Tracking the offseason MLB trades and signings with fantasy baseball implications for the upcoming season, Eric Karabell and Tristan H. Cockcroft will analyze and provide an outlook for all of the key players involved.
The MLB offseason is in full swing. Juan Soto has signed with the New York Mets, Kyle Tucker has been traded to the Chicago Cubs and Cody Bellinger moves to the New York Yankees. Still, other big bats are still looking for a place to land, including Alex Bregman, Pete Alonso and Teoscar Hernandez.
Meanwhile, those Yankees addressed their rotation needs by adding Max Fried, Garrett Crochet traded in his White Sox for Boston's red variety, and other bigger-name pitchers such as Corbin Burnes could be in new clubhouses very soon.
Note: Not every transaction warrants the attention of fantasy managers, but for those signings and trades that do merit analysis, you'll find them listed below. Players will be separated by position and then listed in chronological order of the move within each positional grouping, with the latest news coming first. Also included are links to any standalone analysis stories and/or videos regarding major free agent signings and trades. Players who end up re-signing with their previous team will not always be included.
Jump to: Catcher | First base | Second base | Shortstop | Third base | Outfield | DH | Starting pitcher | Relief pitcher
Catcher
Kyle Teel traded from Red Sox to White Sox: Teel, one of the better prospects in the sport, regardless of position (he ranked No. 34 overall in Kylie McDaniel's most recent top-100 MLB prospects) comes to Chicago in the Garrett Crochet trade, and he may make immediate impact with his new club. The No. 14 pick in the 2023 amateur draft offers modest power, but he hits for average, draws walks and possesses excellent on-base ability, which we all covet in points formats. Teel may need more Triple-A time in 2025, but he and fellow top prospect Edgar Quero could form a top tandem soon (or Quero may move to first base). Fantasy managers must pay attention to both of them. -- Karabell (12/11)
Gary Sanchez signs with Orioles: Sanchez is the rare backup catcher we can count on for double-digit home runs, since he has reached that mark in nine consecutive seasons. Adley Rutschman is the starter, and Sanchez will likely fill in behind the plate occasionally versus lefties. Still, it's enough to consider him in deeper, multi-catcher formats. -- Karabell (12/8)
Danny Jansen signs with Rays: Jansen, 29, is hardly coming off his best offensive season, and he's certainly not the most durable catcher, but there is fantasy relevance as he remains in the AL East. Jansen hit 32 homers over a mere 549 PA in 2022-23 for Toronto. Even with roughly half a season of playing time, do not be surprised if he returns to top-20 catcher production with Tampa Bay. -- Karabell (12/6)
Kyle Higashioka signs with Rangers: Higashioka's only season with the Padres produced 17 homers and 134 ESPN fantasy points -- a top-30 figure for catchers. It might have been a career year, but Higashioka reached double-digit home runs for the fourth consecutive season, and he should split time in Texas with Jonah Heim, who struggled in 2024. Take Heim earlier in drafts, but Higashioka warrants deep-league attention. -- Karabell (12/3)
Travis d'Arnaud signs with Angels: This is a bit of an odd one since the Angels boast much younger C Logan O'Hoppe, who has hit 34 homers over his past 721 PA (over two seasons). Perhaps they wish to corner the market on apostrophe-themed players? The Braves enjoyed d'Arnaud as he hit 44 homers over the past three seasons, mainly in a timeshare role, but he turns 36 in February and figures to see less playing time as a member of the Angels. That isn't ideal in fantasy. -- Karabell (11/12)
Other selected free agents: James McCann
First base
Paul Goldschmidt signs with Yankees: Goldschmidt, 37, comes off the worst season of his long career, posting merely a .716 OPS, but he did aid fantasy managers in roto/categories formats with 22 home runs and 11 stolen bases. He was the No. 25 first baseman in points formats, 17th in roto/categories formats, and well outside the top-150 overall in both.
