MLB Player News

Just turning 27 in January, Muñoz would have co-headlined this year’s reliever class with Edwin Díaz had he not signed a long-term deal as a 22-year-old. He’ll get about one-third of his fair-market value next year, and the Mariners will still have club options on him for $8 million in 2027 and $10 million in 2028. At least he can earn up to an extra $2 million next year based on games finished.

After the White Sox traded for Jordan Hicks and signed Seranthony Dominguez, it was clear they did not view Grant Taylor as a potential closer. However, the former starter is not moving back into the rotation either. The team will keep him in a bulk relief role, and Taylor himself is targeting 100 innings pitched as his goal for this upcoming season. White Sox manager Will Venable had a slightly different idea, saying, “We are going to have more freedom to use Grant to win games, as opposed to fulfill some innings limit.” However, Venable acknowledged that Taylor may one day move back to starting games, so they would like to keep him as stretched out as possible. While we don’t normally draft middle relievers in fantasy baseball, it does seem like Taylor will be given plenty of innings and brought in during plenty of close games, which could lead to a surprising amount of fantasy value.

Gasper had been with the Red Sox previously, so this is a bit of a reunion for the 30-year-old. He has hit .303/.406/.512 in 117 games in Triple-A over the last three years, but that has not carried over to the MLB level, where he’s slashed .133/.250/.195 in 58 games with the Red Sox and Twins over the last two years.

The Yankees just claimed Hamel off waivers from the Rangers earlier this week, but he’ll be let go to make room for Yanquiel Fernandez. Dom was once a top prospect for the Mets but had just a 5.32 ERA in 11 starts and 20 relief appearances for Triple-A Syracuse in 2025.

There’s no room in the Yankees outfield for Fernandez, with both Spencer Jones and Jasson Dominguez not even getting at-bats; however, this is a good claim for the Yankees. Fernandez is just 23 years old and hit .284/.347/.502 with 13 home runs and just a 14 percent strikeout rate in 64 games at Triple-A Albuquerque in 2025. He also posted a 46 percent pull rate, which should play for a left-handed hitter in Yankee Stadium.

While the Pirates have a genuine interest in Valdez, there is a belief that their interest may just raise the price for other bidders. As Rosenthal notes, “The Baltimore Orioles have been linked to Valdez the entire offseason,” and “the Atlanta Braves and San Diego Padres continue to pursue starters.” However, the Pirates did hire Bill Murphy as their new pitching coach. He has “worked with Valdez for the vast majority of the pitcher’s professional career, as both a minor- and major-league coach with the Houston Astros,” so that may be enough for the left-hander to honestly entertain joining the Pirates.

The Pirates have enough defensive versatility with their current starting lineup that they could add a hitter who is mainly a DH. It would mean Ryan O’Hearn would play primary first base and also some left field, while Spencer Horwitz and Jake Mangum would also work in at those positions. The Pirates may not want one of those players to be moved out of the lineup, but they could certainly use Ozuna’s thump in the middle of their order.

Drury was tremendous in spring training for the White Sox last year before suffering an injury that eventually led to his release. He’d later join the Angels but spent the entire year in the minors. The veteran hit 26 home runs in 2023 and was a Silver Slugger winner in 2022 before his production fell off in 2024. It’s a worthwhile gamble for the Royals.

Adams is a former first-round pick who has bounced around over the past few years, and he’ll need an outstanding spring training if he has any chance to make the Brewers’ Opening Day roster.

Valdez has been linked to the Orioles and Mets, but there’s another team playing in the East that reportedly has interest in the former Houston ace. Even with Toronto adding Dylan Cease and having a pretty full rotation, it’s not surprising to see them having interest in a player with the ability of Valdez as they look to return — and possibly win — the World Series.

Diaz won out after the Astros filed at just $3 million. The catcher hit .256 with 20 homers, 70 RBI and a 95/20 K/BB ratio over his 567 plate appearances with Houston in 2025.