December 9, 2025
Left-handed designated hitter
Kyle Schwarber and the Philadelphia Phillies are finalizing a five-year, $150 million deal on Tuesday, sources tell ESPN's Jeff Passan. The New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds, and even the Pittsburgh Pirates tried to lure Schwarber away in free agency, but ultimately, the reigning National League home run leader decided to return to Philly. The 32-year-old finished second in MVP voting in 2025 after slashing .240/.365/.563 with 56 home runs and an NL-leading 132 RBI. He has slugged at least 38 home runs in each of his four seasons with the Phillies, and he played in all 162 regular-season games in 2025 for the first time in his career. Schwarber became the 21st player in history to hit four homers in a game, and he was also one of five players with at least 100 walks. He has also been an important clubhouse leader and a clutch performer in the postseason, hitting 14 homers in 38 playoff games the last four years with the Phillies.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Jeff Passan
December 9, 2025
The Tampa Bay Rays have reached an undisclosed two-year deal with free-agent left-hander
Steven Matz on Monday night, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Matz has pitched parts of 11 seasons in the big leagues with the New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays, St. Louis Cardinals, and Boston Red Sox. The veteran southpaw has a career record of 60-62 with a 4.19 ERA. The 34-year-old veteran spent the 2025 campaign with the Cardinals and Red Sox, going a combined 5-2 with a 3.05 ERA (3.46 FIP), 1.09 WHIP, and 59:11 K:BB ratio in 53 appearances (two starts) over 76 2/3 innings pitched. Matz saved the first two games of his career this year and is expected to continue being used in a relief role in Tampa, potentially in high-leverage situations. Unless Matz is used as the Rays' primary closer, which is unlikely, he'll mostly be a non-factor in fantasy with a career 21.9% strikeout rate.
--Keith HernandezSource: New York Times - Jon Heyman
December 8, 2025
The Houston Astros have shown interest in trading for Tampa Bay Rays right-hander and Houston native
Shane Baz, multiple league sources told Chandler Rome and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. However, a deal isn't believed to be close, and some league sources think Baz being moved is unlikely. In his first trip through salary arbitration, Baz is projected to make $3.1 million this winter, and the 26-year-old has three more years of club control. It makes perfect sense for an Astros team that is looking to acquire young, controllable starting pitching. Houston has been wary of paying high prices for free-agent starters and prefers to go the trade route to help replace lefty
Framber Valdez, who is expected to leave in free agency. If Baz is traded to Houston, center fielder
Jake Meyers could be part of the package heading back to Tampa. In Baz's first full season post Tommy John surgery, he had a 4.87 ERA in 166 1/3 innings. If Baz can improve his command and limit the home runs against righties, he could take the next step in 2026 with the move back indoors in Tampa.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Chandler Rome and Ken Rosenthal
December 8, 2025
Free-agent reliever
Robert Suarez is drawing interest from the Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, and others, according to Robert Murray of FanSided.com. Suarez, one of the top relief arms on the open market this offseason, is projected to land a three-year, $48 million deal. Not only has Suarez been one of the most dominant closers in the game, but he's thrown at least 65 innings in each of the last two seasons while recording 76 saves in that span, including a league-best 40 saves for the San Diego Padres in 2025. After
Jeff Hoffman blew the save in Game 7 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto is looking for upgrades to the back end of its bullpen. The Blue Jays were rumored to be interested in
Emilio Pagan before he re-signed a two-year deal with the Reds. The Dodgers had well-documented relief issues last season, too, and could pluck a late-inning arm away from SD for a second straight season.