However, Goldschmidt enters a positive situation, on a one-year "prove it" deal, where he will not have to carry an offense, and he should have ample RBI opportunities following Aaron Judge in the lineup. Perhaps he can recover some lost bat speed and catch up to fastballs. Don't expect a return to his NL MVP performance from 2022, but rather something closer to his reasonable 2023 numbers, which makes him a worthy mid-to-late pick in standard formats. -- Karabell (12/21)
Christian Walker signs with Astros: Walker has averaged 32 homers over his last three consistent seasons with the Diamondbacks, establishing himself as a top-10 first baseman. Moving to the Astros may even aid his production, with their unique left field porch. Walker isn't Pete Alonso or Matt Olson statistically, but he comes at a far greater draft day discount, making him an annual fantasy value. -- Karabell (12/20)
Spencer Horwitz traded to Pirates: Horwitz was traded from the Blue Jays to the Guardians, then immediately flipped to the Pirates in a pretty good haul of speculative young pitching by the Guardians. Horwitz, who split his time for the Blue Jays almost evenly between first and second base, should man the former for his new team. He has a patience-and-contact approach that might make him a mixed-league sleeper in a better offense or venue, but the Pirates are neither (pending other offseason moves), with PNC Park being notoriously poor for power. -- Cockcroft (12/11)
Selected free agents: Pete Alonso, Anthony Rizzo, Josh Bell, Carlos Santana
Second base
Caleb Durbin traded from Yankees to Brewers: Durbin, 24, is a compelling infield prospect who recently set the stolen base mark in the Arizona Fall League, showing off his contact-oriented approach, speed and excellent plate discipline. The Brewers may present him with an opportunity to start right away, perhaps at third base, with Joey Ortiz moving to shortstop to replace the departed Willy Adames. Durbin, 2B-eligible in ESPN leagues, bats right-handed and may earn a coveted spot near the top of the Milwaukee lineup. Depending on how he performs in the spring, fantasy managers may consider him in the mid-to-late rounds of 2025 drafts. -- Karabell (12/13)
Andres Gimenez traded from Guardians to Blue Jays: A defensive whiz whose best fantasy contribution to his new team might be the benefit he provides their pitchers, Gimenez has the kind of contact-and-speed game that can be nevertheless handy in fantasy baseball. He's much more of a rotisserie than points-based asset, with a high-water seasonal finish of 46th overall on the 2022 Player Rater, but he has never finished higher than 88th in fantasy points (his 2024 ranking).
Gimenez can be a high-floor player in points leagues, however, and he'll probably bat high in the Blue Jays order, boosting his runs scored total. He's a clear top-10 second baseman in roto play, but is more of a "round out your lineup" type in ESPN's standard points leagues. -- Cockcroft (12/10)
Thairo Estrada signs with Rockies: Estrada was a relevant fantasy option in 2022 and 2023, hitting 28 homers and stealing 44 bases for the Giants, but injuries set him back this past season, as he played in only 96 games. Heading to Colorado for half of his home games intrigues for sure. Estrada is a contact-inclined player who runs, and he should outperform the departed Brendan Rodgers, mainly for roto formats. -- Karabell (12/10)
Jonathan India traded from Reds to Royals: India, the 2021 NL Rookie of the Year, played in a career-high 151 games last season, reaching double digits in both home runs and stolen bases for the third time. India isn't known for a high batting average, but he is particularly valuable in points leagues for his ability to reach base. Only four players drew more than his 80 walks last season. Playing half of his home games in Kansas City rather than Cincinnati might affect his power stats, but India's discipline should travel, and a spot atop his new lineup is likely. His value shouldn't change much. -- Karabell (11/22)
Other selected free agents: Gleyber Torres, Brandon Drury, Jorge Polanco, Adam Frazier
Shortstop
Willy Adames signs with Giants: The Giants, desperate for a shortstop, get the top available option. Adames slugged 32 homers for the Brewers while also delivering career bests with 112 RBI, 21 steals and 93 runs. Switching his home park to pitcher-friendly San Francisco may bring his numbers down a bit, but Adames, who hits right-handed, has hit considerably better versus right-handed pitching over the last three seasons -- so perhaps his home park is not a big deal. A 2024 top-20 hitter in both points and roto/category (where he is more valuable) formats, Adames should remain a relevant run-producer and a top-100 pick for 2025. -- Karabell (12/7)
Other selected free agents: Ha-Seong Kim, Kyle Farmer, Enrique Hernandez, Paul DeJong, Garrett Hampson, Amed Rosario, Jose Iglesias
Third base
Gio Urshela signs with Athletics: The well-traveled Urshela joins his eighth team (seventh in the AL), though he has never recaptured the glory from his 2019 season, when he hit .314 with 21 home runs. Urshela hit .250 with 9 HR for the Braves and Tigers last season. A solid defender at third base, Urshela may start regularly for a team playing half of its games in a minor league ballpark, so while we cannot call him intriguing for standard fantasy formats, he may be a worthy deep-league pick for power and volume stats. -- Karabell (12/20)
Isaac Paredes traded from Cubs to Astros: After enduring two trades in the past five months alone, Paredes' fantasy value is fair to question, especially in light of his historically modest contact quality metrics and his ghastly .223/.325/.307 rates following his deadline deal to Chicago. He has averaged 23 homers and 74 RBI over the past three seasons, but hasn't registered Barrel or hard-hit rates above the 43rd percentile in any of those years, making those averages fair, if not slightly generous, baselines.
