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The Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros pulled off a trade on Wednesday, with the Braves acquiring infielder/outfielder Mauricio Dubon from the Astros in exchange for infielder Nick Allen, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. The Braves have a glaring need at shortstop going into next season, but it's unclear if Dubon, a two-time Gold Glover, will play at the 6 primarily or be used as more of a utility man. The 31-year-old has played seven different positions in his seven big-league seasons, including 107 games at short and 214 at second base. Both Dubon and Allen are glove-first players, which doesn't make them as attractive in fantasy baseball. Dubon has had a .677 OPS the last three years in Houston, while Allen had just a .535 OPS while serving as the Braves' primary shortstop for much of 2025. Dubon has only 39 homers with a .257/.295/.374 slash line in his seven seasons in the majors.

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After designating him for assignment on Tuesday, the New York Mets officially released right-hander Frankie Montas (elbow) on Wednesday, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. Montas will go down as a huge bust signing for the Mets, as he ended up making only nine appearances (seven starts) for New York in 2025 while posting an ugly 6.28 ERA (5.33 FIP) and 1.60 WHIP with 32 strikeouts and 14 walks in 38 2/3 innings pitched. The 32-year-old veteran needed Tommy John surgery on his right elbow and will now miss the entire 2026 season. The Mets will owe him $17 million while he rehabs next year. The Dominican hurler teased fantasy managers back in 2021 with a 3.37 ERA and a career-high 207 strikeouts, but things began to fall apart health-wise shortly after he was acquired by the New York Yankees the following season. Montas did manage to make 30 starts in 2024 with the Reds and Brewers, but he was unable to rediscover the form he showed in Oakland.

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The Boston Red Sox announced on Tuesday that they designated first baseman Nathaniel Lowe for assignment after acquiring infielder Tristan Gray from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for minor-league right-hander Luis Guerrero. Lowe began the 2025 campaign playing for the Washington Nationals, where he hit just .216/.292/.373 with a career-low .665 OPS, 16 home runs, 68 RBI, 50 runs scored, and a 130:47 K:BB in 119 games played. The 30-year-old left-handed slugger finished up the year in Boston, where he went 28-for-100 (.280) with two bombs, 16 RBI, and 14 runs scored in 34 regular-season contests. Lowe should attract some interest on the free-agent market this winter as a left-handed power bat, but in a best-case scenario, he'll probably be a platoon power bat at first base/designated hitter wherever he ends up. Lowe's best season came in Texas in 2022, when he hit 27 homers and drove in 76 in 157 games.

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The Atlanta Braves announced on Wednesday that they re-signed right-handed closer Raisel Iglesias to a one-year, $16 million deal for the 2026 season. The 35-year-old Cuban veteran will return to Atlanta for a fifth season, where he should be firmly locked in as their closer yet again. Iglesias didn't exactly look like himself early on, but it didn't take long for him to right the ship in 2025, and he finished with a 3.21 ERA (3.31 FIP), 0.99 WHIP, 29 saves, 73 strikeouts, and 16 walks in 67 1/3 innings out of the bullpen. He wasn't quite as good as he was in 2024, when he had a career-high-tying 34 saves and a career-best 1.95 ERA, but he did have an ERA of 1.96 with 51 K's and 12 walks after the start of June. Iglesias will be a little more volatile than most closers in 2026 because of his age, but his locked-in role on what should be a strong Braves team will make him a high-end closing target in fantasy.

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ESPN's Jeff Passan reports that the Texas Rangers "are trying to deal" catcher Jonah Heim and outfielder Adolis Garcia before this Friday's tender deadline. If they can't find any takers, both Heim and Garcia are non-tender candidates. Heim split playing time behind the dish in 2025 with Kyle Higashioka and hit .213/.271/.332 with 11 home runs, 43 RBI, and 38 runs scored in 124 games played. His 11 home runs were his fewest since 2021, when he played in only 82 games. Garcia, meanwhile, is entering the final year of his contract in 2026 and has had trouble staying healthy in recent seasons. The 32-year-old right-handed-hitting Cuban hit a career-best 39 long balls in 2023 but dropped down to 19 homers in 2025 while slashing a pedestrian .227/.271/.394 with a below-average .665 OPS, 75 RBI, 58 runs scored, and 13 stolen bases in 135 games played.

