The hot stove is heated, the trade has begun, and several noteworthy free agents have already left the field. Where can you stay afloat in this whirlpool of maneuvers?
That's where exactly. Chris Towers and I will do Off-season tracker our base for the next few months, releasing content as the news demands. Here you will get a no nonsense breakdown of all the moves that are important in fantasy baseball. (Okay, maybe a little fluff.)
Bookmark this. Read this. Live it.
Iglesias will extend his contract for one year at exactly the same rate ($16 million) as the previous three. It's clear the Braves were looking for continuity, which makes the analysis pretty simple. He's closer to expected action again and close to making 30 saves, assuming he stays healthy. He missed that number by one in 2025, largely due to some early-season struggles. However, once he cut his slider, he clearly returned to form, posting a 1.25 ERA, 0.69 WHIP and 10.0 K/9 in his last 45 appearances. This will certainly work, and will allow Iglesias to become one of the first 12 forwards to leave the field in 2026. –Scott White
What a fall for Rodriguez, who a couple of years ago was considered one of the game's rising aces after years of being a top-10 prospect. Now, Orioles traded him away for one year with some 32-year-old outfielder who just hit .228. That's not entirely fair to Ward, who also hit 36 ​​home runs in 2025, but most projections have him dropping to 25-30 in 2026. He also joins a team that is loaded with solid but not All-Star-worthy corner bats. There was no longer enough room for everyone in the lineup Dylan Beavers, Samuel Basallo, Kobe Mayo, Tyler O'Neal And Ryan Mountcastle. Now there is one less place. It won't be Ward, but does that mean we'll have to wait even longer for Basallo to contribute to Fantasy? If so, that's a bummer.
But the real story is Rodriguez, who Angels GM Perry Minassian says he is expected to be ready for spring training after missing all of 2025 with lat and elbow issues. The lat has been a persistent issue that also cost Rodriguez time in 2024 and as a minor leaguer in 2022, requiring elbow surgery in August. The Orioles only made this deal because they couldn't trust him to stay healthy, but having said that, he won't be the first pitcher to overcome a years-long injury trend and still continue to reach his potential. We have no evidence that his performance has diminished due to this latest series of injuries, so I'm still inclined to rank him among the top 75 starting pitchers in the 2026 class. However, this trade is sure to give some draft picks pause even at this late stage. –Scott White
Grisham's decision to accept the qualifying offer is curious considering he just had his best season, hitting 34 hits as the Yankees' primary center fielder. Some major media outlets projected that he would receive a four- or five-year contract for the same annual value as the corresponding offer, but his agent likely has a better understanding of the market.
At the very least, you could say he's betting on himself with this move, hoping to hit the market again next offseason without being branded a one-hit wonder, but now comes the hard part: doing it again. You'd think being back at Yankee Stadium would help considering he's a lefty, but in reality he hit two-thirds of his home runs on the road. If the Yankees are serious about giving Jasson Dominguez regular playing time next year, as well as a return Cody BellingerGrisham could be at-bats again. The Yankees still have a better record than many clubs, but you can understand why draft picks might be a bit skeptical about Grisham in 2026. –Scott White
Torres' modest performance in 2025 prompted him to accept the Tigers' qualifying offer rather than test the free agent market, and one would think a return to Comerica Park would be a bad move for his value in Fantasy given his reputation. But it actually played out well for right-handed hitters in 2025, and Torres hit .285 with a .449 slugging percentage compared to .223 and .327 on the road. Overall, he performed well below his .271 xBA and .452 xSLG, posting his best average exit velocity in three years and some of his best walk and strikeout rates ever, so a little luck will go a long way toward redeeming him in Fantasy. However, he is not a surefire top-12 pick, even at a position as weak as second base. –Scott White
Something tells me that if Woodruff hadn't left in the offseason with a lat injury, he wouldn't have had to accept the Brewers' qualifying offer and instead take a multi-year deal. But he is now back in proof mode after almost miraculously overcoming a more serious shoulder injury. Even though the shoulder capsule surgery he had in 2023 took 3 mph off his fastball (usually career-ending for a pitcher, especially one this fastball-dependent), statistically he picked up where he left off, even posting the best strikeout rate of his career. His salvation was largely due to the new boat, and its fortunes rose and fell with its use. Now that he's re-applying for a contract, he'll be very motivated, but he'd be worth picking among the top 36 starting pitchers anyway. –Scott White
The Cubs' decision to decline Imanaga's three-year, $57.5 million option after the season makes more sense now that we see how things turned out. They probably suspected he would accept the $22.025 million qualifying offer, which he did, so now they still have him, but without the multi-year commitment.
The maneuver seemed to dispel suspicions that he was being fried, which was worth entertaining considering a number of key metrics fell during his second season, namely his K/9 rate (from 9.0 to 7.3) and his strike rate (from 14.5 to 11.9 percent). It would be misleading to call this a second season, given that he is 32 years old and his age has also contributed to these fears of decline. However, he was effective when healthy, remaining a standout player for WHIP in particular. No one will mistake him for a 2026 ace, but he should be a mid-round pick. –Scott White
Normally, signing with the Mariners wouldn't be the most favorable outcome, given T-Mobile Park's reputation as a pitcher-friendly place. But Naylor had no problems after arriving in a mid-season trade with Diamondbacksbatting .360 (32-for-89) with five homers and a 1.015 OPS in Mariners home games.
Moreover, the Mariners seemed to have discovered a base thief in him. His 11 stolen bases in 93 games with the Diamondbacks were surprising enough, but he had 19 in just 54 games with the Mariners. With his 3rd percentile sprint speed, some other team might be able to put a stop to this, but the Mariners don't seem to care. In the end, he was successful. It's doubtful he'll steal 30 again, which leaves him just eighth in my first-base rankings, but returning to the Mariners improves Naylor's chances of remaining somewhat of a base stealer. See more details. Full article by Chris Towers. –Scott White