The Astros are surely banking upon his extreme-pull approach at the plate, as he had a MLB-leading 58 total HRs and 37% of batted balls going to "far left field" (within 18 degrees of the left-field foul pole) from 2022-24. That's why he should be a good fit for the soon-to-be Daikin Park (changing names from Minute Maid Park on Jan. 1) and its Crawford Boxes in left. Tuck that away as a matchup angle worth exploiting in daily formats. -- Cockcroft (12/13)
Selected free agents: Alex Bregman, Yoan Moncada
Outfield
Max Kepler signs with Phillies: This move shows the Phillies intend to play Brandon Marsh in center field. Kepler has never played left field in the majors, but here's his shot, at 32. Forget about the fellow who whacked 36 home runs in 2019. He's long gone. Still, the Phillies would take his 2023 campaign, when he hit .260 with 24 blasts, most of it versus right-handed pitching. Last season, Kepler slugged .380 (8 HR) in 398 PA, battling knee woes. Expect a platoon role in Philadelphia, and perhaps 20-plus homers. -- Karabell (12/20)
Cody Bellinger traded from Cubs to Yankees: One of the game's most statistically enigmatic players, Bellinger has experienced extreme peaks (see: 2019 MVP campaign, 2023 rebound) and valleys (see: 2021-22) in his stat lines, as well as sometimes head-scratching underlying metrics. Once an elite power hitter, he has now had sub-50th-percentile hard hit rates in four straight seasons and sub-50th Barrel rates in three of the last four. Even so, the trade-off has been a spike in contact, as he has set career bests in strikeout rate now in back-to-back seasons.
Bellinger is one of those players great at squaring up the ball, capable of carrying both real-life and fantasy teams during his hot spells, but at constant risk of regressing to .260, 20 HR,15 SB baselines. Fortunately, his penchant for pull power means that Yankee Stadium's short right field porch should help boost his home run production, so a 30/15 season is again within his reach.
Where he hits in the lineup -- he could slot as high as second or as low as sixth -- will have a bearing on his fantasy appeal, as batting ahead of Aaron Judge would give him his best chance at once again approaching his No. 11 Player Rater (and 28th-best in fantasy points) level of success from 2023. -- Cockcroft (12/17)
Kyle Tucker traded from Astros to Cubs: After managing at least 29 homers and 25 steals in both 2022 and 2023, Tucker was limited to just 73 games in 2024 after fracturing his right shin fouling a ball off his leg. It was a fluky injury unlikely to have long-term ramifications, and both his .365/.453/.587 rates in 18 games following his late-season return, as well as his continually top-shelf metrics over the course of the full year, suggest that he should be able to rebound to his former self in 2025.
The move to Wrigley Field, with its often unpredictable year-over-year park factors, could deflate some of his power potential, but not enough to have a noticeable impact on his fantasy production. As for the change in lineup support, bear in mind that the Astros scored only four more runs than the Cubs in 2024 (granted, in one fewer game), and Tucker seems much more likely to lock into a No. 2 or 3 spot in the lineup. That should help boost both his plate appearances and runs scored.
