January 15, 2026
Right-handed pitcher Takahiro Norimoto has decided to remain in Japan and will sign a multi-year deal with the Yomiuri Giants, according to a report from Sports Hochi. Norimoto had been considering an offer from an MLB club but ultimately chose to continue his career in Nippon Professional Baseball. The 35-year-old has spent his entire 13-year career with the Rakuten Golden Eagles, primarily as a starter, before transitioning to the closer role over the past two seasons. Last year, he posted a 3.05 ERA with 16 saves, 43 strikeouts, and a 1.429 WHIP across 56 innings. With Norimoto already in the twilight of his career, it is unlikely he will ever move to MLB, but he is an excellent veteran addition for the Giants.
--Marty TallmanSource: Sports Hochi
January 15, 2026
The Arizona Diamondbacks have signed free-agent reliever
Taylor Clarke to a one-year, $1.5 million contract that includes incentives and could be worth just over $2 million, reports Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic. In a corresponding move, the Diamondbacks designated right-hander
Gus Varland for assignment. Clarke spent the past three seasons with the Kansas City Royals, posting a 4.46 ERA with 157 strikeouts and a 1.22 WHIP across 163 1/3 innings. In 2025, he made 51 appearances and recorded a 3.25 ERA (3.69 xERA) while holding opponents to a .194 batting average. For Arizona, Clarke projects as another bullpen depth arm, and from a fantasy standpoint, he is unlikely to hold value in 2026.
--Marty TallmanSource: Nick Piecoro
January 15, 2026
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Seattle Mariners are viewed as the leading suitor to land St. Louis Cardinals second baseman
Brendan Donovan, largely because Seattle possesses the strongest farm system to facilitate a deal. Rosenthal added that the San Francisco Giants and Kansas City Royals have also expressed interest. However, he believes the Giants lack the prospect capital to entice the Cardinals, while the Royals could make a competitive offer only by parting with some of their minor-league pitching depth. Donovan has posted a 115 wRC+ or better in each of the past four seasons with St. Louis. In 2025, he slashed .287/.353/.422 with 10 home runs, 50 RBI, 64 runs scored, and three stolen bases across 515 plate appearances. If Donovan is traded to any of these clubs, his draft value should remain largely unchanged. For fantasy purposes, the 28-year-old profiles as a solid middle-infielder in 12- or 15-team leagues who can help improve batting average.
--Marty TallmanSource: Ken Rosenthal
January 15, 2026
The Seattle Mariners are set to acquire right-hander
Yosver Zulueta from the Cincinnati Reds, according to Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com. Zulueta was designated for assignment earlier today following Cincinnati's official signing of
Pierce Johnson. The return for the Reds is currently unknown. Seattle's 40-man roster is full, so a corresponding move will be required to complete the transaction. Zulueta, 28, has spent the majority of his professional pitching career in the minor leagues and in his native Cuba. Over five minor-league seasons, he has compiled a 3.73 ERA and 1.38 WHIP, striking out 300 batters across 234 innings. In the majors, he owns a 5.32 ERA with 25 strikeouts and 11 walks in 23 2/3 innings. At this point, Zulueta does not appear likely to make the Mariners' Opening Day roster, and even if he reaches the big leagues in 2026, he is unlikely to provide fantasy value.
--Marty TallmanSource: Francys Romero
January 15, 2026
Retired left-hander
Clayton Kershaw will suit up one last time for Team USA in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, USA Baseball announced on Thursday. After winning back-to-back World Series titles, Kershaw, an 11-time All-Star, three-time National League Cy Young winner, and 2014 NL MVP, will ride off into the sunset after representing his country. It will be Kershaw's first time taking part in the WBC after he had to withdraw from the 2023 edition due to insurance issues. "I learned a long time ago, you just want to be a part of great things, and this team seems like a really fun, awesome group," the 37-year-old future Hall of Famer said. Kershaw was an all-time great in his 18 big-league seasons, also winning five ERA titles and becoming the fourth lefty to join the 3,000-strikeout club. The Dodgers legend just wants to be an insurance option for Team USA's pitching staff and most likely won't be on the mound much.
