November 10, 2025
General managers across MLB are predicting that free-agent outfielder
Kyle Tucker will sign with either the New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, or Los Angeles Dodgers this offseason. The San Francisco Giants could be a dark-horse team, but they still owe first baseman
Rafael Devers $250 million and are in the second year of a seven-year, $182 million contract with shortstop
Willy Adames and the second of a six-year, $151 million extension with third baseman
Matt Chapman. San Fran will be paying $137 million alone to their top six players in 2026. USA Today's Bob Nightengale wouldn't be surprised if the Blue Jays are "the perfect fit." The 28-year-old left-handed slugger is the top available free agent this winter and should command the biggest contract despite missing more time with injury in 2025. Tucker finished his first and likely last year in Chicago with a .266/.377/.464 slash line, .841 OPS, 22 home runs, 73 RBI, 91 runs, and 25 stolen bases in 500 at-bats.
--Keith HernandezSource: USA TODAY Sports - Bob Nightengale
November 10, 2025
Free-agent third baseman/designated hitter
Justin Turner plans to play in 2026, according to his agent, Greg Genske. Turner, who turns 41 years old this month, posted a .759 OPS against left-handed pitching while playing for the Chicago Cubs in 2025. Overall, Turner slashed .219/.288/.314 in his 17th MLB season with a .602 OPS, three home runs, 18 RBI, and 14 runs scored in only 80 regular-season games. Big Red still can do damage against southpaws, but he showed in 2025 that he doesn't have much left in the tank otherwise. If Turner signs with another big-league team for the 2026 season, he'll be on the short side of a platoon, likely at designated hitter. Turner played 32 games at first base for Chicago, eight at third base, and 19 as the DH.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB Network - Jon Morosi
November 10, 2025
Atlanta Braves catcher
Drake Baldwin was named the 2025 National League Rookie of the Year on Monday night. Baldwin, a third-rounder in the 2022 draft out of Missouri State, was thrust into action early in the 2025 campaign when
Sean Murphy started the season on the injured list with a broken rib. Baldwin, who was the club's top prospect, took advantage to earn NL ROY hardware. He got off to a slow start at the plate but eventually figured it out and finished with a .274/.341/.469 slash line with 19 home runs to lead all NL rookies with a 3.1 fWAR. Baldwin becomes the 10th player in franchise history to win the award. His 75.3 mph average bat speed ranked him among the top 9% of qualified hitters this year, and he also finished in the 80th percentile or better in whiff rate (19.5%), expected slugging percentage (.474), expected weighted on-base average (.354), strikeout rate (15.2%), hard-hit rate (49.6%), expected batting average (.276), and average exit velocity (91.7 mph).
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB
November 10, 2025
Right-handed pitcher
Kyle Hendricks is retiring after a long and decorated career that included a World Series championship, an ERA title, and 11 seasons with the Chicago Cubs, a source told Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times. In his 12th and final season in 2025 with the Los Angeles Angels, Hendricks went 8-10 with a 4.76 ERA and 1.27 WHIP with 114 strikeouts and 43 walks in 164 2/3 innings over his 31 starts. The 35-year-old veteran was a soft-tosser in his career and never had an All-Star selection, but he will finish his career with a decent 3.79 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in 1,745 regular-season innings over 307 appearances (301 starts). Hendricks' best season came in 2016 with the Cubbies, when he finished third in the National League Cy Young voting after posting a league-best 2.13 ERA with a 16-8 record and 0.98 WHIP in 190 innings pitched.
--Keith HernandezSource: Chicago Sun-Times - Maddie Lee
November 10, 2025
MLB Network's Jon Morosi mentions the Boston Red Sox as an interesting fit for Milwaukee Brewers two-time All-Star right-hander
Freddy Peralta if he is moved in the offseason. "I think [they're] one starting pitcher away from making a real run at this," Morosi said. The Brewers picked up Peralta's $8 million option for the 2026 season, but the 29-year-old will be eligible for free agency following next season, and the BoSox could be an option if they get aggressive on the trade market for a starting pitcher. Milwaukee probably isn't going to be in play to give Peralta a long-term extension following the 2026 season, so it would make sense for them to shop him this offseason or next summer at the trade deadline. Peralta had a fantastic season in 2025 and was one of the best starters in all of baseball, going 17-6 with a 2.70 ERA in 33 starts. His 17 wins, 2.70 ERA, and 176 2/3 innings were all career-highs.