He's a first-round pick regardless of format, and one plenty capable of a 30/30 season as well as a 500-point fantasy total -- Cockcroft (12/13)
Juan Soto signs with Mets: It's true, Citi Field is a much more pitching-friendly environment than Soto's single-year home, Yankee Stadium -- and particularly so for left-handed hitters ... (however) it's a fair assumption to think that Soto will be surrounded with a robust supporting cast that will only enhance his number of RBI and run-scoring opportunities. -- Cockcroft (12/9)
Want more? Read the full story on the fantasy impact of Soto signing with the Mets.
Michael Conforto signs with Dodgers: Last season, Conforto hit 20 home runs for the Giants, his first time reaching that number since 2019, though it was not enough to make him a top-50 outfielder for ESPN points formats. The Dodgers figure to utilize him in a similar platoon role, and fantasy managers should consider getting him into the lineup when he faces right-handed pitching. -- Karabell (12/8)
Tyler O'Neill signs with Orioles: O'Neill rebounded well enough in his lone Red Sox season to earn a lucrative free-agent contract, smashing 31 home runs after several injury-plagued campaigns. He also struck out a bloated 33.6% of his at-bats, posted a sub-.700 OPS versus right-handed pitching, and missed 49 games due to various maladies. When healthy, O'Neill should enjoy batting in Baltimore, with the left field fence being adjusted to be friendlier for hitters, but he remains a risky fantasy option for his plate approach and inconsistency. Be cautious in assuming that another top-100 fantasy campaign is on the way here. --Karabell (12/7)
Jose Siri traded from Rays to Mets: Siri is an excellent defensive center fielder, and a reasonable replacement to fill the Harrison Bader/Tyrone Taylor role in New York. As a hitter, Siri boasts modest power and speed, having amassed 43 homers and 26 steals over the past two seasons, but still he lacks much fantasy value after hitting just .187 with a 38% strikeout rate in 2024. Until Siri becomes more disciplined and makes more contact (which seems unlikely at this stage), avoid the lure of the counting numbers. -- Karabell (11/19)
Other selected free agents: Teoscar Hernandez, Mark Canha, Anthony Santander, Harrison Bader, Manuel Margot, Alex Verdugo
Designated hitter
Jake Burger traded from Marlins to Rangers: Burger has been a forgotten man the past year-plus while he played in an extreme pitchers' park and for a 62-100 Marlins team in 2024. He should immediately benefit by joining a much more potent lineup and moving to a noticeably better power environment at Globe Life Field. Burger will serve as the Rangers' designated hitter -- don't panic, Josh Jung managers! -- allowing Josh Smith to return to his traditional utilityman role, and should offer fantasy managers 30-plus homers (but 150-plus K's) on the cheap. -- Cockcroft (12/11)
Jorge Soler traded from Braves to Angels: We know what the well-traveled Soler is at this point, and he is more valuable than most realize. Soler, 32, has hit 57 home runs over the past two seasons for three clubs, and now he heads back to the AL, where he boasts a HR title for the 2019 Royals. Soler will never win a batting title or a Gold Glove, but consistent power and a double-digit walk rate every season cannot be ignored. He was the OF31 in ESPN points leagues in 2024, a bit underrated as he remained available in many leagues, and there is little reason to expect diminished performance in 2025. The acquisition works well for this power-starved lineup, although adding Soler likely means Mike Trout remains a regular outfielder. -- Karabell (10/31)
Other selected free agents: Marcell Ozuna, Justin Turner, Joc Pederson, J.D. Martinez, Eloy Jimenez, Andrew McCutchen
Starting pitcher
Patrick Sandoval signs with Red Sox: Sandoval signed a two-year deal with Boston, but he remains on the mend from internal brace surgery and may not pitch in a game until the All-Star break, at least. The lefty with the big changeup had times of relevance with the Angels, posting a 2.91 ERA in 2022, but his walk rate has risen too much since, making him tough to rely upon. If the Red Sox can help him find control, perhaps fantasy managers could have a late-season sleeper. -- Karabell (12/20)
Griffin Canning signs with Mets (after being traded from Angels to Braves and then released): Canning pitched terribly in 2024, his 5.19 ERA being third worst among 59 qualifiers (ahead of only Patrick Corbin and Miles Mikolas) and only one pitcher (Kutter Crawford) permitted more than his 31 home runs. Canning, who has one year left on his contract, showed promise in 2023, earning a 25.9% strikeout rate with his pitch mix heavy in sliders and four-seamers. Mets starters overachieved this past season, so perhaps we should be a little intrigued as far as late-round picks go. -- Karabell (12/18)
Tomoyuki Sugano signs with Orioles: One of the older Japanese pitchers to make the move to the U.S., Sugano (who turned 35 in October) is no less accomplished than many of his predecessors. He's coming off a sparkling 2024 that saw him capture his third career Central League MVP award, posting a 15-3 record, a 1.67 ERA and 111 strikeouts in 156 2/3 innings for Yomiuri. He has a six-pitch mix (four-seam fastball, sinker, slider, cutter, curveball and forkball) that should help him make an immediate impact with the Orioles.