--Keith HernandezSource: FanSided.com - Robert Murray
December 8, 2025
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he plans to use two-way superstar
Shohei Ohtani as a regular starting pitcher next year, although the Dodgers could be creative early in the season with their starting depth to maximize rest days, according to Katie Woo of The Athletic. It won't necessarily be a traditional six-man rotation early on for the Dodgers, but
Roki Sasaki, who stepped up in the back end of the bullpen during the postseason, will return as a starter in 2026. In addition to Sasaki, the Dodgers will have Ohtani,
Yoshinobu Yamamoto,
Blake Snell, and
Tyler Glasnow. Right-hander
Emmet Sheehan could make starts early on as well. Ohtani didn't debut on the mound in 2025 until June after having arm surgery. The four-time MVP (three straight) was brought along slowly and eventually finished with a 2.87 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 62 K's, and only nine walks in 14 starts (47 innings). Ohtani might have a higher ceiling as a hitter, but his strikeout upside as a pitcher for his first full season as a two-way player in L.A. isn't too shabby either.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Katie Woo
December 8, 2025
Houston Astros manager Joe Espada said on Monday that he would like for outfielder
Yordan Alvarez to "spend most of his season" as the designated hitter next year, according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic. This wouldn't be a huge surprise, considering Alvarez played in only 48 games in 2025 due to injuries. The 28-year-old left-handed slugger made only 15 starts in left field last year and 32 as the DH. The three-time All-Star and former American League Rookie of the Year is expected to be ready for the start of spring training despite having his season cut short by a severe left-ankle sprain. Alvarez had four straight 30-plus homer seasons from 2021-24 while also driving in at least 86 runs in each of those seasons. He missed most of 2025 with a hand fracture. The Cuban native still has elite discipline, but he had a career-worst .797 OPS and only six homers. Alvarez is still on the right side of 30 and has high-end plate skills. Fantasy managers who are willing to take on a little more injury risk could be rewarded handsomely if Alvarez can put his 2025 injury woes behind him.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Chandler Rome
December 8, 2025
Free-agent first baseman
Pete Alonso is expected to drive from his Tampa home to the winter meetings in Orlando, Fla., to meet in person with interested teams, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post. The Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles are among the teams that Alonso is scheduled to meet with. The New York Mets are open to considering re-signing the Polar Bear, but they aren't going to break the bank for him. Alonso was a free agent last year, too, but he ended up re-signing to a two-year, $54 million contract. The right-handed power-hitting first baseman opted out of the final year of the deal to become a free agent again this winter. If the Mets and Alonso don't reunite again, they could turn to lefty slugger
Kyle Schwarber or Japanese corner infielder Munetaka Murakami. The 31-year-old Alonso isn't great defensively, but he's an elite power bat with at least 34 home runs in all six full seasons in the majors since he debuted in 2019.
--Keith HernandezSource: New York Post - Mike Puma
December 8, 2025
The Washington Nationals are getting pushed aggressively on shortstop
CJ Abrams this offseason, people familiar with their talks told Will Sammon and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. According to league sources, the Nationals are open to talks on Abrams, but "the bar is high." The 25-year-old is attractive to teams around the league, given the lack of shortstops available on the open market. He's expected to make $5.6 million next year with two more years of arbitration eligibility before becoming a free agent. Beyond
Bo Bichette and
Ha-Seong Kim, there is a significant drop-off in talent. Additionally, Abrams is coming off his best offensive season with a .748 OPS, 19 home runs, and 31 stolen bases. Regardless of where Abrams is playing in 2026, the young shortstop is one of the more attractive young power/speed options at the shortstop position for fantasy drafts next spring.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Will Sammon and Ken Rosenthal
December 8, 2025
The San Diego Padres have shown a willingness to entertain trade offers for right-hander
Nick Pivetta, league sources told The Athletic's Dennis Lin. However, a deal for Pivetta isn't considered likely, as the Padres would require a steep return for Pivetta, who was their best starter in 2025. The 32-year-old veteran's heavily backloaded contract will pay him $19 million next year, up from just $1 million in 2025. He can opt out of his deal next November with two years and $32 million still owed to him. Pivetta is coming off a career year in his first year in SD, in which he had a 2.87 ERA and finished sixth in the National League Cy Young voting. Trading Pivetta would weaken an already thin starting rotation, but the Padres and general manager A.J. Preller's options for rebalancing the payroll are limited. A trade of Pivetta could give the Friars the flexibility and resources to go after multiple controllable starters.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Dennis Lin
December 8, 2025
San Diego Padres manager
Craig Stammen said on Monday that the team will keep right-handers
Mason Miller and
David Morgan and left-hander
Adrian Morejon in the bullpen next year rather than converting them to starters. "It's a risky proposition health-wise and performance-wise," Stammen said. ESPN's Alden Gonzalez reasonably notes that the Padres are very much in the market for starting arms this offseason after losing right-hander
Dylan Cease to free agency. Free-agent righty
Michael King is also expected to depart for a multi-year contract. The flamethrowing Miller would have been very intriguing for fantasy baseball purposes as a starter, but instead, he'll remain an elite closing target in San Diego with former ninth-inning arm
Robert Suarez expected to leave in free agency. Miller has been one of the best relievers in the game the last two years, posting a 2.56 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, and a dominant 43.1% strikeout rate in 126 2/3 innings.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Alden Gonzalez
December 8, 2025
The Baltimore Orioles are among the teams interested in signing free-agent left-hander
Ranger Suarez, according to the New York Post's Jon Heyman. Suarez doesn't light up the radar gun, but his terrific postseason pedigree has many teams looking his way on the open market. The 30-year-old southpaw rejected the Philadelphia Phillies' one-year, $22.025 qualifying offer, so Philly will receive draft-pick compensation if he signs with another team for 2026 and beyond. He went 12-8 with a 3.20 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 151 strikeouts, and 38 walks in 157 1/3 innings over 26 regular-season starts in 2025 in his eighth big-league season with the Phils. Since Suarez's first full year in the majors in 2021, he has posted a solid 3.25 ERA with a below-average 22.5% strikeout rate and 7.5% walk rate. A move to Baltimore and the tough American League East would put Suarez in yet another tough pitching environment.
