15+ hour, 37+ min ago (833+ words) Is there something here? We all got pretty excited about Dylan Dodd a few years ago. 2024 was better (derogatory), and the Atlanta Braves seemed committed to him as a starter. But the outlook remained the same - he looked like a depth piece. Dodd was drafted in the third round in 2021. A casualty of the COVID-affected season, he was already 23 years old. Dodd was a depth piece at this point. Everything screamed pedestrian at this point when you looked at him from a rotation perspective. Dodd crashed and burned in both the minors and the majors as a starter in 2023, and again, wasn't much better in the minors in 2024 (he made one relief appearance for the big-league Braves that year). But the immediate usage showed that Atlanta no longer saw him as a rotation piece. They moved him to the bullpen,…...

1+ day, 12+ hour ago (470+ words) RICHMOND has invited Tom Burton to train with the club over summer with a view to potentially signing him as a pre-season supplementary selection period (SSP) signing. Burton was overlooked in the national and rookie drafts last week, despite an impressive campaign for the Western Jets this season where he averaged 29 disposals. AFL.com.au's Cal Twomey reported on Monday that Burton will train with the Tigers with a view to him signing a rookie deal. Richmond has invited Western Jets prospect Thomas Burton to train with the club in the SSP window. Burton started today at Punt Road & was considered unlucky to miss being drafted last week after averaging 29 disposals for the Jets this year and playing with Vic Metro. @AFLcomau The SSP window, which runs until February 20, opened on Monday and allows clubs to add extra players to…...

3+ day, 9+ hour ago (478+ words) Once known for his high-octane arm in the outfield, Joey Gallo is attempting to use it for pitching. Mark J. Rebilas / Imagn Images Joey Gallo last appeared in a big-league game some 418 days ago, but if the ex-slugger has any say over his future, it won't be too long before he's back in an MLB stadium, only this time as a pitcher. In March, Gallo announced that he would switch to pitching and seven months later posted a first-look video of his bid to return to the majors. " Joey Gallo (@JoeyGallo24) November 21, 2025 In a 15-second video shared on X, Gallo, 32, is shown throwing three pitches off a mound. Using his 6-foot-5 frame, Gallo is employing a typical overhand arm slot, with a rather pronounced extension, a typical hallmark of lengthy pitchers. While the catcher isn't visible on the video, the sound of…...

3+ day, 14+ hour ago (377+ words) The Chicago Cubs have done a great job of hanging onto the fruits of their farm system the past few years, even as they've made trades to bolster the Major League roster. Perhaps the Cubs could have spent more of those prospects to bring in better pitching to bolster their 2025 playoff run. But Chicago chose to hang onto as many of their prospects as it could for the future. Recently, Baseball America (subscription required) released its Top 10 Cubs prospects, led by Moises Ballesteros. But the site also projected the Cubs' 2029 batting order. The criteria included players who are expected to be with the Cubs in 2029, based on contracts, service time, and top prospects. The lineup was heavy on players that were either in the Cubs system or are part of the Cubs system right now. The rest of the lineup…...

3+ day, 15+ hour ago (415+ words) CLEVELAND -- The Guardians shuffled their 40-man roster on Friday, ahead of the deadline to tender contracts to players for 2026. The Guardians non-tendered outfielder Will Brennan and relievers Sam Hentges and Nic Enright, making each a free agent. They agreed to contracts for 2026 with reliever Matt Festa, catcher/utility man David Fry and outfielder Nolan Jones, to avoid arbitration. Festa will earn $1 million, Fry $1.375 million and Jones $2 million, a source told MLB.com. Cleveland also tendered contracts to its other 32 arbitration-eligible players and those in the pre-arbitration phase, which includes left fielder Steven Kwan. The two-time All-Star, who has two seasons of club control remaining, is eligible for arbitration. The Guardians" 40-man roster is now at 38. Brennan, Hentges and Enright each are currently rehabbing from injuries. Brennan had Tommy John surgery in June, and he underwent sports hernia surgery in September....

