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MLB Player News

Rotoworld

  • CWS Starting Pitcher #45
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    MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reports the Orioles, Red Sox and Dodgers are seen as contenders to trade for White Sox ace Garrett Crochet.
    Feinsand adds that the Orioles were in on the Blake Snell sweepstakes before the veteran lefty inked a five-year deal earlier this week with the Dodgers — who we’re never going to rule out as a potential landing spot for anyone these days — and would make sense as a trade partner for the White Sox given their cornucopia of prospect talent. Crochet cemented his status as an elite fantasy contributor with last season’s breakout campaign, leading all big-league starters with a staggering 35.1 percent strikeout rate across 146 innings (32 starts). It’s going to take a considerable haul to pry him away from the White Sox, but the Orioles and Red Sox make sense as logical destinations, especially if they come up empty in their pursuit of upper-echelon veteran free agent aces like Corbin Burnes and Max Fried.
  • FA Starting Pitcher #16
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    The Cubs and Matthew Boyd have agreed to a two-year, $29 million contract, reports The New York Post’s Jon Heyman.
    Boyd will have a relatively unobstructed path in spring training to secure a starting rotation spot in Chicago with only youngster Ben Brown standing in his way. The 33-year-old southpaw struck out nearly 28 percent of the batters he faced last season across eight starts for the upstart Guardians, and also looked extremely impressive in three postseason starts, in his return from Tommy John surgery. The raw stuff appears to be back to pre-surgery levels, and he’s always missed enough bats — when healthy — to make an impact for fantasy managers, especially in deeper mixed leagues. At a bare minimum, Boyd is worthy of a speculative dice roll in the late stages of deeper fantasy drafts next spring as a low-risk lottery ticket.
  • INT Third Baseman
    Star third baseman Munetaka Murakami said 2025 will be his final season in Japan.
    Murakami has been a brilliant player for the Yakult Swallows, particularly in hitting .318/.458/.711 with 56 homers as a 22-year-old in 2022, but his last two seasons have been rather disappointing. In 2024, he hit .244/.379/.472 with 33 homers and 180 strikeouts in 610 plate appearances. That 851 OPS was still 206 points better than the Central League’s .645 mark on the whole, but it definitely didn’t meet expectations. Also, while Murakami has mostly played third in Japan, he’ll likely be viewed by major league teams as a first baseman. He still should set off quite a bidding war — since he’s coming over at age 26, he’ll be able to make most of his true worth in the posting system — but how he performs next season will determine whether he’s treated as one of the best corner infield free agents of all-time or just a quality regular.
  • FA Starting Pitcher #47
    The Mets and Frankie Montas are in agreement on a two-year, $34 million deal with a player option for 2026, according to Jon Heyman.
    Montas getting a two-year deal for this kind of money is quite a surprise. Even more so that it comes with a player option; if he pitches well, he’s gone after one year, and if not, he’ll be back for $17 million in 2026. Montas was thoroughly mediocre for the Reds and Brewers last season, going 7-11 with a 4.84 ERA. Maybe he’ll be better in a second full year back from shoulder surgery... the Mets obviously believe so.
  • CWS Right Fielder #32
    White Sox signed OF Cal Mitchell to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.
    If the 25-year-old is seeking an opportunity to make a big-league roster, the White Sox seem like a perfect choice. Mitchell spent the entire 2024 campaign at Triple-A El Paso where he slashed .277/.359/.512 with 22 homers, 70 RBI, 12 stolen bases and a 95/55 K/BB ratio across 469 plate appearances. He could wind up being a sneaky late-round option in the deepest of mixed league drafts if he finds his way into regular at-bats.
  • MIA Starting Pitcher #22
    Marlins’ new manager Clayton McCullough mentioned in an interview on MLB Network Radio that Sandy Alcantara should be ready for the start of the 2025 season.
    McCullough elaborated, “He looked great, he sounded great, felt like he was really right on track at this point… All signs point to things looking very positive for the start of the season.” The star 29-year-old right-hander missed the entire 2024 season while recovering from Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery. He should provide a major boost atop the Marlins’ rotation to begin the 2025 season. Early fantasy drafters haven’t forgotten about him, as his average draft position currently sits just outside the top-150 players overall.
  • INT Relief Pitcher #83
    According to Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News, Enmanuel De Jesus has signed with the KT Wiz of the Korea Baseball Organization.
    The 27-year-old will earn $1 million in 2025 including a signing bonus of $200,000. De Jesus had been receiving interest from MLB teams this off-season, but ultimately decided that it was in his best interest to remain in Korea. Th right-hander went 13-11 with a 3.68 ERA and a 178/44 K/BB ratio over 171 1/3 innings with the Kiwoom Heroes in 2024.
  • INT Outfielder #29
    Tyler Austin, Andre Jackson, Anthony Kay and Rowan Wick have all reupped with the Yokohama BayStars of Japan for the 2025 season.
    Mike Ford, on the other hand, has become a free agent after struggling to establish himself in his first year in Japan. Austin, who came up with the Yankees in 2016, is well established as one of Japan’s best hitters after five seasons with Yokohama. In 2024, he led the Central League in average, just edging out Domingo Santana, and OPS, coming in at .316/.382/.601 in 445 plate appearances.
  • INT Starting Pitcher #29
    Riley Thompson signed a one-year deal with the DC Dinos of the Korea Baseball Organization.
    It’s a one-year deal for $900,000 for Thompson. The 28-year-old has been in the Cubs’ organization since being drafted in the 11th round back in 2018, and in 2024 he forged a 5.95 ERA with a 99/44 K/BB over 107 1/3 innings.
  • LAD Starting Pitcher #7
    Dodgers signed LHP Blake Snell to a five-year, $182 million contract.
    The deal is now official after passing his physical. Snell is a major boost to the Los Angeles rotation, and when healthy he’s been among the most effective pitchers in baseball; an understatement as seen in two Cy Young awards. He should pitch near the top of the rotation, and while managers need to take some precautions based on his durability, this is a wonderful fit for both fantasy and reality.
  • INT Relief Pitcher #67
    Emmanuel Ramirez signed a one-year deal with the Seibu Lions of Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan.
    Ramirez was released by the Blue Jays back in November, and it’s not surprising the 30-year-old is heading overseas. A strong season in the NPB could give him a wider market come 2026.