Details Of Phil Maton's Deal Revealed

While the Tampa Bay Rays' signing of free-agent relief pitcher Phil Maton is pending a physical exam and may not be finalized until next week, the framework of the deal is now in place, per Tampa Bay Times' Marc Topkin. The 30-year-old is set to make $6.25 million in 2024, with a 2025 option for […]

Giants Trade For Ethan Small

The San Francisco Giants acquired pitcher Ethan Small from the Milwaukee Brewers Monday for cash considerations, per NBC Sports Bay Area's Alex Pavlovic. The 26-year-old lefty spent most of his 2023 out of the bullpen with Triple-A Nashville, compiling a 3.18 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, and 28.5% strikeout rate in 51 innings pitched. It remains to […]

Brewers, Jakob Junis Agree To One-Year Deal Monday

The Milwaukee Brewers and free-agent pitcher Jakob Junis agreed to a one-year, $7 million deal, pending a physical, per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. The 31-year-old will be paid $4 million this season with a $3 million buyout on a mutual option. The Brewers currently have some holes to fill in their starting rotation, so Junis […]

Phillies Claim Diego Castillo Off Waivers From Yankees

The Philadelphia Phillies claimed infielder/outfielder Diego Castillo off waivers from the New York Yankees on Monday. Castillo has been passed around this offseason and now lands with his fourth different organization. The 26-year-old Venezuelan utility man made his major-league debut in 2022 with the Pittsburgh Pirates and went 54-for-262 (.206) with 11 home runs, 29 […]

Rangers Re-Sign Danny Duffy To Minor-League Deal

The Texas Rangers re-signed left-hander Danny Duffy to a minor-league deal with an invitation to major-league spring training on Monday. In addition to Duffy, the Rangers also signed catcher Jose Godoy and left-hander Chasen Shreve. The 35-year-old Duffy didn't appear in the big leagues with the World Series champions in 2023, instead going 2-2 with […]

Anthony Bender Says He's Healthy

Miami Marlins relief pitcher Anthony Bender (elbow) said that he's fully recovered from Tommy John surgery that he had in August of 2022 and is expecting to enter spring training without any limitations. "I'm ready to go in and help out anywhere I can," Bender said. "If there's a spot where my name is called, […]

Ricky Tiedemann Invited To Spring Training

Toronto Blue Jays pitching prospect Ricky Tiedemann was among a group of non-roster players given invites to major-league spring training on Monday. Tiedemann, MLB Pipeline's No. 29 overall prospect, was limited to only 44 innings (15 starts) last year because of a biceps injury, but the 21-year-old southpaw still managed to strike out an impressive […]

Guardians Unlikely To Trade Emmanuel Clase

Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase is drawing trade interest from multiple teams, but a deal appears unlikely in the short term, according to sources. Cleveland has club options and control of Clase through the 2028 season, so there is no motivation for the Guardians to move one of the best closers in baseball right now. […]

Tigers Designate Nick Maton For Assignment

The Detroit Tigers designated infielder Nick Maton for assignment on Monday after claiming left-hander Kolton Ingram off waivers from the Los Angeles Angels. Maton began the 2023 season as Detroit's primary option at third base, but that didn't last long and now he's no longer on the team's 40-man roster entering spring training. The 26-year-old […]

Tony Kemp Drawing Plenty Of Interest

Free-agent second baseman/left fielder Tony Kemp has drawn interest from the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds this offseason, according to sources. The 32-year-old veteran hit .238/.325/.352 with a .677 OPS, 35 home runs and 184 RBI in eight big-league seasons over 734 games. He's one of […]

Jose Trevino Won't Be Limited In Spring Training

New York Yankees catcher Jose Trevino (wrist) said on Monday that he won't be facing any limitations when spring training starts. Trevino is now more than six months removed from surgery on his right wrist and should be ready to rock for the start of the 2024 season, barring any setbacks during spring training. The […]

Joey Ortiz Could Be Part Of 3B Mix In Milwaukee

Milwaukee Brewers infielder Joey Ortiz, who was acquired in the deal that sent right-hander Corbin Burnes to the Baltimore Orioles, is No. 58 on The Athletic's Keith Law's prospects list and could be part of Milwaukee's third base mix in 2024. He could also slide over to shortstop if the Brewers trade Willy Adames. Andruw […]

Marlins Exploring Shortstop Free-Agent Market

The Miami Marlins are exploring the free-agent market for shortstops and are mulling over a group that includes Tim Anderson, Amed Rosario, Adalberto Mondesi and Nick Ahmed, according to a source briefed on their pursuits. Jon Berti, 34, is currently Miami's leading candidate to start at the 6 and is more of a utility player. […]

Padres Drawing Significant Interest In Ha-Seong Kim

The San Diego Padres continue to draw significant trade interest in second baseman Ha-Seong Kim this offseason, according to sources briefed on the discussions. Kim is eligible for free agency at the end of the 2024 season, but he was among the team's best players in 2023, so the acquisition cost would be high. The […]

Jackson Merrill To See Time At Shortstop, Outfield

With the San Diego Padres so thin on outfielders after trading both Juan Soto and Trent Grisham to the New York Yankees this offseason, it's quite possible that the Padres will spend the spring auditioning young players such as Jackson Merrill, Jakob Marsee and Graham Pauley in the outfield. Merrill is baseball's No. 12 prospect, […]

