January 13, 2026
The Kansas City Royals are moving in the outfield walls at Kauffman Stadium by approximately 10 feet in an effort to boost home run production, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN. "We want a neutral ballpark where if you hit a ball well, it should be a home run," Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said in an interview with ESPN. Despite featuring a core of developing stars such as
Bobby Witt Jr.,
Maikel Garcia, and
Vinnie Pasquantino, along with veteran slugger
Salvador Perez, the Royals finished with the fifth-lowest home run total in baseball last season. The organization believes the new dimensions will increase offense without the players having to drastically adjust their swing when they play at home. The changes should also benefit the club's next wave of talent, including top catching prospect
Carter Jensen and 22-year-old outfielder
Jac Caglianone, both of whom bring notable power potential. From a fantasy perspective, the adjusted dimensions make nearly every Royals hitter more appealing. Expect Kansas City bats to steadily rise up draft boards as Opening Day approaches.
--Marty TallmanSource: Jeff Passan
January 13, 2026
On Tuesday afternoon, the St. Louis Cardinals traded veteran third baseman
Nolan Arenado to the Arizona Diamondbacks, and according to The Athletic's Katie Woo, this move opens the door for top prospect
J.J. Wetherholt to compete for a starting job in spring training. Last season, Wetherholt saw extensive time at third base with Triple-A Memphis, potentially foreshadowing his role once he reaches the major leagues. The 23-year-old is still developing his power, but for now, he profiles as a contact hitter with strong plate discipline. Between Double-A and Triple-A in 2025, Wetherholt slashed .306/.421/.510, collecting 56 doubles, 17 home runs, and 23 stolen bases while walking nearly as often as he struck out. His advanced approach and athleticism give him a strong chance to contribute immediately if he breaks camp with the big-league club. If Wetherholt does earn a spot on the Opening Day roster, he projects for up to 15 home runs with 20 or more stolen bases and a .265 batting average. With this news, he should be drafted in all formats.
--Marty TallmanSource: Katie Woo
January 13, 2026
The New York Yankees have acquired left-hander
Ryan Weathers from the Miami Marlins in exchange for minor-league outfielders
Dillon Lewis and
Brendan Jones, along with infielders
Dylan Jasso and
Juan Matheus, according to Jack Curry of YES Network. Weathers is coming off a season in which he pitched just 38 1/3 innings, posting a 3.99 ERA (3.95 xERA), 1.28 WHIP, and a 22.3% strikeout rate. The 26-year-old has struggled to stay on the field, as this year was cut short by forearm and lat injuries. For his career, Weathers owns a 4.93 ERA with 235 strikeouts across 281 innings, reflecting both his raw ability and ongoing inconsistency. He brings above-average stuff and solid command, but durability remains the biggest question mark. Weathers joins a Yankees rotation that currently features
Max Fried,
Cam Schlittler,
Will Warren, and
Luis Gil, with
Gerrit Cole,
Carlos Rodon, and
Clarke Schmidt all expected to return from the injured list at some point in the summer. If Weathers hopes to carve out a long-term role in the rotation, he'll need to prove he can stay healthy. For fantasy, expect his 438.26 ADP to climb quickly.
--Marty TallmanSource: Jack Curry
January 13, 2026
Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher
Chase Shugart was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday. In exchange, the Pirates receive infielder Francisco Loreto. Shugart was designated for assignment by the Pirates last week, but will now be shipped out for an 18-year-old infielder. Last season, Shugart registered a 3.40 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and a 31/17 K/BB ratio across 35 games with the Pirates. The 29-year-old could be an interesting back-end of the bullpen option. Loreto wasn't regarded as one of the Phillies' top prospects anyway. He slashed .237/.332/.396 with five home runs and 16 RBI in Rookie-ball last season.
--Andy WebbSource: Charlotte Varnes
January 13, 2026
The Chicago Cubs claimed outfielder
Justin Dean off waivers from the San Francisco Giants. Dean made his MLB debut last season when he played in 18 games with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 29-year-old was mainly used as a defensive replacement or a pinch-hitter during his time with the World Series champs. Dean was claimed by the Giants in November, but will now head to the North Side of Chicago. He slashed .289/.378/.431 with six home runs, 33 RBI, with 27 steals across 90 games with Triple-A Oklahoma City. Dean could be an interesting bench outfielder given his plus defensive ability. He's unlikely to offer fantasy value even if he does make the 26-man roster.