Sugano's control is his ticket to success. His 2.6% walk rate in 2024 was better than any MLB pitcher with at least 100 IP and his 4.7% career walk rate is better than any active pitcher with more than 400 innings. Even if his fastball no longer carries the velocity it once had during his prime, he should be one of the higher-floor, matchups-capable starters you'll find in the later rounds. Consider Sugano to be, on the high end, a top-50 SP option that you'll probably be able to acquire at a far cheaper rate. -- Cockcroft (12/17)
Jeffrey Springs traded from Rays to Athletics: Leaving Tampa Bay and its pitching-friendly Tropicana Field is a negative for Springs' fantasy value, as is his moving to the Athletics' rebuilding environment with much less bullpen support. To be fair, however, with the Rays slated to play at Tampa's George M. Steinbrenner Field for 2024, Springs was facing a park factor change anyway. He had a 2.08 ERA in his 18 career starts at The Trop, compared to 3.14 in his 17 Rays road starts, and concerns about the extreme temperatures at Sacramento's Sutter Health Park heighten the worry that the latter should be closer to his 2025 expectation.
Springs' health history -- he had Tommy John surgery in April 2023 and missed the final three weeks of 2024 with further elbow fatigue -- adds worry that he'd be better off left to the free agent pool, freely streamed in mixed leagues, or someone to closely monitor for a promising spring training before investing. -- Cockcroft (12/16)
Nestor Cortes traded from Yankees to Brewers: Cortes was solid for much of 2024 before a flexor strain cost him the final weeks, but he still finished with a 3.77 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP. Fantasy managers may have noticed the diminished strikeout rate from prior seasons. The Brewers figure to give him as many starts as he can handle as he eats innings. It may not make for a top-50 fantasy starting pitcher, but there is value to be found here in deeper formats. -- Karabell (12/13)
Garrett Crochet traded from White Sox to Red Sox: The Red Sox sure like trading with the White Sox for tall left-handers with major strikeout rates. Eight years after acquiring Chris Sale from Chicago, Boston sends several top prospects for Crochet, who posted a 35% strikeout rate over 32 starts in 2024, earning an AL All-Star berth. Crochet is currently nowhere near as accomplished as Sale was at the time, though. Sale had been earning Cy Young votes for five seasons. Crochet has yet to reach 150 innings in any season. Still, it's easy to project Crochet, 25, to be a legitimate ace with a contending team -- and a potential top-10 fantasy starter. For now, volume concerns leave him outside that range, but he's certainly a top-20 starter with upside lurks. -- Karabell (12/11)
Max Fried signs with New York Yankees: As the Yankees forged ahead without Juan Soto, addressing their rotation was their first step. Adding Fried gives them a solid No. 2/3 starter (which depends upon where they slot Carlos Rodon), albeit one with a bit of injury risk.
Though not a top-shelf fantasy starting pitcher, Fried has been consistently good across the past six seasons, finishing 38th among starting pitchers in 2019, 21st in 2020, 24th in 2021, 15th in 2022 and 31st most recently in 2024. Forearm issues cost him nearly three months of 2023 and three-plus weeks around the midpoint of last season, but one would think that his agreeing to an eight-year, $218 million deal means the Yankees were confident enough in his ability to stay healthy.