Zack Greinke Unlikely To Return To Royals

Free-agent right-hander Zack Greinke wants to return for a 21st season in 2024, according to two sources briefed on his thinking. However, the Kansas City Royals' signings of right-handers Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha almost certainly will preclude him from returning to the Royals. Greinke was 2-15 with a rough 5.06 ERA last year, but […]

Mauricio Dubon Scheduled For Arbitration Hearing Monday

Houston Astros outfielder Mauricio Dubon's salary arbitration hearing is scheduled for Monday. When the two sides exchanged figures, Dubon asked for $3.5 million and the Astros countered at $3 million. The two sides could settle in the middle before actually going to a hearing on Monday. The 29-year-old was an effective super-utility player for the […]

Blue Jays, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Headed For Arbitration Hearing Tuesday

The Toronto Blue Jays and All-Star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. have a salary arbitration case set for Tuesday, and it's believed there have been no negotiations since the Jan. 11 filing deadline, when the team offered $18.05 million and Guerrero asked for $19.9 million. Toronto has been a "file-and-trial" team, meaning they'll only do […]

Jay Jackson, Twins Agree To Major-League Contract

Free-agent relief pitcher Jay Jackson and the Minnesota Twins agreed to an undisclosed major-league deal on Monday, pending a physical, according to a source familiar with the deal. The 36-year-old veteran right-hander has a 92-94 mph fastball with a good slider and has a 2.73 ERA with 56 strikeouts in 53 innings since returning from […]

Josh Harrison Inks Minors Deal With Reds

The Cincinnati Reds have signed free-agent infielder Josh Harrison to a minor-league deal that presumably includes an invitation to big-league spring training. The 36-year-old spent the 2023 season with the Phillies, hitting just .204 with two homers before being cut loose after just 41 appearances. He briefly latched on with the Rangers but hit just […]

Yankees Acquire Caleb Ferguson From Dodgers

The New York Yankees have acquired left-handed reliever Caleb Ferguson from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for fellow southpaw reliever Matt Gage and right-handed prospect Christian Zazueta. Ferguson returned from Tommy John surgery in 2022 to toss a spectacular 1.82 ERA before working to a solid 3.43 ERA across 68 appearances in the 2023 […]

Giants In Talks With Jorge Soler

The San Francisco Giants are in talks with free-agent outfielder Jorge Soler. The Cuban slugger is coming off a big season with the Marlins in 2023, hitting .250 with 36 home runs and an .853 OPS across 137 games. As a result, Soler opted out of the final season of his contract and became a […]

Devin Sweet Clears Waivers, Outrighted To Triple-A

Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Devin Sweet has cleared waivers and has been outrighted off the 40-man roster to Triple-A Toledo. Sweet was designated for assignment last week when the Tigers signed infield prospect Colt Keith to a six-year contract extension, meaning they had to place him on their 40-man roster. The 27-year-old has spent time […]

Tigers Claim Kolton Ingram From Angels

The Detroit Tigers have claimed left-hander Kolton Ingram off waivers from the Los Angeles Angels. Infielder Nick Maton has been designated for assignment in a corresponding move. Ingram got into five games with the Angels in 2023 but struggled to an 8.44 ERA in that time, surrendering a pair of homers while walking five in […]

Ryan Brasier Signs Two-Year Deal With Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers have signed free-agent relief pitcher Ryan Braiser to a two-year, $9 million contract. Brasier can earn as much as $13 million over the two seasons through incentives. Brasier latched on with the Dodgers in the 2023 season following a rough stretch with the Boston Red Sox that saw him pitch to […]

Bobby Witt Jr. Signs Mega Extension With Royals

The Kansas City Royals and shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. are in agreement on an 11-year, $288.7 million contract extension, the second-largest pre-arbitration extension in MLB history. With three club options attached at the end of the deal, Witt could earn as much as $377.7 million over a 14-year period that would run through the 2037 […]

Bullpen Arms To Target In 2024 Fantasy Baseball Drafts - Closers and Relief Pitchers

Fantasy baseball drafts are right around the corner, and it's never too early to start prepping for your league. In the early rounds, position players and starting pitchers get the most love because they have the most value in both points and roto leagues. But relief pitchers are just as important in the middle to […]

Pitch Info: Using Sabermetrics for 2024 Fantasy Baseball

One of the most fundamental questions in fantasy sports is if a player's current performance is sustainable. More than any other sport, baseball has many statistical measures that can be dissected in numerous ways to analyze player performance. Pitch Info is a public pitch tracking system providing a lot of data to help fantasy managers […]

Blake Treinen Trending Toward Return

Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Blake Treinen (right shoulder) is "trending toward a return," according to Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. Injuries have been quite the obstacle for Treinen, who has pitched just five innings over the last two seasons, but it appears that he's ready to be a contributor out of the […]

Gavin Lux A Full-Go For Spring Training

Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Gavin Lux (knee) "is a full-go for Spring Training," according to Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. Lux tore his ACL last spring and missed all of the 2023 season, but he's healthy once again and is trending toward being the Dodgers' starting shortstop on Opening Day. The former first-round […]