MLB Player News

After Thursday’s acquisition of Freddy Fermin from the Royals, unfortunately Maldonado became expendable. The 38-year-old backstop slashed an uninspiring .204/.245/.327 with four home runs and 12 RBI in 161 plate appearances for the Padres this season. It’s possible that this could be the end of the line for him.

Mervis made the most of his opportunity off the bench, drawing a walk, swiping a base, and later scorching a game-tying two-run double to right-center in the eighth inning. The 27-year-old former top first-base prospect never found sustained footing in a pair of brief stints with the Cubs and struggled to a .175 average with seven homers over 42 games for the Marlins last season. A strong spring could put him in the mix for a spot on Washington’s Opening Day roster, but from a fantasy standpoint, the bar is steep – especially in an era where the first-base pool is deeper than it used to be.

García’s move to Philadelphia represents a much-needed environment shift that could restore some of the over-the-fence thunder. The underlying indicators – exit velocity and barrel rate – never truly abandoned him last season, even as injuries and rising swing-and-miss tendencies chipped away at his on-base percentage. The power still lives in the bat; the question is how consistently it shows up. The speed, however, has quietly receded. At 33, projecting double-digit steals feels optimistic rather than expected. There’s still usable tread on these tires, but the version of García who threatened 30/20 seasons may belong to a previous chapter. What remains is a hitter whose value will increasingly hinge on how often the ball leaves the yard.

Ornelas remains with San Diego after passing through waivers unclaimed following his removal from the club’s 40-man roster earlier this week. The 25-year-old slugging outfielder got into seven games for the Padres this past season, going 1-for-14 with an RBI during that span. He’ll stick around as emergency organizational depth on the doorstep of the big leagues.

Ramírez looks like he skipped the ramp-up phase entirely this spring, taking minor leaguer Antonio Menendez deep for a three-run homer in the fifth inning to cap a multi-hit performance that also featured a run-scoring ground-rule double earlier in the contest. The 33-year-old franchise icon remains the top fantasy option at the hot corner after returning first-round fantasy value in each of the past two seasons. He’ll be a top 10 pick in all fantasy drafts this spring.

Lawlar’s torrid spring continued in this one, punctuating a three-hit effort with an eighth-inning solo shot that left the bat at 104.1 mph and traveled 364 feet, per Statcast. The 23-year-old top prospect hasn’t yet translated his minor-league resume into sustained big-league production across a few abbreviated stints, but the tools have never been the question. With Arizona evaluating him as a potential everyday option in center field, a strong spring could force the issue for an Opening Day roster spot. In shallow mixed leagues, we’ve reached wait-and-see territory — but this is the type of elite talent that tends to resurface the moment consensus drifts too far toward doubt.

DeLauter is vying for a spot on Cleveland’s season-opening roster as the club’s starting center fielder after making his big-league debut during last year’s postseason. The 24-year-old top prospect has struggled to stay healthy the last few seasons, mostly due to lingering foot issues, but he hasn’t dealt with any physical issues this spring and is off to a nice start at the dish. He offers enough consistent hard contact and quality plate skills to envision an immediate fantasy impact but he’s more of a late-round lottery ticket for fantasy purposes.

Waldschmidt’s seventh-inning blast came against big-league reliever Pedro Avila and was his first round-tripper of the spring. The 23-year-old is one of the more intriguing prospects with a chance to break camp in the majors this spring after hitting .289/.419/.473 with 18 homers and 29 steals in 134 games between Double-A Amarillo and High-A Hillsboro this past season. He’ll need to beat out someone like fellow top prospect Jordan Lawlar this spring, which seems a bit unlikely. He’ll likely open the year back in the upper minors with a chance to arrive sooner than later.

Bibee recorded one strikeout and allowed just one baserunner, needing 32 pitches (17 strikes) to spin a pair of frames. His fastball velocity – 94.6 mph – was right in line with last year’s average, which is a positive sign. The 26-year-old righty underwhelmed last season with a 4.24 ERA – 3.62 xERA – and 162/54 K/BB ratio across 182 1/3 innings over 31 starts. He projects as a low-upside top 60 range starting pitcher that will go right around pick 200 in most fantasy drafts this spring.

Barring a couple of injuries, Brown’s only path to making the Cubs is as a reliever, but the team is keeping him stretched out for now. If all goes as hoped for the Cubs, there’s a good chance he’ll end the season as a setup man. First, though, he might open up in Triple-A Iowa’s rotation.

Lugo averaged 92.5 mph with his fastball today, which is a bit ahead of last year’s mark of 91.7 mph. He probably got started a little earlier than usual in his spring prep, as he’s being counted on to serve as Puerto Rico’s ace in the WBC.