MLB Player News

Selected in the first round in 2018, the 20-year-old Denaburg was limited to just 20 1/3 innings in rookie ball last year due to shoulder issues and required a cleanup procedure during the offseason, but Nationals minor league pitching coordinator Brad Holman said he was recently throwing from 90 feet. He was expected to continue his rehab during the shutdown in order to get back in game situations once baseball resumes. Denaburg is ranked No. 7 on the Nationals’ prospect list according to MLB Pipeline.

Robert was non-tendered back in November, but the Phillies will give him a chance to win a spot back in spring training. The 31-year-old had a 4.15 ERA in 15 appearances before suffering a forearm strain in September.

While the team has decided on Ben Rice as their starting first baseman, it seems that they are not comfortable with the idea of him hitting against left-handed pitchers. The Yankees are looking to bring in a right-handed hitter to fill that short-side platoon role, and Heyman specifically mentions Goldschmidt, Ty France, Austin Slater, and Randal Grichuk as players “on their list.” Not all of them have experience at first base, which could prove interesting, but France is the name we keep hearing the most.

If a player was good in 2022 or 2023, the Angels are trying to sign him this offseason. Candelario joins players like Yoan Moncada, Trey Mancini, Nick Madrigal, Jose Siri, Alek Manoah, and Josh Lowe as additions to the Angels this offseason. The 32-year-old corner infielder hit just .113/.198/.213 in 91 plate appearances for the Reds in 2025 and hit .210/.303/.362 in 78 Triple-A games in the Reds and Yankees organizations. But he did hit 22 home runs and drive in 70 runs in 2023, so there’s that. It remains unlikely that he gets significant playing time for the Angels this season.

The pick is lined up to 68th or 69th overall. Donovan was connected to Seattle all winter, and the Mariners get him arguably without including any of their top five prospects. As things stand now, he’d seem to project as their third baseman and leadoff man. However, if top prospect Cole Emerson makes a run at the third base job in spring training, Donovan could play second or left. That versatility makes him an especially nice fit in a lineup with a few question marks. Donovan hit .287/.353/.422 and made the NL All-Star team last season. He’s never been a big fantasy infielder because of his lack of homers (career high of 14 in 2024) and steals (career high of five in 2023 and ’24), and moving to Seattle doesn’t figure to help him any. Randy Arozarena could also lose some fantasy value here; he ended last year in the leadoff spot but could drop as low as fifth in the lineup now. Cole Young’s status as the favorite to start at second base is also probably a little shakier, but he’s not a mixed-league guy anyway.

Three prospects and two picks, which are set to be 68th or 69th and 72nd or 73rd overall, seems like a fair return for Donovan, who departs two years before becoming eligible for free agency. The move comes just one day after the Mariners revealed that Cijntje, the switch-pitching 2024 first-round pick, would focus on being a right-handed starter this spring and would likely be limited to throwing bullpen sessions left-handed. We’ll have to wait and see if the Cardinals feel the same way. Cijntje throws considerably harder right-handed and projects as a mid-rotation starter used traditionally. He had a 4.58 ERA in 74 2/3 innings in High-A and a 2.67 ERA in 33 2/3 innings in Double-A last year, and he’s probably still a full season away from contributing in the majors. With Donovan joining Nolan Arenado in exiting, the Cardinals now have two starting infield spots available for Nolan Gorman, José Fermín, Thomas Saggese and top prospect JJ Wetherholt. It seems likely that Gorman will get one of them against righties, no matter how little he’s done lately to deserve it.

Peete is just 20, but his second full year in the Mariners system was pretty disappointing, as he hit .217/.288/.404 with 162 strikeouts in 529 plate appearances at High-A Everett. A converted infielder, he shows plenty of speed in center, and he definitely still offers ample power potential. However, his swing-and-miss tendencies have dropped his stock.

The draft pick will be 72nd or 73rd overall in the 2026 draft. Known for his excellent glove at third base, Williamson hit .253/.294/.310 with one homer in 295 plate appearances as a rookie for the Mariners last season. Odds are that he’ll be better than that going forward — he did hit .314/.392/.462 in his 52 games in Triple-A — but he still seems like a stretch as a potential regular. The Rays might want to take a look at him as a utilityman; he hasn’t played much shortstop since college, but versatility would definitely help his outlook. He has two option years remaining, so he could begin 2026 in Triple-A.

Ledbetter, who turned 24 in November, hit .265/.337/.378 with seven homers and 37 steals in his first season in Double-A last year. He showed more power in 2024, finishing with 16 homers and a .484 slugging percentage in High-, and he’ll need that to come back in order to have a realistic chance of landing a gig as a platoon guy against righties in the majors. The Cardinals figure to put him in Triple-A this year.

Waldichuk was acquired from the Braves last month after previously being waived by the A’s and claimed by Atlanta. He struggled mightily in his return from Tommy John last summer, with his velocity down about two mph, but he still might have some rotation potential if his stuff comes back.

Catcher is usually the weak link for the Dominican Republic on the position side, but Yainer Diaz and Wells will make for a solid duo this time around and things are even brighter going forward. Wells, whose mother is of Dominican descent, apparently got the nod over Agustín Ramírez. The D.R. used Francisco Mejia and Gary Sánchez behind the plate last time around in 2023. Come 2029, there’s a good chance Samuel Basallo will be the team’s primary catcher, with Cardinals prospect Rainiel Rodríguez also potentially in the mix.