January 11, 2026
The Chicago Cubs have signed right-handed pitcher
Tyler Beede to a minor-league contract with an invite to spring training. Beede pitched briefly in Triple-A with the Minnesota Twins last season. He was released by the organization after posting an 8.00 ERA. 2.33 WHIP, and a 7/9 K/BB ratio across seven games. Beede hasn't pitched in the MLB since the 2024 season with the Cleveland Guardians. He registered an 8.36 ERA in 13 appearances with them. The 32-year-old is a former first-round pick who has never been able to put it together at the big league level. He'll likely serve as organizational depth and head to Triple-A Iowa to begin 2026.
--Andy WebbSource: Ari Alexander
January 11, 2026
The Cincinnati Reds have reached an agreement with free-agent relief pitcher
Pierce Johnson. According to Jon Heyman, the two sides have agreed on a deal, but the details are unknown right now. Last season, Johnson posted a 3.05 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and a 59/19 K/BB ratio across 65 games with the Atlanta Braves. A solid pickup for the Reds as Johnson has posted strong numbers over the last few seasons. The expectation is that Johnson is going to be used as a late-inning option. He'll most likely be used as a setup pitcher, which won't offer much value in most fantasy formats.
--Andy WebbSource: Jon Heyman
January 11, 2026
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Milwaukee Brewers right-hander
Freddy Peralta remains a top option for the Yankees if they were looking to bolster their rotation. The Yankees were heavily linked to Marlins right-hander
Edward Cabrera before he was dealt to the Chicago Cubs earlier in the week. However, Heyman noted that despite coming up short in that bidding war, the Yankees remain interested in Peralta and Nationals southpaw
MacKenzie Gore. Last summer, Peralta turned in his best season as a major leaguer, serving as the ace for the NL Central-winning Brewers. Across a career-high 176 2/3 innings, Peralta posted a 2.70 ERA with a stellar 1.08 WHIP. He struck out 204 hitters but struggled with his command, allowing walks at a modest 9.1% rate. Peralta carries high-end SP3 upside heading into the 2026 season.
--Andy SmithSource: Jon Heyman
January 11, 2026
The New York Yankees have remained in contract discussions with top free-agent outfielder
Kyle Tucker, according to Buster Olney of ESPN.com. Earlier this weekend, sources reported that the Yankees and outfielder
Cody Bellinger had their contract talks stall and that the Yankees have begun to shift toward the final stages of free agency, assuming Bellinger will sign elsewhere. As a result, they have continued discussions with the other top available outfielder. Tucker spent the 2025 campaign with the Cubs and finished the season with a .266/.377/.464 line, 22 home runs, and 25 stolen bases. He enjoyed a hot start but saw a calf injury linger during the second half, which hindered his upside. However, his .372 xwOBA suggests he could return to his MVP-level play in 2206. The 28-year-old would see his fantasy value skyrocket if he were to join the Yankees, as his left-handed swing would greatly benefit from playing in the Bronx.
--Andy SmithSource: Buster Olney
January 11, 2026
The New York Yankees have begun to pursue a trade for Washington Nationals ace
MacKenzie Gore. After falling short in the bid to acquire Marlins right-hander
Edward Cabrera, Jon Heyman of The New York Post reports that the Yankees have shifted their focus to other top trade targets such as Gore and Brewers right-hander
Freddy Peralta. Gore has flashed immense upside at times, but has yet to sustain it over a full campaign. Last season, the southpaw enjoyed a strong first half, posting a 3.02 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and a 138:35 K:BB through his first 110 1/3 innings. However, over his last 49 1/3 innings, Gore took a massive step back, posting a hefty 6.75 ERA with a 1.70 WHIP. Gore is a name to closely monitor as he could benefit from a change of scenery. He would also be in line to surpass his previous career-high of 10 wins, pitching for a competing Yankees team.
--Andy SmithSource: Jon Heyman
January 11, 2026
According to Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic, right-handed pitcher
Chris Bassitt has been linked to the Tigers in free agency. The Tigers continue to pursue depth options for their organization and have also shown interest in signing former Boston Red Sox
Lucas Giolito. After a disappointing 2024 campaign, in which the 36-year-old posted a 4.16 ERA with a 1.46 WHIP, Bassitt showed some improvement in 2025, logging 170 1/3 innings to the tune of a 3.96 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP. Bassitt generated an 80th percentile hard-hit rate and sat with a 4.16 xERA, suggesting he could face some minor regression in 2026. Bassitt continues to be a workhorse on the bump, making at least 30 starts for four straight seasons. The right-hander would hold high-volume SP5 value if he were to sign with the Tigers.
--Andy SmithSource: Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon
January 11, 2026
The Detroit Tigers have shown interest in free agent starting pitcher
Lucas Giolito, according to Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic. The Tigers remain active in the starting pitching department on the open market and have also been linked to veteran right-hander
Chris Bassitt. Giolito made his return to the bump in 2025 after missing all of the 2024 campaign recovering from an internal brace procedure. With the Red Sox, Giolito turned in a solid bounce-back campaign, posting a 3.41 ERA with a 1.29 WHIP across 145 innings of work. The 31-year-old struck out 121 hitters and generated a high 5.06 xERA, suggesting he could take a step back in 2026. If Giolito were to join Detroit, he would likely contend with
Troy Melton and
Drew Anderson for a final spot in the rotation and would be left as a deep-league streamer in favorable matchups for fantasy.
