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The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal writes that a "perfect storm" for the New York Mets to lose free-agent closer Edwin Diaz "might be developing." Diaz opted out of the final two years of his contract with the Mets and will test free agency for the first time in his career. The Toronto Blue Jays, who were two outs away from winning the World Series before closer Jeff Hoffman blew it, are poised to spend big and are among the teams interested in adding Diaz. The 31-year-old Diaz said on Thursday that his chances of returning to the Mets are "50-50," and according to a person briefed on his wishes, he wants the same kind of deal he signed with the Mets in 2022 -- five years and $102 million. Toronto met with Diaz's agents during the GM meetings this week in Las Vegas and is targeting high-leverage relief as well as starting pitching. If they were to land Diaz in free agency, they'd almost certainly slide Hoffman to the eighth inning.

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Texas Rangers right-hander Jacob deGrom was named the American League Comeback Player of the Year for the 2025 season, according to MLB. deGrom exceeded expectations for the Rangers this year while coming off Tommy John surgery, even if they weren't able to return to the postseason. The 37-year-old ace had not pitched since April of 2023 before returning in September of 2024. He finished the year 12-8 with a 2.97 ERA and 0.92 WHIP, which trailed only Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal, who won back-to-back AL Cy Young awards, among qualified pitchers. deGrom's strong season earned him the fifth All-Star selection of his career, and he finished eighth in the AL Cy Young voting. Perhaps among the most surprising stats of the season was the fact that deGrom made 30 starts for the first time since 2019.

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Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. was named the National League Comeback Player of the Year in 2025, according to MLB. Acuna showed that he was still one of the game's elite players by successfully returning from a second major knee surgery, a complete tear of the ACL in his left knee. On the first pitch he saw in his season debut on May 23, the 27-year-old Dominican hit a 467-foot home run. Acuna was an All-Star for the fourth time in his career and slashed a strong .290/.417/.518 with 21 home runs for the Braves in 95 games played. Only five players among the 215 players with at least 400 plate appearances had a higher OPS than Acuna's mark of .935. He also dealt with a minor calf issue in 2025, but it thankfully did not slow him down. Fantasy managers aren't forgetting the risk that now comes with Acuna, but when healthy, he's still an elite fantasy outfielder that contributes across all categories.

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Boston Red Sox left-hander Aroldis Chapman was named the American League Reliever of the Year in 2025 for the second time in his career, with the first coming with the New York Yankees in 2019. Chapman defied Father Time this year to win the award at age 37 while also making his eighth career All-Star team. He led all qualified relievers with a 1.17 ERA and 0.70 WHIP in 61 1/3 innings for the BoSox. Opponents hit just .132 versus the veteran southpaw, the lowest average against any qualified reliever. Chapman retired 50 straight hitters at one point during the season, during a stretch that spanned over two months. Unbelievable, Chapman still averaged 99.8 mph with his fastball (ranked in the 98th percentile in baseball) in his 16th season in the big leagues. He proved with Boston this past season that he still has gas left in the tank in what has been a remarkable career.

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New York Mets right-handed closer Edwin Diaz was named the National League Reliever of the Year on Thursday night for the third time in his career, according to MLB. Diaz joins Houston Astros lefty Josh Hader as the only players to win three Reliever of the Year awards since the honor was established in 2014. The hard-throwing Puerto Rican closer had a stingy 1.63 ERA in 66 1/3 innings in 2025, the second-lowest mark of his career and the best among qualified relievers in the NL. Diaz also held opponents to a .164 batting average to earn his third All-Star nod. His nasty fastball/slider mix helped him to 98 strikeouts and a 13.3 K/9 ratio while he also ranked in the 99th percentile among MLB pitchers with a 41.5% swing-and-miss rate. Diaz is now on the free-agent market this winter after opting out of the final two years and $38 million on his contract with the Mets, and he's sure to generate lots of interest around the league.

