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Lauren's fantasy baseball draft targets and draft sleepers for hitters who switched teams. 2025 fantasy baseball outlooks for Cody Bellinger, Willy Adames, Gleyber Torres, more.
The month of December was an active one for Major League Baseball. With several players on new teams following many trades and transactions, what will that mean for their fantasy baseball outlooks?
Sometimes, all a player needs is a change of scenery to revive their careers. Baseball is largely a mental sport. That said, the numbers matter most when it comes to fantasy baseball.
Below are five players who changed scenes this offseason and may find themselves in a prime position to make a more significant impact at the plate in 2025 than they did in 2024.
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Cody Bellinger, OF, New York Yankees
Following two seasons with the Chicago Cubs, Cody Bellinger found himself on the move this offseason to a team his family is quite familiar with -- the New York Yankees. Bellinger's father, Clay, played four seasons with New York from 1999-2002. So, when he inked a three-year, $60 million deal with the Yanks, it wasn't too surprising.
The younger Bellinger will probably never return to his MVP form of 2019, but his two years in Chicago were still productive, specifically in 2023, when he finished with a .881 OPS and a Silver Slugger Award. Last season, he hit 18 home runs, drove in 78 runs, and had a .751 OPS.
Not too shabby, but a trade for Kyle Tucker was a significant upgrade and left Bellinger with nowhere to play in Chicago. Therefore, it was in the Cubs' best interest, both money- and roster-wise, to trade the two-time All-Star.
900th career hit is a home run for Cody Bellinger 👏 pic.twitter.com/ZrEFVA6p5Q
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) August 10, 2024
The 29-year-old figures to be the everyday center fielder for the Yankees while acting as Aaron Judge's protection in their lineup, providing him with more RBI opportunities. The left-handed hitter will also benefit from Yankee Stadium's short porch, which may help him rediscover his power stroke. And with an opt-out clause at the end of the season, he'll be more motivated to turn it up a notch.
Steamer projects Bellinger to have a 23-homer, 78-RBI campaign with a .254/.318/.439 slash line across 136 games, with an NFBC ADP of around 100 out of drafts ranging from mid-December to mid-January.
Willy Adames, SS, San Francisco Giants
A career year in Milwaukee saw Willy Adames land a seven-year, $182 million contract with the San Francisco Giants to be their primary shortstop. The 29-year-old slashed .251/.331/.462 with career-highs in HRs (32), RBI (112), doubles (33), and stolen bases (21).
Following the trade and later retirement of Brandon Crawford, San Francisco struggled to replace him at shortstop adequately. Adames will bring stability to the position as they move Tyler Fitzgerald to second base. Adames will serve as a middle-of-the-order bat in the Giants lineup. His 18.1 fWAR since 2019 ranks seventh among all shortstops.
The @SFGiants got their guy in Willy Adames 🌉 pic.twitter.com/8wV5Cqky5w
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) December 30, 2024
With Matt Chapman at third base, San Francisco will have one of the better left sides of the infield in MLB, both offensively and defensively. Chapman is locked into a long-term contract and led the team in HRs last year with 27. Adames and Chapman could be a dominant pair in 2025, as Adames is projected to hit 25 HRs with 80 RBI, a .750 OPS, and a .325 wOBA.
With a recent NFBC ADP of 82.76, he looks to be a nice value in drafts.
Max Kepler, OF, Philadelphia Phillies
After spending his entire 10-year MLB career in Minnesota, Max Kepler is headed for the City of Brotherly Love.
The 32-year-old signed with the Philadelphia Phillies on a one-year, $10 million deal. The team plans to stick Kepler in left field despite never logging a major league inning there. However, Kepler produced great defense in right field for the Twins, so the Phillies hope that will translate in the other corner of the outfield.
During his decade in the Twin Cities, Kepler produced a 20.7 WAR, 161 HRs, a .746 OPS, and 102 OPS+ in 1,072 games. Last season, he appeared in 105 games and sported an underwhelming. 253/.302/.380 slash line. Kepler has dealt with a handful of injuries during his career, and since playing in a career-high 156 games in 2018, he has only played over 130 twice.
That's why it's a bit surprising that Philadelphia plans to play him nearly every day.
Here is an extremely cool slo-mo video of Max Kepler hitting a home run in the rain, just because. pic.twitter.com/bDIDZF5ZVD
— Cut4 (@Cut4) April 6, 2019
The left-handed hitter will mainly start against righties and probably fit into the seven- or eight-hole in the Phillies lineup. With Philadelphia's heavy hitters in Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper, Kepler will be free to be more of a role player rather than constantly living in the shadow of his 36-homer 2019 campaign. The Phillies also offer a contrasting clubhouse culture to the Twins, and their goals as a franchise in win-now mode drastically differ.
Steamer projects 16 HRs, 57 RBI, and a .722 OPS in 117 games for Kepler in 2025, with an NFBC ADP of 463.41.
Gleyber Torres, 2B, Detroit Tigers
Losing the World Series typically prompts a team to make roster changes, and the Yankees are no exception.
Among their most noteworthy losses this offseason is Gleyber Torres, who has spent his entire seven-year career in New York. The 28-year-old signed a one-year, $15 million deal with the Tigers following a down year in 2024. It was one of the worst campaigns of the two-time All-Star's career, with just 15 dingers, 63 RBI, and a .709 OPS in 2024.
GLEYBER TORRES GO-AHEAD HOME RUN! pic.twitter.com/sgLaYZe2HF
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) October 5, 2024
Torres will assume everyday second-base duties with the Tigers, with the club electing to move former top prospect Colt Keith to first base full-time. Torres brings Detroit some much-needed right-handed power to its lineup, where he will protect its lefties. The organization also believes Torres adds good on-base skills, with his career strikeout rate below the MLB average and his walk rate above.
Detroit is a young but talented team, and Torres will serve as a veteran presence. Going from an organization like the Yankees to the Tigers is a significant leap. Perhaps the reduction in pressure and a fresh start will help Torres regain his power stroke. Steamer projects Torres to have 18 HRs, 69 RBI, a .734 OPS, and .322 wOBA across 150 games, with an NFBC ADP of 215.64.
Spencer Horwitz, 1B, Pittsburgh Pirates
Going back and forth between the majors and minors the past two years, Spencer Horwitz finally found his groove at the big league level in 2024.
In 97 games, the 27-year-old hit 12 HRs and had 40 RBI and a .790 OPS. Notably, the left-handed bat produced a .357 OBP, honing in on the good on-base skills he's possessed his entire professional career. Horwitz also found himself in the 83rd percentile in walk rate, drawing 42 free passes in 381 plate appearances last season.
Spencer Horwitz in 2024:
.278/.364/.473
.837 OPS
30 XBH
10.7 BB%
17.6 K%
.195 ISO
.360 wOBA
137 wRC+He's turned into a helluva player. pic.twitter.com/Rc17GdNofL
— ⁶ (@Atkins2Alcatraz) September 11, 2024
In December, he was traded to the Pirates as part of the three-team trade for Andres Gimenez. In Pittsburgh, he will likely get a chance to play daily as Rowdy Tellez, the primary 1B in 2024, remains a free agent. Tellez was worth -0.4 WAR and had a .691 OPS last year, so it makes sense why the Bucs would want to move on from him.
Horwitz is a clear upgrade both offensively and defensively. Per Steamer's 2025 projections, the left-handed Horwitz will launch 11 home runs with 50 RBI, a .368 OBP, and .345 wOBA, with an NFBC ADP of 338.05.
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