Card Series against the Braves. After passing through waivers unclaimed, Urquidy opted to hit the open market rather than accepting an outright assignment to Triple-A Gwinnett. He did a decent job in his limited action with the Phillies, posting a 3.68 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and a 9/0 K/BB ratio across 7 1/3 innings.
  • CWS Starting Pitcher #82
    Smith scattered a pair of singles and required just 38 pitches (28 strikes) to navigate three extremely impressive frames. The 23-year-old top prospect, who was selected fifth overall in the 2024 draft, notched only one strikeout but still managed to turn in a borderline dominant performance in his first taste of the postseason. He wrapped up the regular season with a pristine 1.29 ERA and 41/16 K/BB ratio across 28 innings of work out of Chicago’s bullpen. He figures to be available, if needed, for a potential winner-take-all Game 3 matchup on Thursday.
  • CWS Starting Pitcher #82
    Smith started one of his 18 appearances after joining the White Sox in August, pitching two scoreless innings against the Pirates. He topped out at three innings in relief against the Twins on Sept. 6 and had a 1.29 ERA in 28 innings overall.
  • PHI Starting Pitcher #70
    Urquidy made just two appearances during his time with the Phillies, posting a 3.68 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and a 9/0 K/BB ratio over 7 1/3 innings of work. Someone needed to get the boot though to make room for the return of Jesus Luzardo on Sunday and Urquidy wound up drawing the short straw.
  • CWS Starting Pitcher #82
    Smith was one of three White Sox pitchers to go at least two innings in this game along with Erick Fedde and Sean Newcomb, but none lasted for three. It was a valiant, all-hands on deck effort though as they held the Royals to just one run after Bryan Hudson let up four in the first as an opener while recording just one out. Smith did give up the winning run on a double from Maikel Garica after he’d been lights out to start his big league career. He will remain in this swing man type role through the White Sox postseason push before hopefully reverting back to being a starter in 2027.
  • PHI Starting Pitcher #70
    Urquidy can help cover for Jesús Luzardo’s absence, but he won’t be postseason eligible after getting picked up this late. He had a 4.37 ERA over 22 2/3 innings in six appearances for the White Sox. The Phillies moved Caleb Kilian to the 60-day IL to open up a spot on the 40-man for him, and they’ll need to send someone down once he reports to the team.
  • CWS Starting Pitcher #70
    Urquidy loses his spot despite having allowed only three runs in 10 innings over his last three appearances. He had a 4.37 ERA in 22 2/3 innings over six total outings for the White Sox. Some team out there looking for innings could pick him up for the final week and a half, though he wouldn’t be postseason eligible.

Rotoworld

  • FA Starting Pitcher
    Player Stats
    Personalize your Rotoworld feed by favoriting players
    Link copied to clipboard!

    The Seibu Lions confirmed Friday that Kaima Taira will be made available to MLB teams this winter.

    Taira will be one of the winter’s most fascinating acquisitions. A dominant reliever, he was given a second chance to start games in 2026 and went 12-5 with an NPB-best 1.36 ERA and a 141/46 K/BB in 146 innings for Seibu last season. His stuff is plenty good enough to stick in an MLB rotation, but there will be concerns about how his 5-foot-8 frame will hold up as a starter. But, then, if he does run into injury issues, he could always return to the pen later on. He should command a pretty hefty contract from an MLB team.
  • Link copied to clipboard!

    Andrew Parker of Sox Prospects reports that the Tigers will acquire infielder Tsung-Che Cheng from the Red Sox for cash considerations.

    The deal won’t be made official until the Tigers clear the requisite room on their 40-man roster which could take a day or two. Cheng, 25, appeared in 14 games with the Red Sox in 2026, slashing .256/.318/.282 with zero homers and five RBI in 44 plate appearances. He’ll add infield depth for the Tigers.
  • Link copied to clipboard!

    According to Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Phillies plan to designate veteran backstop Garrett Stubbs for assignment.

