Nov 3, 2026, 8:45 PM ET

ESPN's Buster Olney writes that veteran outfielder Teoscar Hernandez is the Los Angeles Dodgers' most obvious trade candidate this offseason as they look to reshape their position-player group to get younger and more athletic. As Hernandez gets older and his defensive skills decline, there is no place for him at designated hitter in L.A., with the presence of Shohei Ohtani. Not only does Hernandez's defense in left field continue to decline, but he was also a disappointment at the plate in 2026 after signing a three-year, $66 million contract with the Blue last offseason. The 34-year-old Dominican native saw a sharp drop in power and hit .267/.334/.425 with a .759 OPS, 16 home runs, 64 RBI, 66 runs scored, five stolen bases, 135 strikeouts, and 42 walks in 125 games played and 491 plate appearances during the regular season. The two-time All-Star hit a combined 58 home runs and drove in 188 runs during the regular season in his first two years with the Dodgers while helping them win back-to-back championships. The writing is on the wall for Hernandez to be traded away, which would be a big hit to his fantasy value.--Keith Hernandez
Source: ESPN - Buster Olney

Nov 3, 2026, 8:36 PM ET

There has been speculation as to whether the New York Yankees would cut oft-injured outfielder/designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton this offseason, but YES Network's Jack Curry said that the Yankees will bring Stanton to spring training next year to see what he has left in the tank. If the 36-year-old five-time All-Star and former MVP struggles in spring training or is still injured, the Yankees could move on then. He is entering the final year of his 13-year, $325 million deal with the Yankees and is owed $15 million in 2027 ($10 million buyout), with a $15 million club option for the 2028 season, which is expected to be declined. General manager Brian Cashman said that Stanton finished the 2026 season healthy, but he managed to play in only 24 games in his 17th year in the league while slashing .256/.302/.422 with a .724 OPS, three home runs, 14 RBI, eight runs scored, and a 29:6 K:BB in 96 plate appearances. In 2025, Stanton played in only 77 games. Stanton has become a major injury liability and could find himself on the free-agent market early next year if he cannot get back on the field and stay there.--Keith Hernandez
Source: YES Network - Jack Curry

Nov 3, 2026, 8:26 PM ET

Major League Baseball proposed postponing the implementation of a salary cap until the 2028 season on Tuesday, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan, as the current collective bargaining agreement approaches its Dec. 1 expiration. The league has pressed forward with its pursuit of a cap and floor despite the Players Association voicing its objection to any cap. The $258.2 million cap and $180.2 million floor that MLB projected for 2028 were higher than the $245.3 million and $171.2 million numbers that the league proposed as its original cap-and-floor offer for 2027. MLB also proposed giving $282 million in competitive balance tax proceeds to players in cash payments, according to sources. Union officials have said that players would lose more than $1 billion over the life of the league's proposal if they agreed to a cap. The last time MLB formally proposed a cap-and-floor system in 1994, players went on strike for 232 days, and the World Series was canceled. Under the 2028 cap-and-floor projections, 12 teams, including the World Series champion Milwaukee Brewers, would need to increase their payrolls to reach the floor. Eight teams carried payrolls that would have been in excess of the ceiling. The MLBPA has proposed maintaining the current framework of the league's financial system while increasing spending, and the union has also asked for a surge in the minimum salary from $780,000 to $1.5 million and free agency for players 30 and older after five years of major-league service, not six.--Keith Hernandez
Source: ESPN.com - Jeff Passan

Nov 3, 2026, 2:34 PM ET

Boston Red Sox outfielder/designated hitter Masataka Yoshida does not fit the team's current roster and "looks like a goner" for next season after another subpar season in 2026, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. Yoshida is due $18 million next season. If the Red Sox cannot find a taker via a trade, they could cut him outright after he hit .274/.347/.399 with a .746 OPS, only five home runs, 28 RBI, 34 runs scored, and two stolen bases across 87 games and 297 plate appearances in his fourth year in the majors. The 33-year-old Japanese native battled injuries and has essentially become a designated hitter only, limiting the options he gives Boston in terms of lineup construction. The Red Sox would prefer to get something back for Yoshida, but if they cannot find any takers this offseason, he could be a cut candidate and find himself on the open market. The left-handed hitter makes a lot of contact and has a .280 batting average in his four MLB seasons, but his lack of power and defensive versatility make him a player to ignore in most fantasy baseball leagues going into the 2027 season.--Keith Hernandez
Source: MassLive.com - Chris Cotillo

