MLB Hot Stove Transaction Tracker

The MLB offseason hot stove has started to heat up as the weather has started to get cold. This article will cover every transaction you need to know about as you prepare for your 2026 fantasy baseball drafts.

What You Will Find on This Page

Below, you'll find every offseason transaction that fits into one of the following categories:

• Trades involving at least one player on a major-league contract or at least one player who has been drafted in at least one NFBC league
• New signings on major-league contracts
• New signings on minor-league contracts who have been drafted in at least one NFBC league
• Re-signings of players on major-league contracts who were no longer under team control
• Waiver claims involving players who have been drafted in at least one NFBC league

We'll analyse the fantasy impact of each deal, noting park factor changes, the players' expected roles with their new clubs as well as who else on the roster could be gaining or losing playing time. This article will be updated multiple times a week throughout the offseason, so keep it bookmarked and check in throughout the winter.

What You Won't Find on This Page

Transactions that fall into the following categories are unlikely to affect your fantasy team and won't be covered here:

• Re-signings of arbitration-eligible players
• Arbitration results
• Signings on minor-league contracts who have not been drafted in any NFBC leagues
• Players getting their contract selected
• Players getting designated for assignment
• Players getting non-tendered
• Player or team options getting picked up or declined
• Waiver claims involving players who have not been drafted in a single NFBC league
• Players signing extensions who were already under contract for next season

This article also will not offer opinions on who won a given trade, or whether a contract is team- or player-friendly. Interesting topics, no doubt, but out of scope for this fantasy-focused article. We also won't be breaking down prospects who are unlikely to make a big-league impact this season. For more prospect coverage, check out our Top 400 Prospect Rankings and Top Prospects By Team. Prospects in James Anderson's Top-400 will have their rank denoted in parentheses.

Top MLB Offseason Rumors

• Buster Olney of ESPN reports that MacKenzie Gore could be traded in the near future.
• The Mets and Blue Jays are among the top suitors for Robert Suarez, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports.
• The Yankees and Mets are interested in trading for Trevor Megill, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.
• The Cubs are expected to be a "strong player" in the Tatsuya Imai sweepstakes, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.
• The Giants are among the teams to have checked in on Cody Bellinger, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

For all the latest MLB rumors, check out RotoWire's Fantasy Baseball Rumors page.

Every MLB Offseason Signing and Trade

AL East

Baltimore Orioles Offseason Moves

11/4: Acquired RP Andrew Kittredge from the Cubs in exchange for cash considerations. 

Orioles fantasy impact: For a brief period, this deal looked quite significant, as Kittredge temporarily looked like the likeliest reliever to close games in Baltimore. After the signing of Ryan Helsley, Kittredge is back to looking like a setup man, but Kittredge could be the next man up should Helsley's second-half struggles follow him into the new year. 

11/6: Claimed OF Pedro Leon off waivers from the Astros.

Orioles fantasy impact: None, as Leon was lost on waivers to the Phillies 15 days later. 

11/6: Signed OF Leody Taveras to a one-year, $2 million contract

Orioles fantasy impact: Likely quite small, as Taveras looks like the team's fourth or fifth outfielder at best. He's still just 27 years old and once had a fair amount of prospect pedigree, but he's never posted a wRC+ higher than 101 and wound up DFA'd by both the Rangers and Mariners by early June last season, hitting a combined .205/.226/.304 before spending the rest of the year in the minors. 

11/19: Acquired OF Taylor Ward from the Angels in exchange for SP Grayson Rodriguez.

Orioles fantasy impact: Ward is a consistent, above-average bat, having posted an OPS between .748 and .833 for five straight years. He'll get to hit in the heart of a better order than he was part of as an Angel and will be happy that the left field fence was moved back in at Camden Yards prior to last season.

Ward only has one year of team control remaining while Rodriguez has four, which perhaps hints at how far Rodriguez's stock has fallen. There's now less competition for Tyler Wells and Cade Povich at the back of the Baltimore rotation, but the Orioles weren't relying on Rodriguez being available in the first place. 

11/21: Acquired minor-league INF/OF Payton Eeles from the Twins in exchange for C Alex Jackson.

Orioles fantasy impact: Eeles will fight for a bench spot in Baltimore this spring. The 26-year-old is a very versatile utility player who has good speed, but he's yet to make his big-league debut and doesn't hit the ball hard at all, managing just four homers in 99 minor-league games last season. 

11/21: Lost OF Pedro Leon to the Phillies on waivers.

Orioles fantasy impact: None. Leon was only on the roster for two weeks in November.

11/29: Signed RP Ryan Helsley to a two-year, $28 million contract which includes an opt-out after the first season.

Orioles fantasy impact: Helsley should instantly step in as the Orioles' closer, something that wouldn't have been true at all of his potential landing spots. He struggled significantly after moving to the Mets at last year's deadline, posting a 7.20 ERA, 1.80 WHIP and 11.6 K-BB%, but he had a 2.03 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 23.8 K-BB% over the previous 3.5 years with the Cardinals. If the Orioles can get Helsley back to that level, he'll return to being one of the top closers in all of baseball.

12/5: Claimed C Drew Romo off waivers from the Rockies.

Orioles fantasy impact: Minimal. Romo will be stuck behind Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo on the catcher depth chart.

Boston Red Sox Offseason Moves

11/18: Acquired minor-league C Ronny Hernandez from the White Sox in exchange for RP Chris Murphy.

