2 days agoThe Pittsburgh Pirates and veteran first baseman Carlos Santana agreed on a one-year, $6.7 million deal on Friday, pending the results of a physical, according to sources familiar with the deal. The 36-year-old hit just .202/.316/.376 with the Seattle Mariners and Kansas City Royals last season and posted a league-average .692 OPS in 131 total games. But Santana hit the ball hard and had an elite walk rate in the 97th percentile, which drove his free-agent market. He also saw the most shifts in baseball in 2022, and with the shift going away in 2023, he figures to see much better results. The switch-hitter will bring veteran leadership to a young Pirates squad. Santana has a career .242/.359/.432 slash line with 278 home runs and 925 RBI. He's best known for his plate discipline and power, but he won't have much fantasy upside, especially in Pittsburgh.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com - Jeff Passan

2 days agoThe Boston Red Sox signed former Chicago Cubs outfielder Narciso Crook to a minor-league deal this week, according to a source. The 27-year-old made his major-league debut in 2022 with the Cubs and appeared in four games while going 1-for-7 with five strikeouts. However, Crook hit well at Triple-A Iowa, batting .260 with 19 home runs, 67 RBI and an .836 OPS in 101 games. He will likely begin the 2023 season at Triple-A Worcester to provide outfield depth for the organization behind Alex Verdugo, Enrique Hernandez, Rob Refsnyder and Jarren Duran. Crook was originally drafted in the 23rd round by the Cincinnati Reds in 2013, and he spent seven years with the Reds before signing a minor-league deal with the Cubs last November.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MassLive.com - Chris Cotillo

2 days agoThe New York Mets signed right-hander Denyi Reyes to a minor-league deal this week. The deal includes a non-roster invite to spring training next year. The 26-year-old Dominican spent the 2022 season in the Baltimore Orioles organization, going 1-7 with a rough 6.60 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, one save, 61 strikeouts and nine walks in 60 innings pitched over 17 appearances (12 starts) for Single-A Delmarva, High-A Aberdeen and Triple-A Norfolk. Reyes also ended up making his major-league debut for the Orioles last season, allowing two earned runs on eight hits while walking one and striking out three in 7 2/3 frames over three outings (one start).--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com

2 days agoThe Milwaukee Brewers signed outfielder Blake Perkins to an undisclosed one-year major-league deal on Wednesday. Perkins spent the 2022 season in the New York Yankees minor-league system, hitting a combined .246/.357/.456 with an .813 OPS, 15 home runs, 50 RBI, 59 runs scored and 21 stolen bases in 397 plate appearances over 101 games with Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The 26-year-old outfielder will likely begin the 2023 campaign with Triple-A Nashville while giving the Brewers some more outfielder depth after they just traded Hunter Renfroe to the Los Angeles Angels this week.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Brewers Twitter

2 days agoThe Minnesota Twins re-signed infielder Elliot Soto to a minor-league deal this week. He's expected to get an invite to major-league spring training. The 33-year-old was selected to the 40-man roster in June of 2022 but was designated for assignment a day later and didn't appear in a game. He played in 92 games for Triple-A St. Paul, hitting .223/.320/.342 with four home runs, 32 RBI, 48 runs scored and nine stolen bases in 344 plate appearances. Soto, a glove-first player, made it up to the big leagues for three games with the Los Angeles Angels in 2020 but hasn't made it back since. He'll merely serve as infield depth for the Twins again in 2023 and is well off the fantasy radar.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com

2 days agoThe Los Angeles Angels signed right-handed reliever Jacob Webb to a minor-league deal on Thursday, according to sources. The 29-year-old overlapped with general manager Perry Minasian in Atlanta and has a 2.47 ERA in 76 2/3 career major-league innings, all with the Braves. Webb didn't pitch in the big leagues at all in 2022, and he had a 4.19 ERA (4.07 FIP), a 1.51 WHIP, one save, 33 strikeouts and 14 walks in 34 1/3 relief innings for Atlanta in 2021. He spent all of the 2022 season in the minors, posting a 6.06 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 42 strikeouts and nine walks in 34 relief appearances spanning 35 2/3 innings. Webb will serve as relief depth for the Angels in 2023.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: FanSided - Robert Murray

2 days agoThe San Diego Padres are a surprise team looking at shortstop, and they like free-agent shortstop Xander Bogaerts. Ha-Seong Kim could become a super-utility player, and Fernando Tatis Jr. could move to the outfield in 2023. The Padres are looking for leadership and also like first baseman Jose Abreu. The Friars have to also be considered players for Japanese right-hander Kodai Senga since right-hander Yu Darvish is his mentor. As expected, Bogaerts opted out of his deal with the Boston Red Sox after the 2022 season, making him a free agent. The 30-year-old will be one of the most coveted position players in free agency this winter after he slashed .307/.377/.456 with an .833 OPS, 15 home runs, 73 RBI, 84 runs scored and eight stolen bases in 557 at-bats for Boston this year.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: New York Post - Jon Heyman

