January 8, 2026
Cincinnati Reds right-handed pitcher
Lyon Richardson was sent to Triple-A after passing through waivers. Richardson has spent his entire professional career with the Reds, since joining them in the second round of the 2018 MLB Draft. Richardson made his MLB debut during the 2023 campaign, but logged his highest workload this past summer. In 2025, the Jensen Beach HS product posted a 4.54 ERA and a 1.54 WHIP across 37 2/3 innings. He struck out 30 hitters but served up a hefty 21 free passes. Through 32 innings with Triple-A last season, Richardson held a similar 4.22 ERA with a 1.38 WHIP. Managers should expect Richardson to operate in a relief role at Louisville to open the season and contend for a low-leverage role in the major league bullpen.
--Andy SmithSource: Cincinnati Reds
January 8, 2026
The Colorado Rockies have claimed right-handed pitcher
Keegan Thompson. The 30-year-old right-hander signed a contract with the Reds earlier this offseason but was designated for assignment in late December. Thompson began his MLB career with the Chicago Cubs and was selected in the third round of the 2017 MLB Draft out of Auburn. During his debut season, Thompson posted a 3.38 ERA with a 1.48 WHIP across 53 1/3 innings. This past season, Thompson enjoyed his most productive campaign, posting a strong 2.67 ERA with a 1.22 WHIP across 30 1/3 innings of relief. He added two saves as well. Given his solid production last summer, managers should expect Thompson to carve out a role in Colorado, serving as a middle relief option or potentially in a high-leverage situation.
--Andy SmithSource: Cincinnati Reds
January 8, 2026
The Chicago Cubs have claimed left-handed pitcher
Ryan Rolison off waivers from the Colorado Rockies, according to Bruce Levine of 670 The Score. Rolison, a former first-round pick, made his MLB debut with the Rockies last summer. Across his first 42 1/3 innings in the big leagues, the southpaw posted a hefty 7.02 ERA with a 1.77 WHIP. During this stint, he tallied just 25 pinchouts and allowed 20 walks. While he generated groundballs at a promising 48.6% rate, he posted a high 5.74 xERA with a 9.5% barrel rate. Through 115 career innings at Triple-A, Rolison has posted a 5.32 ERA and 1.43 WHIP. Given his struggles in the majors last season, managers should not expect Rolison to have a significant role in the Chicago bullpen if he can crack the Opening Day roster.
--Andy SmithSource: Bruce Levine
January 7, 2026
Free-agent right-hander
Michael Lorenzen and the Colorado Rockies agreed to a one-year, $8 million contract on Wednesday evening that includes a $9 million club option for the 2027 season, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan. The 34-year-old Lorenzen will serve as a starter for the Rockies this year. After a disappointing 2025 campaign with the Kansas City Royals, Lorenzen's fantasy appeal will dip even further in 2026 with the move to one of the worst teams in the league in one of the worst pitchers' parks in Coors Field. The veteran right-hander went 7-11 this past season with a 4.64 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, and 127 strikeouts with 39 walks in 141 2/3 frames over a career-high 26 starts. The one good thing going for Lorenzen with his move to Denver is the fact that he should have a long leash in Colorado's starting rotation. He improved his strikeout and walk rates in KC, but he struggled with home-run allowance, something that will need to change quickly in 2026 if he's going to be a matchup-based streaming option for fantasy managers.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Jeff Passan
January 7, 2026
The New York Mets are still interested in some of the top free-agent arms, such as lefties
Framber Valdez and
Ranger Suarez, but their focus right now is on "first exploring trades," league sources told Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic. The Mets are interested in both rentals and pitchers with team control, putting Tigers lefty
Tarik Skubal, Brewers righty
Freddy Peralta, Nationals lefty
MacKenzie Gore, Royals lefty
Kris Bubic, and Reds righty
Brady Singer in play. New York has plenty of ammunition to get a deal done with one of the top farm systems, and they are also willing to trade infielders
Mark Vientos,
Ronny Mauricio, and
Luisangel Acuna. As of right now,
David Peterson,
Clay Holmes, and
Nolan McLean are all locks for the Opening Day rotation. Expect the Mets to pick up at least one big-name starting pitcher before spring training.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon
January 7, 2026
The Chicago White Sox are in the market for another pitcher on a one-year deal, and they expressed interest in free-agent right-hander
Griffin Canning (Achilles) in late December, league sources told The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon.