Red Sox fantasy impact: Minimal. Murphy was effective last season but didn't pitch in high leverage. Hernandez has yet to reach High-A. 

11/18: Acquired INF Tristan Gray from the Rays in exchange for minor-league RP Luis Guerrero.

Red Sox fantasy impact: Gray will fight for a bench spot at best in Boston. He can handle all four infield positions but turns 30 in March and owns a .634 OPS in 47 career MLB games.

11/18: Acquired minor-league INF/OF Braiden Ward from the Rockies in exchange for RP Brennan Bernardino.

Red Sox fantasy impact: Minimal. Bernardino pitched fairly well last season but was not used in high leverage. Ward will be 27 next year and has no big-league experience, though he did steal 57 bases in 97 minor-league games last season. 

11/25: Acquired SP Sonny Gray from the Cardinals in exchange for SP Richard Fitts and minor-league SP Brandon Clarke (343).

Red Sox fantasy impact: Gray is 36 years old and is coming off a season in which he had a 4.28 ERA, but that came with a far better 3.07 xFIP and 3.29 SIERA. He still looks capable of being a good No. 2 starter behind Garrett Crochet, though the move does take him to a much more hitter-friendly park in a much tougher division. Fitts' departure keeps a crowded battle for the back of the rotation from becoming even moreso, though that would change with the next deal on this list. 

12/4: Acquired SP Johan Oviedo and minor leaguers C Adonys Guzman and RP Tyler Samaniego from the Pirates in exchange for OF Jhostynxon Garcia (144) and minor-league SP Jesus Travieso (393).

Red Sox fantasy impact: Oviedo recorded a 3.57 ERA in nine starts after returning from Tommy John surgery last season, though that far outpaced his 4.90 xFIP and 4.73 SIERA. He'll fight for a spot at the back of the Boston rotation, but if he wins one, that means at least one of the more exciting, younger pair of Connelly Early and Payton Tolle will miss out. Patrick Sandoval (elbow) and Kutter Crawford (wrist) are also working back from injury and could be in the mix for the final two spots.

12/9: Acquired minor-league OF Isaiah Jackson from the Angels in exchange for 2B Vaughn Grissom.

Red Sox fantasy impact: Grissom was no longer in the Red Sox's plans, having struggled to a .465 OPS in 31 games in 2024 before spending all of 2025 in the minors. Jackson is a 2025 eighth-round pick who's played just 10 professional games.

New York Yankees Offseason Moves

11/2: Re-signed SP/RP Ryan Yarbrough to a one-year, $2.5 million contract.

Yankees fantasy impact: Low. Yarbrough served as a swingman last season for the Yankees, starting eight games and appearing in 11 more in relief. He'll likely fill a similar role this season and might be a viable streaming option when he's needed in the rotation but won't be much more than that. 

11/18: Re-signed Trent Grisham to a one-year, $22 million contract after Grisham accepted the team's qualifying offer.

Yankees fantasy impact: Grisham had an out-of-nowhere, 34-homer, .811-OPS season last year, and this deal keeps him in the same environment and gives him a chance to hopefully replicate those numbers. A lefty like him is theoretically a great fit for Yankee Stadium, but he actually hit 21 homers on the road last season compared to just 13 at home and had an OPS more than 200 points higher away from home, so that might not be such a big factor in his case.

Tampa Bay Rays Offseason Moves

11/3: Acquired OF Ryan Vilade from the Reds in exchange for cash considerations.

Rays fantasy impact: Minimal. Vilade will be 27 next season and has played in just 28 major-league games, struggling to a .388 OPS. 

11/4: Acquired cash considerations from the Mets in exchange for RP Joey Gerber.

Rays fantasy impact: Almost none. Gerber only made two big-league relief appearances last season. 

11/5: Acquired cash considerations from the Mariners in exchange for RP Cole Wilcox.

Rays fantasy impact: Minimal again. Wilcox has made one career big-league appearance.

11/6: Claimed OF Jake Fraley off waivers from the Braves.

Rays fantasy impact: Fraley will compete for a role on the strong side of a platoon in the Rays' outfield. He's a career .261/.344/.432 hitter against righties but missed time with calf, shoulder and oblique injuries last season. Chandler Simpson, Cedric Mullins and Josh Lowe all bat left-handed as well, so there's no guarantee Fraley makes the team. 

11/10: Acquired cash considerations from the Royals in exchange for OF Kameron Misner.

Rays fantasy impact: Misner got into 71 games for the Rays last season but struggled to a .618 OPS. With other left-handed outfielders arriving this winter, he was no longer needed. 

11/18: Acquired minor-league RP Jacob Kisting from the Twins in exchange for RP Eric Orze.

Rays fantasy impact: Orze wasn't one of the Rays' top high-leverage arms last season but did manage a 3.02 ERA and saved three games. He could have been a minor player in a closer committee this season, but that spot will now be taken by other arms.

11/18: Acquired minor-league RP Luis Guerrero from the Rays in exchange for INF Tristan Gray.

Rays fantasy impact: Minimal. Guerrero's 2.63 ERA in 22 career major-league relief appearances comes with a 5.28 SIERA, while Gray is entering his age-30 season and has appeared in just 47 career big-league games, recording a .634 OPS. 

11/18: Acquired SP Yoendrys Gomez and RP Steven Wilson from the White Sox in exchange for OF Everson Pereira and IF/OF Tanner Murray.

