December 10, 2025
Free-agent first baseman
Pete Alonso and the Baltimore Orioles are finalizing a five-year, $155 million deal on Wednesday, sources tell ESPN's Jeff Passan. Alonso is leaving the Mets to join the American League East. The 31-year-old right-handed slugger was greeted by a cold market last offseason and eventually re-signed with the Mets for two years and $54 million. Alonso opted out of the final year of the deal after 2025, though, and now he's on the move. The Polar Bear had a career-high .272 batting average in 2025 in his final year with the Mets and added 38 home runs, a league-high 41 doubles, 126 RBI, and 87 runs scored in 162 games played. Alonso isn't the best defensive first baseman, but he makes up for it by being an elite slugger at the plate. He has cleared 30-plus home runs in all six of his full seasons and has topped 40 homers three times. Alonso gives the Orioles some much-needed thump in the middle of their batting order.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Jeff Passan
December 10, 2025
Toronto Blue Jays outfielder/designated hitter
Anthony Santander (back, shoulder) is "finally feeling normal" after back and shoulder injuries limited him to 54 games in his first year with the team in 2025, according to manager John Schneider. Santander was a first-time All-Star in 2024 with the Orioles and had a career-high 44 home runs and 102 RBI before the Jays made him a high-profile free-agent signing last offseason. He was a massive bust in his first year in Canada, slashing .175/.271/.294 with only six home runs, 18 RBI, a 27.6% strikeout rate, and 16 runs in 221 plate appearances in the regular season. The 31-year-old battled a subluxated shoulder and a nagging lower-back injury. Most fantasy managers are going to be avoiding Santander in 2026, so he'll be very cheap, but he'll be losing outfield eligibility. If he can stay healthy, which is a big if, Santander could have a good shot to return to the 30-homer mark.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Mitch Bannon
December 9, 2025
The Detroit Tigers and right-handed closer
Kyle Finnegan agreed to a two-year, $19 million contract on Tuesday night, pending a physical, sources told Jeff Passan of ESPN.com. Finnegan will return to Motown after the Tigers acquired him at last summer's trade deadline from the Washington Nationals. The 34-year-old veteran was outstanding in his 16 relief appearances for Detroit, allowing just three earned runs while walking four and striking out 23 in 18 regular-season innings. He also recorded four saves while sharing closing duties with right-hander
Will Vest. Finnegan wasn't nearly as dominant with the Nats before the trade, posting a 4.38 ERA and 1.28 WHIP with 20 saves in 39 innings. He was third in the league in 2024 with a career-high 38 saves in D.C. Finnegan returns to an ascending Tigers club, but a fourth straight 20-save season is far from a lock.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Jeff Passan
December 9, 2025
The Pittsburgh Pirates and left-handed reliever
Gregory Soto have agreed to a one-year, $7.75 million deal, sources tell Jorge Castillo of ESPN. Soto, 30, posted a 4.18 ERA (3.49 SIERA) with a 25.1% strikeout rate across 60 1/3 innings in 2025. For the Pirates, Soto is expected to serve as a high-leverage reliever and could see opportunities in the closer role, depending on matchups. From a fantasy perspective, Soto will be most valuable in leagues that count holds as a category.
--Marty TallmanSource: Jorge Castillo
December 9, 2025
The Boston Red Sox are no longer pursuing free-agent shortstop
Bo Bichette unless his market changes, according to Julian McWilliams of CBS Sports. The 27-year-old is projected to command a five-year, $130 million contract this offseason. In 2025, he slashed .311/.357/.483 with 18 home runs, 84 RBI, 78 runs, four stolen bases, and a 134 wRC+ across 628 plate appearances. He also posted a .294 xBA while striking out 14.5% of the time. Bichette is widely regarded as one of the best pure hitters in baseball, and wherever he lands, he is likely to occupy the top of the batting order. From a fantasy perspective, he's an excellent asset to boost your team's batting average while still hitting close to 20 home runs.
