31 mins agoFree agent pitcher
Erick Fedde is weighing offers from clubs from both the KBO and MLB. It was reported earlier in the month MLB clubs were showing interest in Fedde who recently was named the KBO's MVP after a dominant season with the NC Dinos while the club is reportedly ready to put its best foot forward to bring the right-hander back for at least one more season. Fedde worked to a tidy 2.30 ERA across 30 starts with the Dinos in 2023, striking out 209 across 180 1/3 innings while going 20-6 on the campaign. A former first-round pick of the Nationals, Fedde owns a career 5.41 ERA in parts of six seasons in the big leagues but saw massive improvements in both his strikeout and walk rates in his lone season overseas to this point.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: Yonhap News Agency
41 mins agoFree-agent reliever
Emilio Pagan and the Cincinnati Reds agreed to a two-year, $16 million contract on Wednesday. The pact comes with a player option after the first year as well as a buyout and incentives. The right-hander spent the last two seasons with the Twins but earned his contract with a stout 2.99 ERA across 66 appearances and 69 1/3 innings of work in the 2023 season. A seven-year veteran, Pagan owns a career 3.71 ERA across 369 career appearances while locking down 32 saves in that time. He has posted a pair of sub-3.00 ERA campaigns in his career but also worked to a 4.43 ERA or worse from 2020-2022.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: Jon Heyman
14 hours agoThe Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported Tuesday that more than a dozen teams have inquired about Chicago White Sox starting pitcher
Dylan Cease, but the Los Angeles Dodgers are "among the most aggressive." The Dodgers' current starting rotation contains some young, exciting players but is much shallower than it has been in some time. They also have a strong farm system, making them a seemingly suitable match to trade for 27-year-old Cease, who can be retained through salary arbitration for two more seasons. Cease took a step back in 2023, going 7-9 with a 4.58 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, and 27.3% strikeout rate over 33 starts and 177 innings pitched. However, he owns a 3.83 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, and 28.1% strikeout rate over the course of his career, and moving to any competitive team will boost his fantasy value.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: Ken Rosenthal - The Athletic
14 hours agoMLB Network's Jon Morosi reported Tuesday that acquiring one of free-agent two-way star
Shohei Ohtani and top free-agent starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto is a priority "above all other options this offseason" for the San Francisco Giants. The Giants had a disappointing 2023 season, finishing in fourth place in the National League West with a 79-83 record. Either player would be a significant boost for the team, who have been linked to a number of high-profile players over the last few seasons but have been unsuccessful in bringing them in. From a fantasy perspective, Oracle Park is a pitcher-friendly venue. However, both players should be fantasy priorities wherever they sign.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: Jon Morosi - Twitter.com
14 hours agoThe Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported Tuesday that San Diego Padres superstar outfielder
Juan Soto is "almost certain to be traded" this offseason. Rosenthal cited the team's current payroll issues and lack of pitching as reasons for a trade. The 25-year-old is entering his final year of team control and is projected to make $33 million in arbitration, per MLB Trade Rumors. Soto had a nice bounce-back offensive 2023 season, slashing .275/.410/.519 with 35 home runs, 109 RBI, and 12 stolen bases. He now owns a career .284/.421/.524 slash line over six seasons, so he would likely command a huge return should the Padres decide to trade him. Soto will remain a top fantasy option regardless of the team he plays for.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: Ken Rosenthal - The Athletic
14 hours agoFree-agent first baseman/outfielder
Cody Bellinger was named the 2023 National League Comeback Player of the Year Tuesday. After winning the 2017 NL Rookie of the Year Award and the 2019 NL MVP, the 28-year-old struggled mightily offensively through the 2020 through 2022 seasons. However, he looked like his old self in 2023 with the Cubs, slashing .307/.356/.525 with 26 home runs, 97 RBI, and 20 stolen bases. He will now likely be rewarded further with a lucrative contract this offseason, and his landing spot could impact his projected fantasy value. Regardless of where he ends up, it will be interesting to see how much fantasy managers trust him to repeat his 2023 performance.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: Brian Murphy - MLB.com
15 hours agoFree-agent relief pitcher
Liam Hendriks (elbow) was named the 2023 American League Comeback Player of the Year Tuesday. The recognition was very fitting for the 34-year-old, who was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma last December but went into remission and made five appearances during the 2023 season in May and June with the White Sox. Unfortunately, Hendriks was shortly shut down with right elbow inflammation and underwent Tommy John surgery. While Hendriks has stated that he is determined to return to pitching in 2024, he will likely miss at least a good portion of the season, severely limiting his fantasy outlook.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: Brian Murphy - MLB.com
19 hours agoThe Milwaukee Brewers are talking with top outfield prospect
Jackson Chourio about a landmark contract that could influence the direction of their offseason and the makeup of their 2024 roster, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. Chourio has played just six games above Double-A, and a new deal would establish a new standard for players with no major-league experience who already were under team control. His deal would be longer and guarantee him more money than the six-year, $50 million deal that outfielder
