MLB Player News

In other words, he has decided to focus on the NFL rather than pursue his career in MLB. It’s a big disappointment for MLB and the Athletics, but it appeared increasingly likely he was moving in this direction after winning the Heisman Trophy and declaring for the NFL draft. He’s expected to be a first-round pick. Per Jeff Passan of ESPN, Murray will return $1.29 million of the $1.5 million signing bonus the A’s gave him last year, as well as forfeiting $3.16 million due on March 1. He’ll be placed on the restricted list and the A’s will retain his rights should he change his mind down the road. However, Oakland will not receive a compensatory pick for losing him. Murrary was selected ninth overall by Oakland in last year’s draft.

Burleson figures to move to the cold corner full-time next season after the Cardinals shipped Willson Contreras to the Red Sox earlier this week. The 27-year-old hit .279/.328/.439 with 39 homers, 147 RBI and 14 steals in 291 games over the past two seasons. He’s a decent bet to reach the 20-homer plateau with double-digit steals and a respectable batting average. That makes him a borderline mixed-league starter at first base, especially in deeper formats, heading into drafts next spring.

There was no avenue for Myers to play regularly next season in Miami with Kyle Stowers and Jakob Marsee emerging as core building blocks and Griffin Conine coming back from shoulder surgery. The 29-year-old, who posted a pedestrian .617 OPS with six homers and 19 steals over 333 plate appearances across 106 games for the Marlins last season, provides the Reds with a decent insurance policy behind center fielder TJ Friedl. He’ll enter spring training in competition with Will Benson and JJ Bleday for a corner-outfield role, with a bench assignment the most probable outcome.

O’Donnell heads to Miami after batting .236/.327/.325 with seven homers and 20 steals across 503 plate appearances over 125 games at Double-A Chattanooga last year. The 23-year-old outfielder was Cincinnati’s sixth-round selection in the 2023 MLB Draft out of the University of Virginia. He fits the profile of the kind of low-probability gamble rebuilding clubs can afford to make — a bet on upside, where above-average speed gives him a plausible path to becoming an everyday center fielder down the line.

Richardson loses his spot on Cincinnati’s 40-man roster after the club finalized a trade for center fielder Dane Myers. The 25-year-old righty posted a serviceable 4.54 ERA – 4.06 FIP – and 30/21 K/BB ratio across 37 2/3 innings over a career-high 34 appearances this past season at the big-league level. He should attract some interest on waivers as a middle relief depth pickup.

Arihara flirted with the idea of a potential return to the majors earlier this offseason. However, that speculation seems in retrospect linked to generating additional leverage during negotiations for a lucrative multi-year deal to remain in Japan. At 33 years old, it seems highly unlikely that he’ll return to the majors at some point down the road. He made 15 appearances (14 starts) for the Rangers from 2021-2022, finishing with a lackluster 7.57 ERA across 60 2/3 innings of work.

Torres hasn’t appeared in affiliated ball since 2018, when he logged 25 games at the Triple-A level. The 32-year-old reigning Mexican League MVP earned the hardware after slashing a video-game esque .347/.425/.730 with 27 homers across 86 games for Algodoneros de Unión Laguna. He’s likely to open next season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and represents a pure zero-risk lottery ticket for the Yankees.

Chicago continues fortifying its bullpen with Harvey becoming the latest experience high-leverage arm entering the stable. The 31-year-old is more of a lottery ticket after being limited to just 12 appearances due to adductor and shoulder issues this past season with the Royals. He holds a strong 3.11 ERA — 3.16 FIP — and 26.8 percent strikeout rate across 185 innings since 2019. He projects as an impact late-inning arm for the Cubs, with the only real question being whether his health allows him to play a significant role.

The deal is now official. Bleday heads to Cincinnati as a relatively low-risk reclamation project after being non-tendered by the Athletics last month with top prospects Denzel Clarke and Colby Thomas taking over in center field with Tyler Soderstrom and Lawrence Butler in the corners. The 28-year-old former top-five pick figures to compete with Will Benson in spring training for playing time in a platoon role for the Reds next season. At a bare minimum, he’ll occupy a bench role as an insurance policy behind TJ Friedl in center field. His fantasy appeal is strictly limited to NL-only formats based on his pedestrian plate skills and lack of stolen base upside. He’s an extremely streaky hot-and-cold power hitter that will have stretches of fantasy relevance, especially in Cincinnati’s favorable offensive environment.

Thompson signed a one-year, $1.3 million contract with Cincinnati last month. The 30-year-old righty didn’t appear in the big leagues this past season after making 104 appearances for the Cubs since the start of 2021. The Reds are presumably hoping he’ll pass through waivers unclaimed and remain with the organization heading into spring training.

“Wherever we can get his bat in the lineup, that’s what we’re going to try to do. And we want to find a spot for him where he can be productive for the Padres, and there’s a lot of different places that I think he can fit,” newly-minted Padres skipper Craig Stammen told reporters earlier this week. He also floated the possibility of Song seeing time in the outfield, a notable wrinkle given that the 29-year-old spent most of the past few seasons in Korea at third base. The 29-year-old appears primed for a versatile super-utility role, which modestly boosts his fantasy appeal — particularly in deeper mixed leagues. He’s a challenging hitter to forecast for fantasy purposes but projecting double-digit homers and steals doesn’t seem outlandish.