Still waiting to see where Trevor Rosenthal winds up and what role he's expected to fill, but free agency is mostly wrapped up at this point. Here's a breakdown of all the notable offseason moves:
James Paxton signs with Mariners
The Mariners scored some good vibes from Mariners fans by bringing back their former ace, but it's telling that a contender didn't offer more than a guaranteed $8.5 million to a pitcher with his track record (presuming, of course, that Paxton took the most money). The 32-year-old missed most of last season with a strained flexor in his pitching arm, which was also Chris Sale's diagnosis shortly before succumbing to Tommy John surgery. Turns out that's often the way it goes. Not all hope is lost, though, given that Paxton was reportedly reaching 94 mph as long ago as December. It would be an improvement from last year even with ample time remaining to build up. Still, he's too big of a gamble to justify more than a late-round look. —Scott White
Justin Turner signs with Dodgers
Just when Edwin Rios was beginning to gain some traction as a sleeper, Turner re-ups with the team few genuinely thought he was going to leave. It may not be the greatest thing for his Fantasy value, though. The Dodgers, who aren't a team that shies away from platoons generally, still have a fair amount of depth (see Rios, Edwin) and seem to have determined that the 36-year-old Turner is better off sitting once or twice a week. The production remains top-notch -- he's a .307 hitter with a .910 OPS over the past four seasons -- but all the off days figure to drag down his totals enough to make him kind of a fringy mixed-leaguer. He deserves to be drafted, but only after 15 or so other third basemen have gone off the board. —Scott White
Mark Melancon signs with Padres
This move throws a wrench in the Padres bullpen plans as once again Melancon threatens the closing prospects of a more talented left-hander. Last year, he beat out Will Smith for saves in Atlanta. Could the same hold true for Drew Pomeranz in San Diego? Or could it result in (gulp) another closer committee, perhaps also involving Emilio Pagan? We'll just have to wait and see. Both pitchers' value is suppressed until we find out more, but Pomeranz's superior ratios make him the preferred choice to draft of the two. Melancon's decision also raises questions for the the Braves bullpen since he obviously won't be returning there. —Scott White
Andrew Benintendi traded to Royals
The Red Sox got perpetual curiosity Franchy Cordero back in the deal while the Mets snagged Royals outfield prospect Khalil Lee. The Royals bought low, obviously, on a former 20-20 guy who was also once the top prospect in baseball, and at 26, Benintendi's story isn't completely written. But I'd be lying if I said there were a lot of believers out there. He's not as fleet of foot as he used to be and has settled into being more of a Nick Markakis-like hitter. Target him as no more than a fifth outfielder. —Scott White
Renato Nunez signs with Tigers
Nunez only signed on with a minor-league deal despite having 43 homers in 203 games the past two years, which goes to show how dispensable right-handed power-hitting corner bats are. Despite the terms of the deal, it's still likely he comes away with a starting job on a team with few alternatives. Hitting in Detroit is a little different than hitting in Baltimore, but in a deep enough league, he'll still be worth drafting for his home run and RBI potential. —Scott White
Adam Duvall signs with Marlins
Duvall's 16 home runs last year were tied for third in the NL, and he made headlines by delivering two three-homer games in the span of eight days. But we know the deal with him. The home run total will be useful if he gets enough at-bats, but his on-base skills are so limited that those at-bats are no guarantee. The Marlins in particular could shy away from him in favor of Garrett Cooper or Jon Berti, so despite Duvall's high finish last year, he's more like a fifth outfielder in Fantasy Baseball. —Scott White
Jonathan Villar signs with Mets
We would have liked to see Villar land another starting gig given that he's probably the second most prolific base-stealer behind Adalberto Mondesi. With the Mets, he'll play backup to several positions and could still find his way into significant playing time if someone gets hurt, but their starting eight doesn't have any weak spots, really. Steals are scarce enough for him to get some late-round looks in Rotisserie leagues regardless, but he may end up doing more harm than good for your lineup. —Scott White