Nov 3, 2026, 2:10 PM ET

The Seattle Mariners are hiring former Chicago Cubs' director of player development Jason Kanzler as their new manager, a source told Alden Gonzalez of ESPN. Houston Astros manager Joe Espada had been among the finalists to land the job in Seattle, but it will instead go to Kanzler in an unconventional move by the Mariners. Kanzler, 36, will be replacing Dan Wilson after he was fired following the team's disappointing 2026 season. Kanzler has never managed at any level, but he will be inheriting one of the league's deepest, most talented rosters. Seattle has stars in outfielder Julio Rodriguez and catcher Cal Raleigh, not to mention some of the best starting-pitching depth in baseball. Kanzler is a former outfielder who was drafted in the 20th round in 2013. He previously spent five years with the Houston Astros, serving as a major-league coach in 2022 and 2023. He was hired by the Cubs as their director of player development at the start of the 2024 campaign. Kanzler will be the third skipper to serve under general manager Jerry Dipoto, who was brought in near the end of the 2015 season.--Keith Hernandez
Source: ESPN.com - Alden Gonzalez

Nov 3, 2026, 11:02 AM ET

Texas Rangers outfielder/designated hitter Joc Pederson turned down his end of a mutual $18.5 million 2027 option, a source told Jesse Rogers of ESPN. Pederson will now become a free agent (without a buyout) after signing a two-year, $37 million deal with the Rangers. The 34-year-old veteran left-handed slugger hit .235 with 26 home runs and 53 RBI in 136 games for Texas in 2026 but did not play after Sept. 12, when he fractured his left wrist when he was hit by a fastball from Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Brandon Pfaadt. It was a nice bounce-back season for Pederson after he hit just .181/.285/.328 with a .614 OPS, only nine home runs, 26 RBI, 28 runs scored, and two stolen bases in 96 games played in his first year with the Rangers in 2025. The two-time All-Star has plenty of pop in his lumber still, but his lack of success against left-handers and his defensive shortcomings as an outfielder will severely limit his value on the open market, with a lockout inevitable on Dec. 1. Pederson might be waiting for a while before finding a new team for the 2027 season.--Keith Hernandez
Source: ESPN.com - Jesse Rogers

Nov 1, 2026, 10:20 PM ET

The Minnesota Twins have declined a $10 million team option on first baseman/designated hitter Josh Bell for the 2027 season, per Dan Hayes of The Athletic. Bell will now hit free agency and appears unlikely to be back in Minnesota next year. The 34-year-old had a solid season for the Twins in 2026, hitting .255/.319/.419 with 21 home runs, 96 RBI, 78 runs scored, and two stolen bases across 631 plate appearances. The veteran switch-hitter does not offer much defensive value at this point in his career, but he's a proven run producer and an adequate power source. If he lands in a spot where he can earn everyday playing time once again in 2027, Bell profiles as a four-category compiler who can provide value in deeper fantasy leagues.--Will Brady
Source: The Athletic - Dan Hayes

Oct 26, 2026, 9:37 PM ET

Major League Baseball is experimenting with restricting the positioning of outfielders on every at-bat in the Arizona Fall League, according to ESPN.com. The goal is to boost the game's sluggish offense by making outfielders play straight up, instead of adjusting for individual hitters' tendencies, which will in theory lead to more doubles and triples. Outfielders will look up at a small video board that can tell a player where they are in the field and will either generate an "X" if he is incorrectly positioned or an "O" if he is in a defensively acceptable spot. "The hardest part is cutting off doubles in the gap, and they're even turning into triples," Minnesota Twins prospect Kyle DeBarge said. "That's what they told us they wanted in the beginning. So it works." A recent game saw Scottsdale beat Salt River 15-8 in a game that featured five triples, which was an AFL record.--Keith Hernandez
Source: ESPN.com