Rays fantasy impact: Gomez has a good slider, but he struggled to a 5.17 ERA and 1.39 WHIP in 62.2 innings as a swingman split between three different teams last season. He doesn't appear to be a favorite to open the year in the rotation. Wilson owns a 3.86 ERA in 196 career innings and should be a competent middle relief option for his new team. 

12/3: Signed OF Cedric Mullins to a one-year, $7 million contract.

Rays fantasy impact: Mullins' OPS slipped below .700 last year for the first time since 2019. He actually had reverse splits last season but has fairly standard splits for his career (.767 OPS vs. righties, .657 OPS vs. lefties), so a strong-side platoon role seems likely. 

12/9: Signed SP/RP Steven Matz to a two-year contract.

Rays fantasy impact: Matz has been trending more and more toward a relief role in recent years, with just two of his 53 appearances last season coming out of the bullpen. He performed quite well, finishing with a 3.05 ERA (3.62 SIERA) and 1.10 WHIP. The Rays deploy their pitching staff in creative ways, however, so don't be surprised to see Matz used in multiple different roles, with starts and saves potentially both on the table at various points. 

Toronto Blue Jays Offseason Moves

11/26: Signed SP Dylan Cease to a seven-year, $210 million contract.

Blue Jays fantasy impact: The size of Cease's contract (both in years and dollars) indicates that the Blue Jays view him much more in line with his ERA estimators (3.56 xFIP, 3.58 SIERA) than his ERA (4.55). The move does come with a downgrade in park factors, but that should be more than offset by positive regression from factors such as Cease's .320 BABIP. The Blue Jays also had a much better defense than the Padres last season, which should turn more of those batted balls into outs. 

12/2: Signed SP Cody Ponce to a three-year, $30 million contract.

Blue Jays fantasy impact: Ponce owns a 5.86 career ERA in 55.1 major-league innings, the last of which came in 2021. He then posted a 4.54 ERA across three seasons in Japan before adding velocity and a new changeup and dominating in Korea to the tune of a 1.89 ERA and 30.3 K-BB%. One excellent season against lower-level competition was all it took to convince the Blue Jays to make a real financial commitment to him, one that suggests he'll get the chance to start ahead of Jose Berrios. 

AL Central

Chicago White Sox Offseason Moves

11/18: Acquired RP Chris Murphy from the Red Sox in exchange for minor-league C Ronny Hernandez.

White Sox fantasy impact: Murphy will find it easier to earn high-leverage opportunities in Chicago than it would have been in Boston, but he's unlikely to be the favorite for saves even in his new home. His 3.12 ERA last season came with a much worse 4.59 SIERA, and even if he avoids ERA regression, a lefty who gets groundballs like he does is the sort of pitcher who tends to find himself in the seventh or eighth inning rather than the ninth. 

11/18: Acquired OF Everson Pereira and IF/OF Tanner Murray from the Rays in exchange for SP Yoendrys Gomez and RP Steven Wilson.

White Sox fantasy impact: Pereira and Murray will find opportunities easier to come by in Chicago than they would have been in Tampa, but neither looks favored to start the year as anything more than a bench player. Pereira has past prospect pedigree but owns a .442 career OPS in 50 major-league games, striking out 38.6 percent of the time. Murray is 26, has yet to make his big-league debut, and recorded an 81 wRC+ in a full season at the Triple-A level last year.

12/6: Signed SP Anthony Kay to a two-year, $12 million contract.

White Sox fantasy impact: Kay owns a 5.59 ERA in 85.1 career MLB innings, mostly as a reliever. He spent the last two seasons over in Japan and seemed to figure things out this past year, posting a 1.74 ERA and 0.98 WHIP across 24 starts. He only struck out 21.5 percent of batters, however, and with that figure likely to drop given the step back up in competition, we're probably looking at a back of the rotation arm (for one of the league's worst teams) at best. 

Cleveland Guardians Offseason Moves

10/15: Re-signed C Austin Hedges to a one-year, $4 million contract.

Guardians fantasy impact: None. Hedges is a great defensive catcher and presumably very useful to have in a real-life clubhouse, but he's a backup catcher who's a non-factor at the plate, having last produced an OPS above .563 back in 2018. He isn't rosterable in any format. 

112/3: Signed RP Connor Brogdon to a one-year, $900,000 contract.

Guardians fantasy impact: Next to none. Brogdon's career 4.36 ERA and 1.28 WHIP make him a middle reliever at best, and he'll need to rebound from last year's 5.55 ERA and 1.34 WHIP to even get back to that level.

Detroit Tigers Offseason Moves

11/18: Re-signed 2B Gleyber Torres to a one-year, $22 million contract after Torres accepted the team's qualifying offer.

Tigers fantasy impact: Torres probably would have been an everyday player wherever he signed, but returning to a place where he filled an everyday role last year should more or less guarantee that. Torres' numbers have been remarkably consistent the last two years — .257 with 15 homers and four steals followed by .256 with 16 homers and four steals — and he'll be only 29 next year, so there's little reason to fear the cliff is coming any time soon. He should be a reasonable-floor, low-ceiling option again in 2026. 

12/5: Signed a one-year contract with SP Drew Anderson.

Tigers fantasy impact: Yet another pitcher who struggled stateside (6.50 ERA in 44.1 major-league innings from 2017 to 2021) before figuring it out in Asia and deciding to give it another go this winter. Anderson spent two seasons in Japan before moving to Korea for another two, peaking with a 2.25 ERA and 1.00 WHIP for the SSG Landers this past season. He struck out 35.3 percent of batters in the KBO last season, more than double his 14.7 percent strikeout rate from his previous MLB experience. If can miss bats at a rate around halfway between those two marks, he'll be a useful back-end starter at worst, but it's possible he winds up pitching out of the bullpen.

