MLB Player News

“We are not going to have someone designated for that role,” Venable said at spring training on Thursday. “We are going to use it to get guys off their feet, to be able to match up defensively, and to kind of leave that open as a way to do all those things.” The White Sox don’t have a player who profiles best as a designated hitter but have plenty of outfielders, so this feels like a good way to ensure that four of Mike Tauchman, Andrew Benintendi, Luis Robert Jr., Austin Slater, and Michael A. Taylor can all get consistent at-bats.

Taylor was designated for assignment by the Mariners on January 15th and was not claimed on waivers. He has decided to become a free agent rather than stay in the Seattle organization. He has slashed .205/.272/.260 line in 83 plate appearances but has a .281/.373/.432 line with 160 steals in the last four years in the minor leagues.

Passan also notes that Dominguez is expected to close for the White Sox this upcoming season. Dominguez pitched to a 3.16 ERA in 62 2/3 innings with the Orioles and Blue Jays last season with a 79/36 K/BB ratio. The 31-year-old also has experience at the end of games with 40 career saves. The White Sox aren’t likely to win many games, but Dominguez has been reliable enough to push for 20 saves if he keeps the role over the full season.

In 46 1/3 innings across eight starts this winter, Sanchez had a 1.55 ERA, which has led to him “attracting interest from clubs,” according to Ken Rosenthal. Sanchez was an All-Star back in 2016 but has not pitched in the major leagues since 2022 due to injuries and ineffectiveness. Still, he is only 33 years old, so there could be a chance he gets another shot in 2026.

As Ken Rosenthal reports, “Throughout the offseason, [David] Stearns has expressed interest in leaving the door open for Benge to crack the Opening Day roster out of spring training.” To that end, Benge “was never seriously on the table during trade conversations” and could be the favorite to break camp as the Mets’ starting left fielder. He also spent time in the offseason hitting with the Holliday family after he was one of only three players in the minors with at least 15 home runs, 20 steals, a 150 wRC+, and a strikeout rate below 20 percent. If he does win the starting job, he could be a fantasy contributor right away.

That makes sense. The Brewers only need a cheap backup with William Contreras in house and Jeferson Quero hopefully ready to step in if disaster strikes, and McGuire is a plus defender, if nothing else. He hit .226/.245/.444 in 140 plate appearances for the Cubs last season, and his EV numbers did not back up the surprising power spike.

Castro is getting $6.4 million per season, which matches his 2025 salary in his final year of arbitration. If the Rockies treat him like a regular — and they don’t seem to the type to pay $6.4 million for a backup — then he’ll probably offer some value in deeper leagues. It will hinge on how much he runs; he’s totaled 24 steals the last two years after finishing with 33 in 2023 alone. But his average is due for a nice bump in Coors, and he’ll probably prove to be one of the team’s best options at the top of the lineup, as sad as that might be.

Acton was a waiver claim from the Rays in November after returning from Tommy John to post a 3.68 ERA and a 71/27 K/BB in 58 2/3 innings for Triple-A Durham last season. He’ll probably be stashed by another team and then DFA’d again before you know it.

Scherzer was heavily linked to the Giants after they hired his good friend Tony Vitello as their new manager, but San Francisco preferred Adrian Houser and Tyler Mahle. Scherzer quite probably will be in greater demand when pitchers start going down in spring training, so it wouldn’t hurt to wait.

Young’s elite defense makes him a useful player right now, and he’s just 26 with four years to go before free agency. Still, defense declines with age, and once Young goes from great to merely good in center field, his lack of offensive ability will render him a reserve. If the Nationals can get something significant for him, they’d probably make the move. That’s especially the case if they project Robert Hassell III to be of much use as at least a part-time starter in center.

The Mets will try to sneak Lovelady through waivers three months after signing him to a one-year deal as a free agent. Lovelady gave up seven earned runs in 10 innings for the Mets last season. He has a career 5.35 ERA in 111 innings since debuting in 2019.