Fantasy Baseball News

Willson Contreras has been in discussions with the Houston Astros. The two sides plan to meet at the Winter Meetings. (Source: The Athletic MLB on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Contreras was nearly traded to the Astros at last season's trade deadline, but the deal ultimately fell through. He would be a great fit in the already powerful Astros lineup for a team that has never seen a ton of offensive production from behind the plate. Contreras could also be utilized in the outfield as well in Houston, giving him even more potential fantasy value.

The Los Angeles Dodgers signed Shelby Miller to a major-league contract Tuesday. (Source: Ken Rosenthal on Twitter )

Fantasy Impact: Definitely an interesting signing for the Dodgers, considering Miller did not pitch in the majors much last season. The veteran pitcher only appeared in four games last season for the Giants, posting a 6.43 ERA in seven innings pitched.

Stone Garrett has agreed to a Major League deal with the Nationals after being DFA’d by the Diamondbacks. (Source: Washington Nationals on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Garrett could fit in an everyday role with the Nationals. Last season Garrett hit 28 home runs and stole 15 bases in Triple-A before getting called up and hitting four home runs and stealing three bases with the Diamondbacks. Garrett is an interesting buy late in drafts.

Jeimer Candelario and the Washington Nationals have agreed to a one-year contract. (Source: Evan Petzold on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: The former Tiger will join a rebuilding franchise and will likely have a chance to be an everyday contributor to the Nationals' lineup. The 29-year-old slashed .217/.272/.361 with 13 home runs and 50 RBI in 124 games last season.

Miguel Cabrera said Monday that 2023 will be his final season in the MLB. (Source: Jason Beck on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: "It feels a little weird to say that," Cabrera said. "I thought I'm not going to say never, but I think it's time to say goodbye to baseball." Cabrera is set to turn 40 years old in April. He said he would like to stay involved in Tigers organization and help young players once his own playing career is over. "I have time to decide, but my goal is to stay in baseball, try to help, because I love baseball," he said.

The Mariners agreed to a one-year deal with Trevor Gott. (Source: Ken Rosenthal on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Gott was non-tendered by the Brewers on November 18. He should compete for a depth role in the Mariners bullpen.

The Cincinnati Reds signed free agent catcher Luke Maile. (Source: Cincinnati Reds on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Maile is coming off a season with the Guardians where he hit .221 with three home runs last year. He should be the backup catcher for the Reds.

The Seattle Mariners are reportedly among the teams showing interest in Michael Conforto. (Source: Jon Morosi on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Conforto has been connected to a number of other team as well. He missed all of this past season due to a shoulder injury, so there is some risk and that may lead to him signing a one-year prove it deal or a two-year deal with an opt out. With the Mariners bringing in Teoscar Hernandez to play right field, Conforto would likely be in line to take over left field for Jesse Winker and Sam Haggerty.

Jose Abreu has an agreement to sign with the Houston Astros. (Source: Bob Nightengale on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Abreu and Houston are a perfect match with the Astros' need at first base. While Abreu had a down 2022 season, he still managed to hit .304 but with only 15 home runs. I would not worry about the power as he still posted elite exit velocities, and his expected home runs in Houston were 22. At his price, he is an excellent buy for 2023.

Julio Teheran has signed a minor league deal with the San Diego Padres. He can make up to $6 million in the majors in 2023. (Source: Jon Heyman on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Teheran last played in affiliated baseball in 2021, although it was only for 5 innings with the Tigers. The 31-year-old has a 3.80 career ERA and 1.224 WHIP over 11 MLB seasons.

Mike Clevinger has agreed to a contract with the Chicago White Sox. (Source: Ken Rosenthal on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Clevinger struggled in his return from Tommy John Surgery in 2022. He posted a 4.33 ERA in 114.1 innings with the Padres after missing all of 2021. Between 2017 and 2020, Clevinger posted a 2.96 ERA. The White Sox and fantasy managers will hope he can return closer to that pitcher in 2023.

Alex Reyes is drawing interest from a long list of teams, including the Dodgers. (Source: Juan Toribio on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Reyes missed all of 2022 due to shoulder surgery, but the former top pitching prospect has shown his worth in the bullpen. In 2021, Reyes had 29 saves across 69 appearances and a 3.24 ERA. The Dodgers would be an excellent fit for Reyes and could be good for his fantasy value.

Aristides Aquino has signed a contract with Chunichi Dragons of NPB. (Source: Jon Morosi on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Aquino will be remembered for his monster 2019 season with the Reds when he hit 19 home runs in just 225 plate appearances. The move should guarantee regular playing time for TJ Friedl and Jake Fraley.

Carlos Santana has signed a one-year, $6.7 million deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates. (Source: Jeff Passan on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: The 36-year-old will enter his 14th MLB season as a 1B option and potential primary DH for the Pirates. Santana hit .202/.316/.376 with a 102 wRC+ in 2022, a slight improvement over his 2021 season. The Pirates also acquired 1B Ji-Man Choi this offseason, so it remains to be seen how much playing time the veteran will have in 2023.

Bryce Harper reportedly underwent Tommy John surgery on Wednesday, and he could be back hitting by mid-May. (Source: Jim Salisbury on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Reports are saying that the surgery went "very well," a great sign for Harper. It looks like the outfielder will be forced to miss the first month or so of the season as he recovers. However, he should get back to his MVP-caliber production upon his return, as the impact of Tommy John is much less harsh on hitters than it is on pitchers.

Joely Rodriguez has signed a one-year deal with the Boston Red Sox with a club option for 2024. (Source: Red Sox on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Rodriguez had a decent 2022 season with the Mets with a 4.47 ERA (3.62 xERA) and 10.19 K/9 in 50.1 innings. The Red Sox closing situation is not totally clear, but it still seems unlikely at the moment that Rodriguez would immediately be in line for many saves in 2023.

Hunter Renfroe was traded from the Milwaukee Brewers to the Los Angeles Angels for three pitching prospects. (Source: Milwaukee Brewers on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Renfroe is coming off a strong season where he hit 29 home runs and posted an .807 OPS in his only season with the Brewers. He will join an outfield with Mike Trout and Taylor Ward in Los Angeles, pushing Jo Adell even further out of the equation for the Angels.

Guillermo Heredia signs with SSG Landers of the Korean Baseball Organization. (Source: Francys Romer on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Heredia will play with the Landers for the 2023 season. He was designated for assignment by the Braves last week. It is possible he eventually ends up back in the MLB with a strong season in the KBO.

The Pirates announced Hoy Park has been designated for assignment to make room for Lewin Diaz. (Source: Jason Mackey on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Park played 23 games this past season with the Pirates where he hit .216 to go along with a pair of home runs. He spent the majority of his MLB career so far in the minor leagues for the Yankees and Pirates.

Nick Senzel underwent surgery on a broken bone in his toe that ended his season early in 2022. (Source: Bobby Nightengale on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Senzel is expected to be ready for Spring Training despite his surgery. He broke his toe crashing into the outfield wall in September, which ended his season early. Senzel played the most games of his career in 2022, which was only 110. He is not expected to provide much value for fantasy in 2023.