January 7, 2026
The Chicago White Sox are in the market for another pitcher on a one-year deal, and they expressed interest in free-agent right-hander
Griffin Canning (Achilles) in late December, league sources told The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon.
Shane Smith,
Davis Martin, and
Sean Burke are already locked into the team's starting rotation for next season. The Pale Hose have added lefties
Sean Newcomb and
Anthony Kay this offseason, but Canning would give them another starting option. The 29-year-old Canning was pitching well for the New York Mets in 2025 before rupturing his left Achilles tendon in late June. He had a 3.77 ERA (4.04 FIP) in 76 1/3 innings over 16 starts. Before his injury, Canning was using his cutter and slider more often while keeping the ball in the yard. His Achilles injury will likely keep him from starting the season on time, which means he'll be off the draft radar in standard-sized leagues.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon
January 7, 2026
The Baltimore Orioles designated outfielder
Jhonkensy Noel for assignment on Wednesday to make room on the 40-man roster after claiming outfielder
Marco Luciano off waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates, according to Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports. Noel didn't last long with Baltimore after being claimed off waivers from the Cleveland Guardians earlier this week. The 24-year-old right-handed Dominican slugger has plenty of raw power in his large 6-foot-3, 250-pound frame. Noel clubbed 19 home runs in 136 games in his two seasons with the Guardians, but he also hit under .200 with 115 strikeouts and only 17 walks in 351 plate appearances at the big-league level. Big Christmas will need to prove he can make more contact with the lumber before he's given another extended chance in a corner-outfield spot in the majors.
--Keith HernandezSource: MASN Sports - Roch Kubatko
January 7, 2026
The Los Angeles Angels claimed outfielder
Wade Meckler off waivers on Tuesday afternoon from the San Francisco Giants. Meckler made his MLB debut last summer with the Giants. During his brief 20-game stint in the big leagues, Meckler held a .232/.328/.250 line with just one double, no home runs, and a 25:6 K:BB. Under the hood, the former eighth-round pick generated a .265 xwOBA with a low 22.6% hard-hit rate. However, at the Triple-A level, Meckler posted a .287/.390/.370 line with 21 doubles, one home run, with 11 stolen bases across an 87-game stint. Given his production at the Triple-A level, Meckler could be in line to compete for a spot on the Opening Day roster in Los Angeles.
--Andy SmithSource: Los Angeles Angels PR
January 7, 2026
According to Robert Murray of FanSided.com, right-handed pitcher
Brusdar Graterol has avoided arbitration with the Dodgers and signed a one-year contract worth $2.8 million. Graterol was on the shelf during the 2025 season while recovering from the labrum surgery he underwent in 2024. During that season, he logged only 7 1/3 innings with the Dodgers and posted a 2.45 ERA. However, in 2023, he was a reliable high-leverage option in the Los Angeles bullpen, posting a 1.20 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, with a 48:12 K:BB across 67 1/3 innings. He tallied a career-best seven saves as well. While the 27-year-old does not project to see many save opportunities in 2026 with
Edwin Diaz now in the bullpen, he could find value in deeper leagues that reward holds, pitching for the two-time reigning World Series Champions.
--Andy SmithSource: Robert Murray
January 7, 2026
The Chicago Cubs have traded infield prospect
Cristian Hernandez to the Miami Marlins in the package that sent
Edward Cabrera to the North Side of Chicago. Hernandez was sent to Miami alongside Cubs' top prospect
Owen Caissie and Edgardo DeLeon. Hernandez joined the Cubs' organization in 2021 but did not make his Low-A debut until the 2023 season. During his first season with Low-A Myrtle Beach, the 22-year-old posted a .223/.302/.301 line. In 2024, Hernandez spent most of the season in a second stint with Low-A but did earn a taste of High-A. This past season, the infielder spent the entire season at High-A South Bend, where he held a .252/.329/.365 line with an eye-catching 52 stolen bases and a career-high seven home runs. Dynasty managers should monitor his status as he could be in the mix to debut at Double-A later in 2026.
