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Free-agent utility man Nate Eaton signed a minor-league deal with the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday that includes an invitation to major-league spring training, according to a source. If Eaton joins the 40-man roster, the MLB side of his contract is worth $780,000. He will turn 28 years old in December and played in a total of 72 games with the Kansas City Royals in 2022 and 2023, slashing just .201/.266/.283 with a weak .549 OPS, a homer, 13 RBI, 14 steals and 18 runs scored in 178 trips to the plate. The 27-year-old will most likely start the 2025 season at Triple-A Worcester. The former 21st-round pick in 2018 out of Virginia Military Institute played in 116 games at Triple-A Omaha in 2024 and hit .252 (108-for-428) with 16 home runs, 60 RBI and 27 stolen bases. If he returns to the majors in 2025, it will likely be in a bench role.

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The Detroit Tigers signed infielder/outfielder Jahmai Jones to a minor league deal that includes an invitation to camp. The 27-year-old last played with the Yankees in 2024, having logged just 47 plate appearances this season in 33 games, slashing .238/.304/.381 before he was sent down to Triple-A in August for the rest of the season. The former second-round draft pick hit well at Triple-A, batting .304 with an .880 OPS while adding 10 steals in 34 games, and owns a career slashline of .259/.351/.756 in the minors, but has yet to translate that to the big leagues. There are financial incentives in his contract if he makes the big league roster out of camp, but regardless, he'd likely be no more than a platoon player. If Jones were able to work his way into an everyday role, then presumably he'd be hitting and, combined with his speed, he could be an impactful fantasy asset. But that is a big 'if' at this point.

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The Athletics avoided salary arbitration with outfielder/first baseman Seth Brown on Wednesday, agreeing to terms on an undisclosed one-year contract for the 2025 campaign. Brown made $2.6 million in 2024 and provided a .231/.283/.379 slash line with a below-average .662 OPS, 14 home runs, 44 RBI, four stolen bases and 32 runs scored in 400 plate appearances and 124 games in his sixth season with the organization. The 32-year-old left-handed-hitting veteran will remain with the club as they transition to playing their home games in Sacramento in 2025 and figures to play a platoon role against right-handed pitching. He actually had a lower average (.229) against lefties than righties last season but hit 13 of his 14 round-trippers against righties. Brown will mostly be an AL-only outfielder for depth given his limited upside on one of the weakest teams in baseball.

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Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale won the NL Cy Young Award on Wednesday, the first time the 35-year-old has won the award in his 15-year career, despite finishing in the top five in six consecutive seasons from 2013-18. The lefty went 18-3 while posting a 2.38 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, and a 26.5% K-BB% while earning a trip to the All-Star game for the eighth time. The veteran also won his first career Gold Glove award in 2024. It looks like the Braves won this trade with the Red Sox, as Vaughn Grissom was sent to the Red Sox in exchange for Sale, and Grissom played just 31 games this season due to injury, posting just a .190/.246/.219. Hopefully Sale's injury issues are behind him and he can continue to pitch a few more years with this type of effectiveness before any age-related decline kicks in. The southpaw was quite the value in fantasy drafts in 2024, but he will cost much more in 2025.

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Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal won the AL Cy Young Award on Wednesday, the first time the 28-year-old has won the award. The lefty dominated in his 15 starts in 2023 after his return from Tommy John surgery and backed it up with a full season of dominance in 2024. The southpaw went 18-4 while posting a 2.39 ERA -- FIP, xFIP, and SIERA were all under 3.00 as well -- with a 0.92 WHIP, and an elite 25.6% K-BB% in 31 starts (192 IP). The former ninth-round draft pick also made it to his first All-Star game this season. He'll certainly cost quite a bit more in 2025 fantasy drafts than he did this year, but so long as he can stay healthy, he has the repertoire to deliver on a high draft-day price tag.