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The Baltimore Orioles acquired outfielder Taylor Ward from the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday night in exchange for right-hander Grayson Rodriguez (elbow), according to ESPN's Alden Gonzalez. The Orioles get the power-hitting outfielder that they were seeking while giving up their former top pitching prospect, who missed all of the 2025 season due to injury. Ward, 32 next month, was a former catcher but has transitioned to a power-hitting corner outfielder. From 2024 to 2025, Ward slashed .237/.320/.450 with 61 home runs and 178 RBI while ranking 25th among 316 hitters in chase rate. He has one year left until he reaches free agency. Ward will fill a need for the Orioles alongside outfielders Colton Cowser and Tyler O'Neill, but they are also expected to target a center fielder this offseason. Ward isn't going to hit for a high average, but his power should play very nicely at Camden Yards and in the American League East.

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The Los Angeles Angels acquired right-hander Grayson Rodriguez (elbow) on Tuesday from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for power-hitting outfielder Taylor Ward, according to ESPN's Alden Gonzalez. Rodriguez missed the entire 2025 season due to a right-elbow injury, but he is a former top prospect with plenty of long-term upside, and the Angels are desperately hoping he can become a top-of-the-rotation starter they've been seeking for years. The 26-year-old former 11th overall pick in 2018 is under club control for four more years and is expected to be ready for spring training. In his first two big-league seasons with the O's in 2023 and 2024, Rodriguez went 20-8 with a 4.11 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, and 259:78 K:BB in 43 starts. Rodriguez's strikeout upside is obvious, but he also missed the end of the 2024 season with a lat injury, leaving plenty of questions about his durability. He'll be a risk/reward fantasy selection in 2026 drafts.

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Right-hander Brandon Woodruff accepted his one-year, $22.025 million qualifying offer and will return to the Milwaukee Brewers for the 2026 season, a source told The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. Woodruff declined a $20 million mutual option for next year to become a free agent earlier this offseason, but he'll now return to the Brew Crew for at least one more season. 2025 was an injury-plagued one for the talented right-hander. He got a late start while recovering from right-shoulder surgery before suffering a few setbacks on his rehab assignment. Woodruff was shut down early with a lat strain in September, although he's expected to be ready to roll for spring training in February. He appeared in only 64 2/3 innings during the regular season, but he was good when available, posting a 3.20 ERA and 0.91 WHIP with 83 strikeouts and 14 walks. Woodruff was once a fantasy ace, but he comes with a bit more risk heading into 2026, going into his age-33 season coming off multiple injuries.

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Left-hander Shota Imanaga accepted the Chicago Cubs' one-year, $22.025 million qualifying offer on Tuesday and will return to the team for the 2026 season, according to The Athletic's Patrick Mooney. The Cubs made Imanaga a free agent earlier this offseason by declining his three-year, $57.5 million option, but now he'll return to the Windy City for at least one more year. The 32-year-old Japanese left-hander was an All-Star in his first year in the big leagues in 2024, but he wasn't quite as good in 2025. He missed time in the first half of the season due to injury and just wasn't the same in the second half. Imanaga finished 9-8 with a 3.73 ERA (4.86 FIP) and 0.99 WHIP with 117 strikeouts and 26 walks in 25 starts covering 144 2/3 frames. Imanaga's strikeout rate dropped from 25.1% in 2024 to 20% in 2025, but his walk rate remained elite, so a bounce back is entirely possible in 2026 in his third year in Chicago.

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ESPN's Jeff Passan writes that if not for injuries that limited him to 15 starts in 2025, free-agent right-hander Michael King "might be at the top of the free-agent pitcher's list." King is likelier to land a contract in the range of Nathan Eovaldi's three-year, $75 million deal from last offseason. High- and low-revenue teams are expected to be in on King, who would probably fetch a nine-figure contract if he had stayed healthy this past season. A shoulder injury limited the 30-year-old to 15 starts for the San Diego Padres this year. He went 5-3 with a 3.44 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and 76 strikeouts for the Friars in 73 1/3 innings pitched. King was pretty nasty in 2024 in SD, posting a 2.95 ERA with 201 K's in 30 starts, but that has been his only full season as a starter, raising concerns about his durability in both real life and for fantasy purposes.

