MLB Player News

Thomas, 21, was drafted in the 12th round of the 2009 draft and has posted a .156/.269/.267 batting line in 104 plate appearances this season at Single-A Greenville. He has a long way to go both at the plate and behind it before he can be considered a legitimate prospect.

Jarvis went unclaimed after being designated for assignment. The former first-round pick will likely be a depth piece for the 2026 season, but Arizona will need to add him to the 40-man roster to promote him to the majors.

Melton made his MLB debut and struggled to a .420 OPS over 70 at-bats, but was solid in Triple-A with a .286/.389/.556 slash over 35 games. The 2022 second-round pick should get a chance to compete for a role with Tampa Bay this spring, but fantasy managers should wait to see how things shake out before investing. There’s definitely some upside in keeper formats.

Brito is the most talented prospect who is involved in the trade. The 21-year-old has two potential swing-and-miss pitches in his fastball and slider, and he whiffed 65 batters in just-over 49 innings for High-A Ashville in 2025. His 5-foot-10 build may limit him to relief, but the stuff is good enough for Brito to become a starter someday.

Montgomery was able to strike out 63 hitters in 46 innings of relief for Tampa Bay, which is pretty good. He also walked 27 and had a 5.67 ERA in that timeframe, which is not. He’ll compete for a bullpen spot with Pittsburgh this spring more than likely, but it’s worth noting that he does have starting experience in the minors.

Mangum was solid in 2025 for Tampa Bay in his first chance to be a regular, and he hit .296/.330/.368 with 27 stolen bases in his 118 games. The former Mississippi State star offers very little power, and his fantasy value is limited because of it. Still, he could be a helper in the average and steals category in 2026.

The Astros acquired Mike Burrows from the Pirates in the deal while sending Anderson Brito and Jacob Melton to the Rays. Lowe has been the subject of trade rumors for quite some time, but he finally has a new home after hitting 31 homers with a .256/.307/.477 slash in 2025. He’ll hit in the middle of a Pittsburgh order that is not without talent, and he should be a solid — if unspectacular — fantasy option in 2026.

Burrows heads to the Astros with Houston giving up Anderson Brito and Jacob Melton heading to Tampa Bay. The right-hander was solid in 96 innings over 23 appearances — 19 of those starts — with a 3.94 ERA and 97/31 K/BB ratio along with a 1.24 WHIP. He should be a backend starter for Houston to open 2026.

The deal, which was agreed upon last weekend, is now official. The 37-year-old hurler rejoins the Diamondbacks — where he spent the past six and a half seasons before being flipped to the Rangers at last season’s trade deadline. His elite command and durability continue to make him a solid middle of the rotation option for fantasy purposes.

Martínez, 37, began his pro career with the White Sox in 2006 and reached the majors 10 years later, hitting .298/.363/.458 with 41 homers in 1,288 plate appearances over four seasons for St. Louis. His big-league career ended in 2020, and he last played in the U.S. in the Mets system in 2021, but he stayed active in Mexico and in Venezuela, where he’s currently hitting .299/.378/.409 through 35 games for Aragua. Baseball Reference credits him with a total of 2,175 hits and a .303 average over 19 seasons of professional baseball.

Koperniak was designated for assignment on Wednesday to free up a spot on the Cardinals’ 40-man roster for Dustin May. He’ll remain on the big league side of camp in spring training where he’ll compete for a spot on the Opening Day roster. Koperniak hit .246/.317/.382 with 14 long balls and 65 RBI in 536 plate appearances at Triple-A Memphis in 2025.