Kansas City Royals Offseason Moves

11/10: Acquired OF Kameron Misner from the Rays in exchange for cash considerations. 

Royals fantasy impact: The Royals got a collective .633 OPS from their outfielders last season, second-worst in baseball, so Misner should be able to earn at-bats if he shows anything at all at the plate. His career .585 OPS in 79 big-league games suggests that giving him regular playing time would only make the situation worse, however, and for a player who will be 28 next season, there's probably not a lot of growth left. 

11/11: Acquired SP Mason Black from the Giants in exchange for minor-league SP Logan Martin.

Royals fantasy impact: Black has some past prospect pedigree, but not a ton of it, having peaked at 138 on RotoWire's Top 400 Prospect Rankings. He's shown very little (6.47 ERA, 1.64 WHIP) in 10 big-league outings (eight starts) so far and looks like a long shot to make the Opening Day rotation. 

11/20: Signed RP Alex Lange to a one-year, $900,000 contract.

Royals fantasy impact: Lange saved 26 games for the Tigers back in 2023 but has saved just two since then, making just one big-league appearance last year while battling a lat injury. He owns a 1.83 WHIP and 18.8 percent walk rate since the start of the 2024 season, and even back in 2023, his 1.33 WHIP and 15.6 percent walk rate were poor. The Royals will probably be happy if Lange winds up being a serviceable middle reliever. 

Minnesota Twins Offseason Moves

11/18: Acquired RP Eric Orze from the Rays in exchange for minor-league RP Jacob Kisting.

Twins fantasy impact: Orze did have a 3.02 ERA last season and saved three games, but that came with a 4.65 xFIP and 4.14 SIERA. He doesn't look like closer material and won't be among the favorites to save games in Minnesota even in a bullpen that has a shortage of proven major-league arms. 

11/21: Acquired C Alex Jackson from the Orioles in exchange for minor-league INF/OF Payton Eeles.

Red Sox fantasy impact: Almost none. Jackson, who owns a career .153/.239/.288 slash line in 161 games split across six seasons, will be at most the Twins' backup catcher. 

AL West

Athletics Offseason Moves

11/5: Lost C Willie MacIver to the Rangers on waivers.

Athletics fantasy impact: Almost none. MacIver posted a .576 OPS in 33 games for the A's last season and would have been at most the team's third catcher behind Shea Langeliers and Austin Wynns. 

Houston Astros Offseason Moves

10/17: Signed RP Nate Pearson to a one-year, $1.35 million contract.

Astros fantasy impact: The hard-throwing righty was once one of the game's premier pitching prospects but has come nowhere close to living up to that potential. Now 29 years old, he owns a 5.17 ERA and 1.45 WHIP across 156.2 career innings, most of which have come as as reliever. The Astros plan to give him a chance to start, and if they can somehow flip a switch to get him back to the guy he was prior to his big-league debut, he could be a possible deep sleeper. The much more likely outcome is that he winds up back in the bullpen, likely pitching in low-leverage. 

11/19: Acquired SS Nick Allen from the Braves in exchange for INF/OF Mauricio Dubon.

Astros fantasy impact: Allen is a strong defensive shortstop, but his bat is simply too weak for anything but a bench role. He's a career .213/.265/.272 hitter across 382 MLB games and didn't register a single barrel in 416 plate appearances last year. If he's earning regular at-bats next season, something went wrong. 

12/2: Signed SP Ryan Weiss to a one-year, $2.6 million contract.

Astros fantasy impact: Yet another American pitcher who is coming back from overseas this winter, though in Weiss' case, he never made it to the big-league level before heading abroad. He's spent the last two years with the Hanwha Eagles of the KBO, where he posted a 2.87 ERA and 1.02 WHIP in 30 starts last season. His 20.8 K-BB% was strong, but not nearly as strong as fellow KBO returnees Cody Ponce (30.3 percent) and Drew Anderson (28.0 percent). It looks like he'll get a chance to earn a big-league rotation spot in camp but is far from guaranteed to do so. 

Los Angeles Angels Offseason Moves

11/19: Acquired SP Grayson Rodriguez from the Orioles in exchange for OF Taylor Ward.

Angels fantasy impact: The Angels might as well buy low on pitchers like Rodriguez, who last pitched in July of 2024. Since then, he's dealt with a lat strain, triceps soreness, elbow inflammation, a second lat strain and finally a bone spur. He underwent elbow debridement surgery in August to correct that latest problem and is set to start mound work in January.

There's still a best-case scenario here where Rodriguez finally finds a run of good health and showcases why he was one of the best pitching prospects in baseball prior to his debut, but that's a very long list of injuries already and there's no guarantee they'll all be fixed by a single procedure. There's also the fact that he hasn't come close to meeting expectations even when healthy, with a pedestrian 4.11 ERA and 1.29 WHIP in 43 career starts. Still, he's found himself in an organization where competition for rotation spots could hardly be much lighter, so he should be given plenty of opportunities to work himself back into form. 

12/1: Signed SP Alek Manoah to a one-year, $1.95 million contract.

Angels fantasy impact: The Angels might as well buy low on pitchers like Manoah, as well. He last threw a major-league pitch in May of 2024, but his injury list is much shorter. He suffered an elbow sprain and needed surgery, which wound up being an internal brace rather than the traditional Tommy John. Recovery timelines from an internal brace can be shorter than from Tommy John surgery, and Manoah did in fact make it back to game action in the minors by mid-July, but he never made it back to the big leagues due to struggles with his control (12.8 percent walk rate, 1.53 WHIP). 