Marcell Ozuna signs with Braves
It's hard to see any downside whenever a player chooses to stay in the locale where he enjoyed his best season. Ozuna finally brought his actual stats in line with his expected stats in 2020, finally emerging as the sort of player we all hoped he could be. Sustaining it over a full-length season will be the next challenge, and a half-step back is the most reasonable expectation for the highest-scoring outfielder in Head-to-Head points leagues last year (ahead of even Mookie Betts). But it helps to know Ozuna is in a comfortable environment with a loaded lineup and in a position to put his best foot forward. Expect him to go off the board as early as Round 4. —Scott White
Trevor Bauer signs with Dodgers
The rich get richer, and Bauer may be the richest of all now, set to pocket $40 million this year and $45 million next year. But while having him in the same rotation as Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler is something for Dodgers fans to get excited about, there are some consequences for the back end of the starting rotation, where Julio Urias, Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May will be competing for innings. For a complete breakdown of the situation, click here. —Scott White
Alex Colome signs with Twins
The Twins have never seemed totally satisfied with Taylor Rogers as their closer, so when Bob Nightengale of USA Today first reported they were signing Colome to be their closer, it made sense. Rogers is arguably the more talented pitcher, but Colome has served as a closer for the better part of the past five years. Of course, Dan Hayes, Twins writer for The Athletic, then followed up by saying the Twins would more likely have a closer committee, with the right-handed Colome and the left-handed Rogers leading the way, so this situation has the potential to become a big headache for Fantasy Baseballers. If you're investing in one guy, it should probably be Colome, but both figure to have modest value in standard Rotisserie leagues. —Scott White
Joakim Soria signs with Diamondbacks
Prior to this signing, the Diamondbacks seemed content to roll with Stefan Crichton as their closer after watching him convert five consecutive save chances down the stretch last season, but he's a little too vulnerable to contact for them to presume it would all turn out fine. So does Soria become the favorite for saves now, or is he just there to challenge Crichton? It remains to be seen, but the 36-year-old has recorded 223 saves in his career and has averaged 10.5 K/9 over the past four years. At first glance, he at least seems better suited for the rule, which is enough to put him on the radar in standard mixed leagues. —Scott White
Kolten Wong signs with Brewers
Wong will get to keep playing regularly, which is notable since he's someone who could impact the all-too-scarce stolen base category. It's also worth noting he's a career .308 hitter with an .855 OPS at Miller Park. Most notable of all, though, is what it means for Keston Hiura's future, not to mention his present. The 24-year-old appears locked in at first base now. If he's all he's supposed to be, it won't impact his value much, but it does shake up long-term lineup configurations in dynasty leagues. Meanwhile, Wong's move to Milwaukee precludes his return to St. Louis, thus confirming that Tommy Edman is poised to play second base every day for the Cardinals. —Scott White
Nelson Cruz signs with Twins
A reunion with Cruz made too much sense for the Twins given their playoff aspirations and the uncertainties up and down the rest of their lineup. Despite his advanced age (he'll turn 41 in July), he's a relatively sure thing, only once delivering an OPS below .900 over the past five seasons. (He still hit 37 homers with an .850 OPS for the Mariners that year.) Some might point to the slightly elevated strikeout rate and slightly reduced exit velocity last year as signs that he's slowing down, but given the small sample of it all, those minor variations are virtually meaningless. He's too productive for where he's taken in drafts (around 80th overall) to nitpick so. —Scott White
Chris Archer signs with Rays
It's a fun reunion after the Rays used Archer to fleece the Pirates out of Tyler Glasnow, Austin Meadows and prospect Shane Baz three years ago, but more than that, it's an indication that the organization that knows Archer best believes he still has something left to contribute. The right-hander fell on hard times in Pittsburgh but was twice an All-Star for the Rays, placing in the top five for Cy Young one year. Of course, he's now coming back from thoracic outlet surgery, which was the procedure that brought about Matt Harvey's end. It's true the Rays aren't an organization that would sink $6.5 million into a lost cause, but Archer is nonetheless a long-shot play better left for the scout team. —Scott White