Fried should deliver about 30 of the highest-floor starts you'll find in fantasy drafts, though his ERA might increase a tick with the move to homer-friendly Yankee Stadium. Consider him a top-30 pick at his position. -- Cockcroft (12/10)
Alex Cobb signs with Detroit Tigers: A plenty productive pitcher during his 2022-23 run with the Giants, placing 61st and 63rd among starting pitchers in fantasy points in those years, Cobb simply couldn't stay healthy in 2024. Between hip, hand, shoulder, finger and back issues, he was held to three regular-season and two postseason starts, albeit with similar performance to the two years that preceded it. The Tigers are surely banking on him staying healthier in 2025, though fantasy managers can freely "pick and choose" from his matchups rather than taking the plunge on draft day. -- Cockcroft (12/9)
Luis Severino signs with Athletics: Few saw this one coming, but the Athletics are spending money -- and a lot of it -- for Severino, who resurrected his career with the 2024 Mets. He posted a reasonable 3.91 ERA over 31 starts, his most since 2018. Severino's strikeout rate looks little like the old Yankees days (though it improved over the final two months) as he wisely utilized a sinker to induce more soft contact and ground balls. The Athletics are scheduled to play half their games in Sacramento's minor league park, so keeping this ground ball strategy seems relevant.
Give Severino credit. Few expected him to end up among the top-50 pitching scorers in ESPN standard points leagues this past season. His track record for health and his new, unfamiliar surroundings likely leaves him on the outside of that range for draft day -- but not by much. -- Karabell (12/5)
Frankie Montas signs with Mets: Montas' return last season from shoulder issues went respectably, including 150⅔ IP and 148 strikeouts, both his second-best numbers. Plus, an uptick in strikeouts following his deadline trade to the Brewers (28.7%, compared to 23.9% for his career) offers promise. Citi Field's more pitcher-friendly confines could boost his number of stream-worthy starts in mixed leagues. The ceiling for Montas isn't quite at 2021's peak level, however, so don't get too carried away with thoughts that the Mets' coaching staff -- which squeezed a lot out of Sean Manaea and Luis Severino in 2024 -- are bound to do it again. -- Cockcroft (12/2)
Matthew Boyd signs with Cubs: Boyd's return from Tommy John surgery went about as well as anyone could have possibly expected. Check out his 2.28 ERA and 28.2% strikeout rate (including his postseason work), though also note that his average of 4.7 innings across 11 starts left a lot to be desired in fantasy terms. If he continues to show the heightened velocity and changeup effectiveness he had during his short spring training stint, he could be a sleeper/top-50 ceiling starting pitcher. Still, a pitcher with Boyd's recent track record in terms of health is a poor bet to reach the 150-IP threshold. -- Cockcroft (12/2)
Blake Snell signs with Dodgers: The rich get richer and a fantasy ace only gets "ace-ier." Snell's massive five-year, $182 million contract -- which includes a large signing bonus and deferrals, for those who fret about the salary cap -- reflects the elite level at which he can pitch, at least when he's healthy and in his midseason rhythm.
To illustrate, from the date of his July 9 return from a groin injury forward last season, Snell outscored every pitcher in fantasy baseball by 28 points (using ESPN's standard scoring), and every player except for the two league MVPs, Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge. Additionally, Snell was the No. 6 SP during his 2018 AL Cy Young campaign, the No. 3 SP during his 2023 NL Cy Young campaign, the No. 2 SP over his final seven starts of 2021 and the No. 15 SP over the final three months of 2022.
The problem is that, outside of those specific time periods -- and all that above reflects plenty of "great," to be sure -- Snell has a 15-22 record and 4.95 ERA over 67 starts, leaving him as an effectively unusable fantasy option during those times, outside of the fact that he still sported a 29.4% strikeout rate. This inconsistency is why landing with the Dodgers represents about the best possible spot for the left-hander, not only because of the maximized team support (read: lineup, bullpen), but also because the team is about the strongest proponent of the six-man rotation and rotational maintenance as there is.