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ESPN's Jeff Passan writes that in the minds of MLB executives, free-agent infielder Luis Arraez doesn't "warrant a big-money deal." Arraez will be one of the youngest players available this offseason at 28 years old. He has won three straight batting titles and led the National League in hits in 2025. However, "teams can't help but see Arraez for everything he isn't." The Venezuelan isn't great on defense, isn't a great baserunner, and doesn't have much power. He struck out only 21 times in 675 plate appearances this year, the lowest strikeout rate since Tony Gwynn struck out 15 times in 577 plate appearances 30 years ago. Contact-oriented hitters are still valuable in today's game, just not as much as they were, say, 20-30 years ago. Arraez is going to land somewhere, but he's probably not going to have offers flooding in, and he's not all that attractive in fantasy, either.

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ESPN's Jeff Passan writes that the Pittsburgh Pirates are "strongly considering" giving 19-year-old Konnor Griffin "the opportunity to win their big-league shortstop job," according to sources. Kriffin was the consensus minor-league player of the year in 2025 after wowing scouts by hitting .333/.415/.527 with 21 home runs and 65 stolen bases in his first professional season. The 6-foot-4, 225-pounder was the ninth overall pick in the 2024 draft. Griffin has immense talent, but the last teenager to debut in the major leagues as a teenager was Juan Soto in 2018. It could be a situation that ends up biting the Pirates, but with a front-line starting rotation and a potential fresh batch of free-agent bats, the addition of Griffin would make the Bucs an exciting group to watch. As for Griffin's fantasy value, he clearly has the tools to be worth rostering in all leagues immediately if he's with Pittsburgh early in 2026.

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The Tampa Bay Rays designated outfielder Christopher Morel for assignment on Tuesday, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The Rays acquired Morel from the Chicago Cubs in a trade during the 2024 season, but he struggled to hit for average and power in his time in Tampa and could find himself on the free-agent market this winter. In 105 games played for the Rays in 2025, Morel hit .219 (61-for-278) with 11 home runs, 33 RBI, 37 runs scored, seven stolen bases, and a 109:25 K:BB in 305 plate appearances. He was even worse in a 49-game stint with Tampa last year, going 33-for-173 (.191) with only three home runs and nine RBI in the second half of the year. There's plenty of athleticism with Morel, but he's not a great defender in the outfield and swings and misses far too often at the plate. At best, he'll latch on with another team and compete for a platoon role in 2026.

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The Tampa Bay Rays designated outfielder Jake Fraley for assignment on Tuesday, according to the Tampa Bay Times' Marc Topkin. Fraley was cut by the Cincinnati Reds this year and made stops with the Atlanta Braves and the Rays after that. The 30-year-old didn't actually play in any games with Tampa and might be back on the open market this offseason. He combined to hit .241/.332/.382 with a .714 OPS, six home runs, 23 RBI, 31 runs scored, and four stolen bases in 76 games in 2025 with the Reds and Braves. Fraley played in just nine games in Atlanta before being claimed off waivers by the Rays. The left-handed-hitting outfielder has had issues staying healthy in his career after being taken in the second round back in 2016 out of LSU by Tampa. At best, Fraley is a platoon bat with limited upside for fantasy baseball managers.

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The Athletics designated outfielder JJ Bleday for assignment on Tuesday, per Martin Gallegos of MLB.com. Bleday has not lived up to the high expectations of being the fourth overall pick by the Miami Marlins in 2019 out of Vanderbilt. The left-handed-hitting outfielder spent one year in Miami before being shipped to the Bay Area. In his three seasons with the A's, he slashed an underwhelming .224/.313/.410 with a .723 OPS, 44 home runs, 126 RBI, 157 runs scored, and only eight steals in 339 games played. The Athletics are dropping him from their roster this offseason after he hit .212 (65-for-307) in 2025 with 14 long balls, 39 RBI, and 48 runs scored in 98 games played. The 28-year-old will enter free agency this offseason if he refuses his outright assignment to the minor leagues.