--Keith HernandezSource: USA Baseball
January 15, 2026
The Colorado Rockies agreed to a two-year, $12 million deal with free-agent utility man
Willi Castro on Thursday, sources told Jorge Castillo of ESPN. Castro, a 28-year-old switch-hitter from Puerto Rico, will be looking to bounce back in 2026 after a rough year with the Minnesota Twins and Chicago Cubs in 2025. In 120 total games last season, he hit .226/.313/.366 with a .679 OPS, 11 home runs, 33 RBI, 58 runs, and 10 stolen bases. After being traded to the Cubs, Castro went 17-for-100 (.170) with a homer, eight walks, and 27 strikeouts in 34 regular-season games. He can play pretty much all over the diamond, which should give him a path to regular playing time in Colorado this year. Castro should also bounce back offensively at hitter-friendly Coors Field, but he remains a glove-first asset that won't be much more than bench depth in deeper fantasy baseball leagues in 2026.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Jorge Castillo
January 15, 2026
According to Jessee Rogers of ESPN, Chicago Cubs third baseman
Matt Shaw could see time in the outfield during the upcoming season. Last week, the Cubs signed free agent third baseman
Alex Bregman to a massive five-year contract, which will likely block Shaw out of a starting role in the infield with
Nico Hoerner,
Dansby Swanson, and
Michael Busch slated to cover second base, shortstop, and first base, respectively. However, the team's President of Baseball Operations, Jed Hoyer, expressed that the team could get creative to find Shaw at-bats, especially in the outfield. Shaw made his MLB debut at the beginning of the 2025 season and struggled, posting a low .226/.295/.394 line across 126 gams. However, he did hit 13 home runs and swipe 17 bags. Managers should monitor Shaw's usage during spring training. While the Cubs' outfield is currently crowded as well, Shaw could take on a super-utility role, which could earn him close to every-day at-bats. For now, he is best left for deeper 15+ team redraft leagues given his unknown role.
--Andy SmithSource: Jesse Rogers
January 15, 2026
According to Jon Heyman of The New York Post, top free-agent outfielder
Kyle Tucker could make his decision on Thursday. Heyman noted that the three primary suitors for the superstar are the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, and Los Angeles Dodgers. Heyman noted that while there are other suitors, if one of them were to sign Tucker, it would come as a major surprise. Tucker spent the 2024 season in Chicago with the Cubs after beginning his MLB career with the Houston Astros. Despite dealing with a lingering calf injury during the second half of the 2025 campaign, Tucker still finished the campaign holding a .266/.377/.464 line with 22 long balls and 25 stolen bases. Under the hood, Tucker generated a .372 xwOBA, suggesting he is primed for an even more productive 2026. Given his ability to draw walks at an elite 14.6% rate and make high-quality contact, Tucker carries high-end OF1 upside in all formats heading into 2026.
--Andy SmithSource: Jon Heyman
January 15, 2026
The Seattle Mariners have expressed interest in bolstering their bullpen and have been linked to St. Louis Cardinals reliever
JoJo Romero. The Cardinals are currently in the midst of a "re-tool" as they shipped off starting third baseman
Nolan Arenado to the Arizona Diamondbacks this week and have also been shopping infielder
Brendan Donovan. According to Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat, the Mariners are among the teams that have shown interest in Romero. Last summer, Romero was quite effective in the St. Louis bullpen, logging 61 innings to the tune of a 2.07 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP. He tallied just 55 punchouts but was a go-to option in high-leverage situations as he earned 24 holds and eight saves. While Romero would not contend for saves in Seattle as
Andres Munoz is slated to remain the closer, he could find value in deeper holds leagues, operating as the primary left-hander in setup situations.
--Andy SmithSource: Jeff Jones
January 15, 2026
The New York Mets have officially sent top free-agent outfielder
Kyle Tucker a contract proposal for four years in length. As reported earlier this week, the Mets were considering increasing their offer to Tucker to four years. Mike Puma of The New York Post reported on Wednesday that the Mets have finally added an additional year to their proposal in hopes of acquiring the star outfielder. The 28-year-old has been linked to numerous clubs during the winter, including the Mets, Blue Jays, and Dodgers. After opting not to re-sign
Pete Alonso and
Edwin Diaz, it appears the Mets are actively pursuing Tucker to bolster their starting lineup. Last season in Chicago, Tucker had a bit of a down year but still held a strong .266/.377/.464 line with an .841 OPS, 22 home runs, and 25 stolen bases. If he were to sign with the Mets, Tucker would carry elite OF1 upside in all formats, batting alongside high-end hitters such as
Juan Soto and
Francisco Lindor.