Nolan Arenado traded to Cardinals
One of the most bankable studs of the past five years -- a first-round lock until this year, averaging 39.8 homers and 124.2 RBI from 2015 through 2019 -- has a new home. And since that home isn't Colorado, the land of eternal offense, it raises some questions. For a complete breakdown of what this deal means for Arenado's Fantasy value, click here. —Scott White
Didi Gregorius signs with Phillies
Gregorius' power is the sort that probably wouldn't translate to a larger park, so it's a relief he's staying in a smallish one where we've already seen what he can do. As long as he sustains that power production, he's a sneaky play in points leagues especially because of his low strikeout rate. Last year, he averaged nearly as many points per game in that format (3.13) as Xander Bogaerts did (3.26). Bogaerts' line is more repeatable, sure, but Gregorius isn't a bad fallback option at a position where everyone figures to have someone good. —Scott White
Carlos Rodon signs with White Sox
The $3 million deal suggests Carlos Rodon may be a lost cause, but it's worth pointing out that his disastrous 7 2/3 innings last year were only 7 2/3 innings, not to mention his first action since having Tommy John surgery. What makes this deal notable for Fantasy Baseballers, though, is what it means for Michael Kopech, the exciting rookie who himself is making a return from Tommy John surgery. MLB.com writer Scott Merkin doesn't mince words about it, saying Kopech is expected to begin the year in the minors with Rodon and Reynaldo Lopez competing for the final rotation spot. It doesn't mean Kopech is undraftable, but it sounds like he'll be purely a stash to begin the year. —Scott White
Eddie Rosario signs with Indians
One of the more surprising non-tenders from earlier this offseason finally has a new team, and it's one that could sorely use his bat after losing Francisco Lindor and Carlos Santana this offseason. That bat is a remarkably steady one, too, averaging a .284-28-88-86-7 line in the three seasons leading up to 2020, when the batting average came in a little low and the power a little high. Rosario may be a little undervalued, actually, being drafted outside the top 30 outfielders. While he'll be asked to carry the load more in this lineup, you can be certain the venue won't hold him back. In 170 career at-bats at Progressive Field, he has hit .353 with 11 homers and a 1.031 OPS. —Scott White
Joc Pederson signs with Cubs
The Cubs passed up an opportunity to upgrade from Kyle Schwarber by instead replacing him with the next-closest thing. Pederson is another suspect defender with poor splits against left-handers and basically three true outcomes at the plate. He can get hot for stretches and did hit 36 balls out of the park in 2019, but his Fantasy impact is limited overall. There's less competition for him with the Cubs than with the Dodgers, but he's still likely looking at a platoon role. —Scott White
Cesar Hernandez signs with Indians
The Indians appeared set up the middle after acquiring Amed Rosario and Andres Gimenez in the Francisco Lindor trade, but in bringing back Hernandez, they're suddenly overbooked. Hernandez offers the safest profile offensively, even if it's underwhelming for Fantasy purposes, which puts Rosario and Gimenez back in the same spot they were in with the Mets: vying for playing time. Gimenez is the preferred option for Fantasy purposes since he looks like the better base-stealer -- and there is some talk of Rosario maybe being flipped elsewhere -- but as things currently stand, Gimenez is probably just a late-rounder and Rosario not even worth drafting in standard 5x5 leagues. —Scott White
Marcus Semien signs with Blue Jays
The second runner up for AL MVP in 2019 gets a one-year prove-it deal, signing for $18 million, and he'll get to prove it in a more favorable hitting environment than the one he called home for the past six years. But that 2019 season is the outlier for him offensively, with most of his career coming much closer to his underwhelming 2020. It is possible, perhaps likely, that his fly-ball swing plays better in a smaller venue, which might earn him some mid-round looks in drafts, but it's worth noting his home/away splits have been remarkably steady throughout his career.