--Andy WebbSource: Chelsea Janes
January 13, 2026
The Arizona Diamondbacks signed relief pitcher
Jonathan Loaisiga to a minor-league deal on Tuesday. Loaisiga spent the last eight seasons with the New York Yankees. He became a free agent after the organization decided to decline his $5 million option for the 2026 season. The 31-year-old registered a 3.54 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, and a 232/82 K/BB ratio across eight seasons with the Yankees. The injury bug has kept Loaisiga on the shelf the last few seasons. He has only pitched in a total of 50 games over the last three seasons. When healthy, Loaisiga is a viable middle reliever that is unlikely to offer fantasy value.
--Andy WebbSource: Jorge Castillo
January 13, 2026
The Cleveland Guardians have signed infielder
Carter Kieboom to a minor-league deal with an invite to spring training. Kieboom is a former first-round pick of the Washington Nationals from 2016. He was never able to live up to the hype as he slashed .199/.297/.301 with 12 home runs and 42 RBI across 133 games in parts of four seasons with the Nats. Kieboom briefly played with the Los Angeles Angels last season, but spent most of his time in Triple-A. He hit well there as he slashed .265/.365/.386 with seven home runs and 42 RBI in 91 games with Triple-A Rochester. This is a low-risk move to add corner infield depth, but it's unlikely that Kieboom has a significant impact on the Guardians' roster.
--Andy WebbSource: Guardians Insider
January 13, 2026
League sources suggested that the New York Mets are in the range of offering $120 million to $140 million for three years to free-agent outfielder
Kyle Tucker, according to Will Sammon of The Athletic. The Toronto Blue Jays or Los Angeles Dodgers may offer more to Tucker, who is the top free agent available this offseason. Tucker's decision could come as early as this week, according to multiple industry sources. New York held multiple video meetings with Tucker last week and would like to add the left-handed slugger to the middle of their batting order to help replace first baseman
Pete Alonso and outfielder
Brandon Nimmo. The Mets have a glaring hole in their outfield and could use more lineup protection for outfielder
Juan Soto and shortstop
Francisco Lindor. Right now, Tucker's preferences for contract length and dollars are unknown.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Will Sammon
January 13, 2026
The St. Louis Cardinals have traded third baseman
Nolan Arenado to the Arizona Diamondbacks. In exchange, the Cardinals received right-handed pitcher Jack Martinez. Arenado has had his name on the trade block throughout the winter and finally agreed to waive his no-trade clause to join the Diamondbacks. The 34-year-old is coming off a quiet season, posting a low .237/.289/.377 slash line with just 12 home runs and three stolen bases. Under the hood, the former second round of pitch generated a .289 xwOBA, placing him in the ninth percentile among qualified hitters. However, Arenado remains one of the top defenders in the sport as he placed in the 83rd percentile in Range and has been awarded 10 Gold Gloves and six Platinum Gloves. Managers should expect Arenado to see an everyday role at the hot corner, which would likely shift
Jordan Lawlar to the outfield or a super-utility role. In St. Louis,
Thomas Saggese and
Nolan Gorman figure to compete for daily opportunities at third base.
--Andy SmithSource: John Gambadoro
January 13, 2026
The San Francisco Giants are looking to fill in their infield with another strong bat this offseason, and they are aggressively pursuing an addition at second base, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. Passan mentions both the Cubs'
Nico Hoerner and the Cardinals'
Brendan Donovan as options they have been engaged about recently. Last offseason, the Giants added
Willy Adames as a free agent, and then they traded for
Rafael Devers in the middle of the season. With
Matt Chapman at 3B, they already have a strong infield, but adding a top 2B would give them one of the better offensive infields in baseball. The Giants have added
Adrian Houser and
Tyler Mahle as free agents to the rotation and are looking to boost their offense via trade. They're definitely worth watching in the coming weeks leading up to Spring Training.
