MLB Player News

Alvarez, a 24-year-old Cuban defector, will receive an $800,000 bonus. Because he is older than 23 and has more than three years of experience in Cuba’s top pro league, he is not subject to the international spending cap. Alvarez will report to High-A Frederick and should be able to move pretty quickly through the system.

He’s back. Martin returns to bolster Texas’ high-leverage mix after compiling a pristine 2.98 ERA — 3.58 FIP — 1.20 WHIP and 48/8 K/BB ratio across 42 1/3 innings over 49 appearances. The durability questions are real, but the 39-year-old’s ability to navigate the most volatile innings in baseball remains firmly intact.

The deal is now official. Mets president David Stearns confirmed Polanco will split time between first base and DH in addition to bouncing around to other infield positions as needed. The 32-year-old veteran is coming off a resurgence this past season with the Mariners where he slashed .265/.326/.495 with 26 home runs, 78 RBI and six steals over 524 plate appearances across 138 games, his highest single-season total since 2021. The omnipresent durability concerns aren’t going to vanish, but it’s a phenomenal landing spot on a short-term deal. With eligibility at second base, one of the thinnest positions in the fantasy landscape, Polanco quietly carries late-round intrigue thanks to his counting-stats upside in New York’s strong lineup.

San Francisco grabs another lottery ticket reliever with Santos heading to the Bay Area following an injury-plagued run with the Mariners where he made just 16 relief appearances over two seasons prior to being non-tendered last month. The 26-year-old durability is the primary concern at this stage of his career, but he’s an experienced high-leverage arm with a wipeout slider. He’ll compete in spring training for a spot in the Giants’ season-opening bullpen mix.

The long-term agreement, which keeps Garcia in Kansas City through at least 2030, is now official. The 25-year-old third baseman took a meaningful step forward in the power department, emerging as one of the most impactful fantasy contributors at the hot corner last season, slashing .286/.351/.449 with a career-high 16 homers and 23 stolen bases across 666 plate appearances over 160 games. He’s quietly solidified himself as a foundational piece for the Royals alongside franchise cornerstone Bobby Witt Jr., and projects as a borderline top-five fantasy option at third base next season even if some regression in over-the-fence pop shows up.

The relief market continues to move at a breakneck pace while the position player sector progresses at a glacial rate. Ferguson provides Cincinnati with a badly-needed experienced southpaw that they can deploy in late-game situations, something they lacked this past season. The 29-year-old produced a strong 3.58 ERA — 3.26 FIP — 1.16 WHIP and 18.9 percent strikeout rate across 65 1/3 innings over 70 appearances between the Pirates and Mariners last year. He’ll operate in middle relief helping bridge the gap to stopper Emilio Pagàn.

The deal is now official. The intriguing wrinkle for fantasy purposes is that the Rays appear poised to deploy Matz as a traditional starter next season. The 34-year-old veteran southpaw operated exclusively in relief for the Cardinals and Red Sox this past season, compiling a 3.05 ERA — 3.46 FIP — and 59/11 K/BB ratio across 76 2/3 innings over 53 appearances. There’s some late-round appeal in deeper mixed leagues if he winds up making Tampa Bay’s season-opening rotation.

Peters loses his spot on Tampa Bay’s 40-man roster with veteran lefty Steven Matz being officially added. The 25-year-old rookie went 0-for-12 with seven strikeouts in four games at the highest level this past season.

There’s also an option for a third year. Houser, who turns 33 in February, experienced a velocity spike last season and posted a nice 3.31 ERA in 21 starts for the White Sox and Rays, though that came with a modest 18% strikeout rate. The salary isn’t out of line with expectations, but given his age and his lack of any truly impressive seasons previously, it’s kind of surprising to see him get the second guaranteed year. He’ll join Logan Webb and Robbie Ray in a Giants rotation that still probably needs one more vet in the mix.

It was bound to happen at some point: Schunk grew up in Georgia and was drafted by the Rockies out of the University of Georgia in 2019. The 28-year-old hit .222/.246/.302 in 131 plate appearances for the Rockies the last two seasons. Unfortunately, his bat just doesn’t seem good enough to make him more than a quad-A player.

Areinamo was playing about as well as anyone in the Venezuelan Winter League until Nov. 30, when he had to leave La Guaira to apply for an extended visa. That came through and he was set to rejoin the team today, but the Rays decided to deny permission for that to happen. The 22-year-old Areinamo was hitting .364/.420/.693 with 13 homers in 36 games for the Tiburones. He leads the circuit in OPS and was tops in homers when he departed, with only Balbino Fuenmayor having overtaken him since.