7 hours agoBaltimore Orioles relief pitcher
Dillon Tate (forearm) is healthy and has been throwing this offseason, according to general manager Mike Elias. The Orioles are optimistic that they will be getting the pre-injury form of Tate next spring. If all continues to go well with the 29-year-old right-hander's rehab from a right-forearm injury that limited him to just 13 minor-league rehab appearances in 2023, he should be ready to go for the start of the 2024 regular season in the back end of Baltimore's bullpen. A healthy Tate could be quite attractive in fantasy as well in a high-leverage role for the defending American League East champions with closer
Felix Bautista (elbow) out for all of 2024. In 73 2/3 relief innings for the O's in 2022, Tate had a solid 3.05 ERA (3.48 FIP) and 0.99 WHIP with a career-high five saves, 16 walks and 60 K's in a career-high 67 outings.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Jake Rill
7 hours agoHouston Astros right-hander
Forrest Whitley (lat) is healthy and has been throwing this offseason, and general manager Dana Brown said that Whitley will report to spring training as a reliever. Brown also said the team will get a fourth option year on the former top prospect. A right lat sprain limited the oft-injured 26-year-old hurler to just eight appearances (six starts) for Triple-A Sugar Land in 2023. He went 1-2 with a 5.70 ERA and 1.33 WHIP with 17 walks and 32 strikeouts in 30 innings before being shut down for good in May. Injuries and control problems have kept Whitley from making his major-league debut to this point, and now it appears the Astros are pulling the plug on him as a starter in order to try and keep him healthy. There's no guarantee he'll be on Houston's Opening Day roster.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Chandler Rome
7 hours agoThe Atlanta Braves do not plan on keeping left-hander
Marco Gonzales after acquiring him from the Seattle Mariners on Sunday night as part of a package that also landed them outfielder
Jarred Kelenic and first baseman
Evan White, according to sources. Gonzales is expected to be part of another deal, but his destination is currently unknown. The 31-year-old southpaw's season came to an end in August when he had surgery to fix a nerve issue in his left forearm. The good news is he's expected to be ready for spring training in 2024, but he's not going to have a ton of fantasy appeal as a soft-tossing starter who had a bloated 5.22 ERA, 1.46 and only 34 strikeouts in 50 innings pitched over 10 starts for Seattle. Gonzales' has been a reliable innings-eater in his career, but he doesn't miss enough bats to move the fantasy needle.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Ken Rosenthal
7 hours agoNew York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said at his press briefing on Monday at the winter meetings that the team already has their third baseman on the roster for next season. There isn't a definitive leader among
Brett Baty,
Ronny Mauricio and
Mark Vientos, but there aren't plans beyond utility man
Joey Wendle to bring in an outside competition at the hot corner. Meanwhile,
Jeff McNeil will see most of his playing time at the keystone, so the loser of the third-base competition may become more of a backup infielder. Baty has really struggled in his first 119 big-league games, batting .210 with only 11 homers and 117 strikeouts in 431 plate appearances. The 22-year-old Mauricio has a higher prospect ceiling, is a switch-hitter and is more versatile defensively. He debuted in 2023 and hit .248 with two homers, nine RBI and seven steals in his first 26 contests.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: New York Post - Joel Sherman
7 hours agoThe Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported Monday that it is believed that free-agent superstar
Shohei Ohtani met with Toronto Blue Jays club officials at the team's spring training complex in Dunedin, Florida. While an official timetable for Ohtani's signing decision is unknown, previous reporting suggested that he was expected to make a decision within the week. While the Los Angeles Dodgers were originally considered the front-runner to sign Ohtani, it seems as though the Blue Jays have emerged as a serious contender. While Ohtani will remain a top fantasy option regardless of where he plays, both teams offer a strong surrounding lineup.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: Ken Rosenthal - The Athletic
8 hours agoTampa Bay Rays baseball operations president Erik Neander said Monday, "I would very much classify anything as listening," referring to trade talks related to key players other than starting pitcher
Tyler Glasnow. This includes outfielder
Randy Arozarena and infielder
Isaac Paredes, whose names have popped up in trade rumors this offseason. While Glasnow is due a team-record $25 million salary in 2024, Arozarena and Paredes will be more cost-friendly and played pivotal roles for the Rays in 2023. Both will likely continue to play key roles for the team in 2024 should they stay.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: Marc Topkin - Tampa Bay Times
8 hours agoMLB Network's Jon Morosi reported Monday that the Baltimore Orioles are among the teams that have talked with the Chicago White Sox about starting pitcher
Dylan Cease. General manager Mike Elias said, "I'm hopeful that this pitching staff will look stronger at the end of the offseason than it did a month ago." The O's have one of the strongest and deepest farm systems in the big leagues, putting them in a favorable position to improve their rotation through trades. "We're as well-equipped as any team to rattle off prospect packages for any player," Elias said. The O's are one of several teams tied to the 27-year-old, who is under team control through the end of the 2025 season. Cease is just one of several big-name starting pitcher trade candidates, so it remains to be seen if the O's get involved in further talks.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: Jake Rill - MLB.com
8 hours agoThe Chicago White Sox and the New York Mets appear to be the top two teams interested in free-agent starting pitcher
