January 6, 2026
The San Francisco Giants have designated outfielder
Justin Dean for assignment to make room for right-hander
Tyler Mahle, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Dean never appeared in a game for the Giants after being claimed off waivers in early November. The 29-year-old most recently played for the World Series-champion Los Angeles Dodgers, appearing in 18 games last season, primarily as a pinch-runner. Mahle joins a Giants starting rotation that includes
Logan Webb,
Robbie Ray,
Adrian Houser, and
Landen Roupp. The 31-year-old righty spent the past two seasons with the Texas Rangers, where he posted a 2.54 ERA with 76 strikeouts across 99 1/3 innings. However, durability remains a major concern. Since 2022, Mahle has undergone Tommy John surgery and hasn't made more than 20 starts in a season. In 2025, he missed 85 games with right-shoulder fatigue, and his declining velocity only adds to the concerns. His fastball, which averaged around 94 mph in 2021, dipped to roughly 92 mph last season. While Mahle still does a solid job locating the ball, and Oracle Park is pitcher-friendly, he's mainly a fantasy option for deeper formats, like 15-team leagues. Even then, it's best to leave him on the waiver wire to start the season until he proves he can stay healthy and that his stuff can still play at the major-league level.
--Marty TallmanSource: Susan Slusser
January 6, 2026
The New York Yankees are running out of viable options to replace outfielder
Cody Bellinger, which, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, is giving Bellinger significant leverage in his free-agent talks with New York. Rosenthal added that free-agent outfielder
Kyle Tucker is likely too expensive for the Yankees' taste, while third baseman
Alex Bregman and shortstop
Bo Bichette don't appear to be great fits for their roster. Last week, the New York Post's Jon Heyman reported that Bellinger is still the Yankees' top priority. However, other teams, such as the Mets, Angels, Dodgers, and Blue Jays, have also shown interest in the former National League MVP. In 2025, Bellinger slashed .272/.334/.480 with 29 home runs, 89 runs scored, 98 RBI, and 13 stolen bases with a career-low 13.7% strikeout rate. If Bellinger does re-sign with New York, he'll be a clear top-25 outfielder heading into fantasy drafts in 2026.
--Marty TallmanSource: Ken Rosenthal
January 6, 2026
The St. Louis Cardinals have acquired left-hander
Justin Bruihl from the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for cash considerations, as announced by both teams. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Cardinals designated right-hander
Zak Kent for assignment. Bruihl has pitched five years in the majors, posting a 4.72 ERA, 69 strikeouts, and a 1.37 WHIP across 89 2/3 innings. The 28-year-old does a solid job of keeping the ball on the ground and has held left-handed hitters to a .224 batting average over his career. Bruihl appears to be a replacement for lefty reliever
John King, who was non-tendered by St. Louis following the 2025 season. Outside of very deep leagues that count holds, Bruihl can safely be left off fantasy radars heading into 2026.
--Marty TallmanSource: St. Louis Cardinals X account
January 6, 2026
The Colorado Rockies are expected to pursue veteran starting pitching ahead of the 2026 season, according to Thomas Harding of MLB.com. The club is reportedly looking to add two experienced starters who can provide innings stability. Colorado's rotation struggled mightily in 2025, finishing with a 6.65 ERA, which is one of the worst marks by a starting staff in MLB history. As things currently stand, the Rockies have
Kyle Freeland,
Chase Dollander,
Tanner Gordon,
Ryan Feltner, and
McCade Brown projected as their starting five. Feltner posted the best ERA among that group at 4.75, though he logged just 30 1/3 innings. It is unlikely that Colorado will pursue top-tier free-agent starters such as
Framber Valdez,
Ranger Suarez, or
Zac Gallen. Instead, Darragh McDonald of MLB.com suggests the Rockies could target older veterans like
Wade Miley,
Miles Mikolas,
Alex Cobb,
Jose Quintana,
Patrick Corbin, or
Martin Perez. Unless Colorado changes its usual offseason approach, their rotation is probably best avoided for fantasy in 2026.