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Free-agent right-handed reliever Edwin Diaz said that he thinks his chances of re-signing with the New York Mets are "50-50," according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. The Mets extended a one-year, $22.05 million qualifying offer to Diaz, but he's fully expected to decline the offer after he opted out of his contract with New York this offseason. If the 31-year-old signs with another team, the Mets will receive draft-pick compensation. The three-time All-Star missed all of the 2023 season due to a knee injury and struggled in his return in 2024, but he bounced back to All-Star form in 2025, going 6-3 with a 1.63 ERA (2.28 FIP), 0.87 WHIP, 28 saves, 98 strikeouts, and 21 walks in 66 1/3 innings out of the bullpen. Diaz will surely have plenty of suitors on the free-agent market as one of the more dominant relief arms in the game. He has 253 career saves in nine MLB seasons and an elite 14.5 K/9 and 39.9% strikeout rate.

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The New York Mets are fielding trade inquiries on second baseman Jeff McNeil, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. McNeil has just one year left on an overpriced contract, and there is interest from teams around the league after he showed new versatility in 2025. The 33-year-old former batting champion underwent a minor procedure for thoracic outlet syndrome shortly after the season ended, but he's expected to be ready to go for spring training. McNeil is a contact-oriented second baseman who also showed in 2025 that he can fill in if needed in the outfield, which will help his trade value. The two-time All-Star holds more real-life value than fantasy value, coming off his eighth season in the big leagues in which he hit .243 (97-for-399) with 12 home runs, 54 RBI, 42 runs, and three steals in 122 games.

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The legend of Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani continues to grow, as he was named the National League Most Valuable Player on Thursday night for the second straight season. Ohtani has now won four MVP awards, with his first two coming with the Los Angeles Angels. He joined Roger Maris (1960-61 Yankees) as the only players to win the MVP in each of their first two seasons with a team and Joe Morgan (1975-76 Reds) as the only players to win both an MVP and the World Series in back-to-back seasons. The 30-year-old hit .282/.392/.622 with a career-high 55 homers to go with 25 doubles, a career-high nine triples, and 102 RBI while also scoring a league-best 146 runs. His 1.014 OPS and 179 OPS+ also led MLB. Ohtani didn't debut as a pitcher for L.A. until June 16, but he finished with a 2.87 ERA and 145 ERA+ (45% better than league average) while striking out 62 and walking only nine in 14 starts (47 innings). We may never see a player of Ohtani's caliber ever again.

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New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge was named the American League Most Valuable Player on Thursday night for the second straight season, MLB announced. Judge set the record for the most home runs in a single season in the AL in 2022 with 62, and now he's won back-to-back MVP awards, proving that he's one of the best right-handed hitters in MLB history. In 2025, he led all of baseball with a .331 batting average while also hitting 50 home runs. The only other players to do that were Hall of Famers Jimmie Foxx (1938) and Mickey Mantle (1956). Judge's 53 total home runs were the most ever by a batting champ. The 33-year-old didn't stop there, though, also leading the league in on-base percentage (.457) and slugging percentage (.688). Judge's OPS of 1.144 was nearly 200 points higher than Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh's .948. The fact that Judge played through an elbow injury in 2025 made his campaign even more impressive.

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New York Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil (shoulder) underwent a minor procedure for thoracic outlet syndrome shortly after the season ended, according to his agent, Garrett Parcell. McNeil already has good range of motion after the surgery and is expected to be a full participant in spring training in 2026. Parcell noted that McNeil's injury affected his swing late in the season, one in which he finished with a .243/.335/.411 slash line, .746 OPS, 12 home runs, 54 RBI, 42 runs scored, and three steals in 122 games played. The 33-year-old former batting champion had a rough .514 OPS in the final month of the season, but he could bounce back next year with better health. Even though McNeil could be New York's starting second baseman on Opening Day, he doesn't offer much in the way of fantasy upside at his age unless he suddenly becomes a .300 hitter again, which is unlikely.