2 days agoThe San Francisco Giants, Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays are among many teams interested in free-agent outfielder Brandon Nimmo. The New York Mets are also interested in bringing the table-setter back. The Seattle Mariners have also been mentioned as suitors. Nimmo is expected to land a five-year deal worth more than $100 million this winter, which would likely be too costly for the penny-pinching Rays. The 29-year-old left-handed hitter has an impressive .385 career on-base percentage, which makes him very attractive to contending teams as a top-of-the-order hitter. In 151 games for the Mets in 2022, he hit .274/.367/.433 with an .800 OPS, 16 home runs, a league-leading seven triples, 64 RBI, 102 runs scored and three stolen bases.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: New York Post - Jon Heyman

2 days agoThe Chicago Cubs are among the teams considering free-agent outfielder Michael Conforto. He is seeking a deal for two years with an opt-out clause. The Cubs are also in touch with free-agent catcher Christian Vazquez, among other catchers. Conforto underwent surgery on his shoulder in April, and although there was a chance he could return to play for a contender late in the season, that never panned out. The 29-year-old left-handed slugger is reportedly back to full health heading into next season, so he should receive plenty of interest on the open market. Conforto was an All-Star in 2017 and hit a career-high 33 home runs while driving in 92 in 151 games as recent as 2019.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: New York Post - Jon Heyman

3 days agoThe Boston Red Sox acquired shortstop Hoy Park from the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday in exchange for minor-league left-hander Inmer Lobo. The Pirates designated Park for assignment on Tuesday before dealing him to Boston. The 26-year-old South Korean infielder played in just 23 games for the Bucs in 2022, hitting .216 (11-for-51) with two home runs, six RBI, seven runs scored and a stolen base. Most of his time was spent at Triple-A Indianapolis, where he slashed .225/.332/.354 with 10 home runs, 37 RBI, 48 runs scored and 14 stolen bases in 375 plate appearances over 89 games played. Lobo, 18, played in the Dominican Summer League in 2022 and allowed only two runs while striking out 28 in 22 innings pitched.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MassLive.com - Chris Cotillo

4 days agoThe Los Angeles Angels re-signed catcher Chad Wallach to a minor-league deal on Wednesday. Wallach entered free agency when he refused an outright assignment to Triple-A Salt Lake, but he will return to the Angels organization next year. The 31-year-old backstop played in just 12 games for the Halos in 2022, going 5-for-35 (.143) with a homer, four RBI and three runs scored. In six big-league seasons with the Angels, Cincinnati Reds and Miami Marlins, Wallach has hit just .198/.265/.296 with four home runs, 24 RBI and 17 runs scored in 271 plate appearances over 90 games played. He'll be looking to win a spot on the major-league roster out of spring training in 2023.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Sam Blum

4 days agoThe Colorado Rockies are interested in free-agent outfielder Cody Bellinger, but only on a one-year deal, according to sources. Bellinger's agent, Scott Boras, said that Bellinger is looking for a one-year, bounce-back contract, so that would set the Rockies up to potentially sign the left-handed slugger. The Dodgers didn't tender Bellinger a contract after he hit just .210/.265/.389 with 19 home runs, 68 RBI, 70 runs scored and 14 stolen bases in 504 at-bats in 2022. He was the 2017 National League Rookie of the Year and the NL MVP in 2019, but right shoulder problems have made him a shadow of his former self as a hitter. The Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants and Toronto Blue Jays are the leading contenders at this point to sign Bellinger.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Denver Post - Patrick Saunders

4 days agoThe Texas Rangers are among the most serious suitors for free-agent left-hander Carlos Rodon. It was reported several weeks ago that the New York Mets were another team with interest in the veteran southpaw. The Rangers already traded for righty Jake Odorizzi this offseason and are serious about upgrading their rotation heading into the 2023 season. Rodon would be a potential ace for Texas after he rejected the San Francisco Giants' qualifying offer in order to test the open market this winter. The 29-year-old has been an All-Star the last two seasons and went 14-8 with a 2.88 ERA (league-low 2.25 FIP), a 1.03 WHIP, a career-high 237 strikeouts and 52 walks in 178 innings over 31 starts for San Fran.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB Network - Jon Morosi

4 days agoThe San Francisco Giants had a chance to give their free-agent pitch to outfielder Aaron Judge the last two days, and MLB.com's Jon Paul Morosi expects the Giants to make a formal offer to Judge within the week. Judge and his agent had dinner with president/CEO Larry Baer, president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi, manager Gabe Kapler and other members of the organization on Monday and continued to meet with the team on Tuesday. Morosi could see Judge signing with a team in the next two weeks by the end of the Winter Meetings. The 2022 American League MVP broke the AL home run record with 62 home runs for the New York Yankees last season and will be cashing in on the open market this winter, whether it be with the Yankees, Giants or another team. And wherever he lands, Judge will remain an elite power bat in fantasy.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com

4 days agoPhiladelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper (elbow) underwent Tommy John surgery on Wednesday, and the procedure went "very well," according to a person with knowledge of the situation. Harper could be back hitting competitively in mid-May. The Phillies official Twitter account reports that the prognosis is for Harper to return as the designated hitter by the All-Star break in 2023, with a possible return to play right field towards the end of the regular season. The 30-year-old All-Star will miss the start of the regular season next year after playing through a UCL injury to his right arm for most of the 2022 campaign. He still hit well despite the injury, batting .286/.364/.514 with an .877 OPS, 18 homers, 65 RBI, 63 run scored and 11 stolen bases in 370 at-bats, so fantasy managers shouldn't expect much of a drop-off, if any, when he returns.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: NBC Sports Philadelphia - Jim Salisbury