MLB Player News

Back when Jax was acquired from the Twins at the trade deadline, there was a fair amount of speculation that the Rays would try him as a starter in 2026. Still, as much fun as that might be, he certainly has more fantasy upside as a closer candidate with Pete Fairbanks gone. If he, like Fairbanks before him, can force Kevin Cash to mostly abandon his committee tendencies, he has a real chance to be a top-10 RP in 2026.

Kopech would give the Giants a potential high-leverage option if he landed there, but one who has routinely had to spend time on the injured list. He still throws hard when on the mound, however, and it’s not surprising to see teams showing interest in procuring his services.

Keller was excellent in 2025 with a 2.07 ERA and 75/22 K/BB over 69 2/3 innings, and has interest from teams both as a reliever and a starter on the open market. The Blue Jays have already added Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce to their group, but it appears they want more depth, and Keller could work either as a multi-inning option or starter in 2026. If he’s in the former, there’s very little fantasy value.

Curet, who just turned 23 in November, was a rather surprising choice to get DFA’d when the Rays needed to open up a spot on the 40-man last week. He missed time in 2025 and finished with a 3.90 ERA and a 62/31 K/BB over 55 1/3 innings in his 14 starts and two relief appearances between Double- and Triple-A. He doesn’t have a truly plus second pitch yet, but his sinker averages 96 mph and there’s some potential with both his slider and changeup. He’ll likely open up next season in the Phillies’ Triple-A rotation.

The deal got done after McCollum went unpicked in the Rule 5 draft. The 26-year-old reliever had a 3.07 ERA and a 59/16 K/BB in 55 2/3 innings at three levels last season. He’s a fringe bullpen candidate, but he’s not on the 40-man and he’ll have all of his option years if he’s added, making him nice to have around.

Carballo won’t turn 18 until August, so this is very much a long-term play. The right-handed hitting catcher did perform well in his first professional action as seen in an .874 OPS over 41 games in the Dominican Summer League.

Susac lasted about two hours with the Twins after being selected by Minnesota in the Rule 5 draft. The 24-year-old will have a chance to win a backup job with the Giants this spring.

Baumler was the fifth pick in the Rule 5 draft, getting taken out of the Orioles system. The soon-to-be 24-year-old has pitched just 7 2/3 innings in Double-A and none in Triple-A, so he’ll be facing a big jump as he tries to win a spot in the Texas bullpen.

This was the Pirates’ haul for trading out of the fifth slot in the Rule 5 draft. Garcia, 20, had a 4.66 ERA in 19 1/3 innings in the Arizona Complex League last season, but the Pirates might be impressed by what he’s doing in the Venezuelan Winter League; he has a 0.77 ERA at the moment, even though he’s walked 10 in 11 2/3 innings.

MLB’s 2026 schedule had both teams with Friday and Monday off surrounding a two-game series in Arizona, so it was obvious something was up. Those games will be played at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú Béisbol in Mexico City. Expect a couple of high-scoring affairs; when the Padres and Giants played there in 2023, the two teams combined for 37 runs between the two games.

Edwin Díaz is gone, but Rogers in the eighth and Devin Williams in the ninth would still give the Mets an exceptional late-game duo. Rogers, a free agent for the first time, is almost certain to land the first multiyear deal of his career at age 35.