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Starting pitcher Sean Manaea signed a three-year contract worth $75 million to return to the New York Mets. Manaea spent the entirety of the 2024 campaign in Queens. Across 181 2/3 innings, the left-handed pitcher held a 3.47 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP. During the second-half of the summer, he held a stellar 0.94 WHIP. Under the hood, he generated a 3.75 xERA and .227 xBA which were both slightly above the average marks of qualified hitters. He also generated strikeouts at a solid 24.9% rate and allowed hard contact at a 37.8% hard-hit rate. However, he did hold a high 8.5% walk rate which placed him in the 41st percentile. Fantasy managers should expect Manaea to operate towards the front half of the Mets starting rotation during the 2025 campaign. The 32-year-old should be viewed as a high-floor investment for fantasy purposes as he should provide a reliable innings count with a solid ERA and a strong WHIP.

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According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, outfielder/designated hitter Joc Pederson and Texas Rangers have agreed on a contract pending a physical. Despite only playing in a strict platoon role in Arizona last summer, Pederson was very effective posting a strong .275/.393/.515 slash line with 17 doubles, 23 home runs, 64 RBI, and four stolen bases. He hit for a .291 AVG across 41 plate appearances facing southpaws. The 32-year-old hit the ball very hard at an impressive 46.2% hard-hit rate and 12.8% barrel rate which placed him in the 79th and 87th percentiles respectively. He also generated a .480 xSLG and a .378 xwOBA, which were among the top marks of qualified hitters. Fantasy managers should expect Pederson to have a similar role with Texas as he will likely operate as the starting designated hitter facing right-handed pitching.

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The Chicago Cubs have signed catcher Carlos Perez to a minor league deal. This move occurred to add more positional depth within their system as they traded Matt Thaiss to the Chicago White Sox earlier this offseason. Perez last appeared in the major leagues in the 2023 campaign as he spent all of last summer in the minor leagues. Across 112 games with the Las Vegas Aviators, the veteran backstop held a .260/.344/.544 line with 27 doubles, 27 home runs and 77 RBI. He held a 49:80 BB:K ratio. Through five seasons in the major leagues, Perez posted an overall .218/.265/.327 line with 17 home runs. Fantasy managers should expect Perez to open the season with Triple-A Iowa and would only get the call to the big leagues if Miguel Amaya or Carson Kelly were to go on the injured list.

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According to Ari Alexander of KPRC2, right-handed pitcher Austin Adams and the Boston Red Sox have agreed to a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training. Last summer, the 33-year-old held a 3.92 ERA and a 1.48 ERA across 41 1/3 innings of work. Adams had his season cut short due to right forearm tendinitis but shout be expected to be ready for Spring Training. Under the hood, Adams generated a strong .208 xBA with a 4.9% barrel rate and a 31.4% hard-hit rate. He struck out batters at a solid 27.7% rate but struggled with his command as he held a 12.0% walk rate. Adams could earn a spot at the back-end of the Boston bullpen if he has a successful Spring Training but will likely not see many save opportunities.

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According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Washington Nationals have acquired first baseman Nathaniel Lowe from the Texas Rangers in exchange for left-handed pitcher Robert Garcia. Lowe has spent the past four seasons of his major league career playing in Texas. Last summer across 140 games, the 29-year-old posted a .265/.361/.401 line with 16 home runs, 16 doubles, 69 RBI, and two stolen bases. He held a stellar 12.6% walk rate which placed him the 97th percentile among qualified hitters. Lowe has hit at least 15+ home runs in each of the past four seasons while having an OBP of at least .357. Fantasy managers should expect Lowe to operate as the everyday first baseman in D.C. This transaction will also open the door for Jake Burger to be the everyday first baseman in Texas, who the Rangers acquired earlier this offseason.

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According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Texas Rangers have acquired left-handed relief pitcher Robert Garcia from the Washington Nationals in exchange for first baseman Nathaniel Lowe. Garcia made his major league debut with the Miami Marlins in 2023 but was eventually shipped to Washington later that summer. In 32 innings in 2023, the southpaw posted a 3.66 ERA and a 1.19. In 2024, Garcia posted a 4.22 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP across a 59 2/3 inning sample size. However, the 28-year-old generated an impressive 2.53 xERA which suggests he should be due for some significant positive regression with his new ball club. Garcia also generated a stellar 3.1% barrel rate and 30.2% hard-hit rate which placed him in the 98th percentile in both statistics. Fantasy managers should keep a close eye on Garcia's usage during Spring Training as he may be in the mix for save opportunities.

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According to Robert Murray of FanSided, the Philadelphia Phillies are acquiring starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo from the Miami Marlins in exchange for infield prospect Starlyn Caba and outfield prospect Emaarion Boyd. The southpaw battled numerous back and elbow injuries last season which limited to a mere 66 2/3 innings pitched. Across this small stint, Luzardo held a 5.00 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP. However, across a career-high 178 2/3 innings in 2023, the left-hander posted a strong 3.58 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP. During that season, he struck out 208 batters at a 28.1% rate and held a solid 7.4% walk rate. Fantasy managers should expect Luzardo to slide into a permanent role in the starting rotation which will move Taijuan Walker to the No.6 spot on the depth chart. Even though Luzardo battled numerous injuries in 2024, he carries strong strikeout upside and should be in line to tally double-digit wins pitching on a competing Phillies roster in 2025. Caba was considered the No.4 prospect and Boyd was considered the No.23 prospect in the Philadelphia system according to MLB Pipeline.