--Andy SmithSource: Will Sammon
January 7, 2026
Chicago Cubs top outfield prospect
Owen Caissie was the centerpiece in the trade that sent right-handed pitcher
Edward Cabrera to the Cubs on Wednesday afternoon. In addition, prospects
Cristian Hernandez and Edgardo DeLeon were also included in the package. Before the trade, Caissie was ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the Cubs system on MLB.com and the No. 47 overall prospect in the sport. The former second-round pick made his MLB debut late last summer and struggled in his brief stint, posting a .192/.222/.346 line with just one double and one home run across 12 contests. However, through 99 games with the Iowa Cubs, the 23-year-old flashed high upside, posting a .286/.386/.551 line with 22 long balls. While he has high raw power, Caissie had a high 28.0% K%, which raises some concern in his profile. Managers should expect the young outfielder to be in serious contention to earn a spot in the Opening Day lineup.
--Andy SmithSource: Will Sammon
January 7, 2026
According to Will Sammon, the deal to send right-handed pitcher
Edward Cabrera to the Chicago Cubs has been finalized. In return, the Cubs are sending prospects
Owen Caissie,
Cristian Hernandez, and Edgardo DeLeon to Miami. Cabrera is coming off the largest workload of his career as he tossed a season-best 137 2/3 innings during the 2025 season. This was the first time he eclipsed the 100.0 inning mark in a campaign. Across this workload, the right-hander posted a 3.53 ERA with a 1.23 WHIP. He struck out 150 batters but showed modest command, posting an 8.3% BB%. His 3.99 xERA suggests he could take a bit of a step back, but his 47.5% ground-ball rate should play well with an elite Chicago defense behind him. While his workload concerns do make him a risky fantasy asset, when healthy, he has flashed high strikeout upside and should be in a great position to win games on a competing Cubs team.
--Andy SmithSource: Will Sammon
January 7, 2026
The Seattle Mariners signed free-agent first baseman/third baseman
Patrick Wisdom to a minor-league deal on Wednesday that includes an invite to spring training, sources told Aram Leighton of Just Baseball Media. The 34-year-old veteran spent last season in Korea with the Kia Tigers, where he hit an impressive 35 home runs on his way to a 126 wRC+. He has a 105 wRC+ in seven major-league seasons, but also an elevated 36.7% strikeout rate. Wisdom has hit .209/.291/.459 with the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, and Texas Rangers. In 2024 with Chicago, he slashed just .171/.237/.392 with eight home runs, 23 RBI, 16 runs scored, and five stolen bases in 75 games played. Wisdom still has some pop in his bat, but he'll be a long shot to carve out significant playing time for the M's in 2026.
--Keith HernandezSource: Just Baseball Media - Aram Leighton
January 7, 2026
Free-agent relief pitcher
Justin Wilson is considering retirement, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon report. The 38-year-old Wilson is coming off another solid season with the Boston Red Sox, throwing 48 1/3 innings with a 3.35 ERA and 27.5% strikeout rate in 61 total appearances. Wilson also notched 18 holds with Boston last season, his most since 2016 with the Tigers. The 13-year veteran is reportedly unlikely to pitch in 2026 unless he receives a "fair deal" with a World Series contender. The southpaw profiles as one of the top available lefty relievers on the market and would be a valuable addition to a contending team's bullpen.
--Kyle McCarthySource: The Athletic
January 7, 2026
The Baltimore Orioles have claimed infielder/outfielder
Marco Luciano off waivers, according to Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com. Luciano was designated for assignment by the Pittsburgh Pirates just two weeks after being claimed off waivers by them on Dec. 5. The 24-year-old was one of the top-ranked prospects in the San Francisco Giants organization a few years ago, but he has struggled in his big-league opportunities, holding a career slash line of .217/.286/.304 (68 wRC+) with a 35.7% strikeout rate in 126 plate appearances. Luciano also struggled during his time with Triple-A Sacramento in 2025, hitting .214 and striking out 30.6% of the time, but he at least flashed his power-speed skill set with 23 homers and 10 stolen bases over 555 plate appearances. He'll aim to establish himself in his new home in Baltimore.