Shane Smith,
Davis Martin, and
Sean Burke are already locked into the team's starting rotation for next season. The Pale Hose have added lefties
Sean Newcomb and
Anthony Kay this offseason, but Canning would give them another starting option. The 29-year-old Canning was pitching well for the New York Mets in 2025 before rupturing his left Achilles tendon in late June. He had a 3.77 ERA (4.04 FIP) in 76 1/3 innings over 16 starts. Before his injury, Canning was using his cutter and slider more often while keeping the ball in the yard. His Achilles injury will likely keep him from starting the season on time, which means he'll be off the draft radar in standard-sized leagues.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon
January 7, 2026
The Baltimore Orioles designated outfielder
Jhonkensy Noel for assignment on Wednesday to make room on the 40-man roster after claiming outfielder
Marco Luciano off waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates, according to Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports. Noel didn't last long with Baltimore after being claimed off waivers from the Cleveland Guardians earlier this week. The 24-year-old right-handed Dominican slugger has plenty of raw power in his large 6-foot-3, 250-pound frame. Noel clubbed 19 home runs in 136 games in his two seasons with the Guardians, but he also hit under .200 with 115 strikeouts and only 17 walks in 351 plate appearances at the big-league level. Big Christmas will need to prove he can make more contact with the lumber before he's given another extended chance in a corner-outfield spot in the majors.
--Keith HernandezSource: MASN Sports - Roch Kubatko
January 7, 2026
The Los Angeles Angels claimed outfielder
Wade Meckler off waivers on Tuesday afternoon from the San Francisco Giants. Meckler made his MLB debut last summer with the Giants. During his brief 20-game stint in the big leagues, Meckler held a .232/.328/.250 line with just one double, no home runs, and a 25:6 K:BB. Under the hood, the former eighth-round pick generated a .265 xwOBA with a low 22.6% hard-hit rate. However, at the Triple-A level, Meckler posted a .287/.390/.370 line with 21 doubles, one home run, with 11 stolen bases across an 87-game stint. Given his production at the Triple-A level, Meckler could be in line to compete for a spot on the Opening Day roster in Los Angeles.
--Andy SmithSource: Los Angeles Angels PR
January 7, 2026
According to Robert Murray of FanSided.com, right-handed pitcher
Brusdar Graterol has avoided arbitration with the Dodgers and signed a one-year contract worth $2.8 million. Graterol was on the shelf during the 2025 season while recovering from the labrum surgery he underwent in 2024. During that season, he logged only 7 1/3 innings with the Dodgers and posted a 2.45 ERA. However, in 2023, he was a reliable high-leverage option in the Los Angeles bullpen, posting a 1.20 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, with a 48:12 K:BB across 67 1/3 innings. He tallied a career-best seven saves as well. While the 27-year-old does not project to see many save opportunities in 2026 with
Edwin Diaz now in the bullpen, he could find value in deeper leagues that reward holds, pitching for the two-time reigning World Series Champions.
--Andy SmithSource: Robert Murray
January 7, 2026
The Chicago Cubs have traded infield prospect
Cristian Hernandez to the Miami Marlins in the package that sent
Edward Cabrera to the North Side of Chicago. Hernandez was sent to Miami alongside Cubs' top prospect
Owen Caissie and Edgardo DeLeon. Hernandez joined the Cubs' organization in 2021 but did not make his Low-A debut until the 2023 season. During his first season with Low-A Myrtle Beach, the 22-year-old posted a .223/.302/.301 line. In 2024, Hernandez spent most of the season in a second stint with Low-A but did earn a taste of High-A. This past season, the infielder spent the entire season at High-A South Bend, where he held a .252/.329/.365 line with an eye-catching 52 stolen bases and a career-high seven home runs. Dynasty managers should monitor his status as he could be in the mix to debut at Double-A later in 2026.