UPDATE: Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports reports that the Brewers "are planning to keep" Peralta.--Keith HernandezSource: MLB Network - Jon Morosi
November 10, 2025
Athletics first baseman
Nick Kurtz was named the American League Rookie of the Year for the 2025 season on Monday night. Kurtz had one of the best rookie seasons of any hitter in the history of baseball, so it's no surprise he won the award unanimously. The 6-foot-5, 240-pound lefty slugger debuted with the A's on April 23 and went on to hit an impressive .290/.383/.619 with 36 home runs in 119 games in 2025. The Wake Forest product led all MLB rookies in homers, RBI (86), runs scored (90), OPS (1.002), OPS+ (173), and wins above replacement (4.6 per FanGraphs, 5.4 per Baseball Reference). The 22-year-old was the third rookie in the modern era (since 1900) with an OPS+ of 170 or higher, joining
Jose Abreu (2014) and
Aaron Judge (2017). Kurtz's superior slugging was on display on July 25, when he went 6-for-6 with four homers and eight RBI in a single game. He becomes the ninth player in A's history to win the award.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB
November 9, 2025
Outfielder
Kyle Tucker is one of the most prominent names on the free-agent market this winter after hitting .266/.377/.464 with an .841 OPS, 22 home runs, 73 RBI, 91 runs scored, a 143 OPS+, and a 4.5 fWAR in 136 games with the Chicago Cubs in 2025. The 28-year-old left-handed slugger is a free agent for the first time in his career and is the consensus No. 1 player on the market, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. If not for a hairline fracture in his right hand, Tucker's numbers in 2025 would have looked even better. So where will he land? It's anyone's guess right now, but Feinsand lists the Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, and New York Mets as his most likely suitors. Tucker is one of the best players in baseball when healthy, but injuries over the last two years have raised red flags about his durability. Even with injury concerns, he might land a deal worth north of $400 million.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Mark Feinsand
November 9, 2025
Cleveland Guardians right-handers
Emmanuel Clase and Luis L. Oritz have both been indicted by prosecutors in Brooklyn, New York, on a "host of charges related to a scheme to rig bets on pitches" thrown during the 2025 season, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. Ortiz was arrested on Sunday in Boston, while Clase is currently not in custody. Passan adds that both pitchers face up to 65 years in prison if they are convicted on all charges, including fraud, conspiracy, and bribery. Clase and Ortiz missed the final two months of the year while the league looked into the two hurlers getting money to intentionally throw balls on certain pitches. Clase has been one of the most dominant closers in baseball the last few seasons, so this is a big loss for the Guardians. The 27-year-old Dominican is a three-time All-Star and has had 181 saves since the start of 2021. Neither Clase nor Ortiz will pitch again in the big leagues.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Jeff Passan
November 7, 2025
New York Yankees outfielder
Aaron Judge headlined this year's American League Silver Slugger award winners to take home the hardware for the fifth time in his career, according to David Adler of MLB.com. Joining Judge in the AL were Athletics rookie first baseman
Nick Kurtz (first-time winner), Yankees second baseman
Jazz Chisholm Jr. (first), Cleveland Guardians third baseman
Jose Ramirez (sixth), Kansas City Royals shortstop
Bobby Witt Jr. (second), Minnesota Twins outfielder
Byron Buxton (first), Detroit Tigers outfielder
Riley Greene (first), Seattle Mariners catcher
Cal Raleigh (first), Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter
George Springer (third), and Tigers utility player
Zach McKinstry (first). The Yankees were the best slugging team in the AL in 2025, scoring a league-best 849 runs, 51 more than any other team. They also led the AL in homers (274), slugging (.455), OPS (.787) and total bases (2,488).