--Andy SmithSource: Mike Puma
January 15, 2026
According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Blue Jays have not closed the door on a potential reunion with top free-agent infielder
Bo Bichette. Throughout the winter, Bichette has been linked to several suitors and has even drawn significant interest from certain clubs such as the Philadelphia Phillies. Even though the Blue Jays appear to be pivoting away from Bichette, they have still kept the door open to re-signing their former infielder. Bichette has spent his entire seven-year MLB career with Toronto. In 2025, Bichette turned in a massive bounce-back season after struggling in 2024. Across 139 games, the 27-year-old posted an elite .311/.357/.483 line with 18 home runs and four stolen bases. Under the hood, he generated a strong .353 xwOBA with an elite .295 xBA. If Bichette were to return to Toronto, he would continue to hold high-end value at the shortstop position despite his lack of speed, as he possesses elite contact skills with high-end counting stats.
--Andy SmithSource: Jeff Passan
January 15, 2026
The Minnesota Twins have designated catcher/first baseman
Mickey Gasper for assignment. This transaction opened a spot on the roster for infielder
Vidal Brujan, whom the team claimed off waivers from the Braves earlier this week. Gasper spent the 2025 campaign with the Twins after making his MLB debut in 2024 with the Boston Red Sox. Last summer, Gasper appeared in 45 games with the Twins and posted a .158/.257/.232 line with a low .489 OPS. He hit just two home runs and held a 20:10 K:BB. Through 117 career games with Triple-A, Gasper has posted a .303/.406/.512 line with an eye-catching .918 OPS. Given his success at the top level of the minor leagues, the 30-year-old could draw interest on waivers.
--Andy SmithSource: Aaron G
January 15, 2026
Miami Marlins top pitching prospect
Thomas White could make a case to push for an earlier-than-expected MLB debut. The Miami Marlins have traded two of their current starting pitchers this past week, which will open the door for their budding prospects to compete for a job in spring training. The Marlins shipped
Edward Cabrera to the Chicago Cubs in return for top outfield prospect
Owen Caissie and then moved left-hander
Ryan Weathers to the Yankees in return for several hitting prospects. While
Robby Snelling appears to be a favorite to claim one of the openings as he finished this season pitching at a high level with Triple-A, managers should also monitor White, the team's top arm. MLB.com's No. 22-ranked prospect logged 89 2/3 innings last season, spent primarily with High-A and Double-A before earning a brief stint at Triple-A. Through these innings, White held a stellar 2.31 ERA, 1.18 WHIP with a 145:51 K:BB. If White can turn in a dominant spring training, the left-hander could make a case to begin the 2026 season in Miami or join the Marlins relatively early in the first half.
--Andy SmithSource: RotoBaller
January 15, 2026
New York Mets outfield prospect
Carson Benge is a name to closely monitor during spring training. As reported by Sam Dykstra of MLB.com, Benge is in the mix to win a starting job in the outfield out of spring training. Following the departure of
Brandon Nimmo, Benge could make a strong case in spring training to claim the open role in the outfield. Currently, the Mets are slated to put
Tyrone Taylor in center field and
Juan Soto in right field. While they have been linked to free agents like
Kyle Tucker, as of now, a corner outfield position appears to be open for the taking. Last season, Benge opened the campaign with High-A but was able to end the season with Triple-A. Across 116 total games, the No. 21-ranked prospect in the sport posted a .281/.385/.472 line with an .857 OPS. Managers should closely monitor Benge's production in the spring, as he could be a top late-round target in drafts if he can claim the open role in the outfield.
--Andy SmithSource: RotoBaller
January 15, 2026
Pittsburgh Pirates pitching prospect
Bubba Chandler has seen his fantasy stock rise following his strong conclusion to the season, as he appears poised for a breakout campaign in 2026. Chandler made his MLB debut with the Pirates in late August of 2025. Through his first 31 1/3 innings in the big leagues, the right-hander posted a modest 4.01 ERA with a stellar 0.93 WHIP. However, his ERA is significantly inflated due to the nine-run outing on September 7. Removing this one fluke outing, the 23-year-old would have instead carried a dominant 1.57 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, and a 28:1 K:BB across 28 2/3 innings in the big leagues. While Chandler struggled at times at Triple-A before his promotion, once he reached Pittsburgh, the top prospect looked like his typical self. Seeing that he showed elite command and above-average strikeout upside, Chandler could enjoy an impressive first full season in the big leagues and is worth viewing as an SP3/SP4 with upside.
--Andy SmithSource: RotoBaller
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