MLB Player News

This was a glimpse into the best version of what Junk can be. He scattered the six hits he gave up and mostly stayed out of trouble by mixing and matching his fastball, slider, sweeper, and curveball. Everything was right around the plate or just off of it, which made him difficult to square up. As a command artisan without overpowering stuff, this is Junk’s path to success and one he’s already demonstrated a handful of times so far this season, with a few not so great starts mixed in as well. He’s scheduled for an interesting two-start week coming up against the Reds and Orioles with both starts on the road.

We thought Kimbrel might sign with one of the closer-less teams if he opted to continue his career, but that’s not the case here. The 37-year-old showed especially diminished velocity at the beginning of last year after signing with the Braves, but he did get it back some later on and wound up a 2.45 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 11 innings with the Astros at the end of the year. One of the most successful relievers of all-time, Kimbrel has racked up 440 saves, putting him fifth on the career list. His 159 ERA+ is the 10th-best figure for anyone with 500 career innings since 1900.

It didn’t take Taylor long to find a new home after being removed from Seattle’s 40-man roster earlier this week. The 27-year-old’s defensive versatility and speed make it easy to envision a super utility bench role with the Padres but he’ll have to beat out in-house alternatives like Mason McCoy and Bryce Johnson in spring training to have any shot at cracking the Opening Day roster.

Stewart has reportedly lost over 20 pounds this offseason and is expected to focus primarily on playing first base this spring with defensive stalwart Ke’Bryan Hayes occupying the hot corner in Cincinnati. The 22-year-old power-hitting prospect has a chance to be an immediate four-category impact fantasy producer after slashing a robust .309/.383/.524 with 20 homers and 17 steals in 494 plate appearances between Double-A Dayton and Triple-A Louisville last season. He’ll compete with incumbent Spencer Steer for the starting job at first base but there’s a clear path to everyday at-bats at DH after the Reds jettisoned Gavin Lux earlier this month. Stewart projects as an immediate 20-homer, 10-steal threat, which makes him an intriguing late-round selection in fantasy drafts this spring. He’s a top-20 overall prospect for dynasty purposes.

Baltimore’s newly-minted skipper added that he’s eager to work with the former top prospect this spring to get him back on track. Kjerstad missed the final two months of last season at Triple-A Norfolk with an undisclosed medical issue. The positive news is that he’s made a full recovery and will be a full-go at the outset of spring training. The 26-year-old former second-overall pick has faded from fantasy relevance in recent years but a clean bill of health and a different manager could help revive his career. His most likely path to regular at-bats involves prying playing time away from top prospects Dylan Beavers and Samuel Basallo in a hybrid role between right field and DH. He’s a name to watch in spring training, especially in deeper mixed leagues.

“Yu has not made a final decision yet. This is a complicated matter we are still working through,” Wolfe told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand in response to a report from Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune that his client had notified the Padres of his intent to retire with three years and $43 million remaining on his contract. The 39-year-old former fantasy ace underwent elbow surgery earlier this offseason and is facing a lengthy rehabilitation process. There could potentially be a resolution on his status at some point in the next few weeks before San Diego kicks off spring training.

Seabold augments Toronto’s pitching depth heading into next season after making seven relief appearances split between the Braves and Rays this past season. The 30-year-old former pitching prospect holds a lackluster 7.79 ERA — 5.81 FIP — and 96/44 K/BB ratio across 119 innings over 40 appearances (19 starts) in the big leagues since 2021.

Daniel bolsters Cincinnati’s pitching depth at Triple-A Louisville after making three appearances for the Braves last season where he posted a pedestrian 5.40 ERA across 10 innings of work. The versatile 28-year-old has made 12 appearances (eight starts) at the highest level since 2023. He’s merely organizational depth at this juncture of his career.

It remains unclear how Houston plans to incorporate Paredes into their infield mix with Christian Walker occupying first base and Carlos Correa stationed at third base. The 26-year-old slugging infielder’s pull-heavy approach seems like a perfect fit for Daikin Park’s favorable left-field dimensions and he projects as a 20-homer lock with everyday at-bats. The possibility of adding second base-eligibility is an interesting wrinkle for fantasy purposes but the Astros are committed to playing franchise cornerstone Jose Altuve at the keystone next season.

Espada added that Altuve will draw the occasional start in left field but the Astros are planning to keep him at the keystone next season. It’s undoubtedly a positive development for his long-term fantasy appeal as he’ll retain eligibility at arguably the weakest position group instead of transitioning to a full-time outfield role. The 35-year-old veteran underwent minor offseason foot surgery after hitting .265/.329/.442 with 26 homers and 10 steals over 155 games. He’s averaged 24 homers and 13 steals per-season for the last half-decade and has shown zero signs of slowing down. He’ll be an early-round selection in all fantasy drafts this spring.

Misiewicz fortifies Cincinnati’s left-handed relief depth chart entering spring training. The 31-year-old southpaw made just five appearances for the Twins last season but holds a respectable 4.12 FIP and 22.7 percent strikeout rate across 120 1/3 innings at the highest level since 2020.