November 29, 2025
Philadelphia Phillies right-hander
Zack Wheeler's (shoulder) 2025 season was cut short when he was put on the injured list in August with a blood clot in his right upper extremity. He had a successful thrombolysis removal surgery a day later. It was a disappointing end to another strong season, as Wheeler had a 10-5 record, 2.71 ERA, an elite 195:33 K:BB ratio, and a 0.94 WHIP in 24 starts. On Sept. 23, he had vascular thoracic outlet syndrome surgery. The type of surgery Wheeler had has produced stronger outcomes than the neuronic version that derailed
Stephen Strasburg's career. Wheeler is unlikely to be ready by Opening Day next year, but president of baseball operations David Dombrowski said last month that Wheeler is likely to return near the end of May. Wheeler has been a constant at the top of Philly's starting rotation since 2020, but fantasy managers will be skeptical of a pitcher who will turn 36 on May 30 and who is coming off a major surgery.
--Keith HernandezSource: NBC Sports Philadelphia - Cole Weintraub
November 29, 2025
Free-agent right-hander
Ryan Helsley agreed to a two-year, $28 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday, a source told Katie Woo of The Athletic. Helsely will have the ability to opt out of the deal after his first season in Baltimore. Reports suggested that interested MLB teams were looking at making the 31-year-old veteran into a starting pitcher for next season, but the O's will keep him as a reliever. A dreadful two-month period with the New York Mets in 2025 did little to deter interest in him around the league, as around 15 teams checked in on him this offseason, including the Detroit Tigers. Helsley was an All-Star in 2024 with the St. Louis Cardinals, when he led baseball with 49 saves. He converted 21 of 26 save chances for St. Louis this past season, but he had a 7.20 ERA in 22 outings after being traded to the Mets. He was struggling with predictability issues and pitch tipping.
Felix Bautista (shoulder) isn't expected to be ready until late next season, so Helsley should be Baltimore's primary closer for most of 2026.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Katie Woo
November 29, 2025
The New York Mets' trade of long-time outfielder
Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers might have cleared a lane for outfield prospect
Carson Benge to become the team's starting center fielder on Opening Day in 2026, according to Sam Dykstra of MLB.com. Benge, the team's No. 2 prospect and the No. 21 overall prospect by MLB Pipeline, climbed three levels in the minors in his first full season in 2025. He has a real shot to not only make the big-league roster out of spring training, but also win starting center-field duties now that Nimmo is gone. The 22-year-old was drafted 19th overall in 2024 as a two-way player out of Oklahoma State. Benge has since become a full-time outfielder and hit .281/.385/.472 with 15 homers and 22 steals in 116 games over three minor-league levels. Benge has great bat-to-ball skills, developing power, and above-average speed. His primary competition in center field in spring training will be with
Tyrone Taylor.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Sam Dykstra
November 28, 2025
Free-agent right-hander
Nick Anderson agreed to an undisclosed one-year deal with the Athletics earlier this month that includes an invitation to major-league spring training, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network. Anderson's MLB salary is $1 million if he's added to the 40-man roster. The 35-year-old has pitched in six big-league seasons with five different teams. He appeared in 12 games out of the bullpen in 2025 for the Colorado Rockies, posting a career-worst 6.14 ERA (10 earned runs in 14 2/3 innings) while striking out 10 and walking two. In his career, Anderson holds a 3.43 ERA (3.38 FIP), 1.11 WHIP, 10 saves, 212 strikeouts, and 49 walks in 173 innings pitched over 177 relief appearances. Anderson will be far from the fantasy radar in all formats and will most likely start the 2026 season at Triple-A Las Vegas.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB Network - Jon Morosi
November 28, 2025
Free-agent relief pitcher
Sam Hentges and the San Francisco Giants agreed to a one-year, $1.4 million deal on Thursday, a source familiar with the deal told Robert Murray of FanSided. Hentges became a free agent after he was non-tendered by the Cleveland Guardians last week. The 29-year-old is expected to be ready for spring training in February after missing the entire 2025 season after having surgery on his left shoulder and arthroscopic surgery on his right knee back in September. The southpaw won't be on the fantasy radar, but he could end up being a key bullpen piece for the Gigantes if he can return to his pre-injury form. The former fourth-round selection had a 3.04 ERA and 0.97 WHIP in 23 2/3 relief innings before being shut down in 2024, and he holds a career 4.18 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, one save, and a 223:74 K:BB in 168 appearances (12 starts) in the majors since debuting in Cleveland in 2021.