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The Chicago Cubs acquired catcher Matt Thaiss on Wednesday from the Los Angeles Angels for cash considerations, while RHP Trey Wingenter was designated for assignment (DFA) in a corresponding move. A week ago, Thaiss was DFAd after the Angels signed veteran Travis d'Arnaud as their backup catcher to Logan O'Hoppe. The Cubs saw too much offensive futility out of their backstops in 2024 and are now without veterans Yan Gomes and Christian Bethancourt after they became free agents in June and November respectively. Thaiss figures to slot in as the veteran presence behind Miguel Amaya, and this could further delay the debut of 21-year-old star prospect Moises Ballesteros unless the Cubs bring him up as a DH. Thaiss made his major league debut in 2019 but is a career .208 hitter with a career .292 wOBA and 83 wRC+, so he's off the fantasy radar for now and he may not be able to hold off Ballesteros long.

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The Athletics signed free-agent left-hander Matt Krook and right-hander Jason Alexander to minor-league deals late last week. Krook, 30, pitched one inning in relief for the Baltimore Orioles in 2024 and allowed three runs (two earned) while walking one and striking out two. He saw most of his action at Triple-A Norfolk, posting a 3.92 ERA and 1.39 WHIP with a save, 54 strikeouts and 31 walks in 41 relief appearances. Alexander, 31, hasn't pitched in the majors since debuting in 2022 with the Milwaukee Brewers, when he had a 5.40 ERA and 1.62 WHIP over 71 2/3 innings in 18 appearances (11 starts). He spent this past season pitching for Triple-A Worcester in the Red Sox's organization, going 7-6 with a 4.42 ERA, a 1.32 WHIP and a 129:39 K:BB in 29 outings (27 starts) covering 138 1/3 frames. Both Krook and Alexander are likely to start at Triple-A Las Vegas in 2025.

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Free-agent first baseman Trenton Brooks signed a minor-league deal with the San Diego Padres. Brooks will stay in the National League West division after making his major-league debut with the San Francisco Giants in 2024. The 29-year-old former 17th-round pick by the Cleveland Guardians in 2016 out of the University of Nevada only played in 12 games for the Gigantes and went 3-for-25 (.120) with an RBI, stolen base and three runs scored while striking out six times. The left-handed hitter was much better in the minors in 94 games with Triple-A Sacramento, slashing a robust .302/.410/.453 with an impressive .863 OPS, 10 home runs, 58 RBI, 10 stolen bases and 62 runs scored in 407 plate appearances. Brooks will likely start the 2025 season with the Padres in Triple-A El Paso as he looks to work his way back to the majors.

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The Colorado Rockies announced on Wednesday that they agreed to re-sign catcher Jacob Stallings to an undisclosed one-year deal that includes a mutual option for the 2026 season. Stallings became a free agent this offseason after declining his portion of a mutual option for 2025, but he now finds himself back with the Rockies for at least another season. The 34-year-old veteran backstop found himself working as the team's primary catcher down the stretch in 2024 and he finished with a .263/.357/.453 slash line, an impressive .810 OPS, a career-high nine home runs, 36 RBI and 31 runs scored in 281 trips to the plate over 82 games played for Colorado. Stallings will give the Rockies extra catching depth again next year, but fantasy managers shouldn't be expecting him to serve as the lead backstop all year. Drew Romo and perhaps even Hunter Goodman should factor in at the position.

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The Chicago Cubs acquired right-handed reliever Eli Morgan from the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday, according to sources. It's unclear what the Cubs sent Cleveland in return. Morgan went 3-0 with a strong 1.93 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 34 strikeouts and 11 walks last year for Cleveland in 42 innings out of the bullpen and has a 3.23 career ERA in 173 innings as a reliever in the big leagues. The 28-year-old has pitched a total of 265 1/3 innings at the major-league level over 161 appearances (19 starts) since making his debut in 2021 with the Guardians. Morgan sports a career 23.8% strikeout rate and a nice 6.4% walk rate, although his strikeout rate fell to a career-low 20.4% in 2024. He will likely work in the middle innings for the Cubbies in 2025 and won't be on the fantasy radar.