--Marty TallmanSource: Thomas Harding
January 6, 2026
The Philadelphia Phillies have agreed to a minor-league deal with free-agent left-hander
Tucker Davidson, according to Will Sammon of The Athletic. It is currently unclear whether the contract includes an invitation to major-league spring training. Davidson has spent parts of five seasons in the majors, pitching for the Braves, Angels, and Orioles. The 30-year-old lefty owns a 5.76 career ERA (5.13 SIERA) across 129 2/3 innings. In 2025, he pitched in Korea for the Lotte Giants, where he started 22 games and posted a 3.65 ERA, a 22.5% strikeout rate, 9.1% walk rate, and a 46.4% ground-ball rate. If Davidson earns a spot on the Phillies' roster, he would likely serve as depth out of the bullpen. As such, he is not expected to have any fantasy relevance heading into the 2026 season.
--Marty TallmanSource: Will Sammon
January 6, 2026
In the opinion of The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, the odds of the Toronto Blue Jays re-signing shortstop
Bo Bichette are "increasingly unlikely." The Blue Jays signed Kazuma Okamoto to primarily play third base. Rosenthal thinks the big move the Blue Jays are waiting to make is to sign superstar right fielder
Kyle Tucker, which would leave Bichette as the odd-man out. Toronto is planning on moving
Andres Gimenez to shortstop, so if Bichette were to return, he'd primarily play the keystone. If Bichette signs elsewhere, it will open things up at second base for postseason hero
Ernie Clement. If the Blue Jays are indeed moving on from Bichette, his most likely landing spots would be with the Yankees, Cubs, Phillies, or Red Sox. All of those landing spots would be good spots for Bichette, who bounced back nicely in 2025 after an injury-plagued 2024 campaign.
--Keith HernandezSource: Ken Rosenthal on Foul Territory
January 6, 2026
ESPN's Buster Olney writes that the Boston Red Sox really want to re-sign third baseman
Alex Bregman and "have signaled a willingness to pay him big money." They could offer Bregman something in the range of the six-year, $171.5 million deal that the Detroit Tigers offered last spring. ESPN's Jesse Rogers adds that there was a feeling in the industry that Bregman was down to the Blue Jays and Diamondbacks, and when Kazuma Okamoto signed with Toronto, it would push Bregman to Arizona. There's a widespread belief that Boston and Bregman "need each other." "If it was down to Toronto and Arizona before, maybe it's now Boston or Arizona," one executive said. Durability is a concern for a player heading into his age-32 season, but Bregman should still be firmly in the fantasy mix at 3B in 2026 after tying for fourth among third basemen in 2025 with a 124 wRC+. Staying in Beantown would be a plus for Bregman's fantasy value, but the hitting environment in Arizona would also be very attractive.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Buster Olney
January 6, 2026
The Baltimore Orioles and New York Mets have been the two teams that are most connected to signing free-agent starting pitcher
Framber Valdez, according to MLB Network Insider Mark Feinsand. Valdez has a history with both operations executives for the Orioles and Mets, with Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias serving as the Astros' scouting director when they signed Valdez in 2015. Mets' president of baseball operations, David Stearns, was the Astros' assistant general manager at that time. The 32-year-old lefty is one of the top starting pitchers on the free-agent market and has been one of the most consistent starters in baseball over the past six seasons. He's thrown at least 175 innings in four consecutive years, holding a 3.21 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 16% K-BB%, and a league-high 60% ground-ball rate in that time. Valdez would remain a high-end starter in fantasy baseball despite a less-than-stellar strikeout rate with a move to either of these teams.
--Kyle McCarthySource: Mark Feinsand
January 6, 2026
The Detroit Tigers have traded outfielder
Justyn-Henry Malloy to the Tampa Bay Rays for cash considerations, according to Tigers PR. Malloy was recently designated for assignment following the Tigers re-signing reliever
Kyle Finnegan. The 25-year-old appeared in 52 games for Detroit last season, slashing .221/.346/.308 (92 wRC+) in 127 plate appearances. The former sixth-round pick in 2021 has below-average power and speed with poor defensive metrics, but he has posted a double-digit walk rate at every stop of his career. Malloy could have an opportunity for playing time in the Rays' outfield if his defense can hold up, while he also has two minor-league options remaining, giving Tampa Bay some flexibility with their roster.
--Kyle McCarthySource: Tigers PR
January 6, 2026
The Boston Red Sox and starting pitcher
Kutter Crawford have agreed to a one-year, $2.75 million contract to avoid arbitration, according to the Washington Times Sports. Crawford did not pitch last season after beginning the year on the injured list with a knee injury, and he underwent surgery on his wrist in July. The 29-year-old led the Red Sox with 183 2/3 innings in his breakout 2024 season, pitching to a 4.36 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and a 16.3% K-BB%. Crawford has experience as both a starter and a reliever, and it remains to be seen how Boston will deploy him in 2026.