Luis Robert Jr. signed with the Chicago White Sox in January of 2020. Chourio doesn't turn 20 until March 11 but is already widely considered one of the two top prospects in the game alongside Orioles shortstop
Jackson Holliday. If a deal is struck, it would likely ensure that Chourio would be in Milwaukee's Opening Day lineup in 2024.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Ken Rosenthal
1 day agoThe Philadelphia Phillies have signed right-hander
Jose Ruiz to a minor-league deal. Ruiz's deal includes an invitation to major-league spring training camp in 2024. The 29-year-old Venezuelan comes to the Phillies with seven years of major-league experience with the San Diego Padres, Chicago White Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks. He appeared in 38 games (one start) for Chicago and Arizona in 2023 and had a 5.89 ERA (6.26 FIP) and 1.65 WHIP with 21 walks and 39 strikeouts in 44 1/3 innings while surrendering 10 home runs. Ruiz will likely open the 2024 season in the minors for the Phillies as relief depth. He has a 4.51 ERA (4.85 FIP) and 1.49 WHIP in 219 1/3 major-league innings across seven seasons.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Milb.com
1 day agoThe Miami Marlins have signed right-hander Ignacio Feliz to a minor-league deal. Feliz has yet to make his major-league debut and was let go at the end of the 2023 season by the Baltimore Orioles after struggling to a 9.57 ERA and 1.77 WHIP while walking 23 and striking out 59 in 42 1/3 innings over 28 relief appearances at High-A Aberdeen and Double-A Bowie. The 24-year-old Dominican hurler has struggled to find his footing in six minor-league seasons, posting a 4.63 ERA and 1.40 WHIP while walking 198 and striking out 413 in 354 innings over 111 appearances (54 starts). Feliz will most likely spent all of the 2024 season on the farm in the Marlins system.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
1 day agoFree-agent outfielder
Mark Payton has signed a minor-league deal with the Chicago White Sox. Payton comes back to the United States after playing for the Seibu Lions of the Korean Baseball Organization in 2023. The 31-year-old has played in only 40 games in the major leagues with the Cincinnati Reds and White Sox in parts of three seasons from 2020-22. He played in only eight games for the White Sox in 2022 and went 3-for-21 with an RBI and three runs scored. In 69 total plate appearances in the majors, Payton has gone 10-for-61 (.164) with no home runs, a double, one RBI, one stolen base and five runs scored. Payton will represent minor-league depth for the rebuilding White Sox entering the 2024 season.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Milb.com
1 day agoThe Chicago White Sox designated outfielder
Adam Haseley for assignment on Tuesday to make room for recently signed infielder
Paul DeJong on the 40-man roster. Haseley hit .222/.282/.278 with no home runs, two doubles, two RBI, one stolen base and six runs scored in only 28 games played for the White Sox in his second year in Chicago. The 27-year-old left-handed hitter also underwhelmed in 72 games for Triple-A Charlotte down on the farm. In his five major-league seasons (three with the Philadelphia Phillies), Haseley has slashed .259/.319/.356 with only five home runs (all in his rookie season in 2019), 43 RBI, five stolen bases and 49 runs scored in 158 games played.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Chicago Tribune - LaMond Pope
1 day agoThe Oakland Athletics signed infielder
Hoy Park to a minor-league deal on Monday. Park spent all of the 2023 season at Triple-A Gwinnett in the Atlanta Braves organization and hit .262/.385/.379 with six home runs, 15 doubles, two triples, 42 RBI, 16 stolen bases and 49 runs scored in 101 games played. The 27-year-old South Korean left-handed hitter played with the New York Yankees and Pittsburgh Pirates in 2021 and 2022 and hit .201 (36-for-179) with five homers and 20 RBI in 68 games played. Park will mostly likely begin the 2024 campaign at Triple-A Las Vegas, but he has as good a chance as any to resurface in the majors at some point next season with the rebuilding A's.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB Transaction Tracker
1 day agoThe Milwaukee Brewers signed right-hander
Easton McGee (elbow) and outfielder
Brewer Hicklen to minor-league deals on Tuesday that include invitations to major-league spring training camp next year. McGee's deal is a two-year contract. McGee had Tommy John surgery in May and is unlikely to be ready to pitch in 2024 until around midseason. The 25-year-old former fourth-round pick by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2016 made his major-league debut with the Rays in 2022 and made just one appearance. He resurfaced with the Seattle Mariners at the big-league level this year and tossed 6 2/3 shutout innings while walking one and striking out two in one start.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Adam McCalvy
1 day agoThe Chicago Cubs are among the teams active in trade conversations for Tampa Bay Rays right-hander
Tyler Glasnow, according to sources. The Cincinnati Reds are also involved. The frugal Rays are ready to let someone else take Glasnow off their hands with one year of team control remaining at $25 million. Glasnow can be one of the better starting pitchers in baseball when he's healthy and he misses plenty of bats, but he hasn't exactly been the perfect picture of health. The 30-year-old would be a big upgrade for the Cubs' starting rotation in 2024 and beyond, though, and he likely wouldn't require a huge prospect package in return in a trade with Tampa.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB Network - Jon Morosi
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