His arrival also shakes up the Blue Jays infield, presumably sending Cavan Biggio to third base most days and Vladimir Guerrero to first or DH. Semien will eventually gain second base eligibility with Rowdy Tellez and Randall Grichuk likely forced into a DH/1B/OF platoon. —Scott White
Tommy La Stella signs with Giants
La Stella held his own at Angel Stadium and RingCentral Coliseum, which aren't hitter-friendly venues, but San Francisco is on another level and known to be especially unforgiving for left-handed hitters. It played a little differently last year, with the fences in slightly and the lack of crowds perhaps having an effect on the air flow, but its reputation is well-earned. La Stella may be back to square one as a power hitter after his gains in that area the past two years, and with Donovan Solano also representing a ready-made platoon partner, he loses some luster as a late-round middle infielder. —Scott White
Andrelton Simmons signs with Twins
Shortstop defense has been a problem for the Twins in recent years, so bringing in the best defensive shortstop of his generation makes all the sense in the world. It can only help the pitching staff, even though none of Kenta Maeda, Jose Berrios and Michael Pineda is known for putting the ball on the ground. The biggest impact for Fantasy Baseball is what it means for Jorge Polanco. He shifts to second base, where he'll have an easier time climbing into the top 12. Despite a down year, he remains well suited for batting average with elite line-drive and contact rates. Luis Arraez, himself an excellent contact hitter, should still get some run as a super utility guy. —Scott White
Wilson Ramos signs with Tigers
The 33-year-old looked like he might be done as a big-league starter after thudding with the Mets last season, but the Tigers thought their young pitching staff could benefit from a veteran presence and were willing to commit $2 million to the idea. If he can bring his strikeout rate down to its usual range, he has a chance to matter at a weak position. It was only 2019 when he hit .288 with 14 homers and a .768 OPS, after all, so don't forget about him in two-catcher leagues. —Scott White
Freddy Galvis signs with Orioles
The Orioles needed a starting shortstop after trading Jose Iglesias, so they went shopping in the bargain bin and reeled in Galvis for $1.5 million. His poor plate discipline limits his utility to deeper leagues, but he did hit 23 homers for the Reds in 2019 and was on a similar pace last year. He'll get to play in another hitter-friendly environment, so it stands to reason he could be similarly productive. —Scott White
J.T. Realmuto signs with Phillies
The market for J.T. Realmuto never quite heated up the way some might have expected, but in the end, he got his record average salary, as he agreed to a five-year, $115.5 million deal to return to the Phillies on Tuesday. That deal will give him the highest average salary for a catcher in MLB history at $23.1 million per year, just edging Joe Mauer's $23 million deal. For a complete breakdown, click here. —Chris Towers
Brad Hand signs with Nationals
The most rumored destinations for Hand might have taken him out of the closer role he has held for the past four years, leading the majors with 16 saves last year, but he's expected to retain it with the Nationals, who muddled through with Daniel Hudson and his 6.10 ERA last year. Of course, it takes Tanner Rainey (2.66 ERA, 0.74 WHIP, 14.2 K/9) out of the running, at least for now, but then again, Hand did see his velocity and swinging-strike rate decline last year. Those warning signs may be overplayed given how dominant he was in spite of them, but they're reason to keep Rainey's name in the back of your mind late in 5x5 drafts. —Scott White
Jameson Taillon traded to Yankees
The Pirates dealt away Taillon, who was once one of the great hopes for the franchise, for a grab bag of unremarkable prospects, which might suggest they don't like his chances of bouncing all the way back from his second Tommy John surgery. It wasn't, after all, a salary dump, seeing as he's making only $2.25 million. His Fantasy Baseball prospects can only go up with this deal, though -- and not just because of the improved supporting cast. He wouldn't be the first once-hyped Pirates pitcher to benefit from a change of scenery, after all, and judging from the rest of his arsenal, it looks like another classic case of what afflicted all of them during the Ray Searage era: overreliance on the two-seamer. The risk is worth the reward in the late rounds. —Scott White