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The Chicago Cubs designated infielder Patrick Wisdom for assignment on Wednesday after the team acquired relief pitcher Eli Morgan from the Cleveland Guardians, according to sources. The move isn't all that surprising after Wisdom really struggled at the plate in Chicago in 2024. The 33-year-old former first-round pick by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2012 out of Saint Mary's slashed a dreadful .171/.237/.392 with a .629 OPS, eight home runs, 23 RBI, five stolen bases and 16 runs scored in 75 games after hitting 20-plus home runs in each of the previous three seasons for the Cubs. Wisdom struggles to make consistent contact at the plate, but he proved the last three years that he has intriguing pop when he finds the barrel. He could be claimed off waivers by another club, but if he isn't, he should land somewhere for the 2025 campaign.

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The Seattle Mariners acquired infielder Austin Shenton from the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday in exchange for cash considerations. In a corresponding move, the Mariners designated right-hander JT Chargois for assignment. Shenton was originally drafted by Seattle in the fifth round in 2019 out of Florida International. The 26-year-old made his major-league debut with the Rays in 2024 but played in only 19 games, going 9-for-42 (.214) with a homer, three RBI and three runs scored. He also appeared in 83 games with Triple-A Durham on the farm and slashed .258/.361/.497 with an .858 OPS, 20 home runs, 65 RBI and 49 runs scored in 363 plate appearances. Shenton will provide the M's with minor-league infield depth heading into spring training next year after hitting .283/.388/.527 in his five seasons in the minors.

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Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt was named the American League Manager of the Year on Tuesday evening. It was a pretty special first season as manager in the big leagues for Vogt, as he had a winning record, won the AL Central title and helped his club advance to the AL Championship Series. It's the third time in the last decade that a Guardians skipper has won the award, with Vogt being the fifth-youngest manager to win the award. Vogt becomes the fastest person to go from being a player to Manager of the Year winner. He finished playing on Oct. 5 of 2022 and was hired as Cleveland's manager just 397 days after with zero managerial experience. It was an impressive turnaround after the team went 76-86 in 2023. Vogt leaned heavily on his bullpen that combined to post a 2.57 ERA, the fourth-best among all bullpens since 1995.

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In moves made to protect some of their better young prospects from the upcoming Rule 5 draft, the St. Louis Cardinals added right-handers Tink Hence, Tekoah Roby and Matt Svanson and outfielder Matt Koperniak to their 40-man roster on Tuesday. Hence is the team's most decorated prospect, with MLB Pipeline listing him as their No. 2 prospect. Injuries have been a problem for the 22-year-old, but when healthy, he has displayed promising upside on the mound. The former second-round pick in 2020 had a nice 2.71 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 109 strikeouts and only 26 walks in 79 2/3 innings over 20 starts for Double-A Springfield in 2024. Roby checks in as St. Louis' No. 6 prospect, while Svanson and Koperniak aren't listed among the team's top-30 prospects. All four of the young players cannot be claimed in the Rule 5 draft now by other organizations.

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Free-agent right-hander Nick Pivetta declined the Boston Red Sox's $21.05 million qualifying offer on Tuesday. It means that if Pivetta signs with another team on the free-agent market this offseason, the Red Sox will receive draft-pick compensation. The 31-year-old should be able to receive a pretty lucrative long-term contract on the open market, but it remains to be seen if he'll return to Beantown. In his eighth year in the big leagues in 2024, the Canadian hurler went 6-12 with a 4.14 ERA (4.07 FIP), a 1.13 WHIP and a 172:36 K:BB in 145 2/3 innings over his 27 outings (26 starts). He has a career 4.76 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 26.0% strikeout rate and 8.6% walk rate, although his strikeout rate has been over 30% in the last two seasons in Boston. Leaving the tough American League East could be good news for Pivetta's fantasy value.