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - David Adler
November 7, 2025
The Cleveland Guardians declined their 2026 option on left-hander
John Means (elbow) on Thursday, officially making him a free agent this offseason, according to Tim Stebbins of MLB.com. Means was an All-Star with the Baltimore Orioles in 2019, posting a 3.60 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and 121:38 K:BB in 155 innings over his 31 outings (27 starts) in his first full season in the big leagues. The 32-year-old veteran southpaw has struggled to return to that form, though, and injuries have been the biggest issue. He was recovering from Tommy John surgery and did not pitch at all in the big leagues in 2025. However, Means did make seven minor-league rehab appearances late in the season, so barring a setback, he should be ready for the start of the 2026 campaign. It remains to be seen where he'll land in free agency, though, and fantasy managers will want to see him stay healthy before considering him off the waiver wire.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Tim Stebbins
November 7, 2025
Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter
Shohei Ohtani headlines the list of the National League Silver Slugger award winners for the 2025 season, according to David Adler of MLB.com. The other players in the NL to win the award on Thursday were New York Mets first baseman
Pete Alonso (first selection), Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman
Ketel Marte (second), San Diego Padres third baseman
Manny Machado (third), Diamondbacks shortstop
Geraldo Perdomo (first), Mets outfielder
Juan Soto (sixth), Diamondbacks outfielder
Corbin Carroll (first), Chicago Cubs outfielder
Kyle Tucker (second), Colorado Rockies catcher
Hunter Goodman (first), and St. Louis Cardinals utility player
Alec Burleson (first). The Dodgers were named the best slugging team in the NL after pacing the league in runs (825), homers (244), walks (580), OPS (.768), and total bases (2,415).
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - David Adler
November 7, 2025
Japanese star third baseman Munetaka Murakami will officially be posted by the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of Nippon Professional Baseball for major-league teams on Friday, sources told Jeff Passan of ESPN. It will officially start the process of one of the most anticipated free agencies of the winter, and Murakami's 45-day negotiating window to come to a deal with an MLB team will start on Saturday. He will have until 5 pm ET on Dec. 22 to agree to a deal with a big-league team. Murakami was a two-time Central League Most Valuable Player and a four-time All-Star, playing the bulk of his games at third base. However, some people think he'll be better suited across the diamond at first base in the U.S. In his 892 games in Japan, the 6-foot-2, 213-pounder hit 246 home runs, including 56 in 2022, which broke the record for most homers in a single season by a Japanese-born player. "He has legit power" that "should translate to the majors," according to a scout.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Jeff Passan
November 6, 2025
Catcher
Austin Wynns (abdomen) and the Athletics are in agreement on Thursday on a one-year, $1.1 million deal that includes performance incentives, sources told Robert Murray of FanSided. Wynns suffered an abdominal injury in the second half of the season and landed on the injured list in August. He ended up playing in 40 big-league games in 2025 with the A's and Cincinnati Reds, slashing a solid .291/.321/.544 with a career-high six home runs, 21 RBI, and 13 runs scored in 110 plate appearances. The 34-year-old veteran will return to the Bay Area in 2026 as insurance behind starter
Shea Langeliers. In his seven seasons in the big leagues, Wynns has done very little at the plate, hitting .239 (173-for-724) with 19 home runs and 84 RBI in 278 games played with six different teams. Wynns won't be on the fantasy radar anywhere.
--Keith HernandezSource: FanSided - Robert Murray
November 6, 2025
ESPN's Jeff Passan reports that Chicago Cubs outfielder
Kyle Tucker headlines a list of 13 MLB players who were tendered $22.025 million qualifying offers on Thursday, according to sources. In addition to Tucker, the other 12 players to receive qualifying offers were Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter
Kyle Schwarber, Toronto Blue Jays shortstop
Bo Bichette, Houston Astros left-hander
Framber Valdez, San Diego Padres right-hander
Dylan Cease, Phillies left-hander
Ranger Suarez, New York Mets closer
Edwin Diaz, Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander
Zac Gallen, Cubs left-hander
Shota Imanaga, Padres right-hander
Michael King, New York Yankees outfielder
Trent Grisham, Detroit Tigers second baseman
Gleyber Torres, and Milwaukee Brewers right-hander
Brandon Woodruff. The deadline to accept the offers is on Nov. 18. If these players don't accept the offer and sign with other teams, their previous club will receive draft-pick compensation.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Jeff Passan
November 6, 2025
Right-handed closer
Pete Fairbanks is officially on the free-agent market after the Tampa Bay Rays declined his $11 million option for the 2026 season on Thursday, sources told Jeff Passan of ESPN. Fairbanks will receive a $1 million buyout and will now be free to sign with any MLB team this winter. The 31-year-old veteran will have his fair share of suitors after a strong 2025 campaign in his sixth full season with the Rays. Fairbanks had a 2.83 ERA (3.63 FIP), 1.04 WHIP, a career-high 27 saves, 59 strikeouts, and 18 walks in 60 1/3 innings out of the bullpen. His fantasy value for the upcoming season will depend entirely on where he lands in free agency, but at the very least, Fairbanks should be attractive in fantasy as a high-leverage arm at the back end of a bullpen. He has become a high-end closer in recent seasons, saving 75 games in his 156 relief outings.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Jeff Passan
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