MLB Player News

It’s not an unsurprising decision since Melendez was off to a dreadful start, hitting .085 (4-for-47) with one homer and 20 strikeouts in 52 plate appearances across 16 games. The 26-year-old former top prospect boasts impressive raw power, but he simply hasn’t gotten to it consistently enough at the highest level to stick in an everyday role. It’s frustrating for fantasy managers since he made some swing changes during the offseason, but the results never came. There isn’t a place on a contending roster for a strictly platoon corner outfield that isn’t hitting. He’ll head to the minors and attempt to hit the reset button.

The Angels could have non-tendered Adell a year ago, but they’re glad they didn’t after he busted out with 37 homers and 98 RBI during a season in which he hit .236/.293/.485. The 26-year-old currently has two seasons to go before free agency.

Two years before his major league debut, Soriano collected a year of service time as an injured Rule 5 pick in 2021, making him arbitration eligible now. The 27-year-old had a 4.26 ERA in 31 starts for the Angels last season. He’d seem to offer considerably more upside with his ability to miss bats and generate grounders, but his situation in Anaheim has held him back somewhat.

Burke did a nice job in his first full season with the Angels, picking up seven wins and 15 holds while amassing a 3.36 ERA in relief. This will be his final season before he becomes eligible for free agency at age 30.

The Cubs weren’t going to fight it out with their newly acquired right-hander, so he’ll get a $2.5 million raise in his second of four arbitration seasons. Cabrera had a 3.53 ERA in 26 starts for the Marlins last season.

Assad was a first-time arbitration eligible, so the option would cover his second year there. The 28-year-old Assad missed most of 2025, but he has a 3.43 ERA in 54 starts and 24 relief appearances for the Cubs since debuting in 2022. Alas, the missed time and the subpar peripherals have knocked him down the depth chart some, and he’ll enter camp no higher than seventh in line for the rotation. He could pitch out of the pen, but Triple-A is also a possibility.

Bellinger wants a seven-year deal through his age-37 season. It’s unclear how many years the Yankees are offering, but they might want to stick with five-year deals similar to what Kyle Schwarber and Pete Alonso received. Of course, Bellinger is younger than those two and offers far more defensive value. His offensive track record doesn’t quite match up, though.

Gonzalez was incredibly valuable for Boston last year, beginning the year as a bench bat and then emerging as a near full-time player. He slashed .305/.343/.483 with nine home runs and six steals in 341 plate appearances. He will likely be a valuable super sub for Boston in 2026.

Casas is a bit of a forgotten man in Boston, but the soon-to-be 26-year-old could be the favorite for DH duties as of now. Casas has had some unfortunate injuries in his brief career, including a season-ending knee injury last season, but he has an .800 career OPS in 251 MLB games. He was once one of the top prospects in baseball and still could have a bright MLB future ahead of him.

Good for Skubal actually daring to push some boundaries here in his final season before free agency. The back-to-back AL Cy Young Award winner is seeking a raise from the $10.15 million he earned last season. The Tigers filed just under the $19.75 million that David Price made in 2015, which is the record for an arbitration-eligible pitcher. Skubal’s $32 million submission would top Juan Soto’s $31 million earned in 2024 as the record for any arbitration-eligible player.

Houck will likely miss most of next season after undergoing elbow surgery, but he’s also arbitration-eligible in 2027, so the Red Sox will have him under contract for two more years.