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Right-handed pitcher Codi Heuer and the Texas Rangers have agreed on a minor league contract that has an invite to Spring Training. Heuer was sidelined throughout the entire 2024 campaign due to an elbow fracture. Heuer began his professional career with the Chicago White Sox but was eventually traded to the Chicago Cubs during the 2021 campaign. Across 91 career innings in the major leagues, the right-hander posted a 3.56 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP. He tallied three saves and struck out 81 batters. When in the majors, Heuer posted an impressive 4.5% barrel rate and a solid 36.5% hard-hit rate. While he has battled numerous injuries over the past two seasons, he flashed decent upside when in the majors. Fantasy managers in deeper formats should keep an eye on his progression during Spring Training as he may contend for a spot on the Opening Day Roster.

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According to Robert Murray of FanSided, the Cincinnati Reds have signed right-handed pitcher Bryan Shaw to a minor-league contract that has an invite to Spring Training. The 37-year-old has spent 14 seasons in the major leagues and has posted a 3.96 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP. He has struck out 681 batters across 764 1/3 career innings. Last summer, he spent most of his time in Triple-A, and held a 4.14 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP. Shaw was a productive relief pitcher under manager Terry Francona during his time in Cleveland and will now reunite with his former skipper in Cincinnati. If Shaw has a successful Spring Training, he may earn a permanent low-leverage role in the Cincinnati bullpen.

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The Toronto Blue Jays have signed left-handed pitcher Eric Lauer to a minor league contract that contains an invite to Spring Training. Lauer spent the 2024 campaign with Houston and Pittsburgh. Lauer spent the entire summer at the Triple-A level and held a 5.26 ERA and a 1.57 WHIP across 75 1/3 innings. However, from 2018 through 2023, Lauer spent the majority of his time in the major leagues. The southpaw made his big league debut in San Diego in 2018 and then went on to spent four seasons in Milwaukee. He posted a career-best 3.19 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP with a 7-5 record across 118 2/3 innings during the 2021 season. Fantasy managers in deeper AL-only formats should keep an eye on his status during Spring Training as he may contend for a spot in the back-half of the Toronto rotation.

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According to Ben Nicholson-Smith of SportsNet, the Toronto Blue Jays have signed left-handed pitcher Josh Walker to a one-year contract worth $760,000. In a corresponding move the Blue Jays released right-handed pitcher Hagen Danner. Walker has spent his entire professional career with the New York Mets after being selected in the 2017 MLB Draft out of New Haven. Across 22 1/3 major league innings of relief, the southpaw has held a 6.45 ERA and a 1.66 WHIP. He struck out 23 batters and allowed 12 free passes. In 37 2/3 innings at the Triple-A level last summer, he posted a 4.06 ERA and 1.27 WHIP. Fantasy managers should expect Walker to have a low-leverage role in the Toronto bullpen if he is able to earn a spot on the Opening Day Roster.

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The New York Mets and left-handed pitcher Anthony Gose have agreed to a minor league contract that has an invite to Spring Training. Gose began his professional career as an outfield prospect with the Toronto Blue Jays but then switched positions and became a pitcher. Last summer in Triple-A, Gose held a solid 3.22 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP across 44 2/3 innings of relief. He tallied ten saves while striking out an impressive 59 batters. However, in the majors he has held a career 4.78 ERA and 1.34 WHIP across a small 32 inning sample size. The 34-year-old has flashed decent strikeout upside but has yet to take the next step in the major leagues. He will likely spend Spring Training competing for a spot in the New York bullpen.

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The Chicago White Sox have designated outfielder Corey Julks for assignment. In a corresponding move they acquired left-handed relief pitcher Corey Booser from the Boston Red Sox. Julks began his professional career with the Houston Astros. He made his major league debut in Houston in 2023 and held a .245/.297/.352 line with six home runs and 15 stolen bases across 93 games. Last summer in Chicago, he carried a .214/.275/.306 line with just three home runs and five stolen bases across 66 games. While Julks has yet to put it together in the major leagues, he has flashed upside at the Triple-A level holding a cumulative .267/.360/.491 line with 42 doubles, 40 home runs, and 35 stolen bases across 195 games. If Julks were to find a new home, he would likely compete for a spot on an Opening Day Roster during Spring Training.

