MLB Player News

Fernandez got the call to join the Cardinals’ bullpen mix ahead of Friday’s game against the Padres. He’ll operate in middle relief moving forward.

Matz fortifies Tampa Bay’s relief depth after compiling a strong 3.05 ERA (3.46 FIP) and 59/11 K/BB ratio across 76 2/3 innings over 53 appearances between the Cardinals and Red Sox this past season. The 34-year-old southpaw has excelled since transitioning to a full-time relief role but his fantasy appeal is virtually non-existent since he’s mostly toiling away in middle relief.

Davidson batted ,167 (7-for-42) with one homer and four RBI across 19 games between the Athletics and Angels this past season. The 27-year-old augments Tampa Bay’s first base depth behind Jonathan Aranda heading into next season.

Karinchak hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since the 2023 campaign when he was with the Guardians. He missed most of the ensuing season with shoulder problems. The 30-year-old reliever was cut loose by the White Sox back in June after posting a respectable 2.45 ERA across 29 1/3 innings (24 appearances) for Triple-A Charlotte. He’ll compete for a spot in Atlanta’s bullpen during spring training.

Feinsand adds that executives believe Schwarber may be the first major free-agent domino to fall, with a reunion in Philadelphia viewed as a legitimate possibility. The Mets, Red Sox, Reds and Pirates are also among the clubs showing strong interest in the 32-year-old slugger, who led the National League with 56 homers and 132 RBI last season. His decision looms large: once Schwarber chooses his landing spot, several teams will finally be able to pivot and execute the secondary moves they’ve been waiting on.

Everything went really, really well in terms of recovery,” added Breslow. “He’s doing really well, stronger, he’s put on some weight. He looks more physical.” The 22-year-old former top prospect, who underwent wrist surgery back in August, is the odds-on favorite to open next season as Boston’s starting third baseman assuming they’re unable to re-sign veteran Alex Bregman. He batted just .228/.272/.402 with four homers in 136 plate appearances over 44 games, but it’s simply too small of a sample to draw any firm conclusions, especially given his prospect pedigree. He’ll enter spring training at just 23 years old and represents an interesting buy-low candidate for fantasy managers in dynasty formats.

Bieber, who exercised his $16 million player option last month to return to Toronto for 2026, made just a handful of starts this past season in his return from Tommy John surgery. The 30-year-old looked sharp in seven regular-season starts and was outstanding in the postseason, but the Blue Jays clearly don’t want him ramping up too quickly in camp. He’ll be a clear top-50 range starting pitcher for fantasy purposes despite some lingering workload concerns.

Wheeler underwent surgery in late September to address venous thoracic outlet syndrome following an operation in mid-August to remove a blood clot near his right shoulder. The 35-year-old fantasy ace is unlikely to be ready for Opening Day based on the club’s initial recovery timeline of 6-8 months. There should be a clearer estimate for his season debut once he ramps up his throwing program in spring training.

It doesn’t sound like a serious concern with roughly two-plus months left until the outset of spring training. The 25-year-old third baseman finished as a top-10 fantasy contributor at the hot corner this past season when he batted .286/.351/.449 with 81 runs scored, 16 homers, 74 RBI and 23 steals in 666 plate appearances over 160 games. There should be an official update on his status from the Royals at some point in the near future.

Rome and Rosenthal add that a potential deal is not believed to be close with some league sources characterizing Baz as unlikely to be traded but other sources indicated that the two sides discussed the framework of a potential deal. The 26-year-old former top prospect finished last season with a lackluster 4.87 ERA (4.37 FIP) but did post an encouraging 24.8 percent strikeout rate over 166 1/3 innings across a career-high 31 starts.

Suarez has been linked to the Dodgers and Mets in recent weeks based on reporting from The Athletic’s network of beat reporters. The Blue Jays have an established closer in Jeff Hoffman, but they’re clearly still looking to upgrade the back-end of their bullpen in an effort to make it back to the Fall Classic after coming up just short. The 34-year-old former Padres stopper has been one of the better closers in the fantasy landscape over the past few seasons and will likely remain an elite option regardless of where he ends up.