--Keith HernandezSource: New York Post - Jon Heyman
December 8, 2025
The Chicago Cubs are among many teams that are showing interest in Japanese right-hander Tatsuya Imai, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. It's worth noting that the Cubs have done very well in the past in the Japanese market with players like outfielder
Seiya Suzuki and left-handed starter
Shota Imanaga. The Seibu Lions have posted Imai for MLB teams this offseason, and he's already drawing plenty of interest from teams like the Cubs and New York Yankees, among others. The 27-year-old had a stingy 1.92 ERA and 178 strikeouts in 163 2/3 innings for the Lions in 2025. Imai has been compared to
Luis Castillo with a pitch profile that includes a four-seam fastball, slider, changeup, splitter, "vulcan" changeup, and curveball. He's predominantly a fastball-slider guy with a bulldog style. There's high-end fantasy upside with Imai for a pitcher who has been dominant against right-handed hitters.
--Keith HernandezSource: New York Post - Jon Heyman
December 8, 2025
The New York Yankees don't expect shortstop
Anthony Volpe (shoulder) to return in April of next season, according to MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. Volpe suffered a partially torn labrum in his left shoulder while diving for a ball on May 3, but he didn't have surgery on it until the middle of October after the team had been eliminated from the postseason. The 24-year-old is expected to be cleared to hit by February, but he won't be allowed to dive until around April. Expect the Yankees to be cautious with their starting shortstop, so it's possible that we won't see him until mid to late May. Until he's ready, speedy infielder
Jose Caballero is expected to see most of the playing time at the 6 in the Bronx. Volpe needed several cortisone shots throughout the year for his shoulder and hit just .204/.253/.374 after the injury. He's going to be much cheaper in fantasy drafts in 2026, and for good reason.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Bryan Hoch
December 8, 2025
The New York Yankees are expecting right-hander
Gerrit Cole (elbow) to make his 2026 debut sometime in May or June, according to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. We already knew that Cole wasn't going to be ready for Opening Day after having Tommy John surgery with an internal-brace procedure on his right elbow back in March. The 35-year-old veteran missed the entire 2025 season. He threw off a bullpen mound at Yankee Stadium last month, but he still has a ways to go in his recovery. The Yankees are hoping that Cole will be able to face live hitters at some point in spring training. Cole is a six-time All-Star and former American League Cy Young winner, but it's fair to wonder how dominant he'll be when he returns next year following a lengthy absence, especially at his age. The Yankees have a clear need in their rotation with Cole, lefty
Carlos Rodon (elbow), and
Clarke Schmidt (elbow) all recovering from elbow procedures.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Bryan Hoch
December 8, 2025
Free-agent right-hander
Michael Soroka has agreed to a one-year deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks, pending a physical, sources tell Jesse Rogers and Jeff Passan of ESPN. In 2025, Soroka pitched to a 4.52 ERA (3.78 SIERA) with a career-high 25.1% strikeout rate across 89 2/3 innings for the Washington Nationals and Chicago Cubs. When the 28-year-old first reached the majors, he relied heavily on generating ground balls. But after recovering from multiple injuries, he overhauled his pitch mix and became more of a strikeout-oriented hurler. For fantasy managers, Soroka is a solid late-round dart throw with some upside and will likely be the last pitcher you draft in most leagues.
--Marty TallmanSource: Jesse Rogers and Jeff Passan
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