Snell might have chosen the best destination for lowering the risk involved in his fantasy investment, and he'll surely rank among the betting favorites for a third Cy Young Award for that reason. Now, that doesn't eliminate entirely the chance that, at age 32, Snell will miss additional time due to injury, but at least for 2025 he's lined up for a full spring training ramp-up -- a big contrast from his sluggish start to 2024 -- and a much-heightened floor. He now warrants consideration for a top-15 SP ranking in 2025 drafts. -- Cockcroft (11/27)
Yusei Kikuchi signs with Angels: The Japanese left-hander has always been a strikeout option (for the Mariners, Blue Jays, Astros and fantasy managers) and expectations figure to be higher in 2025 after he finished so strong for Houston. Kikuchi made 10 starts for the Astros after being acquired near the trade deadline, adjusting his pitch mix to rely heavily on sliders -- arguably his best pitch -- and he was far more effective versus right-handed batters. He averaged 11.3 ESPN fantasy points for the season, but 17.2 points for the Astros. One would think that Kikuchi will bring his new attacking style with him to the Angels, and fantasy managers might consider him as a potential top-40 starting pitcher. -- Karabell (11/25)
Brady Singer traded from Royals to Reds: Singer bounced back in 2024 with modest numbers, though not as excellent as in his breakout 2022 campaign. He will have a rotation spot for the Reds, but switching home ballparks may be a problem. Singer has posted a 3.51 home ERA over the past three seasons but away from Kansas City's large park his ERA was 5.03. The Reds desired an innings-eater but fantasy managers may not enjoy the new results. -- Karabell (11/22)
Kyle Hendricks signs with Angels: Once upon a time, Hendricks was a reasonable fantasy option posting strong ERA and WHIP numbers for the Cubs. Now he's an Angel, but he won't be much of one for your fantasy team. Hendricks, 34, has been a below-average starter since 2020, and he was never much of a strikeout pitcher. Now he is even less of one. Hendricks is coming off his worst season and the Angels are desperate for innings. You shouldn't be. -- Karabell (11/6)
Other selected free agents: Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Patrick Corbin, Charlie Morton, Corbin Burnes, Sean Manaea, Jack Flaherty, Jose Quintana, Kyle Gibson, Andrew Heaney, Roki Sasaki
Relief pitcher
Devin Williams traded from Brewers to Yankees: One of the preeminent relief pitchers in the sport, boasting a career 1.83 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and a 39% strikeout rate, Williams will pile on the saves closing for New York. He will be a free agent after the 2025 season, but the Yankees can worry about that later.
Williams missed the first four months of the 2024 season recovering from back problems, then used his devastating changeup and hard four-seamer to save 14 games with a 1.25 ERA during the final eight weeks. He should be one of the first relief pitchers selected in all fantasy leagues, while the Brewers figure to turn back to fastball-curveball specialist Trevor Megill, who saved 21 games in 2024. Megill is a big winner here, too. -- Karabell (12/13)
Jordan Romano signs with Phillies: Romano was among the top closers from 2021 through 2023 with the Blue Jays, saving 95 games with other solid numbers. The Phillies are banking on a return to that level of performance, if not necessarily that same role. Romano dealt with elbow issues and struggled in 2024. Don't even look at the statistics. They don't matter. A healthy Romano may close for the Phillies, but also be aware nobody has saved 30 games for Philadelphia since Jeanmar Gomez (remember him?!) back in 2016, as the franchise's long-standing committee approach bears watching. -- Karabell (12/9)
Clay Holmes signs with Mets: Holmes saved 74 games over the past three seasons for the other New York team and, while he lost the closing role during this past season -- 13 blown saves! -- he still brought fantasy value. The Mets, however, intend to utilize Holmes as a starter, which he last did (four times) in 2018. Edwin Diaz is safe as closer! Perhaps it all works out the way it did for standout Atlanta's Reynaldo Lopez, but fantasy managers should assume little. An extreme ground ball inducer who suppresses home runs, Holmes has the arsenal to start, but don't expect a high strikeout rate. He is more of a late-round sleeper pick than a sure thing . -- Karabell (12/6)
Aroldis Chapman signs with Red Sox: Chapman, third among active pitchers with 335 saves, might replace the fellow who leads the list, free agent Kenley Jansen, as the team's closer. The Red Sox also employ RHP Liam Hendriks (elbow), who did not pitch in 2024. The hard-throwing Chapman saved 14 games for last season's Pirates, with his most recent 30-save campaign coming for the 2021 Yankees. Chapman remains effective enough, as only six relief pitchers accrued more strikeouts last season, yet no reliever issued more walks. Neither Chapman nor Hendriks can be considered a top-10 RP in drafts until we have more clarity. This should be interesting. -- Karabell (12/3)
Other selected free agents: Kenley Jansen, Ryan Pressly, David Robertson, Drew Smyly, Paul Sewald