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ESPN's Jeff Passan writes that if not for injuries that limited him to 15 starts in 2025, free-agent right-hander Michael King "might be at the top of the free-agent pitcher's list." King is likelier to land a contract in the range of Nathan Eovaldi's three-year, $75 million deal from last offseason. High- and low-revenue teams are expected to be in on King, who would probably fetch a nine-figure contract if he had stayed healthy this past season. A shoulder injury limited the 30-year-old to 15 starts for the San Diego Padres this year. He went 5-3 with a 3.44 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and 76 strikeouts for the Friars in 73 1/3 innings pitched. King was pretty nasty in 2024 in SD, posting a 2.95 ERA with 201 K's in 30 starts, but that has been his only full season as a starter, raising concerns about his durability in both real life and for fantasy purposes.

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ESPN's Jeff Passan writes that in the minds of MLB executives, free-agent infielder Luis Arraez doesn't "warrant a big-money deal." Arraez will be one of the youngest players available this offseason at 28 years old. He has won three straight batting titles and led the National League in hits in 2025. However, "teams can't help but see Arraez for everything he isn't." The Venezuelan isn't great on defense, isn't a great baserunner, and doesn't have much power. He struck out only 21 times in 675 plate appearances this year, the lowest strikeout rate since Tony Gwynn struck out 15 times in 577 plate appearances 30 years ago. Contact-oriented hitters are still valuable in today's game, just not as much as they were, say, 20-30 years ago. Arraez is going to land somewhere, but he's probably not going to have offers flooding in, and he's not all that attractive in fantasy, either.

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ESPN's Jeff Passan writes that the Pittsburgh Pirates are "strongly considering" giving 19-year-old Konnor Griffin "the opportunity to win their big-league shortstop job," according to sources. Kriffin was the consensus minor-league player of the year in 2025 after wowing scouts by hitting .333/.415/.527 with 21 home runs and 65 stolen bases in his first professional season. The 6-foot-4, 225-pounder was the ninth overall pick in the 2024 draft. Griffin has immense talent, but the last teenager to debut in the major leagues as a teenager was Juan Soto in 2018. It could be a situation that ends up biting the Pirates, but with a front-line starting rotation and a potential fresh batch of free-agent bats, the addition of Griffin would make the Bucs an exciting group to watch. As for Griffin's fantasy value, he clearly has the tools to be worth rostering in all leagues immediately if he's with Pittsburgh early in 2026.

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The Tampa Bay Rays designated outfielder Christopher Morel for assignment on Tuesday, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The Rays acquired Morel from the Chicago Cubs in a trade during the 2024 season, but he struggled to hit for average and power in his time in Tampa and could find himself on the free-agent market this winter. In 105 games played for the Rays in 2025, Morel hit .219 (61-for-278) with 11 home runs, 33 RBI, 37 runs scored, seven stolen bases, and a 109:25 K:BB in 305 plate appearances. He was even worse in a 49-game stint with Tampa last year, going 33-for-173 (.191) with only three home runs and nine RBI in the second half of the year. There's plenty of athleticism with Morel, but he's not a great defender in the outfield and swings and misses far too often at the plate. At best, he'll latch on with another team and compete for a platoon role in 2026.

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The Tampa Bay Rays designated outfielder Jake Fraley for assignment on Tuesday, according to the Tampa Bay Times' Marc Topkin. Fraley was cut by the Cincinnati Reds this year and made stops with the Atlanta Braves and the Rays after that. The 30-year-old didn't actually play in any games with Tampa and might be back on the open market this offseason. He combined to hit .241/.332/.382 with a .714 OPS, six home runs, 23 RBI, 31 runs scored, and four stolen bases in 76 games in 2025 with the Reds and Braves. Fraley played in just nine games in Atlanta before being claimed off waivers by the Rays. The left-handed-hitting outfielder has had issues staying healthy in his career after being taken in the second round back in 2016 out of LSU by Tampa. At best, Fraley is a platoon bat with limited upside for fantasy baseball managers.