Oct 26, 2026, 10:27 AM ET

Former Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo is interviewing for the vacant Houston Astros general manager role, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. As general manager of the Nationals, Rizzo built up the franchise and led Washington to its first-ever World Series title in 2019, defeating the Houston Astros. Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez were fired in 2025, ending Rizzo's 19-year tenure with the franchise. Rizzo was considered for the Athletics job in a similar role this offseason, but withdrew his name from consideration to focus on the Astros position, according to Nightengale.--Brian Buckey - RotoBaller
Source: Bob Nightengale, USA Today

Oct 26, 2026, 10:12 AM ET

Los Angeles Dodgers special assistant Rocco Baldelli has withdrawn from the search for a new Seattle Mariners manager, according to a report from The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. Rosenthal reports that Baldelli has cited "family considerations" in withdrawing his name from consideration for the Mariners' open position. Baldelli currently serves as a special assistant to the president of baseball operations with the Dodgers. He was previously the manager of the Minnesota Twins from 2019 to 2025 and was the American League Manager of the Year in 2019 and won three AL Central division titles.--Brian Buckey - RotoBaller
Source: The Athletic, Ken Rosenthal

Oct 22, 2026, 11:02 PM ET

Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said that he will return to the team next season after losing to the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Championship Series this year, according to The Associated Press. "I'm here," Vogt said at a news conference Thursday. "I'm coming back." There were rumblings that Vogt could leave Cleveland for the Seattle Mariners' managerial opening so that he could be closer to his family's home in Washington. The former big-league catcher has led the Guardians to a division crown in each of his three seasons at the helm and has been named American League Manager of the Year twice. The 41-year-old said he has not been contacted by the Mariners, who fired Dan Wilson last month following the disappointing year after Seattle made it to the AL Championship Series in 2025. Although the M's have not reached out to Vogt, it is possible that they contact Cleveland with a trade proposal.--Keith Hernandez
Source: The Associated Press

Oct 22, 2026, 10:56 AM ET

According to The Athletic's Chandler Rome, two former members of the Houston Astros staff -- Joe Espada and Jason Kanzler -- have emerged as serious candidates in the search for a new Seattle Mariners manager. Kanzler was on the Astros' 2022 staff and is now the Cubs farm director. And The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal added that Rocco Baldelli, the Dodgers' special assistant, is also in the mix for the Mariners job. The Mariners finished 76-86 overall and in third place in the AL West behind the Houston Astros, who finished with an 81-81 record to win the division. The Astros parted ways with Espada this offseason after the team lost to the Chicago White Sox in the postseason.--Brian Buckey - RotoBaller
Source: Chandler Rome, The Athletic

Oct 22, 2026, 10:17 AM ET

The Los Angeles Angels have announced that they have declined the option in Kurt Suzuki's contract and will search for a new manager and coaching staff for next season. "Kurt has earned tremendous respect in our clubhouse, and I've seen firsthand how much he cares about our players. I do not believe our record this year was a true reflection of his abilities as a manager," Angels baseball operations consultant John Mozeliak said. Mozeliak said Suzuki has been offered to stay on the Angels staff as a special assistant. The Angels finished this season 62-100 and in last place in the American League West division, 19 games back of the division winners, the Houston Astros.--Brian Buckey - RotoBaller
Source: Los Angeles Angels

Oct 21, 2026, 10:58 PM ET

The Baltimore Orioles are hiring Chicago Cubs assistant general manager Jared Banner as their general manager, per ESPN's Jeff Passan. Banner will work alongside incumbent Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias in Baltimore. The 41-year-old Banner has 18 years of baseball operations experience, taking over his most recent role in Chicago in 2024. He got his start with the Boston Red Sox in 2008, where he spent the first 11 seasons of his career in baseball management. The Orioles have now missed the postseason in back-to-back years after consecutive playoff appearances in 2023 and 2024. While Elias has spoken publicly about his desire to add to his own front office, Banner's presence could signal that Elias' job is under scrutiny from ownership heading into 2027.--Will Brady
Source: ESPN - Jeff Passan