MLB Player News

Outman began the season on the disabled list due to an oblique strain, but he pitched well during his rehab assignment. Look for him in a middle relief role.

The Mets claimed Criswell from Boston last month to add to their rotation depth, but they obviously feel a little more comfortable about things now. Mostly a non-factor in 2025 while pitching in Triple-A and missing some time with injury, the 29-year-old nevertheless had a 4.00 ERA in 117 innings for the Red Sox over the last two years.

The Mets didn’t have an obvious big hole in their rotation, so the upgrade they wanted wasn’t going to come cheap. This qualifies, however, and the Mets didn’t have to sacrifice from the major league team to make it happen. Peralta is under control for just one more season, but he’s a bargain at $8 million and the Mets should have a chance to retain him for the long haul. The 29-year-old is coming off his best season to date, finishing fifth in the NL Cy Young balloting with a 17-6 record and a 2.70 ERA. Dogged by durability issues earlier in his career, he’s avoided the IL and made 95 starts the last three years. He’ll probably regress somewhat from his 2025 performance, but he’s a legitimate Opening Day starter for a team that needed one.

Myers was surprisingly successful as a rookie in 2024, posting a 3.00 ERA in 138 innings for the Brewers, and while his 2025 started badly, resulting in him spending a fair amount of time in the minors, he still wound up with a 3.55 ERA in six starts and 16 relief appearances for the Brewers. One area of concern was that his strikeout rate dipped from 22% in 2024 to 17% last season. Myers’ 92-95 mph fastball is underwhelming, but he throws strikes and his new splitter is a weapon. He should be of use as a middle reliever in New York, though he has an option year left if the Mets choose to stash him away. He also won’t even be arbitration eligible until 2028.

Sproat, 25, debuted for the Mets late last season and finished with a 4.79 ERA in four starts. He had a 4.24 ERA and a 113/53 K/BB in 121 innings for Triple-A Syracuse. A 6-foot-3 right-hander with a 94-98 mph fastball, he projects as something like a No. 4 starter with his plus slider and above average groundball rate. Minus Peralta, the Brewers currently would seem to have two rotation openings, with Logan Henderson and Chad Patrick probably the favorites based on 2025 results. However, Sproat should also be in the mix with Robert Gasser, and Aaron Ashby and Angel Zerpa are candidates to slide over the pen.

Williams is just 5-foot-7, but he packs some punch anyway, coming in at .262/.363/.465 with 17 homers and 34 steals between Double- and Triple-A last year. He’s still mostly a shortstop at this point, but he’s logged time in center and at second base, and center might wind up being his best position. He just turned 22 in November, and he probably needs another full year in the minors, but he projects as a regular somewhere, and his speed makes him particularly intriguing as a fantasy prospect.

The Mets will also get Tobias Myers, The Athletic’s Will Sammon confirms. Coming off his fifth place finish in the NL Cy Young balloting, Peralta will join Nolan McLean, David Peterson, Clay Holmes and likely either Kodai Senga or Sean Manaea in the Mets rotation. Sproat could be a candidate to go right into Milwaukee’s rotation, though it seems more likely that he’ll open up in Triple-A. Williams is probably a year away, but he could be a starting shortstop or center fielder for the Brewers in 2027. The Mets will have Peralta for $8 million this year before he becomes eligible for free agency next winter.

Sherman says the Brewers have asked for both Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams, and it sounds like the Mets may have relented following the addition of Myers to the proposed deal.

Boras told the San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser that Lee was missing some paperwork as he traveled from South Korea to the U.S. in advance of the Giants’ FanFest this Saturday. Fortunately, the situation appeared to have been resolved favorably. Lee will begin his third season with the Giants when he reports to spring training. Presumably, he’ll be traveling back to Korea at least once before then.

Michael Marino reported earlier than the Brewers were asking for top prospects Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams in return for Peralta, but maybe they’ll be willing to settle for one of those two and another prospect the Mets don’t value as highly. The Yankees are also known to be among those interested in Peralta.

While his defense has declined after all of his injuries, Moncada showed a decent enough bat in 84 games for the Angels last season, hitting .234/.336/.448 in 289 plate appearances. Bringing him back might block Christian Moore in Anaheim, but it’s not like the Angels figure to have Moncada, Mike Trout, Jorge Soler and the rest of the gang healthy all at once very often.