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The Athletics designated outfielder JJ Bleday for assignment on Tuesday, per Martin Gallegos of MLB.com. Bleday has not lived up to the high expectations of being the fourth overall pick by the Miami Marlins in 2019 out of Vanderbilt. The left-handed-hitting outfielder spent one year in Miami before being shipped to the Bay Area. In his three seasons with the A's, he slashed an underwhelming .224/.313/.410 with a .723 OPS, 44 home runs, 126 RBI, 157 runs scored, and only eight steals in 339 games played. The Athletics are dropping him from their roster this offseason after he hit .212 (65-for-307) in 2025 with 14 long balls, 39 RBI, and 48 runs scored in 98 games played. The 28-year-old will enter free agency this offseason if he refuses his outright assignment to the minor leagues.

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Second baseman Gleyber Torres has accepted the Detroit Tigers' one-year, $22.025 million qualifying offer, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. It's a pretty decent and deserving raise for Torres after he made $15 million in his first year in Motown in 2025. The 28-year-old had sports hernia surgery last month, but he's expected to be ready for the start of spring training in February. Plate discipline was Torres' specialty this year, and it helped him to the third All-Star selection of his career, and the first since his second year in the big leagues with the New York Yankees. In 145 regular-season games, he slashed .256/.358/.387 with a .745 OPS, 16 home runs, 74 RBI, 79 runs scored, and four stolen bases in 628 plate appearances. Torres was a nice fit for the Tigers this year, but he's now had back-to-back seasons of fewer than 20 homers, and fantasy managers definitely shouldn't count on him ever returning to the 30-homer mark like he did back in 2019.

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The Colorado Rockies designated first baseman Michael Toglia for assignment on Tuesday, according to Kyle Newman of The Denver Post. Toglia's combination of raw power from the left side of the plate, combined with his home environment at hitter-friendly Coors Field, has always been an intriguing mix, but the 27-year-old just hasn't been able to put it all together. The former UCLA star played in only 88 games for the Rockies in his fourth big-league season and was sent to the minors in early September after struggling all year. In his 337 plate appearances, Toglia hit just .190 (58-for-306) with 11 home runs, 32 RBI, 22 runs scored, 132 strikeouts, and 28 walks. He has now lost his spot on the team's roster and could become a free agent this offseason. In 280 career games with Colorado, Toglia has a .201 average with 42 home runs and a 373:101 K:BB.

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Houston Astros second baseman/outfielder Jose Altuve (foot) had a minor skin aspiration on Monday, a source told MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. The procedure removed fluid from a wound between Altuve's fourth and fifth toes on his right foot after he was bothered by a sore foot in the final two weeks of the regular season. The 35-year-old nine-time All-Star and former MVP hit .265 in 2025 with 26 home runs, 77 RBI, and 80 runs scored in 155 games. Altuve started the year in an unfamiliar position in left field before moving back to second base after Yordan Alvarez suffered a hand injury early in the year. He ended up starting 61 games at the keystone, 49 at designated hitter, and 44 in left field. In his 15th season with the Astros, Altuve moved into second all-time on the franchise list in hits with 2,388, trailing only Craig Biggio. Altuve is also third on the franchise list in extra-base hits (742) and games played (1,976). He is the fourth primary second baseman in baseball history with 255 career homers and 325 steals, joining Biggio, Joe Morgan, and Ryne Sandberg. Altuve should be a full-go for spring training.

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Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown said last week at the GM meetings in Las Vegas that third baseman Isaac Paredes (hamstring) is around 65% recovered from his right-hamstring injury. "We'll feel like he'll at least get to somewhere between 80 and 90 percent at the start of the spring and potentially be ready to go by Opening Day," Brown said. The 26-year-old tore his hamstring in the middle of July and was limited to designated hitter duties late in the season when he returned. The Mexican infielder had a fine 2025 campaign when he was on the field, hitting .254/.352/.458 with an .809 OPS, 20 home runs, 53 RBI, and 53 runs scored in 102 games in his first year in Houston. Although Paredes might not be a full-go for the start of the 2026 regular season, he won't be a bad target for some power at third base once the bigger names at the position come off the board in fantasy drafts.