5+ day, 10+ hour ago (331+ words) Over the past few seasons, there has been little hype surrounding the Athletics. They had parted ways with any player that could bring them value, building their foundation, and some of that was seen this past season." While they missed the postseason, they finished the regular season with the best record they had sustained since the 2021 season. There are now things to be excited about, and the A's could come out and build upon their 2025 season." However, to do so, the club will have to make some tough decisions this offseason. They have already made one of these tough decisions, designating for assignment a player who was selected in the first round of the 2019 MLB Draft, JJ Bleday, via MLB Trade Rumors. JJ Bleday was considered one of the top prospects in the 2019 draft. He was selected as the No....

6+ day, 5+ min ago (267+ words) The Sox put Fraser Ellard on the voluntarily retired list Tuesday. The White Sox added Tanner McDougal and Duncan Davitt to their 40-man roster to protect them from next month's Rule 5 draft. The team also placed left-hander Fraser Ellard, who had two separate stints on the injured list, on the Voluntarily Retired List. Ellard, 28, was drafted by the Sox in the 2021 MLB Draft. The Sox also acquired left-hander Chris Murphy from the Red Sox for minor-league catcher Ronny Hernandez. McDougal was ranked as the team's No.7 prospect according to MLB.com, and their third-best pitching prospect. He posted a 3.26 ERA over 28 starts across two minor-league levels. After being called up to Double A in June, McDougal pitched to immense success, going 3-2 with a 3.23 ERA with the Birmingham Barons. The Sox drafted him in the eighth round of the 2021 MLB Draft....

6+ day, 4+ hour ago (424+ words) The Philadelphia Phillies added three prospects to their 40-man roster Tuesday evening. These prospects are now exempt from the Rule 5 draft, an annual draft where other organizations select from minor leaguers that haven't been promoted to their respective teams' 40-man roster after four or five seasons, pending the age they've initially signed their contract. The Phillies protected the following players: Painter was inconsistent and dealt with command issues down in the minors. He had a difficult time keeping the baseball in the park, allowing 20 home runs, 18 being in Triple-A which was 13th most amongst pitchers. Painter ended the year 5-8 with a 5.26 ERA and 1.49 WHIP in 118.0 innings split between Triple-A Lehigh Valley and Double-A Reading. Another arm for the Phillies coming off Tommy John surgery, McFarlane possesses a fastball reaching triple digits. He finished at a 9.2 SO/9 last season between Reading and…...

6+ day, 8+ hour ago (236+ words) As the 2025 offseason approaches, the Oakland Athletics face several roster decisions, including the future of outfielder JJ Bleday. Once considered part of the club's young core, Bleday's standing with the organization has become increasingly uncertain after an inconsistent 2025 campaign. Bleday was one of Oakland's bright spots in 2024, producing a 2.1 WAR season while hitting 20 home runs and driving in 60 runs. This year, however, he struggled to replicate that progress. Bleday was designated for assignment multiple times and finished the 2025 season with a .212 batting average and a -0.3 WAR, despite hitting 14 home runs in 98 games. Despite his uneven 2025 season, Bleday still offers upside. The 2019 No. 4 overall pick out of Vanderbilt once projected as one of the purest hitters in his draft class, and his 2024 production showed he can be a valuable contributor when locked in. Teams seeking a low-cost outfield bat with power…...

6+ day, 9+ hour ago (995+ words) Gabriel Rincones Jr. homers during spring training. After a slow start this year at Triple A, the outfielder posted a .987 OPS over the final two months of the season. Nathan Ray Seebeck / Imagn Images The Phillies added prospects Andrew Painter, Gabriel Rincones Jr. and Alex McFarlane to their 40-man roster on Tuesday, the deadline to protect them ahead of December's Rule 5 draft. The three additions are unsurprising. Painter is the Phillies' top pitching prospect and one of the top-ranked Rule 5-eligible players in baseball. Rincones could be playing in the Phillies' outfield come summer. McFarlane, who pitched out of the bullpen toward the end of the season, has flashed strong stuff and triple-digit velocity. Here is an overview of the three prospects, and a look at whom the Phillies chose not to protect. Rincones, 24, hit his stride after a slow…...