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Kansas City Royals All-Star left-hander Kris Bubic is attracting trade interest from multiple teams, league sources told The Athletic's Will Sammon. People familiar with the Royals' thinking are saying that the team is "open to the possibility of dealing Bubic" as they look to bolster their offense. The 28-year-old southpaw is a year away from reaching free agency and is projected to make $6 million in 2026 in his final year of salary arbitration. He missed most of the second half of the season with a left rotator-cuff strain, but he was strong before that, posting a 2.55 ERA (2.89 FIP) with 116 strikeouts and 39 walks in 20 starts over 116 1/3 innings. Despite not featuring a ton of velocity, Sammon writes that some rival evaluators are "bullish on his outlook" after he overhauled his repertoire to add a sweeper while improving his fastball and changeup. It's not a lock that KC trades Bubic this offseason, but he's more likely to be moved than Cole Ragans, Michael Wacha, or Seth Lugo.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers are among the teams interested in signing free-agent right-handed reliever Rasiel Iglesias, sources told Francys Romero. The Dodgers poured a lot of resources into lefty closer Tanner Scott for 2025, but it didn't work out. Despite other injuries to key relievers and their bullpen being a weak spot, L.A. won a second straight World Series on the strength of their offense and starting pitching. They'll give it another go to beef up the back end of the bullpen as they seek a three-peat, and it could start with a signing of Iglesias. They've also been connected to right-hander Devin Williams, who had a down year in his first season in the Bronx. Iglesias will turn 36 in January, but the Cuban reliever had 30-plus saves for the Atlanta Braves in two of his three full seasons there. He had a 3.21 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 29 saves, and a 73:16 K:BB in 67 1/3 frames in 2025.

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The New York Post's Jon Heyman says that free-agent first baseman Pete Alonso is still a priority for the New York Mets, but he's also reporting that the Baltimore Orioles could be in the mix to sign him. The Mets are saying that they are looking to change their culture and want to prioritize run prevention, but Heyman doesn't think they can afford to lose Alonso's 38 home runs and 126 RBI. The Orioles are a surprise suitor because they have not really been linked to Alonso to this point. Reports have suggested that if Alonso does leave the Big Apple, the best fit for him could be the Boston Red Sox. In Baltimore, the O's are definitely looking to shake things up after a disappointing 2025 season, and Alonso would be a major upgrade at first base (at least offensively) over Ryan Mountcastle and Coby May. Although Alonso will be on the wrong side of 30 in 2026, the five-time All-Star is still an elite power bat with 264 homers in his seven major-league seasons.

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Baltimore Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias said on Wednesday that right-handed closer Felix Bautista (shoulder), who had right-shoulder surgery this year, could be back after the trade deadline in 2026, according to Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner. The Orioles are still planning on adding late-inning help this offseason, though, because they aren't "banking on him immediately being himself." Specifically, Bautista's surgery fixed a torn labrum and torn rotator cuff in his throwing shoulder. He was a first-time All-Star in 2023, when he closed out a career-high 33 games, but he missed all of the 2024 season due to injury as well. The 30-year-old veteran had a career-high 2.60 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 19 saves, 50 K's, and 23 walks in 34 2/3 frames this year before being shut down. Bautista will be a risky late-inning fantasy reliever next year after his long layoff.

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Atlanta Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said on Wednesday that the team will have a better idea of catcher Sean Murphy's (hip) rehab plan in January, according to David O'Brien of The Athletic. The Braves plan on him playing and sharing at-bats with Drake Baldwin at catcher and designated hitter, unless they add a DH in the offseason. O'Brien thinks that if Murphy is expected back early next year, Atlanta will pass on adding a big DH. The 31-year-old backstop needed surgery in September to fix a labral tear in his right hip that he's been dealing with for several years. Health issues have caused the former third-rounder to hit a lowly .197/.293/.384, albeit with 26 home runs and 70 RBI, in 166 games the last two years in Atlanta. Baldwin just won the NL Rookie of the Year and is on the rise, so Murphy could lose more playing time going forward, even if he can stay healthy.