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MLB Network's Jon Morosi says that he thinks the Boston Red Sox will "either bring back Alex Bregman" or "make an all-out pursuit of Pete Alonso." Morosi likes Boston's "chances to get one or the other." "I believe the Red Sox are the strongest contender of anyone to take Pete Alonso away from the New York Mets," Morosi added. The BoSox will be on the market for a starting pitcher this winter, too, but Morosi thinks it will be a big priority to try and bring Bregman back after his strong season in 2025 in Beantown. In 114 games last year, Bregman hit .273 with 18 homers, 62 RBI, an .821 OPS, and a 3.5 WAR, while Alonso hit .272 with 38 bombs, 126 RBI, an .871 OPS, and a 3.4 WAR in 162 games. Alonso has the clear edge in the power department, but Bregman is more versatile on defense and is still an above-average defender at third base. Both players opted out of their deals with their respective teams following the World Series, and both share the same agent in Scott Boras.

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Free-agent left-hander Ryan Yarbrough agreed with the New York Yankees on an undisclosed one-year deal on Monday, pending a physical, a source told Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. ESPN's Buster Olney is reporting that Yarbrough is signing for $2.5 million. The 33-year-old veteran southpaw served in a swing role for the Yankees in 2025, starting in eight of his 19 appearances in pinstripes. In his 64 innings pitched, Yarbrough held a 3-1 record, 4.36 ERA (5.04 FIP), and 1.20 WHIP with a save, 55 strikeouts, and 19 walks. Yarbrough has a career 4.22 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in eight major-league seasons with five different teams. He's not much of a draw in fantasy baseball with a career 7.1 K/9 mark in 832 innings pitched, but he'll give the Yankees plenty of flexibility in terms of role, with the team expected to be without several of their high-end starting pitchers to begin the 2026 season.

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First baseman Josh Naylor and the Seattle Mariners are finalizing a five-year contract on Sunday evening, sources familiar with the deal told ESPN's Jeff Passan. The Mariners will now keep Naylor around for the foreseeable future after acquiring him at this year's trade deadline from the Arizona Diamondbacks. The 28-year-old Canadian left-handed slugger hit .299 (58-for-194) with nine home runs, 33 RBI, 32 runs scored, and 19 stolen bases in 54 regular-season games after being traded to Seattle. Overall, he slashed a strong .295/.353/.462 with an .816 OPS, 20 home runs, 92 RBI, 81 runs scored, and a career-high 30 stolen bases in 147 games in his seventh year in the majors. Naylor ranked in the 66th percentile in xwOBA, 42nd percentile in xBA, and 43rd percentile in hard-hit rate, suggesting his 31-homer campaign in 2024 is a ceiling that could be hard to reach again. Fantasy managers also shouldn't expect a repeat in the steals department, with his previous high-water mark in that category being 10.

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Free-agent first baseman/designated hitter Joey Meneses signed a minor-league deal with the Athletics on Saturday, sources told Francys Romero. Meneses did not surface in the big leagues during the 2025 season, instead spending all of his time at Triple-A Syracuse in the New York Mets' organization, where he slashed .264/.321/.444 with 11 home runs, 55 RBI, and 37 runs scored in 421 plate appearances. The 33-year-old Mexican debuted in the majors in 2022 with the Washington Nationals and hit a combined .274/.322/.408 with a .731 OPS, 29 home runs, 165 RBI, and 123 runs scored in 286 games over three seasons in D.C. The 33-year-old will be fighting for an Opening Day roster spot with the A's at spring training in 2026, but if he makes the squad, he'll merely be a right-handed-hitting option off the bench. Meneses hit 13 homers and drove in 89 in a career-high 154 games for the Nats in 2023.

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Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Enrique Hernandez (elbow) announced that he had left-elbow surgery on Friday for an injury that he played through during the second half of the regular season and into the playoffs, according to Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times. Hernandez said it will prevent him from playing for Team Puerto Rico in the 2026 World Baseball Classic next spring. It's unclear if the 34-year-old veteran will be delayed for the start of the 2026 regular season. Kike barely hit over .200 during 92 regular-season games for L.A. while adding 10 home runs, 35 RBI, and 30 runs scored in 256 plate appearances. He was better during the playoffs, though, going 16-for-64 (.250) with a homer and seven RBI to help the Dodgers win back-to-back World Series championships. Hernandez is an unrestricted free agent this offseason and won't be much of a fantasy target, regardless of where he lands.