Erick Fedde, MLB's Mark Feinsand reported Monday. The 30-year-old is coming off a fabulous 2023 season with KBO's NC Dinos, going 20-6 with a 2.00 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 29.5% strikeout rate. A deal, which is expected to be in the two-year, $10 million range, could be finalized by Tuesday. Fedde was once an MLB prospect with the Washington Nationals but compiled a lackluster 5.41 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, and 17.5% strikeout rate over 102 appearances (88 starts). While he did just take home the Most Valuable Player Award for KBO, fantasy managers may want to be cautious with trusting Fedde should he return to the big leagues.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: Mark Feinsand - Twitter.com
8 hours agoOakland Athletics general manager David Forst said at the winter meetings on Monday that the team is looking at a bullpen role for top pitching prospect
Mason Miller next season, possibly in a closer role. The A's aren't ruling out a move back to a starting role, but the team would like to see him get through a healthy season first. Using the 25-year-old in a relief role in 2024 will allow the A's to limit his workload after a UCL sprain in his right elbow kept him out for most of last season. There's a lot to like about Miller's right arm and his strikeout upside, and even though he has more long-term intrigue as a starter, he could be pretty attractive in a relief role, especially if he's closing out games. He was impressive in his first 10 big-league outings (six starts) in 2023, posting a 3.78 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 38 strikeouts in 33 1/3 innings pitched.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Martin Gallegos
9 hours agoTampa Bay Rays second baseman
Brandon Lowe (knee) said his broken right kneecap has healed and that he should not have limitations going forward this winter or going into the 2024 campaign. Lowe barely played in over 100 games for the second time in his six seasons in the big leagues and slashed .231/.328/.443 with 21 home runs, 15 doubles, a triple, 68 RBI, seven stolen bases and 58 runs scored in 436 total plate appearances. The 29-year-old left-handed hitter has impressive power at the second base position and also had a career-high 39 home runs in 149 games in 2021. However, injuries continue to limit him and he'll need to improve against left-handers if he's going to improve on his 2023 numbers. Lowe is a risk/reward power bat at the keystone in fantasy.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Tampa Bay Times - Marc Topkin
9 hours agoPittsburgh Pirates shortstop
Oneil Cruz (ankle) has appeared in instructional games this offseason in the Dominican Republic. "Watching his at-bats made me smile," manager Derek Shelton said. Cruz is rehabbing from a fractured left ankle that he suffered way back in early April that knocked him out for the rest of the 2023 season. As long as the 25-year-old doesn't encounter any setbacks this winter or next spring, he should be ready for Opening Day as Pittsburgh's starting shortstop with a bunch of fantasy upside. The 6-foot-7, 215-pound Dominican has impressive power and speed at a premium position, but he has also yet to play more than 87 games in a single season in his three years in the majors to this point. In 98 career games, he's hit .237 with 19 home runs, 61 RBI and 13 stolen bases in 410 plate appearances.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Pittsburgh PG - Jason Mackey
10 hours agoNew York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said that utility man
Jeff McNeil is expected to get the majority of his playing time at second base in 2024, which is why the team is looking to add an outfielder who will play a lot. McNeil played 99 games at the keystone last year but also spent a good amount of time in left and right field for the Mets. It's unclear if the drop in playing time in the outfield in 2024 will cause him to lose outfield eligibility completely for fantasy managers, and his presence at second more often could impact the playing time for youngsters
Ronny Mauricio and
Brett Baty. The 31-year-old McNeil missed the end of the regular season with a partial UCL tear in his right elbow, but he should be healthy and good to go for Opening Day, barring any setbacks between now and then.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Tim Britton
10 hours agoNew York Mets manager
Carlos Mendoza said that closer
Edwin Diaz (knee), who had season-ending knee surgery in March, is "fully healthy." Mendoza wouldn't commit to saying Diaz will have a normal spring training, but he said the Mets will have to put together a plan that makes sense. Diaz suffered a torn patellar tendon in his right knee during the World Baseball Classic and didn't pitch at all for the Mets. New York is going to be extra-cautious with the 29-year-old hard-throwing reliever, but as long as he doesn't have any setbacks this offseason or next spring, he should be ready for Opening Day in 2024. Before the devastating injury, Diaz was a top-tier fantasy closer after saving 32 games with 118 K's in 62 innings in 2022.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Newsday - Tim Healey
13 hours agoThe Detroit Tigers officially signed manager A.J. Hinch to an undisclosed contract extension on Monday after they completed the new deal a week after the season ended. Hinch's previous deal as the skipper ran through the 2025 season. Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris took over for Al Avila in September of 2022 and has been Hinch's boss for more than 14 months. "We're going to be working together for a long time," Harris said of Hinch. In his career as a manager in the big leagues, Hinch has gone 791-717 and has been to the playoffs four times, all with the Houston Astros. He famously led the Astros to the World Series title in 2017 but was later suspended a year for his role in the sign-stealing scandal.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Cody Stavenhagen
15 hours agoSt. Louis Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said that the team's projected starting outfield for the 2024 season is
Lars Nootbaar,
Tommy Edman and
Jordan Walker, with
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