Enrique Hernandez signs with Red Sox
Hernandez figures to fill same role with the Red Sox that he did with the Dodgers the past couple years, getting most of the starts at second base while bouncing around the diamond as needed. The Red Sox are also motivated to find at-bats for Michael Chavis and perhaps turn over second base to prospect Jeter Downs before season's end, but Hernandez's versatility ensures he'll never be out of the lineup for long. Still, his role probably won't be quite regular enough for his modest power to translate to useful Fantasy production. —Scott White
Jurickson Profar signs with Padres
Profar was sneaky good for the Padres last year, bouncing back from a disappointing stint with the Athletics in 2019, but it's not clear they have as much need for him after bringing in Ha-Seong Kim to be their super utility player. Once Jake Cronenworth stepped in at second base, Profar got most of his at-bats filling in for an injured Tommy Pham in left field, and maybe this signing signals that the Padres aren't so trusting in Pham's health still. But now that Kim is as much a possibility to fill in as Profar, it's not so clear that either will play enough to factor in mixed leagues, and others may lose at-bats occasionally as well. —Scott White
J.A. Happ signs with Twins
After trying their luck with Rich Hill last year, the Twins will turn to another veteran lefty to round out their starting rotation, but Happ is a question mark in his own right. His 2 1/2 years with the Yankees were as much a mixed bag as the rest of his career, and while he did finish the regular season on a high note with a 2.22 ERA in his final four starts, there weren't any obvious changes to his arsenal to explain it. And then came the thud of his lone postseason outing against the Rays, when he allowed four earned runs in 2 2/3 innings. At age 38, he's unlikely to be a big-innings eater or bat-misser for the Twins, but his supporting cast should make him streamable at times. —Scott White
Michael Brantley signs with Astros
Early Wednesday, it looked like Michael Brantley would be joining former teammate George Springer in Toronto, but he ended up re-upping with the Astros for two more years. The lineup remains championship-caliber even if it has begun to erode some, so expectations for Brantley's third year in Houston shouldn't change at all. Whether he's nearing a decline at age 33 is fair to wonder, but there isn't much evidence for it. He remains a contact-first hitter with enough power to factor in all formats, but especially points leagues. —Scott White
George Springer signs with Blue Jays
George Springer put together a pretty typical George Springer season in 2020, and the smart money says you can expect more of the same in Toronto. But it's worth pointing out that his expected stats (a .294 xBA and .570 xSLG) were closer to his outlier 2019 season, when he hit .292 with 39 homers and a .974 OPS. Considering his 2020 production was partially stifled by a wrist injury early on, I don't think we can rule out a return of the 2019 version. The Blue Jays' big investment (six years, $150 million) might also signal some skepticism over Teoscar Hernandez, who's deserving of it coming off an out-of-nowhere breakthrough. —Scott White
Kirby Yates signs with Blue Jays
After a two-year stretch in which he compiled a 1.67 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 13.9 K/9 to put himself in the conversation for best closer in baseball, Yates clearly wasn't right to begin 2020 and ended up missing most of the year with bone chips in his elbow. It's reasonable, then, to attribute discomfort to his downfall, especially since his velocity and swinging-strike rate were just as they should be. His stuff appeared intact, in other words, even if his delivery was compromised, and the Blue Jays were in a position to place that bet. It means Jordan Romano, a deserving candidate, is no longer the front-runner to close, but ultimately, we'd rather see Yates claim the role. It also makes Drew Pomeranz an even clearer front-runner for the Padres job. —Scott White
Jose Quintana signs with Angels
The Angles will take an $8 million flier on Quintana, whose 2020 season was basically flushed away after he cut his thumb on a wine glass. He also dealt with a lat injury. He was already trending the wrong way, though, having delivered a 4.68 ERA and 1.39 WHIP for the Cubs in 2019. There was a time when he was an underrated innings eater, but the home run explosion in recent years has more or less put an end to that. He figures to be no better than a streamer type in 2021. —Scott White