--Kyle McCarthySource: Washington Times Sports
January 6, 2026
The Houston Astros have designated right-handed pitcher
Kaleb Ort for assignment. This transaction opened a spot on the roster for recently acquired pitcher
Tatsuya Imai. Ort has spent each of the last two campaigns with the Astros operating as a relief pitcher. In 2025, the right-hander logged 46 innings to the tune of a 4.89 ERA with a 1.35 WHIP. He earned one save and struck out 49 hitters. However, during the 2024 campaign, Ort enjoyed his most impressive campaign, posting a 2.55 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, and a 26:4 K:BB through 24 2/3 innings. Given his previous success, the 33-year-old could draw interest as a middle reliever on waivers. If he goes unclaimed, Ort would begin his 2026 season in the minor leagues with Triple-A Sugar Land.
--Andy SmithSource: Chandler Rome
January 6, 2026
According to Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic, the Baltimore Orioles remain "in pursuit" of another starting pitcher. Rosenthal and Sammon report they could look to sign one of the top remaining free agents, such as
Framber Valdez or
Ranger Suarez. In addition, they still have the prospect capital to pursue one of the top names on the trade market, such as
MacKenzie Gore from Washington or
Edward Cabrera of Miami, even after top prospects
Samuel Basallo and
Jackson Holliday made their MLB debuts. Early in the offseason, the Orioles acquired right-hander
Shane Baz in a trade with the Rays and re-signed veteran right-hander
Zach Eflin. However, outside of the roster,
Trevor Rogers and returning
Kyle Bradish, the Orioles do not have as much depth at the position to compete in a high-powered AL East. As of now, Rogers or Bradish are the likely candidates to get the starting nod on Opening Day.
--Andy SmithSource: Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon
January 6, 2026
Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman
Ketel Marte has had his name in many trade discussions throughout the offseason. However, general manager Mike Hazen is expected to move on from the previous trade discussions and plan for Marte to remain on the roster for the 2026 season. According to Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic, "nothing has changed" regarding a potential trade, and the Diamondbacks have always viewed the likelihood of a trade involving their second baseman as a "long shot." The 32-year-old switch-hitter turned in another impressive campaign in 2025 and was named to his second-straight All-Star Game. Through 126 games, he held a .283/.376/.517 line with 28 home runs and four stolen bases. Marte remains a high-end second baseman heading into 2026, as he should provide elite production in four of the standard categories while chipping in a handful of stolen bases.
--Andy SmithSource: Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon
January 6, 2026
Free agent outfielder
Randal Grichuk has been linked to the Philadelphia Phillies, according to Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic. Grichuk would serve as a platoon option in left field alongside
Brandon Marsh. While reports suggest that they are still linked to the remaining top free agents like
Bo Bichette,
Kyle Tucker, and
Alex Bregman, the price tag would need to come down significantly for the Phillies to be a serious contender to acquire them. Grichuk spent the 2025 campaign with the Diamondbacks and Royals. Through 113 games, the 34-year-old held a .228/.273/.401 line but generated a .262 xBA with a 453 xSLG, which suggests he could be in store for a bounce-back campaign in 2026. If he were to sign a deal in Philadelphia, he would have appeal in deeper five-outfielder leagues, given that he would likely only be deployed on the weak side of a platoon.
--Andy SmithSource: Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon
January 6, 2026
According to Jason Mackey of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Pirates have expressed interest in signing third baseman
Eugenio Suarez. According to Mackey, the team was initially interested in signing third baseman Kazuma Okamoto, but he inked a contract with Toronto over the weekend. As a result, the Pirates will now shift their attention to the 34-year-old slugger. Last summer, Suarez enjoyed a massive bounce-back season, launching 49 long balls with a .228/.298/.526 slash line. He generated an elite 14.3% barrel rate but holds a high 33.3% whiff rate and 29.8% K rate, which lowers his value in points leagues. If Suarez were to agree to terms with the Pirates, he would join an improving Pittsburgh lineup that welcomed second baseman
Brandon Lowe and designated hitter
Ryan O'Hearn earlier this winter.
--Andy SmithSource: Jason Mackey
RADIO