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Second baseman Gleyber Torres has accepted the Detroit Tigers' one-year, $22.025 million qualifying offer, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. It's a pretty decent and deserving raise for Torres after he made $15 million in his first year in Motown in 2025. The 28-year-old had sports hernia surgery last month, but he's expected to be ready for the start of spring training in February. Plate discipline was Torres' specialty this year, and it helped him to the third All-Star selection of his career, and the first since his second year in the big leagues with the New York Yankees. In 145 regular-season games, he slashed .256/.358/.387 with a .745 OPS, 16 home runs, 74 RBI, 79 runs scored, and four stolen bases in 628 plate appearances. Torres was a nice fit for the Tigers this year, but he's now had back-to-back seasons of fewer than 20 homers, and fantasy managers definitely shouldn't count on him ever returning to the 30-homer mark like he did back in 2019.

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The Colorado Rockies designated first baseman Michael Toglia for assignment on Tuesday, according to Kyle Newman of The Denver Post. Toglia's combination of raw power from the left side of the plate, combined with his home environment at hitter-friendly Coors Field, has always been an intriguing mix, but the 27-year-old just hasn't been able to put it all together. The former UCLA star played in only 88 games for the Rockies in his fourth big-league season and was sent to the minors in early September after struggling all year. In his 337 plate appearances, Toglia hit just .190 (58-for-306) with 11 home runs, 32 RBI, 22 runs scored, 132 strikeouts, and 28 walks. He has now lost his spot on the team's roster and could become a free agent this offseason. In 280 career games with Colorado, Toglia has a .201 average with 42 home runs and a 373:101 K:BB.

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Houston Astros second baseman/outfielder Jose Altuve (foot) had a minor skin aspiration on Monday, a source told MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. The procedure removed fluid from a wound between Altuve's fourth and fifth toes on his right foot after he was bothered by a sore foot in the final two weeks of the regular season. The 35-year-old nine-time All-Star and former MVP hit .265 in 2025 with 26 home runs, 77 RBI, and 80 runs scored in 155 games. Altuve started the year in an unfamiliar position in left field before moving back to second base after Yordan Alvarez suffered a hand injury early in the year. He ended up starting 61 games at the keystone, 49 at designated hitter, and 44 in left field. In his 15th season with the Astros, Altuve moved into second all-time on the franchise list in hits with 2,388, trailing only Craig Biggio. Altuve is also third on the franchise list in extra-base hits (742) and games played (1,976). He is the fourth primary second baseman in baseball history with 255 career homers and 325 steals, joining Biggio, Joe Morgan, and Ryne Sandberg. Altuve should be a full-go for spring training.

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Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown said last week at the GM meetings in Las Vegas that third baseman Isaac Paredes (hamstring) is around 65% recovered from his right-hamstring injury. "We'll feel like he'll at least get to somewhere between 80 and 90 percent at the start of the spring and potentially be ready to go by Opening Day," Brown said. The 26-year-old tore his hamstring in the middle of July and was limited to designated hitter duties late in the season when he returned. The Mexican infielder had a fine 2025 campaign when he was on the field, hitting .254/.352/.458 with an .809 OPS, 20 home runs, 53 RBI, and 53 runs scored in 102 games in his first year in Houston. Although Paredes might not be a full-go for the start of the 2026 regular season, he won't be a bad target for some power at third base once the bigger names at the position come off the board in fantasy drafts.

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MLB Network's Jon Morosi says that he thinks the Boston Red Sox will "either bring back Alex Bregman" or "make an all-out pursuit of Pete Alonso." Morosi likes Boston's "chances to get one or the other." "I believe the Red Sox are the strongest contender of anyone to take Pete Alonso away from the New York Mets," Morosi added. The BoSox will be on the market for a starting pitcher this winter, too, but Morosi thinks it will be a big priority to try and bring Bregman back after his strong season in 2025 in Beantown. In 114 games last year, Bregman hit .273 with 18 homers, 62 RBI, an .821 OPS, and a 3.5 WAR, while Alonso hit .272 with 38 bombs, 126 RBI, an .871 OPS, and a 3.4 WAR in 162 games. Alonso has the clear edge in the power department, but Bregman is more versatile on defense and is still an above-average defender at third base. Both players opted out of their deals with their respective teams following the World Series, and both share the same agent in Scott Boras.

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