MLB Player News

The Mariners used Trent Thornton in a tie game in the bottom of the ninth, ensuring that Andrés Muñoz will be well rested for Wednesday’s game. Brown, who was left for dead in June, is hitting .320 with eight homers and 25 RBI in 134 plate appearances since being brought back to the majors on July 11. As long as he’s steady for the rest of the month, he’ll probably be part of Oakland’s plans for 2025, something that seemed highly unlikely two months ago.

The 21-year-old hurler spent his first two professional seasons in the Rockies’ organization before he was plucked by the Orioles in the minor league portion of the Rule-5 draft prior to the 2024 season. Ochoa went on to post a 4.71 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and a 24/5 K/BB ratio over 21 innings for the Orioles’ Rookie League club. The Rockies remain intrigued by his potential and think that he can blossom into a real asset out of their bullpen in the coming years.

Chapman is a five-time Gold Glove Award winner and two-time Platinum Glove Award winner at third base, but he has only played four games at shortstop during his big league career. He’s such a skilled defender though, that he could undoubtedly handle it with ease until Kim is recovered from his off-season shoulder surgery. The 31-year-old is expected to miss the start of the 2025 season at a minimum and could be sidelined for most of the first half. If the Giants slid Chapman over to shortstop temporarily, Tyler Fitzgerald would likely serve as the team’s starting third baseman until Kim was ready to return.

The 28-year-old hurler has spent the previous two seasons in Korea as well with the Kiwoom Heroes, most recently posting a 3.36 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and a 169/32 K/BB ratio across 190 1/3 innings in his 30 starts during the 2024 season. Jurado hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since the pandemic-truncated 2020 campaign.

The 24-year-old infielder is expected to be sidelined for the next six-to-eight weeks while recovering from the procedure. It shouldn’t impact his availability for the start of spring training, but he won’t be able to participate in his regular offseason program. Garcia slashed an underwhelming .231/.281/.332 during the 2024 season with seven homers, 58 RBI and a career-high 37 stolen bases (in 39 attempts).

The procedure, which was performed by Dr. Kenneth Jung in Los Angeles, consisted of a debridement and the removal of loose bodies. The 35-year-old slugger is expected to be ready to participate in baseball activities during spring training, so it doesn’t sound like he should miss any regular season action. Usually considered a staple in the first round of fantasy drafts, Freeman has seen his draft stock fall a bit in early 2025 drafts, checking in right around pick-24 on average.

Grandal, once considered among the elite offensive performers at the catcher position, slashed just .228/.304/.400 with nine homers, 27 RBI and a 46/24 K/BB ratio in 243 plate appearances with the Pirates during the 2024 campaign. He just turned 36-years-old and his days of grading out as a major asset behind the plate have faded away. He may still wind up with a backup gig someplace, but Grandal’s days of fantasy relevancy are in the rearview mirror.

The 27-year-old southpaw was non-tendered back in November but decided it was in his best interests to return to the Giants on a minor league deal. Small pitched exclusively in the minor leagues during the 2024 season, posting a 4.85 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and a 16/2 K/BB ratio over 13 innings while missing the majority of the year with a right oblique strain. He’ll continue to function as extra bullpen depth for the Giants.

The 35-year-old hurler has generated interest from at least eight teams already, so it sounds like he’ll do pretty well for himself on the open market. Kahnle was brilliant once again for the Yankees in 2024, registering a 2.11 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and a 46/19 K/BB ratio over 42 2/3 frames.

The 29-year-old noted that the Pirates are building something special in Pittsburgh and that he wants to be a part of it. Mattson appeared in three big league contests with the Pirates in 2024, registering a 5.06 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and a 6/5 K/BB ratio across 5 1/3 innings. He’ll continue to function as extra bullpen depth.

According to McTaggart, “the Astros have offered Bregman a six-year deal worth around $156 million,” but their ability to re-sign him hinges on what other offers he’s received on the market. Despite that offer being a club record, “Bregman is believed to be seeking a deal closer to $200 million, which likely would price out the Astros and force them to move on from their cornerstone third baseman.” If the Astros do get priced out on Bregman, they have other options in place, and “among the players on the top of their list to play third base is Jorge Polanco.” They could then take the majority of the money they offered for Bregman and try to spend more money at first base on a target like Christian Walker.