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According to Mike Mayer of MetsmerizedOnline.com, the New York Mets continue to show interest in free agent third baseman Alex Bregman and have emerged as a potential landing spot for him. Even after acquiring Juan Soto on aa record-breaking contract, the Mets remain very active among the top free agents on the market. Last season in Houston, Bregman posted a .260/.315/.453 line with 26 home runs and three stolen bases. He showed an elite eye at the plate, holding a stellar 13.6% K rate and 12.8% whiff rate which were among the top marks in the sport. If the Mets were to acquire Bregman, this would likely move Mark Vientos to the DH spot or potentially first base. Vientos played an integral role in their postseason run this past fall as he held a stellar .327/.367/.636 line across 13 playoff games. Given Bregman's strong contact skills, and eye at the plate, he should be viewed as a top-12 option in 2025.

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The Chicago White Sox have acquired left-handed relief pitcher Cam Booser from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for right-handed pitcher Yhoiker Fajardo. In a corresponding move the White Sox designated outfielder Corey Julks for assignment. Last season in Boston, Booser held a 3.38 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP across 42 2/3 innings of relief. He tallied one save. He generated a solid 36.3% hard-hit rate with an above-average 3.56 xERA. Across 68 1/3 Triple-A frames, Booser carried a 5.14 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP. Fantasy managers should expect Booser to operate primarily out of the bullpen in Chicago and may eventually find a high-leverage role if he has a successful Spring Training as their current bullpen lacks any proven late-inning options.

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According to Jeff Passan, right-handed pitcher Slade Cecconi was traded to the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for first baseman Josh Naylor. Cecconi has spent his entire professional career in the Arizona Diamondbacks system. He made his major league debut in 2023 and posted a 4.33 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP across 27 innings. Last summer, posted a high 6.66 ERA and a 1.42 WHIP across 77 innings. The Miami product bounced between the rotation and the bullpen during both of his major league stints. In the minor leagues he operated primarily as a starter and held a 5.23 ERA and 1.27 WHIP through 163 1/3 innings. Despite his high ratios, he possess great command as he posted an impressive 5.0% walk rate. With the Guardians losing Matthew Boyd earlier this offseason to the Chicago Cubs, Cecconi could have an opportunity to compete for a spot in the starting rotation during Spring Training.

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According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Cleveland Guardians have signed first baseman Carlos Santana to a one-year contract worth $12 million, pending a physical. This transaction occurred just minutes after the Guardians traded first baseman Josh Naylor to the Arizona Diamondbacks. This will be Santana's third stint with Cleveland. Last season, the veteran first baseman posted a .238/.328/.420 line with 23 home runs and four stolen bases in Minnesota. He tallied 71 RBI with 26 doubles. He showed a great eye at the plate with a strong 10.9% walk rate and 16.7% K rate which placed him in the 82nd and 79th percentile respectively among qualified hitters. He also held a slightly above average .330 xwOBA. Fantasy managers should expect Santana to operate as the everyday first baseman and does carry solid RBI upside this season batting behind Steven Kwan and Jose Ramirez.

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According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Arizona Diamondbacks are acquiring first baseman Josh Naylor from the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for right-handed pitcher Slade Cecconi and a competitive balance Round B draft pick. Naylor has spent the past four seasons with Cleveland after making his major league debut in San Diego. Last summer, the 27-year-old posted a .243/.320/.456 slash line with 31 home runs, 27 doubles, and 108 RBI. He also swiped six bags. Under the hood, he generated an above average .335 xwOBA, and a .443 xSLG. In addition, he also posted a solid 16.6% K rate. Naylor has been a great RBI producer as he has tallied at least 97 RBI in each of the past two seasons. With Christian Walker now playing in Houston, fantasy managers should expect Naylor to see the vast majority of starts at first base in the desert. He should see similar RBI production batting behind Corbin Carroll and Ketel Marte. Cecconi has held a career 6.06 ERA across 104 major league innings and will likely compete for a spot on the Opening Day Roster.

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The Kansas City Royals announced on Friday that they signed free-agent right-hander Junior Fernandez to a minor-league deal. Fernandez, a 27-year-old Dominican hurler, heads to Kansas City after making only two appearances overseas in Japan for the Chiba Lotte Marines. He has not appeared in the big leagues since the 2022 campaign, when he had a combined 2.41 ERA (5.79 FIP), a 1.61 WHIP and a 14:12 K:BB in 18 2/3 relief innings with the St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates. In four seasons in the majors, Fernandez has only thrown 54 innings of relief and has a 5.17 ERA and 1.72 WHIP with a weak 18.7% strikeout rate and 13.9% walk rate. He will just be hoping to impress in spring training with the Royals but will most likely open the 2025 season at Triple-A Omaha.

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The Toronto Blue Jays designated right-handed pitcher Hagen Danner for assignment on Friday to make room on the 40-man roster for left-hander Josh Walker, who the team signed to a big-league deal worth $760,000. The 26-year-old Danner made his major-league debut with Toronto in 2023 but only appeared for one-third of an inning. The former second-round selection in 2017 out of Huntington Beach High School went 3-0 with a 3.06 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, seven saves, 34 strikeouts and 13 walks in 34 1/3 innings over 33 appearances out of the bullpen for Triple-A Buffalo this past season. If Danner clears waivers, he'll likely return to the Blue Jays and open the 2025 regular season back at Buffalo as relief depth for the organization.

From RotoBaller