--Andy SmithSource: Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon
January 11, 2026
The Cincinnati Reds have signed first baseman
Michael Toglia to a minor league contract. The 27-year-old was designated for assignment by the Rockies earlier this offseason and finally found a suitor. The UCLA product enjoyed a breakout season for the Rockies in 2024 when he launched 25 home runs with a .218/.311/.456 line across 116 games. During this campaign, Toglia flashed high-power upside, generating a .499 xwOBACON and a 50.2% hard-hit rate. However, Toglia's production declined significantly last summer, as he hit just 11 home runs over an 88-game stint in the majors. Managers should expect Toglia to be in the mix for a depth role in the Cincinnati lineup. If he were to crack the Opening Day roster, he could have deep-league appeal in NL-only formats given the raw power potential he has shown.
--Andy SmithSource: MLB.com
January 10, 2026
According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Chicago Cubs have signed free agent third baseman
Alex Bregman to a massive five-year contract worth $175 million. Bregman was one of the top free-agent infielders still available on the open market, alongside shortstop
Bo Bichette. Bregman spent the 2025 campaign with Boston after playing with the Houston Astros for the first nine seasons of his MLB career. With Boston, Bregman remained a productive hitter, posting a strong .273/.360/.462 slash line with 28 doubles and 18 home runs across 114 contests. Under the hood, he generated a 71st-percentile .337 xwOBA and continued to show an elite eye at the plate, drawing walks at a 10.3% rate and striking out at a 14.1% rate. With the Cubs, Bregman figures to serve as the everyday third baseman, which will likely shift former top prospect
Matt Shaw into a utility role in the infield, as
Dansby Swanson,
Nico Hoerner, and
Michael Busch are expected to remain everyday players. Bregman carries top-10 upside at the third base position in all formats as he moves to Chicago.
--Andy SmithSource: Jeff Passan
January 10, 2026
Boston Red Sox infielder
Marcelo Mayer is preparing to play both second and third base this upcoming season. In 2025, Mayer played mostly third base, but saw action at second and shortstop as well. The absence of
Alex Bregman means that Mayer should be able to see regular time at third base now. The Red Sox also don't have an everyday option at second base, but
Kristian Campbell figures to get a fair shot at earning the starting job. Mayer having the ability to play multiple positions should help him get in the lineup more frequently. Due to injuries, Mayer was limited to 44 games with the Red Sox last season. He slashed .228/.272/.402 with four home runs and 10 RBI during his time with the big league club.
--Andy WebbSource: Ian Browne
January 10, 2026
According to Buster Olney of ESPN, free-agent outfielder
Cody Bellinger is unlikely to re-sign with the New York Yankees. The two sides have been linked together all offseason, but no deal has been finalized yet. The Yankees reportedly offered Bellinger a five-year deal for at least $30 million per season. Bellinger, who is represented by Scott Boras, is seeking a deal that exceeds five years and surpasses $30 million per season. In 2025, Bellinger slashed .272/.334/.480 with 29 home runs and 98 RBI across 152 games with the Bronx Bombers. It's certainly going to be a challenge to replace that kind of production if Bellinger decides to head elsewhere. A potential deal could still happen, but it sounds like the Yankees are preparing to move on.
--Andy WebbSource: ESPN
January 10, 2026
Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman
Freddie Freeman has decided to withdraw from the upcoming World Baseball Classic. Freeman has pulled out of the tourney due to personal reasons. He has played for Canada in each of the last two tournaments, but has decided to sit this one out. Freeman has played in back-to-back World Series with the Dodgers, so it makes sense that he'd want to spend as much time as possible with his family. Relief pitcher
Jordan Romano has also dropped out of the WBC, which has opened a door for
Jameson Taillon to join the roster. Also, catcher
Liam Hicks and infielder
Tyler Black will suit up for Canada in the upcoming tourney.
--Andy WebbSource: Shi Davidi
January 10, 2026
Atlanta Braves starting pitcher
Ken Waldichuk was designated for assignment by the organization on Saturday. This is a short-lived stint in Atlanta for Waldichuk, who was claimed by the organization off waivers from the Athletics on Thursday. The team needed to make room for newly signed reliever
Tyler Kinley, and Waldichuk is the odd man out. The southpaw missed all of the 2024 season due to Tommy John surgery. He posted an ugly 8.17 ERA, 1.96 WHIP, and 68/42 K/BB ratio across 17 games (16 starts) in Triple-A with the Athletics in 2025. He hasn't pitched in the MLB since the 2023 season with the A's, where he posted a 5.36 ERA in 35 games. The former fifth-round pick will likely be organizational depth if he's claimed by another team.
--Andy WebbSource: Atlanta Braves
January 10, 2026
Boston Red Sox first baseman
Triston Casas (knee) has resumed baseball activities and is optimistic about playing in Spring Training. Casas is working his way back from a serious knee injury that limited him to 29 games. It seems that Casas is heading in the right direction, but might not be ready for Opening Day. The 26-year-old is likely going to be limited to designated hitter duties with
Willson Contreras joining the club this offseason. The Red Sox have enough organizational depth that they could potentially send Casas to the minors until he's ready to contribute again. Casas has only played one full season since making his MLB debut in 2022. There's decent upside here, but Casas is looking more like a late-round option.
--Andy WebbSource: Mac Cerullo
January 10, 2026
The Atlanta Braves have agreed to terms with relief pitcher
Tyler Kinley on Saturday. The two sides have agreed to a one-year, 4.25 million contract for the upcoming 2026 season. That deal includes a $5.5 million club option that carries a $1.25 million buyout. Kinley returns to Atlanta after posting excellent numbers during his time with the organization. He registered a 0.72 ERA, 0.68 WHIP, and 22/6 K/BB ratio in 24 appearances with the Braves. Overall, Kinley posted a 3.96 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and 73/33 K/BB between 73 games with the Colorado Rockies and Braves. He figures to serve as a middle relief option with
Robert Suarez and
Raisel Iglesias being the late-inning relievers.
--Andy WebbSource: Mark Feinsand
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