--Marty TallmanSource: Julian McWilliams
December 9, 2025
The Miami Marlins are in discussions with the Baltimore Orioles about a possible trade involving right-hander
Edward Cabrera, according to Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic. The 27-year-old remains under club control for three more years and is projected to earn $3.7 million in arbitration for 2026. After dealing
Grayson Rodriguez to the Angels, the Orioles are seeking another high-end starter to pair with left-hander
Trevor Rogers and right-hander
Kyle Bradish. In 2025, Cabrera delivered a strong campaign, posting a 3.53 ERA (3.72 SIERA) with a career-high 17.6 K-BB% across 137⅔ innings. For fantasy, a move out of the pitching-friendly LoanDepot Park could be offset by the potential to win more games in Baltimore.
--Marty TallmanSource: Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon
December 9, 2025
The Boston Red Sox would be comfortable with
Marcelo Mayer as their starting third baseman on Opening Day. The 22-year-old endured a rough rookie season, slashing .228/.272/.402 with four home runs, 10 RBI, 20 runs, and no steals while posting an 80 wRC+. He also struck out at a 30.1% clip across 136 plate appearances. His year ended early after a wrist injury that required surgery in August. Looking ahead to 2026, a fully healthy Mayer projects for roughly 15 home runs, 10 steals, and a .250 batting average. At present, he profiles as a viable middle-infield option in deep 12- or 15-team fantasy leagues.
--Marty TallmanSource: Matthew Crory
December 9, 2025
The price for free-agent first baseman
Pete Alonso has "likely" risen in light of
Kyle Schwarber's five-year, $150 million contract, per Chris Cotillo and Sean McAdam of MassLive.com. Alonso is now expected to seek a six- or seven-year deal, though it's unclear whether the Boston Red Sox would commit to a contract that would carry him through his age-36 or age-37 season. The 31-year-old slugger bet on himself last year by taking a one-year deal with the Mets, and that decision appears poised to pay off. In 2025, Alonso launched 38 home runs and slashed .272/.347/.524 with a 141 wRC+ across a career-high 709 plate appearances. For fantasy managers, Alonso remains one of the safest sources of home runs in the league, and he's played all 162 games in each of the last two seasons.
--Marty TallmanSource: Chris Cotillo and Sean McAdam
December 9, 2025
The Miami Marlins and
Eury Perez are reportedly getting closer to agreeing on a five or six-year extension, according to Craig Mish of the SportsGrid. Earlier this spring, the Marlins opened contract-extension talks with Pérez, but the two sides were initially about $15 million apart. That gap now appears to be resolved. The 22-year-old flashed legitimate upside in the majors last season, posting a 4.25 ERA (3.80 SIERA) and a 27.3% strikeout rate across 95⅓ innings. Durability and command have been his main shortcomings, but he reached a career-high 118 innings last year while lowering his walk rate. Looking ahead to 2026, Pérez has the ceiling of a fantasy ace, and he won't cost you a top-75 pick.
--Marty TallmanSource: Craig Mish
December 9, 2025
There is mutual interest in a potential extension for
Jakob Marsee and the Miami Marlins, but no formal offer has been made, according to Isaac Azout from Fish On First. The 24-year-old burst onto the scene last year, slashing .292/.363/.478 with five home runs, 33 RBI, 28 runs, 14 stolen bases, and a 133 wRC+ in 234 plate appearances. The young outfielder also showed good plate discipline, posting a 9.4 BB% to a 20.5 K%. For 2026, the speedy lefty is expected to steal between 30-40 bases while putting up 10-15 home runs at the top of Miami’s batting order. At his current 152 ADP, he is a safe bet for steals with enough on-base skills and emerging pop to return profit even without a major breakout.
--Marty TallmanSource: Isaac Azout
December 9, 2025
The Kansas City Royals' starting pitchers
Noah Cameron,
Ryan Bergert, and
Stephen Kolek are drawing interest from several teams, according to Anne Rogers of MLB.com. The St. Louis Cardinals have specifically checked in on Cameron, who posted a 2.99 ERA (4.33 SIERA) with a 12.8 K-BB% across 138 1/3 innings last season. While Rogers did not specify which clubs are eyeing Bergert and Kolek, it's reasonable to assume that neither pitcher would fetch a significant return. In 2025, Bergert recorded a 3.66 ERA (4.62 SIERA) with an 11.8 K-BB% over 76 1/3 innings, while Kolek logged a 3.51 ERA (4.39 SIERA) with a 10.0 K-BB% across 112 2/3 innings.
