Major League Baseball
fromMLB Trade Rumors
5 hours agoMarlins Notes: Fairbanks, Mullins, Matz, Marsee
The Marlins paused pursuit of high-priced bullpen free agents, with Pete Fairbanks a logical fit but likely beyond Miami's spending comfort.
Rodriguez, 27, spent the 2023-24 seasons with the Yakult Swallows in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball, parlaying that into a big league deal with the Brewers last winter. He wound up pitching 19 2/3 innings in the majors between Milwaukee and Baltimore but was tagged for 20 runs in that time. The 2025 season was Rodriguez's second with at least some MLB work.
Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports that conversations with the Rays have kicked around a framework that would send both Ryan Pepiot and to the desert. Piecoro writes that nothing is believed to be close on that front and the Rays are not necessarily any kind of frontrunner. Indeed, he adds that the Diamondbacks have had conversations with another team interested in Marte that would be built around a bigger-name starting pitcher.
It is believed that the Dodgers are looking to add an outfielder this offseason, and while Donovan has primarily appeared at second base in his career, he can play either of the corner spots. The Dodgers want to get more athletic in the outfield, and with rumors swirling of a possible Teoscar Hernández trade, Donovan would help the team accomplish that goal.
The Rockies announced the hiring of Tommy Tanous as assistant general manager today. Tanous has spent the past 15 years in the Mets' scouting department. He will focus on scouting and player development with Colorado. Thomas Harding of MLB.com was first to report the hiring. Tanous was most recently vice president of player evaluation and special advisor to the president of baseball operations in New York. He'd been with the club since 2010.
Yes, Mookie Betts back at [shortstop]. He was right there in that Gold Glove race. Really proud of Mookie what he did at shortstop. Even the last play in the World Series...he worked on that play a lot. On the run, fielded, runner bearing down on you, to then throw it on the run and then throw a strike to Freddie [Freeman]. That's a little snippet of his growth.
Freddie Freeman has been a modern day iron man for the Los Angeles Dodgers since first joining the ballclub back in 2022. He's played in at least 147 regular season games in each of the last four years. In 2024, Freeman ended up being the World Series MVP despite essentially playing on one leg with a badly injured ankle.
"Sasaki has had a history of injuries this season, and the team reserves the right to suspend his participation in the WBC," a source in the story said. During an interview with Japanese TV earlier in the offseason, manager Dave Roberts expressed doubt over Sasaki playing in the tournament. "I'd be surprised if Sasaki were to pitch in the WBC," Roberts said.
While those around Skaggs including family, his agent, fellow players and Angels staff didn't see any obvious outward signs of addiction during Skaggs' time with the organization, Dr. Elie Aoun testified that many people with addictions remain high functioning. RELATED: Skaggs' widow questioned during testimony about Angels pitcher's potential drug use at own wedding, texts calling him a liar Not everyone with an addiction is going to be a homeless person under a bridge shooting heroin, said Dr. Aoun, a psychiatrist and Columbia University professor who testified as an expert on behalf of the Angels. Many people with addictions are under the radar.
"There's a lot of teams (from which) we have taken incoming calls," president of baseball operations AJ Preller told reporters, as relayed by Acee. "...It's nice when people are calling you, and they have interest in your players. At least then, you have some options. But I think the focus has been on the starting pitching and how do we fill that without taking away from the bullpen or from the lineup."
Soto, 30, spent the 2025 season split between the Baltimore Orioles and New York Mets. In his tenure with the American League East team, the lefty posted a 3.96 ERA and 3.33 FIP in 36.1 innings pitched, with a 27.5 K% and an 11.3 BB%. Before the 2025 trade deadline, he was sent to the Mets, where he had a 4.50 ERA and 3.55 FIP in 24 innings pitched, with a 21.8 K% and 5 BB%.
Between 2016-17, Lamb connected on 59 home runs. He reached 30 doubles in both seasons and combined for 13 triples. The lefty-hitting infielder posted a .248/.345/.498 slash in more than 1200 plate appearances. Lamb was worth around six to seven wins above replacement over that stretch, and he earned an All-Star selection in 2017. He popped 30 homers and drove in 105 runs in his career season, one of 19 players to reach 30 homers and 100 RBI that year.
The draft lottery is over and the order for the 2026 MLB Draft is pretty much set at this point, with the exception of picks moving around due to free agent signings. The Atlanta Braves are set to pick with the 9th pick, their own first round pick, and the 26th pick, which is the one they are receiving for Drake Baldwin's Rookie of the Year.
Carlos Narvaez had a solid rookie season and emerged as Boston's top option behind the plate in 2025. However, the Red Sox have been linked to J.T. Realmuto's market, so there is some indication that the Sox aren't entirely set at the catching position. Along those same lines, MassLive.com's Sean McAdam reports that the club shown some interest in reuniting with ex-Boston prospect , though "nothing is close now" between the Red Sox and White Sox.
The Brewers are getting calls about right-handed reliever as teams around the league look for under-the-radar bullpen help, per Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic. Milwaukee has also gotten plenty of interest in closer Trevor Megill and ace Freddy Peralta this winter. There's no indication the Brewers are especially motivated to part with any of the bunch. Mears, 29, landed with the Brewers ahead of the 2024 trade deadline in a deal sending pitchers Bradley Blalock and Yujanyer Herrera back to the Rockies.
The Phillies are going to acquire right-hander Yoniel Curet from the Rays. Right-hander Tommy McCollum is going the other way. The Rays designated the Curet for assignment recently to open a roster spot when they signed outfielder Cedric Mullins. Philadelphia's 40-man roster count jumps from 34 to 35. Reporter Mike Rodriguez first noted that Curet was going to Philly. Matt Gelb of The Athletic reported on McCollum's inclusion.
There was a lot of optimism that perhaps Giménez could return to the form he had in 2022 when he slashed .297/.371/.466 with 17 home runs in 557 plate appearances. His month of March was encouraging, as he hit three home runs in his first five games, but his play dropped like a rock from there. As a whole, the second baseman slashed .210/.285/.313 with seven home runs in 369 plate appearances for a career-worst 70 wRC+.
Before joining the Blue Jays' organization, Duncan was drafted in the first round of the 2003 draft, but unfortunately never made the big leagues. He retired as a player in 2012, coached in college for a bit, then joined the Yankees' minor league system as their hitting coach. After that, Duncan served as the Miami Marlins hitting coach from 2020-22, joining the organization in the 2018/19 off-season.