With a full healthy offseason, the Angels will hope to catch a glimpse of the pitcher who had a 2.60 ERA and 1.01 WHIP over his first two big-league seasons, and, like Rodriguez, he should be given ample opportunities to show what he can do. Keep in mind, though, that Manoah fell off a cliff in his third season, recording a 5.87 ERA and 1.74 WHIP in 19 starts, so there's no guarantee even a healthy Manoah is one you want on your team. 

12/9: Acquired 2B Vaughn Grissom from the Red Sox in exchange for minor-league OF Isaiah Jackson.

Angels fantasy impact: Another low-risk buy-low for the Angels. Grissom produced a promising .792 OPS in 41 games as a 21-year-old rookie back in 2021 but owns a .545 OPS in just 54 games since then, spending most of the last two years performing unremarkably in Triple-A. Competition for at-bats is thin in Anaheim, however, so there's a real chance he gets the chance to rehabilitate his career with regular playing time next season.

Seattle Mariners Offseason Moves

11/5: Acquired RP Cole Wilcox from the Rays in exchange for cash considerations.

Mariners fantasy impact: Minimal, even if Wilcox hadn't made just one career big-league appearance, as the Mariners have a locked-in closer in Andres Munoz. 

11/16: Acquired minor-league RP Robinson Ortiz from the Dodgers in exchange for minor-league SP Tyler Gough.

Mariners fantasy impact: Minimal. Ortiz has yet to make his big-league debut and would have a lot of work to do even just to get in the mix should Andres Munoz get injured. 

11/16: Re-signed 1B Josh Naylor to a five-year, $92.5 million contract.

Mariners fantasy impact: In theory, signing with Seattle should be bad for Naylor, as T-Mobile Park is the toughest place to hit in the league. The park's park factors are due mostly to a bad batter's eye that makes it hard to track the ball, increasing strikeouts as a result, and it actually plays pretty neutral when batters do manage to make contact. Naylor didn't seem to mind, though, striking out just 12.5 percent of the time at home after being acquired from Arizona at the deadline, helping him to a .299/.341/.490 overall slash line as a Mariner. If Naylor can in fact pick up the ball just fine in Seattle, perhaps this landing spot won't hurt his numbers at the plate.

There's also the question of how it will affect his numbers on the basepaths, which is an odd thing to say about a player with third-percentile sprint speed who averaged 4.2 steals over his first six years in the league. But he stole 11 bases in 93 games with Arizona last year and then 19 more in 54 games with Seattle. Projecting a significant number of steals for Naylor feels safer now that he's back with the Mariners than it would have felt otherwise. 

12/6: Acquired RP Jose Ferrer from the Nationals in exchange for C Harry Ford (45) and minor-league SP Isaac Lyon.

Mariners fantasy impact: Ferrer sees a big downgrade with this move, as he looked to have the inside shot on the closer job with the Nationals but now finds himself in a bullpen with a nailed-on closer in Andres Munoz. Should Munoz get injured, Ferrer could find himself in the ninth inning, but so could Matt Brash, Gabe Speier, and more. Ford's exit leaves Seattle's backup catcher spot open, with Cal Raleigh currently the only catcher on the 40-man roster. 

Texas Rangers Offseason Moves

11/5: Claimed C Willie MacIver off waivers from the Athletics.

Rangers fantasy impact: MacIver currently lines up to be Kyle Higashioka's backup. A 29-year-old with just 33 major-league games under his belt (during which he hit .186/.252/.324), he fits better as a team's third catcher, and it would be a surprise if the Rangers didn't add a better backup at some point. 

11/23: Acquired OF Brandon Nimmo from the Mets in exchange for 2B Marcus Semien.

Rangers fantasy impact: This swap of veteran hitters sees Nimmo go from a tough place to hit to an even tougher one. He'll turn 33 next March, but he's coming off a strong season at the plate in which he produced a well-rounded statline, hitting .262 with 25 homers, 13 steals, 81 runs and 92 RBI. He also played a career-high 155 games, marking the fourth straight season he's played at least 150 games. 

NL East

Atlanta Braves Offseason Moves

11/6: Lost OF Jake Fraley to the Rays on waivers.

Braves fantasy impact: Fraley was only with Atlanta for a brief period last season and didn't have a path to anything more than a bench spot for 2026. The Atlanta outfield looks settled, with Jurickson Profar, Michael Harris and Ronald Acuna from left to right. 

11/19: Acquired INF/OF Mauricio Dubon from the Astros in exchange for SS Nick Allen.

Braves fantasy impact: Dubon fits best as a bench player, as he's never produced a league-average batting line but can fill in competently all over the diamond, appearing everywhere but pitcher and catcher last season. He currently looks like the top name on the shortstop depth chart, which would give him deep-league appeal, but the Braves would probably prefer a better solution than a player who owns a career .668 OPS. 

11/19: Re-signed RP Raisel Iglesias to a one-year, $16 million contract.

Braves fantasy impact: Iglesias probably would have closed for most teams who could have signed him, but he'll definitely close now that he's back in Atlanta. Even after a rocky start to last season which saw him briefly moved to a low-leverage role, he wound up finishing with 29 saves, a 3.21 ERA and 1.00 WHIP. 

