Jordan Romano, Angels Agree on One-Year Deal: Right-handed reliever Jordan Romano has agreed to a one-year, $2 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday. Romano, 32, struggled in 2025 with the Philadelphia Phillies, posting an 8.23 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 25.1% strikeout rate, and 9.1% walk rate across 42 2/3 innings. He landed on the injured list in late August with inflammation in his right middle finger, an issue that reportedly affected his velocity throughout the season. The two-time All-Star now looks to revive his career in Southern California. With the Angels losing Kenley Jansen to free agency and no clear closer in their bullpen, Romano could quickly move up the depth chart and see save opportunities. For fantasy purposes, Romano is a high-risk, high-reward option, and as of now, it appears he will be the closer in Los Angeles. - as of Tue, 16 Dec 2025 21:05:39
Alex Bregman Drawing Interest From Diamondbacks: The Arizona Diamondbacks have expressed interest in free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman, though re-signing him remains the Boston Red Sox's top priority. Bregman, 31, opted out of his three-year deal with Boston after slashing .273/.360/.462 with 18 home runs, 62 RBI, and 64 runs scored across 495 plate appearances, good for a 125 wRC+. While he would fit well with either club, Fenway Park is the preferred landing spot for fantasy purposes, as his pull-heavy approach plays perfectly off the Green Monster. For 2026, Bregman profiles as a top-10 third baseman with top-five upside if he lands in the right situation. - as of Tue, 16 Dec 2025 20:44:29
Angels Open to Mike Trout Playing Center Field in 2026: The Los Angeles Angels may allow outfielder Mike Trout to play center field again in 2026. General manager Perry Minasian said he's keeping his options open, which includes Trout seeing time at all three outfield positions. Trout, 34, appeared in 130 games last season, his highest total since 2019. He served as the designated hitter in 106 games and played right field in just 22, reinforcing the idea that keeping him out of center field is likely the best path to preserving his health. In 2025, Trout slashed .232/.359/.439 with 26 home runs, 64 RBI, and 74 runs scored, good for a 120 wRC+. With a current ADP of 194, the future Hall of Fame slugger offers power upside without requiring a significant draft-day investment. - as of Tue, 16 Dec 2025 20:30:39
Adrian Houser Joins Giants on Two-Year Deal: Free-agent right-hander Adrian Houser and the San Francisco Giants agreed on a two-year, $22 million deal on Tuesday that includes a club option for a third season, sources told Jeff Passan of ESPN. In addition to Houser, the Gigantes also added right-handed reliever Jason Foley on Tuesday to help shore up their pitching staff. Houser, 32, looked much better this past season, going 8-5 with a 3.31 ERA (3.81 FIP) and 1.28 WHIP with 92 strikeouts and 38 walks in 125 innings over 21 starts with the Chicago White Sox and Tampa Bay Rays. He was much better in Chicago, posting a nice 2.10 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and 47:22 K:BB ratio in his 11 starts. Houser showed better velocity than he did in a rough 2024 season with the New York Mets, in which he had a career-worst 5.84 ERA, but he still had a weak 17.8% strikeout rate. The landing spot in SF is nice, but Houser brings limited fantasy upside with his 18.4% career K rate. - as of Tue, 16 Dec 2025 17:18:47
Ha-Seong Kim Re-Signs With Braves on Monday: Free-agent infielder Ha-Seong Kim re-signed with the Atlanta Braves on Monday night on a one-year, $20 million deal, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Kim started the 2025 season with the Tampa Bay Rays but didn't make his season debut until July 4 after recovering from shoulder surgery. The 30-year-old South Korean native played in only 24 games with Tampa before being cut, and he finished the year with the Braves. Kim slashed a combined .234/.304/.345 with a .649 OPS, five home runs, 17 RBI, 19 runs scored, and six stolen bases in 191 plate appearances over 48 games played. He hit .253 with three homers and 12 RBI in 24 games in Atlanta, and he figures to see most of the playing time at short for the Braves going into next season. Kim's biggest draw in fantasy baseball is for his speed, as he swiped a combined 60 bases in 2023 and 2024. His reckless playing style makes him injury-prone, which we've seen firsthand the last two years. - as of Mon, 15 Dec 2025 22:55:36