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To protect him from the upcoming Rule 5 draft, the Chicago Cubs added outfield prospect Owen Caissie to their 40-man roster on Tuesday, according to a source. As ESPN's Kiley McDaniels' 63rd-best prospect in baseball (back in August), the move doesn't come as much of a surprise. Per MLB Pipeline, Caissie is listed as Chicago's No. 2 prospect, behind only infielder Matt Shaw. The 22-year-old Canadian hits from the left side but throws right-handed. In 127 games at Triple-A Iowa in 2024, Caissie hit .278/.375/.473 with an .848 OPS, 19 home runs, 75 RBI, 11 stolen bases and 69 runs scored in 549 plate appearances. He impresses talent evaluators the most with his raw power at the plate, giving him 40-homer upside in the majors. If Caissie impresses the Cubs' coaching staff in spring training early in 2025, it's not out of the realm of possibilities that he opens the year on the Opening Day roster.

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The New York Mets acquired outfielder Jose Siri from the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday in exchange for pitcher Eric Orze, according to a league source. Siri could see a considerable amount of playing time next year for the Mets with Harrison Bader potentially leaving in free agency. However, the 29-year-old Dominican is going to need to pick it up offensively after hitting just .187/.255/.366 with a weak .620 OPS, 18 home runs, 47 RBI, a career-high-tying 14 stolen bases and 50 runs scored in 130 games played (448 plate appearances). Siri struck out 37.9 percent of the time. His glove is probably his most attractive attribute, but he can also provide some modest speed in NL-only leagues. Orze is a 27-year-old reliever who had a 2.92 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and three saves in 61 2/3 innings for Triple-A Syracuse in 2024 before making his major-league debut (1 2/3 frames).

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The Chicago Cubs are likely to designate former closer Adbert Alzolay (elbow) for assignment on Tuesday, according to a source. Alzolay underwent Tommy John surgery in August and won't put again until late 2025, at the earliest. The 29-year-old Venezuelan right-hander had a career-high 22 saves in 2023 and entered the 2024 campaign as the favorite for saves in Chicago, but he certainly didn't have the year the Cubs were hoping for. Before his season-ending elbow injury, Alzolay had a rough 4.67 ERA (7.38 FIP), a 1.44 WHIP, four saves, 13 strikeouts and six walks in 17 1/3 innings over 18 appearances out of the bullpen. If another club doesn't claim Alzolay on waivers, there's a chance the Cubs could work out a trade to send him elsewhere. Obviously, Alzolay will be off the fantasy radar in 2025 as he recovers from elbow surgery.

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The Philadelphia Phillies plan to meet with superstar free-agent outfielder Juan Soto at some point, although nothing has been scheduled yet. Soto has already met with the Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets and New York Yankees and is scheduled to meet with the Los Angeles Dodgers next. However, it's believed that no offers have been made to Soto yet. The Phillies already have one of the most complete rosters in the game, but they continue to look for ways to improve, and their ownership has shown a willingness to pay for some of the top free agents. It's believed that Soto prefers to stay in New York, but the Phillies could become a "stalking horse," according to Phillies CEO John Middleton. However, Mets owner Steve Cohen is willing to beat any other club's offer to Soto by $50 million, according to a source.

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Free-agent right-hander Luis Severino is officially rejecting the New York Mets' $21.05 million qualifying offer for one year on Tuesday, according to a source. The Mets and Severino are allowed to discuss a potential deal for a reunion, but if he signs elsewhere on the open market, the Mets will get an extra draft pick as compensation. The Mets could get additional compensation if left-hander Sean Manaea also rejects his qualifying offer and signs with another club. Severino will be heading into his age-31 season in 2025 coming off a year in which he went 11-7 with a 3.91 ERA (4.21 FIP), a 1.24 WHIP and 161:60 K:BB in 182 innings over his 31 starts in his first year in Queens. The two-time All-Star was able to stay healthy all year, but fantasy managers probably shouldn't expect a second straight year of good health for the oft-injured hurler.

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