--Kyle McCarthySource: Francys Romero
January 7, 2026
The Chicago Cubs are finalizing a deal to acquire Miami Marlins starting pitcher
Edward Cabrera, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. The teams have not yet confirmed the deal, and the return package is unknown at the moment. Cubs top outfield prospect
Owen Caissie is rumored to be part of the haul, but nothing has been officially announced just yet. Cabrera will be entering his age-28 campaign fresh off the best season as a big-leaguer, pitching 137 2/3 innings with a 3.53 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, and a 17.6% K-BB%. Cabrera still has three years of team control as he enters his first year of arbitration eligibility. It's a massive addition for a Cubs rotation that ranked 21st in strikeout rate (21.4%) and 25th in ground-ball rate (39.7%) last season, areas where the flame-throwing Cabrera excelled, ranking in the top 21 among pitchers with at least 130 innings.
--Kyle McCarthySource: Barry Jackson
January 7, 2026
The Los Angeles Dodgers are continuing to monitor the free agent market and remain interested in signing one of the top remaining free agents on a shorter contract. Buster Olney of ESPN reported that the Dodgers are "hovering" in the open market and waiting for either
Kyle Tucker or
Bo Bichette to fall to them on a shorter contract with a higher annual value. This offseason, their lone massive swing was signing top relief pitcher
Edwin Diaz to a three-year $69 million contract. However, their batting order is expected to remain quite similar to that of their 2025 roster, which won the World Series. If Bichette were to join Los Angeles, he would likely shift
Mookie Betts to another infield position, potentially second base, while Tucker would see an everyday role in a corner outfield position, potentially limiting
Andy Pages' or
Tommy Edman's playing time.
--Andy SmithSource: Buster Olney
January 7, 2026
According to Buster Olney of ESPN, the Toronto Blue Jays could be the "best option" on the market for free agent outfielder
Kyle Tucker. Olney noted that the Blue Jays remain in high interest for the top remaining free agents, and if Tucker is looking for the largest contract possible, the Blue Jays would likely be the "best option" for him. The Blue Jays have already shown a willingness to spend money this offseason, as they signed
Dylan Cease to a seven-year $120 million contract and infielder Kazuma Okamoto to a four-year $60 million contract last week. Last summer, Tucker had a bit of a down year by his standards as he posted a .266/.377/.464 line with 22 home runs and 25 stolen bases. However, in the first half, he was on pace to enjoy an impressive season, holding a .280/.384/.499 line but dealt with a lingering calf strain down the stretch, which likely affected his play. Tucker will continue to carry near top-5 upside at the outfield position heading into 2026.
--Andy SmithSource: Buster Olney
January 7, 2026
The New York Yankees and free agent outfielder
Cody Bellinger have a "sizeable gap" in their current contract negotiations, according to Buster Olney of ESPN.com. Bellinger enjoyed an impressive debut season in the Bronx but has been unable to come to an agreement with the Yankees on an extension. Last season, Bellinger posted a .272/.334/.480 line with 29 home runs and 13 stolen bases. His 29 home runs were the most since his 2019 breakout campaign, in which he launched 47 long balls. While he only generated a low .322 xwOBA under the hood, his left-handed swing is built for Yankee Stadium, and he should be able to carry 25+ HR upside if he were to return there in 2026. If the 30-year-old were to join a different club, the Yankees would likely rely on
Jasson Dominguez,
Trent Grisham, and
Aaron Judge to cover the outfield on most days.
--Andy SmithSource: Buster Olney
January 7, 2026
Buster Olney of ESPN.com reports that it "seems inevitable" that either starting pitchers
Ranger Suarez or
Framber Valdez will sign with the New York Mets, given their current rotation. Olney noted that Suarez "makes a lot of sense" in New York, given that he has already pitched for a big-market team during his career. Before entering free agency, the southpaw has spent his entire eight-year MLB career with the Phillies. Last summer, Suarez turned in a strong campaign, logging 157 1/3 innings to the tune of a 3.20 ERA with a 1.22 WHIP. He generated a stellar 3.16 xERA with a 5.5% barrel rate and a 31.1% hard-hit rate, placing him in the 84th percentile or higher. However, his strikeout production remained pedestrian as he only tallied 151 during the campaign. If Suarez were to sign with the Mets, he should slide in near the top of the rotation and hold high-floor SP3 value in standard leagues.
--Andy SmithSource: Buster Olney
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