--Keith HernandezSource: FanSided - Robert Murray
November 26, 2025
Japanese 27-year-old right-hander Tatsuya Imai is expected to come to the United States in the first few days of December to meet with several major-league baseball teams, sources told Francys Romero. Imai is going to be one of the top starters on the market this offseason after he was one of the best pitchers in Nippon Professional Baseball over the last couple of years. He was great while pitching for the Seibu Lions in 2025, going 10-5 with a 1.92 ERA and 178 strikeouts in 163 1/3 innings. The New York Yankees, who are dealing with injuries to starters
Carlos Rodon (elbow),
Gerrit Cole (elbow), and
Clarke Schmidt (elbow), are expected to be one of the top suitors for Imai. The Baltimore Orioles are another team in the American League East that figures to be in on Imai, as well as other available starting pitchers this winter.
--Keith HernandezSource: Francys Romero
November 26, 2025
Free-agent right-hander
Dylan Cease and the Toronto Blue Jays agreed on a seven-year, $210 million deal on Wednesday, pending a physical, sources tell Jeff Passan of ESPN.com. The defending American League champions take one of the best starting arms off the open market a day before Thanksgiving. Cease will join an already strong rotation in Toronto that includes
Kevin Gausman,
Trey Yesavage,
Shane Bieber, and
Jose Berrios. The 29-year-old has five straight seasons with 200 strikeouts, but he's coming off a disappointing final season with the San Diego Padres in 2025, in which he went 8-12 with a 4.55 ERA (3.56 FIP), 1.33 WHIP, and 215:71 K:BB in 168 innings over 32 regular-season starts. His 71 free passes were one of the highest marks in baseball. Cease remains an elite strikeout artist who has been durable in his career, but he'll be a risk-reward for both Toronto and fantasy managers going into 2026 in the American League East.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Jeff Passan
November 26, 2025
The Los Angeles Angels and third baseman
Anthony Rendon are in talks about buying out the final year of his contract, which could bring a resolution to the failed seven-year, $245 million deal, a source told Alden Gonzalez of ESPN. Rendon missed the entire 2025 season while recovering from hip surgery. If/when the Angels buy out the final year of his deal, Rendon is expected to retire. The 35-year-old veteran is owed $38 million next year. Gonzalez reports that the expectation is that Rendon will defer at least part of that money in 2026, giving the Angels more financial flexibility this offseason. At the time they signed him, the Angels made Rendon the highest-paid third baseman in December of 2019 after he had just won a World Series with the Nationals. The former first-rounder became one of the league's best third basemen in his time with the Nats, but he was a massive bust for the Angels, playing in just a quarter of the team's games over the life of his deal.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Alden Gonzalez
November 26, 2025
Houston Astros All-Star left-handed closer
Josh Hader (shoulder) said on Monday that his left shoulder feels fully recovered after he finished the 2025 season on the injured list, according to Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle. Hader said that he finished his rehab from a shoulder capsule strain several weeks ago and is optimistic about having a normal build-up heading into spring training in February. He threw from a mound "a few times" during his rehab and was "up to just about over 85 mph." The hard-throwing southpaw threw more than an inning in seven of a career-high 71 regular-season appearances in 2024 and had seven such outings in 2025. Hader said he'll remain open to going more than an inning of work going into the third season of his five-year, $95 million deal with Houston. Before his shoulder injury, Hader was his usual dominant self, posting a 2.05 ERA while going 28-for-29 in save chances.