--Zach ThompsonSource: Jeff Passan
January 13, 2026
Free-agent shortstop
Jax Biggers has signed a minor-league contract with the Houston Astros after spending the first seven seasons of his career in the Rangers' system. Biggers hit only .214 in 79 games in Double-A and Triple-A last season with one home run and 11 stolen bases. He showed more upside in 2024, posting a solid .275/.390/.382 slash with 22 doubles, three home runs, 12 stolen bases, and a 71:87 BB:K ratio. He has never reached the MLB level, but with a change of scenery, he could be an interesting defense-first, contact-heavy middle infield option for the Astros. The team initially assigned him to Triple-A, but his position in the organization could change as major and minor league Spring Training unfolds.
--Zach ThompsonSource: MLB.com
January 13, 2026
Free-agent pitcher
Bryan Sammons is coming back to the United States after spending last year in Japan. The 30-year-old lefty went 5-5 in 16 games (15 starts) for the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball last year, posting a 3.78 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, and 7.7 K/9. He made six appearances out of the bullpen for the Tigers in 2024, posting a 3.62 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 27 1/3 innings. The tall southpaw will likely serve as organizational depth this season but will get an invitation to Spring Training, so he'll have his chance to earn a larger role. He will likely start the year in Triple-A but could have a chance to earn some starts if injuries strike the Tigers' rotation this season. He's someone to monitor in Spring Training and be aware of for streaming purposes in AL-only leagues.
--Zach ThompsonSource: Jon Morosi
January 13, 2026
Chicago Cubs third baseman
Matt Shaw could lose playing time after the signing of
Alex Bregman, or the team could look to move him in a trade. There was initial speculation that the team could move the top prospect to 2B and look to trade
Nico Hoerner, but The Athletic's Keith Law reported that Shaw has shown "resistance to help from the Cubs' staff" and could be a trade candidate as a result. Shaw hit .226 in his 126 games last season with 13 home runs, a .300 wOBA, and an elevated 21.5% striekout rate. The 24-year-old Shaw would be an interesting acquisition for any team looking for young infield help since he has shown so much promise, but struggled to put it together in the majors. In 2024, he hit .284 between Double-A and Triple-A with 21 homers and 31 stolen bases. He has great upside but comes with some coachability questions, which makes him an intriguing but risky potential addition this offseason.
--Zach ThompsonSource: Keith Law
January 13, 2026
Houston Astros first baseman
Christian Walker seems to be in an overcrowded situation in Houston, but according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic, there isn't much interest in him on the open market. The Astros have
Carlos Correa back in the mix, most likely at 3B, with
Yordan Alvarez locked in as DH for most of next season. That leaves Isaac Parades without an everyday spot unless he moves to 1B, or he could be moved in a trade. Parades would likely get more in return, but it makes more sense for the Astros to try to move Walker. The veteran has two years, $40 million left on his contract, and could end up being moved in a salary dump if the Astros can find a taker. While he did have 27 homers last year, he only hit .238 with a .310 wOBA in 154 games. Walker's market doesn't seem to be heating up, though, so the Astros may have to get creative to solve their infield logjam.
--Zach ThompsonSource: Chandler Rome
January 13, 2026
Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora views first baseman
Willson Contreras as the cleanup hitter for the 2026 season, according to Christopher Smith of Mass Live. If Contreras does indeed become the BoSox's cleanup hitter this year after being acquired in a trade from the St. Louis Cardinals, the 33-year-old former catcher will have plenty of RBI opportunities, even if the team was unable to re-sign third baseman
Alex Bregman. Outfielder
Jarren Duran, shortstop
Trevor Story, and outfielder
Roman Anthony should hit in the top three spots to help set the table for Contreras. The three-time All-Star had an OPS under .800 for the first time in four seasons in 2025, but he also produced career highs in RBI (80), doubles (31), and runs scored (70) with more playing time (135 games) at first base. There will be plenty of RBI opportunities in the cleanup spot, but Contreras is more of an average fantasy first baseman without a high-end power profile.
--Keith HernandezSource: Mass Live - Christopher Smith
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