MLB Player News

“I’m going to lean towards Wheeler,” Garner said. “The problem is you’ve go to set up your bullpen to get there. When ( Chad) Qualls, Wheeler and Lidge are doing the job, it makes it quite clear for everybody. Now it’s going to have to be Lidge, Qualls and Wheeler or Qualls, Lidge, Wheeler or some other combination in the seventh and eighth.” Wheeler hasn’t allowed a run in his past 13 outings.

The 27-year-old slugger will also have the ability to make up to an extra $500,000 in incentives. The former top prospect has slashed a miserable .215/.297/.388 with 52 homers, 163 RBI and a 437/166 K/BB ratio over 1,652 plate appearances to begin his big league career. He’ll add some left-handed thump off of the Mets’ bench.

The 22-year-old hurler spent the 2025 season in the Braves’ organization where he compiled a troublesome 5.86 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and a 44/28 K/BB ratio over 43 innings between Single-A Augusta and the club’s Rookie League affiliate. He’ll add organizational pitching depth for the Cardinals.

The 26-year-old finds himself scrapping for playing time anywhere that he can find it after the Mets brought in Bo Bichette to be their regular third baseman. If Baty can show that he can adequately handle himself defensively in the outfield, it seems like that would be his clearest path to regular at-bats.

Akin filed at $3.375 million. He’s still doubling his 2024 salary of $1.475 million after a year in which he finished with a 3.41 ERA despite diminished peripherals. Akin had a 97/19 K/BB in 78 2/3 innings in 2024 but finished at 59/33 in 63 1/3 innings last year.

Rome added that the Red Sox and Pirates are among five legitimate suitors in the Paredes sweepstakes. With spring training kicking off next week it makes sense that Houston would attempt to resolve their existing corner infield logjam before the situation gets uncomfortable. With Carlos Correa taking over at the hot corner and Christian Walker’s albatross contract seemingly unmovable, Paredes lacks a clear role with the Astros heading into next season. His pull-centered approach would be an excellent fit in Fenway Park’s hitter-favorable dimensions although his lackluster defense at third base would adversely impact Boston’s pitching staff. Meanwhile, PNC Park is among the worst in the league for right-handed pull power, which would certainly diminish his fantasy appeal. There should be a resolution on the Paredes sweepstakes at some point in the coming days.

Phillies president Dave Dombroswki has routinely re-stocks the club’s relief cupboard with proven veteran arms at the Triple-A level with Trivino becoming the latest addition to fit that specific mold. The 34-year-old journeyman has plenty of high-leverage experience and actually finished last season with Philadelphia after making 37 appearances in the NL West between the Dodgers and Giants. He’ll compete for a spot in the Phillies bullpen during spring training.

Bañuelos heads to Minnesota as emergency catching depth behind starter Ryan Jeffers. The 29-year-old backstop got into two games for the Orioles over the past two seasons while spending most of his time at Triple-A Norfolk during that period. There’s a clearer path to regular playing time in a backup role with the Twins than most situations around the league, but he’s not a fantasy-relevant option.

Meyer was a popular late-round fantasy sleeper last spring and showed some flashes of big-time upside — most notably a 14-strikeout gem against the Reds last April — before struggling in his final few outings and undergoing season-ending hip surgery in mid-June. The mercurial 26-year-old former top prospect is tentatively penciled into Miami’s rotation mix with Edward Cabrera and Ryan Weathers no longer in the picture and shouldn’t have any limitation during his ramp-up process this spring. He’s a name to monitor closely during Grapefruit League outings, especially in deeper mixed leagues, given his strikeout upside. However, omnipresent health and performance question marks limit his appeal to a late-round dart throw at this stage of his career.

Rice is likely to come off the board as a top-five catcher in fantasy drafts this spring, but he’s rapidly becoming one of the more polarizing hitters in the entire fantasy landscape. He ranked among the league’s upper echelon in average exit velocity (95th percentile), barrel rate (92nd percentile) and hard-hit percentage (97th percentile) during last year’s 26-homer breakthrough campaign. The soon-to-be 27-year-old slugger appears poised to catch more often than originally anticipated with the Yankees bringing back veteran lefty-masher Paul Goldschmidt to handle the cold corner against southpaws. Kirshner notes that Rice, who is currently viewed as the club’s third backstop, could potentially move into the backup catcher role behind starter Austin Wells in addition to serving as their primary first baseman against right-handed pitching to free up a roster spot for someone like Jasson Domínguez. The added playing time opportunity comes paired with the inherent injury risk that has always followed catchers behind the plate.

Gore was part of three World Series championship teams as a pinch-running specialist — Royals (2015), Dodgers (2020) and Braves (2021) — despite totaling just 85 plate appearances across 112 major-league games from 2014-2022. The elite speedster swiped 43 bases during that span and added five more steals in 11 postseason appearances. The raw numbers don’t jump off the page, but Gore’s career will be remembered as one of the more unique statistical outliers of the modern era. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and loved ones at this time.