--Marty TallmanSource: Anne Rogers
December 9, 2025
The Boston Red Sox have a stronger chance than the Toronto Blue Jays to acquire Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman
Ketel Marte, largely because Boston has more MLB-ready starting pitching. The 32-year-old is owed $102.5 million over the next six seasons and is coming off a year where he slashed .283/.376/.517 with 28 home runs and a 145 wRC+. The Red Sox could center a deal around one or both of
Payton Tolle and
Connelly Early. Tolle impressed in the minors last season, posting a 3.04 ERA, 133 strikeouts, 23 walks, and a 0.99 WHIP across 91 2/3 innings. After a late-summer call-up, he struggled in the majors, recording a 6.06 ERA and a 1.59 WHIP over 16 1/3 innings, but the underlying talent remains evident. Early produced even stronger results. Across AA and AAA, he delivered a 2.60 ERA, 132 strikeouts, and a 1.11 WHIP in 100 1/3 innings. In his brief major-league stint, he was dominant, pitching to a 2.33 ERA with a 36.7% strikeout rate while effectively limiting hard contact. Adding Marte would represent a significant upgrade over Boston's current second baseman,
Ceddanne Rafaela, who is better utilized in a super-utility or outfield role.
--Marty TallmanSource: Jon Morosi
December 9, 2025
The Chicago White Sox won the MLB draft lottery on Tuesday and will have the first overall pick in the 2026 draft. The White Sox came into Tuesday's lottery with the highest odds (27.73%) to win the No. 1 overall pick after finishing 60-102 in 2025. It will be the first time that they have had the No. 1 selection in a draft since they took Harold Baines back in 1977. After the White Sox, the Tampa Bay Rays will pick at No. 2, followed by the Minnesota Twins, San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Kansas City Royals. The Colorado Rockies, who had the worst record (43-119), were not eligible for the draft lottery because they received lottery picks in 2024 and 2025. Colorado will have the 10th overall pick in 2026. Although the White Sox already have a promising young shortstop in
Colson Montgomery, they are widely expected to take UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky with the No. 1 overall pick next July.
--Keith HernandezSource: Chicago White Sox
December 9, 2025
The Philadelphia Phillies announced on Tuesday that they have extended the contract of manager Rob Thomson through the 2027 season. The announcement came shortly after the Phillies announced that they re-signed designated hitter
Kyle Schwarber to a five-year, $150 million deal on Tuesday. The 62-year-old Thomson has the second-most wins (346) and second-best winning percentage (.580) by a manager in Phillies history. He has guided the Phillies to the playoffs in each season since he replaced Joe Girardi on June 3 of 2022, including National League East titles in each of the last two years. The Phillies won the NL pennant in 2022 but lost in the World Series to the Houston Astros. Thomson has joined Dave Roberts, Aaron Boone, and Mike Matheny as the only managers in MLB history to make the postseason in each of their first four years at the helm.
--Keith HernandezSource: Philadelphia Phillies
December 9, 2025
The Detroit Tigers are interested in signing free-agent reliever
Kenley Jansen, according to Ari Alexander. According to sources, the Los Angeles Angels have checked in on Jansen for a potential reunion. Right-hander
Will Vest is currently the favorite for saves in Detroit as things currently stand, but the Tigers are also interested in bringing
Kyle Finnegan back, so it seems likely that Vest will be in a co-closer situation for the start of 2026. The 38-year-old Jansen had a pretty solid season in his first season with the Angels in 2025, going 5-4 with a 2.59 ERA (3.98 FIP), 0.95 WHIP, 29 saves, 57 strikeouts, and 19 walks in 59 relief innings. Fantasy managers can't really expect Jansen to be much better than he was in 2025, though, after a 59.1% fly-ball rate and a career-low 24.4% strikeout rate. Jansen should still receive save chances somewhere in 2026, but it might be in more of a committee role, which is what he'd be in if he lands in Motown.
--Keith HernandezSource: Ari Alexander
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