    Once the move is made official, the club will have five days to trade him or to put him through waivers. Stubbs, 33, played in 35 games for the Phillies during the 2026 campaign, slashing .153/.215/.153 with zero homers, three RBI and a 15/3 K/BB ratio over 65 plate appearances.
  • FA Starting Pitcher #21
    Player Stats
    Link copied to clipboard!

    Brewers RHP’ Dustin May declined his $20 million mutual option for 2027.

    Instead, he’ll receive a $500,000 buyout and will look for a lucrative multi-year deal on the open market. The 29-year-old righty made 31 starts between the Cardinals and Brewers in 2026, posting a 4.70 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and a 144/50 K/BB ratio across 145 2/3 innings during the regular season. He then logged 11 innings in five appearances out of the Brewers’ bullpen as they marched to their first World Series title in franchise history. May shouldn’t have any trouble finding a landing spot in free agency.
  • NYM Center Fielder #21
    Player Stats
    Link copied to clipboard!

    Mets designated OF Cristian Pache for assignment.

    The Mets had to clear a spot on their 40-man roster for the addition of Kyren Paris on Thursday and unfortunately for Pache, he was the odd man out this time. The 27-year-old defensive specialist received just eight plate appearances with the Mets in 2026, going 1-for-8 with four strikeouts. There’s a possibility that other clubs could take a chance on him on waivers.
  • NYM 2nd Baseman #19
    Player Stats
    Link copied to clipboard!

    Mets claimed INF/OF Kyren Paris off waivers from the Angels.

    Paris burst onto the scene with an impressive power display at the start of the 2025 season but has come crashing back to reality since then. In 2026, he saw just 18 plate appearances with the Angels, going 0-for-15 with eight strikeouts. He’ll give the Mets another intriguing utility option.
  • NYM 3rd Baseman #19
    Player Stats
    Link copied to clipboard!

    Will Sammon of The Athletic reports that Bo Bichette will exercise his $42 million player option to remain with the Mets for the 2027 season.

    Bichette could have opted out and tried for more on the open market, but he’ll return to the Mets for a second season instead. The 28-year-old infielder slashed an underwhelming .260/.312/.390 with 18 homers, 78 RBI and a pair of stolen bases in 696 plate appearances in 2026. The expectation is that he’ll once again function as the team’s primary third baseman in 2027.
  • ATL 2nd Baseman #1
    Player Stats
    Link copied to clipboard!

    Braves exercised INF Ozzie Albies’ $7 million club option for 2027.

    Like teammate Ronald Acuna Jr., Albies is on a very team-friendly contract which made this option an easy decision for the club to exercise. The 29-year-old second baseman hit .237/.293/.392 with 22 long balls, 73 RBI and four stolen bases in a massive 683-plate appearances while playing in all 162 games for the Braves in 2026.
  • ATL Right Fielder #13
    Player Stats
    Link copied to clipboard!

    Braves exercised OF Ronald Acuña Jr.'s $17 million club option for 2027.

    This one was an absolute no-brainer as the 28-year-old outfielder remains on a very team-friendly contract. While not elite, he had a solid all-around season in 2026, slashing .255/.345/.451 with 20 homers, 55 RBI and 21 stolen bases in 469 plate appearances across 107 ballgames. Even with his extensive injury history, he’s likely to be a top-30 selection in all fantasy drafts next spring.
  • BAL Center Fielder #88
    Player Stats
    Link copied to clipboard!

    Independent journalist Francys Romero reports that the Orioles are expected to decline their $20 million club option on Luis Robert Jr. for the 2027 season.

    The 29-year-old outfielder will receive a $2 million buyout before he hits the free agent market. Once considered among the brightest up-and-coming stars in the game, Robert has struggled through injury and ineffectiveness for the past three seasons. In 2026, he slashed a meager .221/.300/.407 with 11 homers, 26 RBI and two stolen bases in 230 plate appearances between the Mets and Orioles. He’ll be one of the most intriguing names available on the open market this winter.