

According to Mark Feinsand of the MLB Network, the Colorado Rockies have signed free-agent infielder Thairo Estrada to a one-year contract. Estrada has spent each of his past four seasons playing with the San Francisco Giants. Last season, the 28-year-old held a disappointing .217/.247/.343 slash line, which was a stark drop compared to the solid .271/.315/.416 line he posted in the 2023 campaign. In addition, during the 2023 season, he hit 14 home runs and swiped 23 bags while he hit just nine home runs and had two stolen bases last summer. Under the hood, Estrada generated a weak 31.7% hard-hit rate and 4.8% barrel rate. Despite his drop in production last season, Estrada could be an intriguing late-round flier in deeper formats, as he will be playing in a positive fantasy environment in Coors Field and could be set up well for a nice bounce-back campaign as a regular.


According to Ari Alexander of KPRC2, the Toronto Blue Jays have signed free-agent relief pitcher Yimi Garcia (elbow) to a two-year contract worth $15 million. Last season, Garcia opened the season in Toronto and was eventually traded to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for outfielder Jonatan Clase. Overall across 39 innings of work, the right-hander held a 3.46 ERA and a stellar 0.90 WHIP with five saves and 13 holds. Garcia's season was cut short in late August due to elbow inflammation. Under the hood, he generated an impressive .185 xBA, 32.0% strikeout rate and 34.4% hard-hit rate, which were all significantly above the average marks. Fantasy managers should monitor his status leading up to spring training, as he may face an uphill battle to be ready for the season opener. With Garcia returning to Toronto, fantasy managers should expect him to operate as the go-to eighth inning option, but he could eventually mix in for save opportunities with Chad Green.


According to Jake Rill of MLB.com, Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Grayson Rodriguez (lat) will be a "full-go" for spring training. The 25-year-old missed the final two months of the 2024 season with a lat injury. Over 116 2/3 innings of work last summer, the right-hander held a 3.86 ERA and 1.24 WHIP with a 13-4 record. Under the hood, the former top prospect generated a strong 30.0% whiff rate and 26.5% strikeout rate. In addition, he also generated a solid 3.72 xERA and .231 xBA, which were both above the average marks. This was a nice improvement compared to the 4.35 ERA and 1.34 WHIP he held during his rookie campaign in 2023. Fantasy managers should monitor his status during spring training, as the former 11th overall selection could operate as the Baltimore ace during the entire 2025 season.


The Toronto Blue Jays are finalizing a trade on Tuesday to acquire three-time Gold Glove-winning second baseman Andres Gimenez from the Cleveland Guardians, according to sources. Gimenez should become a little bit more interesting from a fantasy perspective with the move to hitter-friendly Rogers Centre and a pretty potent Blue Jays lineup despite his struggles offensive in Cleveland in 2024. The 26-year-old slashed .252/.298/.340 with 63 RBI in 152 games played in his final year with the Guardians. Although his bat may not stand out among second baseman, his glove does, and Gimenez has also recorded back-to-back 30-stolen base campaigns. Gimenez will be a nice bounce-back candidate in Toronto in 2025 as an everyday player after sporting an .837 OPS just two years ago. Target his speed in drafts and hope that he can start hitting ball harder than he has the last two seasons.


Free-agent left-hander Max Fried and the New York Yankees agreed to an eight-year, $218 million deal on Tuesday, pending a physical, according to sources. It becomes the largest guarantee in baseball history for a left-handed pitcher and sends Fried from the National League East with the Atlanta Braves to the American League East. Fried will not have any deferred money and won't be able to opt out of the contract. Although injuries have set back the 30-year-old southpaw before, the Yankees were willing to take the risk because of Fried's ace potential when healthy. The two-time All-Star has a career 3.07 ERA (3.29 FIP), a 1.16 WHIP and 23.9% strikeout rate in his eight big-league seasons (all in Atlanta). He has made at least 28 starts in four of the last five full seasons but he also has topped 180 innings just once. The move to the AL East won't be easy, but Fried's ground-ball tendencies in the Bronx should help.