Joe Musgrove traded to Padres
After already dealing for Blake Snell and Yu Darvish this offseason, the Padres made yet another move to bolster their starting rotation, and at some point, you have to wonder what it means for MacKenzie Gore's prospects and/or Dinelson Lamet's health. While this Musgrove move is lower in profile, the impact could be surprising given the strides he made with the Pirates last year, improving his curveball in a way that reverberated through the rest of his arsenal. It led to a career high 14.4 percent swinging-strike rate that equaled Darvish and kicked into overdrive in his final two starts, the first double digit-strikeout efforts of his career. And now with an improved supporting cast, the breakout buzz burns even brighter. —Scott White
Joey Lucchesi traded to Mets
Among the five prospects the Padres sent to the Pirates for Joe Musgrove was one they acquired that same day from the Mets for Lucchesi, a former Fantasy darling who has only backslid since his impressive rookie season. It's unclear at this point whether the Mets intend for him to have a rotation spot or simply to challenge Steven Matz, but considering he's a two-pitch pitcher, standing out most for his hybrid "churve," he might fit best as a multi-inning reliever. The Padres barely made use of him during the pandemic-shortened season, suggesting they were ready to turn the page. —Scott White
Corey Kluber signs with Yankees
The two-time Cy Young winner is in need of reclamation after losing almost all of 2019 to a fractured forearm and almost all of 2020 to a torn muscle in his shoulder, and at age 35, there's no guaranteeing he gets that reclamation. But for the Yankees to hand him a guaranteed $11 million, they must have liked what they saw at his showcase Wednesday. Word is he was throwing in the high 80s, but seeing as it's only January, it wouldn't be a stretch for him to build up to his usual 92 mph. And while his 5.65 ERA in 36 2/3 innings since 2018 brings with it some presumption of decline, it's worth pointing out that in his last healthy season, he went 20-7 with a 2.89 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 9.3 K/9. He's a late-round gamble in Fantasy given his age and inactivity, but he may be a worthwhile one for the upside. —Scott White
This is of course what Fantasy Baseballers hoped to see from the beginning, and the outcome was predictable enough. Maybe LeMahieu has evolved with the Yankees in a way that would carry over to another team -- like the Blue Jays, who made an offer -- but given how well Yankee Stadium has proven to play for his opposite-field tendencies, hosting 27 of his 36 home runs the past two years, better to leave well enough alone. The 32-year-old already addressed the skepticism raised by his breakout 2019 with an even better 2020, and leaving would have introduced new questions. He remains in an optimal venue with an optimal lineup and an optimal lineup spot and should probably be the first second base-eligible player off the board. —Scott White
The biggest closer domino has fallen. The market is set at four years, $54 million (with some tricky terms for that fourth year), which could lead to a chain reaction in which Brad Hand, Kirby Yates, Trevor Rosenthal and Mark Melancon all find a new ninth-inning home. Last year, Hendriks actually improved upon his breakout 2020 and should face less skepticism this time around. He's most likely the second reliever off the board, after Josh Hader. The Athletics are expected to fill their closer vacancy in-house, with left-hander Jake Diekman already identified as a leading candidate. Aaron Bummer, who was the White Sox's top internal candidate to close, will remain in a setup role. —Scott White
Between this move and the Josh Bell trade, the Nationals lineup is looking pretty interesting all of a sudden. They had an opening in the outfield with Adam Eaton moving on, so nobody noteworthy suffers from this signing. Schwarber looked like he had turned a corner when he hit .250 with 38 homers in 2019, notably cutting down on his strikeouts in the second half, but he crashed hard last year. He's worth a late-round flier for some cheap power, but keep in mind the Nationals could still find a right-handed platoon partner for him. —Scott White