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The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal writes that a "perfect storm" for the New York Mets to lose free-agent closer Edwin Diaz "might be developing." Diaz opted out of the final two years of his contract with the Mets and will test free agency for the first time in his career. The Toronto Blue Jays, who were two outs away from winning the World Series before closer Jeff Hoffman blew it, are poised to spend big and are among the teams interested in adding Diaz. The 31-year-old Diaz said on Thursday that his chances of returning to the Mets are "50-50," and according to a person briefed on his wishes, he wants the same kind of deal he signed with the Mets in 2022 -- five years and $102 million. Toronto met with Diaz's agents during the GM meetings this week in Las Vegas and is targeting high-leverage relief as well as starting pitching. If they were to land Diaz in free agency, they'd almost certainly slide Hoffman to the eighth inning.

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Texas Rangers right-hander Jacob deGrom was named the American League Comeback Player of the Year for the 2025 season, according to MLB. deGrom exceeded expectations for the Rangers this year while coming off Tommy John surgery, even if they weren't able to return to the postseason. The 37-year-old ace had not pitched since April of 2023 before returning in September of 2024. He finished the year 12-8 with a 2.97 ERA and 0.92 WHIP, which trailed only Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal, who won back-to-back AL Cy Young awards, among qualified pitchers. deGrom's strong season earned him the fifth All-Star selection of his career, and he finished eighth in the AL Cy Young voting. Perhaps among the most surprising stats of the season was the fact that deGrom made 30 starts for the first time since 2019.

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Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. was named the National League Comeback Player of the Year in 2025, according to MLB. Acuna showed that he was still one of the game's elite players by successfully returning from a second major knee surgery, a complete tear of the ACL in his left knee. On the first pitch he saw in his season debut on May 23, the 27-year-old Dominican hit a 467-foot home run. Acuna was an All-Star for the fourth time in his career and slashed a strong .290/.417/.518 with 21 home runs for the Braves in 95 games played. Only five players among the 215 players with at least 400 plate appearances had a higher OPS than Acuna's mark of .935. He also dealt with a minor calf issue in 2025, but it thankfully did not slow him down. Fantasy managers aren't forgetting the risk that now comes with Acuna, but when healthy, he's still an elite fantasy outfielder that contributes across all categories.

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Boston Red Sox left-hander Aroldis Chapman was named the American League Reliever of the Year in 2025 for the second time in his career, with the first coming with the New York Yankees in 2019. Chapman defied Father Time this year to win the award at age 37 while also making his eighth career All-Star team. He led all qualified relievers with a 1.17 ERA and 0.70 WHIP in 61 1/3 innings for the BoSox. Opponents hit just .132 versus the veteran southpaw, the lowest average against any qualified reliever. Chapman retired 50 straight hitters at one point during the season, during a stretch that spanned over two months. Unbelievable, Chapman still averaged 99.8 mph with his fastball (ranked in the 98th percentile in baseball) in his 16th season in the big leagues. He proved with Boston this past season that he still has gas left in the tank in what has been a remarkable career.

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New York Mets right-handed closer Edwin Diaz was named the National League Reliever of the Year on Thursday night for the third time in his career, according to MLB. Diaz joins Houston Astros lefty Josh Hader as the only players to win three Reliever of the Year awards since the honor was established in 2014. The hard-throwing Puerto Rican closer had a stingy 1.63 ERA in 66 1/3 innings in 2025, the second-lowest mark of his career and the best among qualified relievers in the NL. Diaz also held opponents to a .164 batting average to earn his third All-Star nod. His nasty fastball/slider mix helped him to 98 strikeouts and a 13.3 K/9 ratio while he also ranked in the 99th percentile among MLB pitchers with a 41.5% swing-and-miss rate. Diaz is now on the free-agent market this winter after opting out of the final two years and $38 million on his contract with the Mets, and he's sure to generate lots of interest around the league.

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