MLB Player News

We’re not sure how the Dodgers were able to get two prospects in the Red Sox’s top 30 overall prospects for two months of May, especially Tibbs, who was Boston’s 5th-ranked prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. Tibbs was the 13th overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft and was a central component of the return package in the Rafael Devers trade earlier this summer. That being said, Tibbs hit just .205/.321/.268 in 29 games in Double-A for Boston with a 27.6 percent strikeout rate, so the organization may have questioned his long-term upside. That being said, he’s just 22 years old, so it feels very early to give up on him.

Quite the morning for the Phillies, who have also reportedly agreed to a five-year deal with slugger Kyle Schwarber. Thomson has thrived since taking over for Joe Girardi during the 2022 season, posting a 346-251 (.580) record. The Phillies have won back-to-back NL East championships, but that regular season excellence hasn’t gotten them back to the World Series. With this new contract, Thomson will try to finish the job.

The big moves keep on coming. Per Jeff Passan of ESPN, Díaz will get a three-year deal worth $69 million, which sets a new AAV (average annual value) record for a reliever at $23 million. Díaz also held the previous record AAV at $20.4 million. Apparently the Mets just weren’t willing to go that high. Regardless, it always made sense that the back-to-back World Series champion Dodgers would make a play, as their bullpen was the glaring weakness for the club in 2025. It’s safe to say they satisfied that need. After an up-and-down first season back from knee surgery in 2024, the 31-year-old Díaz posted a 1.63 ERA with 28 saves and 98/21 K/BB ratio over 66 1/3 innings this past season. He’s quite simply one of the best in the game.

Schwarber received plenty of interest on the open market, but he ultimately will return to Philadelphia, where he was the NL MVP runner-up in 2025 after hitting .240/.365/.563 with 56 home runs and an NL-leading 132 RBIs. There was some thought that his being 33 years old and only a designated hitter would hurt his value on the market, but that was clearly not the case, as he’ll get $30 million a season until he’s 38 years old. This is great news for the Phillies, and fantasy managers know what to expect from Schwarber in a Phillies uniform. Passan indicates that his signing could also “accelerate” the free agent market.

Kim is coming off a rough, injury-plagued season in which he hit .234/.304/.345 in 48 games with the Rays and Braves. He was significantly better with Atlanta to close the year, hitting .253/.316/.368 with three home runs and 12 RBI in 24 games. In his career, Kim has been a solid defender at shortstop and also shown the ability to play second base and third base. The Tigers have been using Zach McKinstry a lot at shortstop with Trey Sweeney not developing the way the team had hoped. That means the spot could be open for a free agent, like Kim.

The Astros are looking to use offseason trades to acquire young starting pitchers and have also been linked to Shane Baz and Connelly Early. Burrow is 26 years old and coming off a decent season with the Pirates, in which he posted a 3.94 ERA in 96 innings with a 24 percent strikeout rate. Burrow has decent velocity on his fastball with decent shape and a changeup that eats up left-handed hitters. His slider has flashed the ability to get swinging strikes against righties, so there is a path here for him to become an interesting starter if he can develop that slider a bit more.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported earlier in the offseason that he believes it’s “finally time” for Robert to be traded, so we’re going to see a few teams being linked to him. What makes this report interesting is that there doesn’t seem to be a place for Robert in San Diego with Fernando Tatis, Jackson Merrill, and Ramon Laureano as the starting outfield. However, there have also been trade rumors surrounding Tatis Jr. as the Padres look to shed salary and add young, controllable starting pitchers. Perhaps there could be a few levers being pulled here.

May finally pitched over 60 innings in a season, throwing 132 1/3 innings for the Dodgers and Red Sox. However, he struggled, posting a 4.96 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, and 123/56 K/BB ratio. He has never quite delivered on his intriguing pitch shapes, but he would likely get another shot in the rotation if he landed with the White Sox.

The deal was announced last week and is now official. It includes a mutual option for the 2028 season as well. Kay is returning to the U.S. after two seasons in Japan with the Yokohama BayStars. Last season, he registered a 1.74 ERA and a 130/41 K/BB in 155 innings. He should get a shot to fill a spot in the White Sox rotation, but $6 million per season is not the type of money that guarantees him that spot if he doesn’t perform.

Schwarber played for Team USA back in 2023 and hit two home runs in five games. He’s coming off a season in which he hit 56 home runs and drove in 132 RBIs. The pending free agent will be joined on Team USA by fellow new additions second baseman Brice Turang, shortstop Gunnar Henderson, and catcher Will Smith, who were all announced today.

The Red Sox want to bring Alex Bregman back to play third base, but they are also pursuing Bo Bichette and Isaac Paredes for the same role. The Astros are in the market for young pitchers with multiple years of control, and the Red Sox have plenty, so the teams could align on a deal, especially since Carlos Correa can play third base in Houston now. Paredes missed much of the second half of the season with a hamstring injury, but he’s under team control for two more seasons, makes under $10 million per year, and has a pulled fly ball approach that would work well in Fenway Park.