11/19: Acquired RP Ryan Rolison from the Rockies in exchange for cash considerations.

Braves fantasy impact: Minimal. Rolison's 7.02 ERA and 1.77 WHIP as a rookie last season were awful even for Colorado, so he'll be nowhere near the top candidates to replace Iglesias should last year's struggles return. 

Miami Marlins Offseason Moves

11/5: Lost 1B/OF Troy Johnston to the Rockies on waivers.

Marlins fantasy impact: Johnston produced a respectable .750 OPS in 44 games as a 28-year-old rookie last season and might have had a chance to start at first base or right field. As it stands, Griffin Conine appears to have the inside track in right field, while first base could go to Liam Hicks, Graham Pauley or Eric Wagaman. 

11/21: Acquired cash considerations from the Giants in exchange for OF Joey Wiemer.

Marlins fantasy impact: Wiemer might have factored into the Marlins outfield somewhere next season but likely as no more than the short side of a platoon with Griffin Conine. Dane Myers could now get that opportunity if it's available. 

New York Mets Offseason Moves

11/4: Acquired RP Joey Gerber from the Rays in exchange for cash considerations.

Mets fantasy impact: Minimal. Gerber appeared in just two big-league games last season and struggled to a 6.09 ERA in the minors. He'll be fighting for a low-leverage role at best. 

11/23: Acquired 2B Marcus Semien from the Rangers in exchange for OF Brandon Nimmo.

Mets fantasy impact: This unusual swap of veteran hitters rescues Semien from a park that's become very pitcher-friendly in Texas, but Citi Field is rather pitcher-friendly in its own right, so it's not much of an upgrade. Semien is now 35 years old and has seen his wRC+ drop from 128 to 101 to 89 in consecutive seasons, with his home runs dropping from 29 to 23 to 15. He needs more than a slight upgrade in park factors to get back to his glory days but should still have a firm grip on playing time thanks to a glove which remains strong at second base.

Semien's arrival blocks second base for Jeff McNeil, Brett Baty, Ronny Mauricio and Luisangel Acuna. McNeil may move to Nimmo's vacated spot in left field, with the rest competing for starts at third base and DH. 

12/1: Signed RP Devin Williams to a three-year, $51 million contract.

Mets fantasy impact: Difficult to say at this stage. Was Williams brought in to close for the Mets, allowing them to move on from Edwin Diaz, who remains a free agent for now? Or was he signed in anticipation of bringing back Diaz as well, using Williams as an over-qualified setup man like he was in his early years in front of Josh Hader in Milwaukee? Williams' 4.79 ERA last season came with a 2.95 xFIP and 2.67 SIERA, so there's reason to believe he'll be quite effective in whatever role the Mets deploy him in, but it's hard to draft him as a guaranteed closer even if he looks that way on the current depth chart. 

UPDATE (12/9): With Diaz signing with the Dodgers, Williams now looks like he has a very firm hold on the Mets' closer job. He can now be safely drafted as one of the best closers in baseball, assuming you believe his ERA will regress to meet his ERA estimators.

Philadelphia Phillies Offseason Moves

11/21: Claimed OF Pedro Leon off waivers from the Orioles.

Phillies fantasy impact: Likely minimal. The Phillies have lots of at-bats available in the outfield with Harrison Bader and Max Kepler departing in free agency and Nick Castellanos expected to be traded or released as well, but it would be surprising if many of those at-bats went to Leon. He'll turn 28 next season and has just seven big-league games under his belt. He missed most of last season due to knee issues. 

12/9: Re-signed DH Kyle Schwarber to a five-year, $150 million contract.

Phillies fantasy impact: This move is great for Schwarber's teammates, as it's always nice to have a player who's averaged north of 100 runs and 100 RBI over the past four seasons batting in front of or behind you in the lineup. It's also great for Schwarber himself, as he'll avoid the dreaded "first year of a big contract with a new team" risk factor and will remain in one of the best hitters' parks in the league, particularly in terms of home runs. He needs 160 more homers to reach 500 for his career, which would require averaging 32 per season over the course of this deal — far less than the 46.8 homers per year he's averaged over his first four years as a Phillie. 

Washington Nationals Offseason Moves

12/6: Acquired C Harry Ford (45) and minor-league SP Isaac Lyon in exchange for RP Jose Ferrer.

Nationals fantasy impact: This move has big implications for two spots on the Nationals' depth chart. First, it sets up a battle behind the plate between Ford and Keibert Ruiz, who's been worth -1.9 fWAR since signing an eight-year, $50 million extension prior to the 2023 season. Ruiz previously looked like a good fallback plan in deep two-catcher leagues thanks to his seemingly guaranteed starter job, but the Nationals are likely to give Ford the opportunity to unseat him. He won't be handed the job outright given that he's played just eight big-league games (plus one more in the playoffs), but his .868 OPS at the Triple-A level last year suggests he'll make a good go of it.

This move also blows the Nationals' closer depth chart wide open. Ferrer wasn't even guaranteed the role to begin with, but he looked to be the best option in a pen that had the likes of Clayton Beeter, Cole Henry and PJ Poulin as the top alternatives. An open competition involving those three and possibly more looks the most likely for now, but this seems like an obvious spot for the Nationals to try to add a veteran with closing experience who they could trade at the deadline.

NL Central

Chicago Cubs Offseason Moves

11/4: Acquired cash considerations from the Orioles in exchange for RP Andrew Kittredge.

