MLB Player News

Ruiz has the ability to elect free agency and will presumably do exactly that in the coming days. The 30-year-old righty was removed from Atlanta’s relief mix earlier this week after struggling in a pair of appearances after being claimed off waivers from the Phillies.

On one hand, Abrams is coming off his best offensive season, slashing .257/.315/.433 with 19 home runs, 92 runs scored, and 31 steals. On the other hand, Abrams has had some off-field issues that led him to be sent to Triple-A by the last management team. With a new president of baseball operations, the Nationals could decide to move on from Abrams and start fresh. The shortstop is projected by MLBTR to make $4.6 million in arbitration next year and will be eligible for free agency after the 2028 season.

Stefanic was with the Blue Jays last season, going just 4-for-22 at the big league level and hitting .287/.403/.383 with six home runs and six steals in 106 games at Triple-A. He figures to serve as organizational depth for the Athletics, given his ability to play everywhere on the infield.

Could this be another bullpen-to-rotation transition for the Mets? Edwards has only ever been a reliever in the big leagues, posting a 3.56 ERA across 286 innings throughout his career, but he did start in Mexico last season and then in seven games at Triple-A for the Rangers, posting a 5.31 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, and a 26-percent strikeout rate. It seems more likely the Mets keep Edwards in the bullpen, and he’ll also likely only serve as organizational depth, but he’s an interesting name to watch in spring training.

There is no timeline beyond that, so the shortstop’s return will depend on how his off-season recovery goes. The Yankees went from insisting Volpe wasn’t playing through an injury to likely being without their starting shortstop for at least the first month of the season. Jose Caballero figures to begin the year at short for the Yankees, unless they make a move in the off-season.

The previous update from the club put Cole on track to face hitters in spring training but be delayed to start next season. Now, it seems like the veteran right-hander will miss at least the first two months of the year. Given what we have seen from pitchers coming back off of a full year lost to Tommy John surgery, Cole shouldn’t be drafted in re-draft leagues before a later-round flyer. He’s likely to be scooped up earlier than that in most drafts based on name recognition alone.

We already knew that the left-hander was unlikely to be ready for the start of the season, but now we have a more firm timeline. Given Rodón‘s lengthy injury history, we would assume he doesn’t debut until May. He would present a major risk/reward for fantasy managers who are willing to roll the dice after he had bone spurs removed from his elbow this off-season

Soroka had moments of success this past season, but also struggled with multiple injuries. He was particularly strong in the second half, posting a 2.01 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and 21/10 K/BB ratio in 22.1 innings. He was also particularly effective out of the bullpen in 2024, so it remains to be seen how Arizona plans to deploy him. However, we would assume he will at least begin the season in the Diamondbacks’ rotation.

Campbell struggled in his first taste of MLB action, but the former top-20 overall prospect has revamped his swing, simplifying his load and the jerky action of his arms. That and his adding muscle have the Red Sox betting on a bounce-back season. Campbell is now allegedly a full-time outfielder, and the Red Sox could trade Jarren Duran this offseason, which would open up a spot on the roster for Campbell in 2026.

Lin is quick to point out that a deal isn’t likely, but the Padres are desperate to fill out their thin starting rotation and add an impact bat, so they might need to trade a controllable asset like Pivetta to fill multiple roster spots. There is also the risk of losing Pivetta for nothing. The 32-year-old has two years and $32 million remaining on his contract, but he can opt out of the deal after this year, which he might do if he has another strong season. “Trading Pivetta could give the Padres payroll flexibility and resources to pursue multiple controllable starters,” so this remains a situation to monitor.

Bader is primarily known for his defense, which makes sense for the Giants since Jung Hoo Lee has graded out poorly in center field since coming to the States. However, Bader is also coming off one of his best offensive seasons, hitting .277/.347/.449 with 17 homers in 501 plate appearances for the Twins and Phillies. He has shown flashes of solid production when healthy in the past and could be a decent signing for the Giants.