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New York Mets right-hander Kodai Senga is "attracting trade interest from multiple teams" this offseason, league sources told The Athletic's Will Sammon. Some MLB teams are viewing the 32-year-old as an interesting buy-low candidate after he got hurt in 2025 and ended the year pitching in the minors due to poor performance. The Mets have had conversations about Senga, but it's unclear if they'd be willing to trade him after the Japanese native went 7-6 with a 3.02 ERA (4.12 FIP), 1.31 WHIP, and 109:55 K:BB in 113 1/3 innings over his 22 big-league starts. He is owed $28 million over the next two years with a team option for 2028, which is a reasonable price. Senga has a 3.00 ERA in his three MLB seasons and finished in the top 10 for the Cy Young as a rookie. However, he had a 6.56 ERA in the second half in 2025, is particular about his mechanics, and missed time due to injury each of the last two years. As such, he'll be a risk/reward fantasy target going into his fourth year in the majors.

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Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown said at the GM meetings in Las Vegas on Wednesday that he's not trading first baseman Christian Walker, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. "We haven't talked about Walker in a trade. Walker is our everyday first baseman. He will get some time off. We'll play Paredes there," Brown said. USA Today Sports' Bob Nightengale wrote earlier this week that the Astros will "gladly listen to all offers" for Walker this offseason after signing him to a three-year, $60 million deal last December. The 34-year-old veteran right-handed hitter finished on a good note in his first year with the Astros, but it didn't cover up the fact that he had career lows in average (.238), on-base percentage (.297), and slugging percentage (.421) in 154 games. Walker still has plenty of pop (27 homers), but he also struck out a career-high 177 times. At his age, though, his power numbers could drop off even more in 2026.

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Baltimore Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias hinted on Wednesday at the GM meetings in Las Vegas that right-hander Grayson Rodriguez (elbow) will face workload restrictions next season, according to Jake Rill of MLB.com. "You miss a year and 2 months, we've got to be realistic about that, and it's not something that we're planning around very heavily. But he's a guy that provides a real wild card for us talent-wise," Elias said. Rodriguez was expected to start ramping up his throwing program in October after he missed all of 2025 due to multiple right-elbow issues before having surgery to remove a bone spur in his arm in August. The 25-year-old former 11th overall pick in 2018 is expected to be ready for the start of spring training in mid-February. However, even if he doesn't have any setbacks with his elbow, his innings will be monitored closely in 2026, limiting his fantasy upside.

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Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown said at the GM meetings in Las Vegas on Wednesday that left-handed closer Josh Hader (shoulder) has thrown off a mound three times and is "progressing well," according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic. Hader's 2025 season ended early in the middle of August after he strained his left shoulder. Although it's unclear if the 31-year-old six-time All-Star will be ready for the start of spring training in mid-February, he should be ready for Opening Day, barring a setback. Before his injury in August, Hader was once again one of the more dominant closers in fantasy baseball, posting a 6-2 record, 2.05 ERA (3.25 FIP), 0.85 WHIP, 28 saves, 76 strikeouts, and 16 walks in 52 2/3 innings out of the bullpen. He now has 227 saves in his nine-year MLB career, including 62 the last two years in Houston.

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Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown said at the GM meetings in Las Vegas on Wednesday that outfielder/designated hitter Yordan Alvarez (ankle) is jogging at 65-70 percent but is expected to be ready for spring training in 2026, according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic. It was an injury-plagued 2025 season for Alvarez, who suffered a pretty serious left-ankle sprain towards the end of the final month of the regular season in September. The 28-year-old Cuban slugger only played in 48 games for the Astros this year, slashing .273/.367/.430 with a career-worst .797 OPS, just six home runs, 27 RBI, and 17 runs scored in 199 plate appearances. Before his ankle injury, Alvarez missed extended time with a right-hand fracture. Assuming he's completely healthy for the start of next season, Alvarez will be a bounce-back candidate in fantasy baseball.

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