--Andy SmithSource: Will Sammon
January 7, 2026
Chicago Cubs top outfield prospect
Owen Caissie was the centerpiece in the trade that sent right-handed pitcher
Edward Cabrera to the Cubs on Wednesday afternoon. In addition, prospects
Cristian Hernandez and Edgardo DeLeon were also included in the package. Before the trade, Caissie was ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the Cubs system on MLB.com and the No. 47 overall prospect in the sport. The former second-round pick made his MLB debut late last summer and struggled in his brief stint, posting a .192/.222/.346 line with just one double and one home run across 12 contests. However, through 99 games with the Iowa Cubs, the 23-year-old flashed high upside, posting a .286/.386/.551 line with 22 long balls. While he has high raw power, Caissie had a high 28.0% K%, which raises some concern in his profile. Managers should expect the young outfielder to be in serious contention to earn a spot in the Opening Day lineup.
--Andy SmithSource: Will Sammon
January 7, 2026
According to Will Sammon, the deal to send right-handed pitcher
Edward Cabrera to the Chicago Cubs has been finalized. In return, the Cubs are sending prospects
Owen Caissie,
Cristian Hernandez, and Edgardo DeLeon to Miami. Cabrera is coming off the largest workload of his career as he tossed a season-best 137 2/3 innings during the 2025 season. This was the first time he eclipsed the 100.0 inning mark in a campaign. Across this workload, the right-hander posted a 3.53 ERA with a 1.23 WHIP. He struck out 150 batters but showed modest command, posting an 8.3% BB%. His 3.99 xERA suggests he could take a bit of a step back, but his 47.5% ground-ball rate should play well with an elite Chicago defense behind him. While his workload concerns do make him a risky fantasy asset, when healthy, he has flashed high strikeout upside and should be in a great position to win games on a competing Cubs team.
--Andy SmithSource: Will Sammon
January 7, 2026
The Seattle Mariners signed free-agent first baseman/third baseman
Patrick Wisdom to a minor-league deal on Wednesday that includes an invite to spring training, sources told Aram Leighton of Just Baseball Media. The 34-year-old veteran spent last season in Korea with the Kia Tigers, where he hit an impressive 35 home runs on his way to a 126 wRC+. He has a 105 wRC+ in seven major-league seasons, but also an elevated 36.7% strikeout rate. Wisdom has hit .209/.291/.459 with the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, and Texas Rangers. In 2024 with Chicago, he slashed just .171/.237/.392 with eight home runs, 23 RBI, 16 runs scored, and five stolen bases in 75 games played. Wisdom still has some pop in his bat, but he'll be a long shot to carve out significant playing time for the M's in 2026.
--Keith HernandezSource: Just Baseball Media - Aram Leighton
January 7, 2026
Free-agent relief pitcher
Justin Wilson is considering retirement, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon report. The 38-year-old Wilson is coming off another solid season with the Boston Red Sox, throwing 48 1/3 innings with a 3.35 ERA and 27.5% strikeout rate in 61 total appearances. Wilson also notched 18 holds with Boston last season, his most since 2016 with the Tigers. The 13-year veteran is reportedly unlikely to pitch in 2026 unless he receives a "fair deal" with a World Series contender. The southpaw profiles as one of the top available lefty relievers on the market and would be a valuable addition to a contending team's bullpen.
--Kyle McCarthySource: The Athletic
January 7, 2026
The Baltimore Orioles have claimed infielder/outfielder
Marco Luciano off waivers, according to Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com. Luciano was designated for assignment by the Pittsburgh Pirates just two weeks after being claimed off waivers by them on Dec. 5. The 24-year-old was one of the top-ranked prospects in the San Francisco Giants organization a few years ago, but he has struggled in his big-league opportunities, holding a career slash line of .217/.286/.304 (68 wRC+) with a 35.7% strikeout rate in 126 plate appearances. Luciano also struggled during his time with Triple-A Sacramento in 2025, hitting .214 and striking out 30.6% of the time, but he at least flashed his power-speed skill set with 23 homers and 10 stolen bases over 555 plate appearances. He'll aim to establish himself in his new home in Baltimore.
--Kyle McCarthySource: Francys Romero
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