Cubs fantasy impact: Kittredge saved five games for the Cubs after being acquired from Baltimore at the deadline, plus one more in the playoffs, and he could very easily have carried that role over into next season. The Cubs evidently didn't value him very highly, however, if they were willing to trade him away for cash. That eases the competition for Daniel Palencia, but there's no guarantee he gets the job. 

11/6: Re-signed SP Colin Rea to a one-year, $5.5 million contract which includes a club option for a second season.

Cubs fantasy impact: Rea is a serviceable swingman who wound up spending most of his time in the rotation last season, with 27 of his 32 appearances being starts. He produced a perfectly serviceable 3.95 ERA and 1.25 WHIP, and the Cubs were happy to bring him back in a presumably similar role for a modest fee. If the 35-year-old finds himself in the rotation for some friendly home matchups, he'll be a solid streaming option, but with a low ceiling and no guarantee of a rotation spot to start the season, he's not a player worth drafting outside of deep leagues. 

11/21: Signed RP Phil Maton to a two-year, $14.5 million contract.

Cubs fantasy impact: After struggling to a 4.76 ERA and 1.41 WHIP across his first five big-league seasons, Maton now owns a 3.33 ERA and 1.14 WHIP over his last four. His 2.79 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in his age-32 season last year both represented career bests, as did his five saves, while his 32.7 percent strikeout rate looks like closer material. Maton could have a real shot at saves this season, with the flamethrowing but inexperienced Daniel Palencia his only real competition at the time of signing.

Cincinnati Reds Offseason Moves

11/3: Acquired cash considerations from the Rays in exchange for OF Ryan Vilade.

Reds fantasy impact: Minimal. Vilade got into just one big-league game for the Reds last season and didn't have a role lined up for this season. 

11/4: Signed RP Keegan Thompson to a one-year, $1.6 million contract.

Reds fantasy impact: Minimal. Thompson spent all of last year at Triple-A Iowa, where he recorded a 4.50 ERA and 1.41 WHIP.  

12/3: Re-signed RP Emilio Pagan to a two-year, $20 million contract.

Reds fantasy impact: Pagan wasn't a lock to close everywhere he might have signed, but he's all but a lock in Cincinnati. He grabbed the closer job almost immediately last season despite plenty of uncertainty in spring training and wound up finishing with a 2.88 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 32 saves. Early speculators on Tony Santillan are unlikely to get much for their investment unless Pagan gets hurt. 

Milwaukee Brewers Offseason Moves

11/18: Re-signed SP Brandon Woodruff to a one-year, $22 million contract after Woodruff accepted the team's qualifying offer.

Brewers fantasy impact: Woodruff finally made it back from a long injury layoff to record a 3.20 ERA and 0.91 WHIP in 12 starts, with a 3.24 xFIP and 2.90 SIERA backing up his strong numbers. The injury bug wasn't gone for good, though, as he picked up a lat strain in mid-September and missed the playoffs. He's expected to be ready for spring, but the fact that he took the qualifying offer suggests that he knows his market for a long-term deal isn't there. If big-league clubs don't trust his durability, we shouldn't either, but he can still dominate as long as he's able to stay on the field. 

Pittsburgh Pirates Offseason Moves

12/4: Acquired OF Jhostynxon Garcia (144) and minor-league SP Jesus Travieso (393) from the Red Sox in exchange for SP Johan Oviedo and minor leaguers C Adonys Guzman and RP Tyler Samaniego.

Pirates fantasy impact: Garcia's .833 OPS with 18 homers in 81 Triple-A games last season suggest he's ready for the big leagues, but a crowded outfield in Boston meant he only got into five major-league games. He could get the opportunity to start right away in left field Pittsburgh. Oviedo's exit leaves more starts available for the crop of up-and-coming Pittsburgh starters, but even with him out of the picture, at least one of Bubba Chandler, Mike Burrows and Braxton Ashcraft is currently on the outside looking in. 

12/5: Claimed IF Marco Luciano off waivers from the Giants.

Pirates fantasy impact: The Pirates are in a spot where they should be taking a shot on players like Luciano, who used to be one of the top prospects in all of baseball and is still just 24. His stock has fallen very far, however, as he owns a .590 OPS in 41 big-league games and spent all of last year in Triple-A, where he hit an unremarkable .214/.335/.413 (good for a 96 wRC+) while striking out 30.6 percent of the time. He's nothing but a lottery ticket for the Pirates and isn't favored to earn regular playing time at the start of the year. 

St. Louis Cardinals Offseason Moves

11/18: Acquired SP Richard Fitts and minor-league SP Brandon Clarke (343) from the Red Sox in exchange for SP Sonny Gray.

Cardinals fantasy impact: Gray's exit opens up a rotation spot, with Fitts presumably lined up to fill it. The move is an upgrade for Fitts' fantasy value, as he should have less competition for starts and will pitch at a more pitcher-friendly home park. His track record through 15 major-league appearances (14 starts) suggests he should nonetheless still be left alone outside of deep leagues. He struggles to miss bats (17.5 percent strikeout rate), and his decent 3.97 ERA comes with a poor 4.66 xFIP and 4.74 SIERA. 

NL West

Arizona Diamondbacks Offseason Moves

11/21: Re-signed C James McCann to a one-year, $2.75 million contract.

Diamondbacks fantasy impact: None outside of deep NL-only leagues. McCann did produce a solid .754 OPS last season, but that came in just 137 plate appearances. He's very much the backup behind Gabriel Moreno. 

12/8: Signed SP Michael Soroka to a one-year, $7.5 million contract.