Pitching Prospect Jake Bennett Heads to Boston: The Boston Red Sox acquired left-handed pitching prospect Jake Bennett from the Washington Nationals on Monday in exchange for right-handed pitching prospect Luis Perales, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan. Bennett, 25, was drafted by the Nats in the 39th round in 2019. The young southpaw pitched for Single-A Fredericksburg, High-A Wilmington, and Double-A Harrisburg in 2025 in his first year back from Tommy John surgery, going a combined 2-5 with a 2.27 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and 64:19 K:BB ratio in 75 1/3 innings over 19 outings (18 starts). Per MLB Pipeline, Bennett immediately becomes the BoSox's No. 7 prospect. The 6-foot-6, 234-pounder is predominantly a sinker/changeup pitcher who has held impressive ground-ball rates in the minors. Bennett also features a low- to mid-90s heater. Bennett might be another full year away from the big leagues, but his combination of size and stuff gives him decent upside at the major-league level. - as of Mon, 15 Dec 2025 21:43:31
Nationals Acquire Pitching Prospect Luis Perales From Boston: The Washington Nationals acquired right-handed pitching prospect Luis Perales from the Boston Red Sox on Monday in exchange for left-handed pitching prospect Jake Bennett, sources told Jeff Passan of ESPN. Perales, 22, has missed most of the past two years while recovering from Tommy John surgery, appearing in only 12 games (10 starts) across the Red Sox's minor-league system. He has a fastball that hits triple digits and is already being considered Washington's No. 5 prospect by MLB Pipeline. The 6-foot-1, 160-pound Venezuelan hurler also has a nasty splitter and features a slider and a cutter as other secondary pitches. Perales has athleticism and elite arm speed, but he's small for a starter, and his durability is a concern. If Perales cannot make it as a starter, the Nats could try him in a high-leverage relief role. His innings will be closely monitored in 2026, and he's probably a long shot to make his MLB debut. - as of Mon, 15 Dec 2025 21:26:42
Mets Open to Trading Mark Vientos: The New York Mets are open to trading infielder/designated hitter Mark Vientos this winter, sources told Pat Ragazzo of Sports Illustrated. Vientos could draw plenty of interest, as he has four years of club control as a pre-arbitration player. He won't be a free agent until after the 2029 season. However, it remains to be seen how many MLB teams would be interested after Vientos regressed to a .233/.289/.413 slash line with a .702 OPS, 97 OPS+, 17 home runs, 61 RBI, and a -0.2 bWAR in 121 games in 2025. The year prior, Vientos broke out with 27 long balls, 71 RBI, an .837 OPS, and 3.0 bWAR in 111 games. Brett Baty is likely to be the starter at third in 2026, and the Mets just signed Jorge Polanco to take over at first base to replace Pete Alonso, who signed with Baltimore in free agency. Vientos was able to drop his strikeout rate to a career-low 24.8% in 2025, but he isn't great defensively and still has a lot to prove. - as of Mon, 15 Dec 2025 15:25:37
Adolis Garcia, Phillies Finalizing One-Year Deal on Monday: Cuban outfielder Adolis Garcia and the Philadelphia Phillies are finalizing a one-year, $10 million deal, pending a physical, on Monday, sources told Francys Romero. Garcia will head to the National League East and look to help a contending team as he tries to get back to his 2023 form, when he was named MVP of the American League Championship Series. The 32-year-old veteran will essentially be replacing Nick Castellanos, who is expected to be traded or released this offseason. The landing spot is an ideal one for Garcia in a hitter-friendly ballpark in a stacked lineup in Philly. Garcia had a second straight season with an OPS under .700 in 2025, and he also hit fewer than 20 home runs for the first time since becoming an everyday player. Injuries are a concern and could have contributed to a drop in his batted-ball metrics and bat speed in 2025. At a slightly discounted price in fantasy drafts next spring, though, Garcia will be an attractive bounce-back candidate in his new digs. - as of Mon, 15 Dec 2025 12:19:35
Red Sox Could Reunite With Chris Martin: The Boston Red Sox could reunite with veteran right-handed reliever Chris Martin, who plans to pitch next season, a source told Chris Cotillo of Mass Live. Martin will be heading into his age-40 season in 2026, but he still wants to pitch, and Boston is interested. He was great in Beantown in 2023-24 with a 2.16 ERA, but he finished this past season on the injured list with thoracic outlet syndrome. Before getting hurt in 2025, Martin was solid for the Texas Rangers, posting a 2.98 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, two saves, 43 strikeouts, and eight walks in 42 1/3 innings pitched in relief. If Martin were to return to Boston, he'd most likely be in line to pitch in a high-leverage setup role in front of left-handed closer Aroldis Chapman. Martin had five saves in his two seasons with the BoSox. In 10 big-league seasons, he's sporting a 25.2% strikeout rate and an elite 3.3% walk rate. - as of Sun, 14 Dec 2025 23:30:43