--Keith HernandezSource: Houston Chronicle - Matt Kawahara
November 26, 2025
MLB Network's Jon Morosi reports that the Arizona Diamondbacks are "actively listening" to trade offers for All-Star second baseman
Ketel Marte this offseason. Morosi adds that he thinks there is at least a "50-50 chance" that Marte gets dealt to a new team for the 2026 season and beyond. No trade is imminent, but "multiple teams have checked in." Among the teams that have checked on Marte's availability are the Philadelphia Phillies and Toronto Blue Jays. Marte has a limited no-trade clause, but neither the Phillies nor the Blue Jays are on his list. Toronto could decide to pursue Marte if they are prepared to let star shortstop
Bo Bichette walk in free agency. If they were to acquire Marte from Arizona, he would play second base, and
Andres Gimenez would slide over to the 6. The Phillies currently have
Bryson Stott as their starting second baseman, but Marte would be a clear upgrade.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB Network - Jon Morosi
November 26, 2025
The Miami Marlins initiated contract-extension talks with right-hander
Eury Perez in the spring of this year, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. However, talks failed to progress beyond the initial stages, with the gap between the two sides being around $15 million in guaranteed money. Perez is at two-plus years of service time and will play for around the minimum of $780,000 in 2026 before becoming eligible for salary arbitration. In 19 starts as a rookie in 2023, Perez impressed with a 3.15 ERA and 10.6 strikeouts per nine innings. He finished that year on the injured list with inflammation in his right shoulder. The Dominican had Tommy John surgery in 2024 but returned this June and finished with a 4.25 ERA in 95 1/3 innings. The hard-throwing right-hander will be just 22 years old in 2026 and has a rare combination of size, command, and fastball quality.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Ken Rosenthal
November 26, 2025
Free-agent infielder
Jonah Bride and the Texas Rangers agreed to a minor-league contract with an invitation to major-league spring training on Tuesday, a source told Jeff Passan of ESPN. The 29-year-old will reunite with new Rangers manager Skip Schumaker, for whom he had his best big-league season in 2024 with the Miami Marlins. Bride, a former 23rd-round pick by the Athletics in 2018 out of South Carolina, hit .276 (64-for-232) with 11 home runs, 39 RBI, and 30 runs scored in 71 games for the Fish in 2024. He hit a strong .281/.423/.453 in 43 games at Triple-A this year, but he struggled with a .435 OSP in 125 plate appearances with Miami and the Minnesota Twins this year. Bride will be auditioning for a roster spot with the Rangers in spring training, but he'll most likely open the 2026 season at Triple-A Round Rock as corner-infield insurance for Texas.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Jeff Passan
November 25, 2025
The Tampa Bay Rays are re-signing outfielder
Jake Fraley to a one-year, $3 million deal on Tuesday, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The Rays claimed Fraley off waivers from the Atlanta Braves on Nov. 6 before designating him for assignment last week. The left-handed-hitting outfielder hit a combined .241/.332/.382 with a .714 OPS, six home runs, 23 RBI, 31 runs scored, and four stolen bases in 76 games with the Braves and Cincinnati Reds in 2025. It's highly unlikely that the oft-injured Fraley becomes much more than a platoon outfielder for the Rays in 2026. In his seven big-league seasons, the 30-year-old has a .508 OPS against left-handed pitchers. Fraley's high-water mark came in 2023 with the Reds, when he hit a career-high 15 home runs, drove in 65, and stole 21 bases in 111 games. Fantasy managers in mixed leagues can likely ignore him next year.
--Keith HernandezSource: Tampa Bay Times - Marc Topkin
November 25, 2025
Acquiring a catcher is not among the Boston Red Sox's top offseason priorities, but they are showing interest in free-agent catcher
J.T. Realmuto, according to people briefed on the team's talks. The BoSox just acquired veteran starting pitcher
Sonny Gray to bolster their rotation behind ace lefty
Garrett Crochet, and re-signing third baseman
Alex Bregman is another primary goal. The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Jen McCaffrey say that the best guess is still that Realmuto will re-sign with the Philadelphia Phillies, the team he's been with since 2019. The Phils don't have an internal replacement for the veteran backstop, which makes them motivated to keep him. In Boston, he'd be more of a complementary player as he enters his age-35 season in tandem with
Carlos Narvaez. Realmuto is projected to land a three-year, $45 million contract on the open market. He'd be a clear offensive upgrade over
Connor Wong, who is currently Boston's No. 2 catcher.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Ken Rosenthal and Jen McCaffrey
November 25, 2025
The St. Louis Cardinals are acquiring right-hander
Richard Fitts and left-hander Brandon Clarke from the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday in exchange for right-hander
Sonny Gray and cash, sources told Jeff Passan of ESPN. The Cardinals are sending Boston $20 million to cover Gray's salary of $35 million in 2026. The 25-year-old Fitts will have a good shot at opening next season in St. Louis' starting rotation. In his first two years in the majors with Boston, he went 2-5 with a 3.97 ERA (5.02 FIP), 1.29 WHIP, and 49:23 K:BB in 15 outings (14 starts) over 65 2/3 innings pitched. Fitts struggled in 11 appearances (10 starts) in 2025, posting a 5.00 ERA and 1.31 WHIP in 45 frames. He's under team control through 2031. Clarke, 22, has plenty of upside long term with an electric fastball and a wipeout slider. The young southpaw had a 4.03 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 60:27 K:BB in 14 starts in 2025 with Single-A Salem and High-A Greenville.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Jeff Passan
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