Diamondbacks fantasy impact: Soroka's most successful period recently came when he was moved to the bullpen in 2024, a role in which he produced a 2.75 ERA and 26.0 K-BB% in 36 innings. He mostly worked as a starter last season, with 17 of his 22 appearances coming in that role, and he struggled to a 4.52 ERA. That came with a much better 3.78 SIERA, however, and both his 25.1 percent strikeout rate and 7.7 percent walk rate were good marks. That gives reason to believe Soroka can still succeed as a starter, the role he appears lined up for in Arizona. 

Colorado Rockies Offseason Moves

11/5: Claimed 1B/OF Troy Johnston from the Marlins off waivers.

Rockies fantasy impact: Johnston managed a .277/.331/.420 slash line (109 wRC+) in 44 games as a rookie last season, but he'll be 29 years old next season and is limited to first base and corner outfield. Still, competition for at-bats in Colorado is thin, and the payoff for regular at-bats in Colorado is high, so he's a potential sleeper. Johnston stole 31 bases in 84 Triple-A games last season. 

11/18: Acquired RP Brennan Bernardino from the Red Sox in exchange for minor-league INF/OF Braiden Ward.

Rockies fantasy impact: No one on the Rockies saved more than 11 games last season, so it's possible Bernardino works his way into the mix. He wouldn't be in the mix for many teams, as his 3.14 ERA came with a 4.59 xFIP and just a 19.2 percent strikeout rate, but the Rockies aren't most teams. 

11/19: Acquired cash considerations from the Braves in exchange for RP Ryan Rolison.

Rockies fantasy impact: Rolison had a 7.02 ERA and 1.77 WHIP in 42.1 innings as a rookie last season and was very unlikely to find his way to save chances.

12/5: Lost C Drew Romo to the Orioles on waivers.

Rockies fantasy impact: Romo might have had some value in very deep NL-only leagues if he'd won a job as a backup catcher who played at Coors Field. That role now appears to belong to Braxton Fulford. 

Los Angeles Dodgers Offseason Moves

11/16: Acquired minor-league SP Tyler Gough from the Mariners in exchange for minor-league RP Robinson Ortiz.

Dodgers fantasy impact: None this year, as Gough has yet to reach High-A. 

12/3: Re-signed INF Miguel Rojas to a one-year, $5.5 million contract.

Dodgers fantasy impact: Rojas will return to the Dodgers for his final season, as he's intending to retire at the end of the year. He'll fill the same utility infielder role that he's filled for the last three seasons, one which keeps his fantasy value limited to very deep leagues. He's averaged six homers and seven steals in his three seasons as a Dodger while hitting .259/.313/.372.

12/9: Signed RP Edwin Diaz to a three-year, $69 million contract.

Dodgers fantasy impact: The Dodgers spent big on their bullpen last winter, but the unit nonetheless remained the team's biggest weakness come playoff time. Roki Sasaki led the team with three saves in the postseason, but he looks to be headed back to the rotation now that the Dodgers have solved their bullpen problem by signing the biggest free agent closer available. 

Tanner Scott, who saved 23 games last year, loses most of his fantasy value as a result of this move, but Diaz himself may see a small boost. The Mets project to win plenty of games, but the Dodgers should win even more. The biggest worry from a fantasy perspective may be the Dodgers' unique ability to be completely focused on the postseason at all times, which means even a minor regular-season injury problem could lead to a longer absence than it would elsewhere. 

San Diego Padres Offseason Moves

11/17: Re-signed SP Kyle Hart to a one-year, $1.2 million contract.

Padres fantasy impact: Hart made the transition back from the KBO last year, and it didn't go particularly well. He had a 6.66 ERA in six starts and a better but still poor 4.67 ERA in 14 relief appearances. He'll fill a swingman role again this season and is unlikely to be an appealing fantasy option. 

12/4: Signed RP Ty Adcock to a one-year contract.

Padres fantasy impact: Minimal. Adcock owns a 5.48 ERA in 18 career relief appearances. He'll be competing for a low-leverage role. 

12/8: Signed RP Daison Acosta to a one-year contract.

Padres fantasy impact: Minimal. Acosta gets a major-league deal despite the fact that he's a 27-year-old with no big-league experience. He did have a 2.42 ERA and 33.0 percent strikeout rate in Triple-A last year, but it would be a surprise to see him pitching in high leverage. 

San Francisco Giants Offseason Moves

11/11: Acquired minor-league SP Logan Martin from the Royals in exchange for SP Mason Black. 

Giants fantasy impact: Black wasn't a favorite to open the year in the rotation but might have earned starts at some point. Martin is further away, having yet to reach Double-A. 

11/21: Acquired OF Joey Wiemer from the Marlins in exchange for cash considerations.

Giants fantasy impact: Wiemer could be in line for a short-side platoon role for the Giants, but he's far from a lock to earn one. He spent most of last year in the minors and owns a .638 OPS in 180 career major-league games. 

11/27: Signed RP Sam Hentges to a one-year, $1.4 million contract.

Giants fantasy impact: Hentges missed all of last season while recovering from shoulder surgery, then underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in September. He had a 2.93 ERA and 1.12 WHIP across the previous three seasons and could fill a high-leverage role if he can get back to his pre-injury form, but he won't be the favorite for save chances. 

12/5: Lost INF Marco Luciano to the Pirates on waivers.

Giants fantasy impact: Minimal. Luciano failed to earn any big-league at-bats last season and didn't seem to be part of the plan for the Giants going forward.