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MLB Player News

Rotoworld

  • FA Relief Pitcher #54
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    Danny Coulombe and the Twins have agreed to terms, the New York Post’s Jon Heyman reports.
    Coulombe was a rather surprising non-tender by the Orioles after an injury-plagued 2024 that saw him post a 2.12 ERA in 29 2/3 innings. He will essentially replace Caleb Thielbar as the top lefty in the Twins pen.
  • LAD Shortstop #3
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    The Athleti’s Fabian Ardaya reports that Chris Taylor made a mechanical tweak to his swing this off-season.
    As Taylor himself put it, “It’s fixing the bat path. I could be a little under fastballs a lot. So trying to be a little more direct.” Taylor did have a .765 OPS in 73 plate appearances after the All-Star break and can play all over the diamond, so if he did improve his swing in the off-season, he could push his way back to starting a couple of games a week as a super utility player.
  • ARI Starting Pitcher #19
    Sports Illustrated’s Alex D’Agostino reports that, if the season were to start today, Ryne Nelson would likely be pitching out of the bullpen.
    D’Agostino is just speculating based on the Diamondbacks’ current roster construction, but he mentioned that “Nelson’s experience and success as a reliever would allow the D-backs to use him as a long reliever and an extra starter in case of injury.” As of now, D’Agostino believes that Brandon Pfaadt is likely holding the fifth spot in the Diamondbacks rotation, and while Nelson could pitch his way into the rotation, it’s unlikely to happen before the start of the season unless there’s a trade.
  • FA Second Baseman #23
    The Athletic’s Dan Hayes reports that the Twins have been “recently inquiring about free agents Luis Urías and Paul DeJong.”
    The Twins had been interested in Jon Berti before he signed with the Cubs, and so Urias and DeJong seem like the pivots. Hayes suggested that the Twins are focused on “adding a veteran backup shortstop [who] could help the Twins better navigate a potential lengthy absence for Carlos Correa, who missed 53 games last season with plantar fasciitis in his right foot.” Urias is the better defender of the two, but DeJong has been a better offensive player and hit .227/.276/.427 in 482 plate appearances for the Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals.
  • SF Shortstop #37
    Giants acquired INF Osleivis Basabe from the Rays for cash considerations.
    The Rays had designated Basabe for assignment earlier this week, so the Giants swooped in and facilitated a trade. The 24-year-old was the ninth-ranked prospect in the Rays’ system last year and slashed .251/.309/.361 in 330 plate appearances with seven home runs and six steals in 78 games at Triple-A in 2024. He’s a strong defender at shortstop and third base, so he could compete for a back-up infield role in San Francisco.
  • PHI Starting Pitcher #76
    The Athletic’s Keith Law suggested that Phillies top prospect RHP Andrew Painter could debut in 2025 in a relief role.
    Painter missed all of last season after a UCL tear required Tommy John surgery. He was able to throw in the Arizona Fall League but pitched only 15 2/3 innings, so the Phillies will remain cautious with his innings in 2025 since he’s only 21 years old. Law believes that Painter will start the year in Triple-A, acquit himself well, and “end up in the majors in some kind of relief or swing role as the Phillies manage his innings and try to develop his changeup and his command.” While that makes sense for the Phillies, it would mean little fantasy value for Painter in 2025.
  • MLB Commissioner
    The Athletic’s Evan Drellich reported that MLB owners will push to discuss a salary cap at this week’s meetings in Florida and that “another lockout appears likely when the CBA expires at midnight entering December 2nd.”
    Considering baseball’s ratings are up across the board over the last two seasons, it would be devastating for the sport to endure another lockout. However, not everybody seems to agree, as commissioner Rob Manfred seemed to suggest that lockouts should be considered normal. “In a bizarre way, it’s actually a positive,” he said last month. “The great thing about offseason lockouts is the leverage that exists gets applied between the bargaining parties.” Meanwhile, MLBPA executive director Tony Clark has strongly expressed the opposite opinion: “Players know from first-hand experience that a lockout is neither routine nor positive...It’s a weapon, plain and simple, implemented to pressure players and their families by taking away a player’s ability to work.” The MLBPA has said in the past that they will not accept a salary cap, so if the owners do decide that it’s something they all agree on to address the revenue disparity between smaller- and larger-market teams, we could be looking at another shutdown. The cap isn’t the only issue on the table as Drellich said, “Manfred wants to change the way the league handles TV distribution...he wants to significantly alter revenue sharing, the way teams share money amongst themselves. Those are difficult issues politically amongst clubs, one that a cap could help smooth over.”
  • FA Right Fielder #24
    Francys Romero reported that Avisaíl García will miss the entire 2025 season while recovering from back surgery.
    Garcia hit .240/.255/.380 with two homers, two RBI, and a 13/1 K/BB ratio over 51 plate appearances with the Marlins in 2024 and was designated for assignment in June. He then underwent lower back surgery in October and, according to Romero, “is not expected to play in the 2025 season until winter ball in Venezuela.” At that point, García will be 34 years old and will be hoping to show enough in winter ball to earn an invitation to spring training somewhere.
  • SF Relief Pitcher #56
    Giants signed RHP Lou Trivino to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.
    Trivino hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since 2022 after a series of arm injuries, but he recently threw for scouts, and the Giants obviously came away impressed. From 2020-2022, Trivino had a 3.76 ERA and a 24.5 percent strikeout rate as a member of the Athletics and Yankees. If he’s fully healthy, the 33-year-old could be a useful piece of the Giants bullpen.
  • FA Center Fielder #22
    The Athletic’s Katie Woo reported that the Pirates signed OF Tommy Pham to a one-year, $4 million contract.
    The contract is a major-league deal, with an additional $250,000 in incentives, so the 37-year-old Pham will be firmly in the mix for a starting outfield job in Pittsburgh. 2024 was a busy season for Pham, who hit .266/.330/.380 with five home runs and six steals in 297 plate appearances for the White Sox before being traded to the St. Louis Cardinals ahead of the trade deadline. When the Cardinals fell out of playoff contention, they placed Pham on waivers after just 77 plate appearances. He later signed with the Royals and struggled to a .228/.250/.337 slash line in 104 plate appearances. Pham is a career .258/.346/.427 hitter who can play all three outfield spots, so he likely gives the Pirates a better bat in right field than Joshua Palacios or even Henry Davis, both of whom were expected to compete for that role.
  • FA First Baseman #20
    ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports the Mets are re-signing Pete Alonso to a two-year, $54 million contract.
    Passan adds that the deal includes an opt-out following the 2025 season and a $24 million player option for 2026. New York badly needed this one after the two sides remained locked in a prolonged offseason standoff. Alonso’s return to the Big Apple seemed inevitable, especially when the rest of the cold corner dominoes began to fall, leaving few alternative landing spots. The 30-year-old slugger has launched at least 34 round-trippers in each of the previous five full seasons dating back to 2019 and finds himself in the absolute perfect spot from a fantasy standpoint. He’ll benefit tremendously from batting cleanup behind generational talents Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto in a loaded Mets lineup that also includes Mark Vientos blossoming into a middle-of-the-order force. He’s one of the safest four-category, run-producing stalwarts in the fantasy landscape and returning to New York further cements his early-round status in drafts this spring.