Reacting to Latest MLB Offseason Moves: Garrett Crochet, Tomoyuki Sugano, Devin Williams, Kyle Tucker, Cody Bellinger and More
Morgan offers his thoughts on some of the MLB offseason moves we've seen over the past week or so.
A little over a week has passed since I reacted to some MLB offseason moves.
Enough big moves have happened in that timeframe to put together another reaction article, so here we are!
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Trades
Garrett Crochet Moved to Red Sox
Not too long after I published the first offseason reaction article, Crochet was traded from the White Sox to the Red Sox. Chicago got a four-player prospect package in return.
Crochet was a breakout star in 2024, posting a 3.58 earned run average across 146 innings pitched. He only had pitched 73 innings in his first three MLB seasons, and hadn’t had a start in those seasons.
I questioned Crochet’s stamina and wondered if he’d be able to get through last season, and he proved me wrong. Sure, his inning count was a bit lower, but that was in an effort to keep him healthy, and most importantly, keep his trade value high.
The move to Boston is a big-time boost to Crochet’s fantasy outlook. He went 6-12 last season despite the strong ERA. He’s a big-time strikeout pitcher, and that mixed with more wins and maybe a touch better ERA is going to make Crochet a really good fantasy asset for 2025. I’m curious to see just how high he gets drafted in redraft leagues.
Devin Williams Dealt to Yankees for Nestor Cortes and Caleb Durbin
Williams was sent from Milwaukee to New York on December 13. Cortes and Durbin were the return package.
Williams has been the Brewers’ closer the past couple seasons, and should fill that role with the Yankees now. He had 36 saves in 2023 to go along with a 1.53 ERA before posting a 1.25 ERA and 14 saves while getting in 22 games in 2024. Williams missed a good portion of the season with an injury.
Milwaukee is a great fantasy spot for a closer because of how many close games the team plays. The Yankees might not play in quite as many tight games, but being a better team overall should mean plenty of save chances for Williams. He should remain one of the top-drafted fantasy closers this coming season.
Cortes should slot into the Brewers’ starting rotation, at least to begin the season. He was 9-10 last year with a 3.77 ERA across 174 1/3 innings.
Many pitchers have had career years after joining the Brewers, and fantasy owners might take a gamble on Cortes hoping the same thing happens this coming season. He’s just a couple years removed from having sub-3.00 ERAs and I’d definitely put Cortes on my list of potential fantasy sleepers this season.
Durbin has a chance to win a starting job, but should at least be a platoon bat. He can play all over the field, which should help him find ways into the lineup as long as he can hit a little.
Kyle Tucker Sent to Cubs
Houston sent Tucker to Chicago for Isaac Paredes, Hayden Wesneski and Cam Smith.
Tucker is clearly the top fantasy player in this trade. He was limited to 78 games last season, but had a .289 average and .408 on-base percentage. He’s a career .274 hitter and has a .353 OBP.
He should hit near the top of the lineup and remain a good fantasy asset in 2025. I think the move to Chicago hurts his fantasy stock a little bit, but Tucker should be a daily fantasy starter and one of the better fantasy outfielders.
Paredes played for the Cubs and Rays last season, playing 153 games and getting 641 plate appearances. He had a .238 average and .346 OBP last season. Paredes is a power threat, with 19 home runs and 25 doubles among his 129 total hits, while driving in 80 runs.
Joining the Astros is a positive move for Paredes’ fantasy outlook, and he’s probably going to be a bit overlooked going into the season. He should have plenty of RBI chances and maybe is in store for his best fantasy season in 2025.
Wesneski has a chance to crack the starting rotation this season. He had a 3.86 ERA across 27 games (seven starts) and 67 2/3 innings last season.
Smith is a prospect who instantly became the Astros’ top guy. He’s probably at least one season off from debuting, but he’s definitely a name to keep an eye on.
Jeffrey Springs Sent to Athletics
The Athletics made another offseason move when they traded for Springs. Jacob Lopez was also sent from the Rays to the Athletics, while Joe Boyle, Will Simpson, Jacob Watters and a draft pick was what went to the Rays.
Springs is the top player in the deal and should slot in near the top of the team’s rotation. He broke out in 2022 before dealing with an injury over the past two seasons. Springs has a career 3.39 ERA across 313 2/3 innings.
The move to the Athletics probably will hurt Springs’ fantasy outlook a little bit, but if the team continues to rebuild, Springs could be a trade candidate at the deadline. If Springs is pitching well, he’ll be picked up in almost every league, and his fantasy outlook could really explode with a deadline trade.
Cody Bellinger Dealt to Yankees
The Yankees made another big splash by trading for Bellinger on December 17. They sent Cody Poteet to the Cubs in return.
I love this move for Bellinger. Regardless of where he slots into the lineup, his fantasy stock in New York is better than it would have been with Chicago. Playing at Yankee Stadium should do wonders for his overall numbers.
I’m guessing he’ll see his average draft pick stock rise as the season nears.
Poteet is 30 years old, and should have a chance to crack the Cubs’ rotation this season. He’ll either need to pitch really well or have some injuries ahead of him to make that a reality though.
Signings
Mike Tauchman Joins White Sox
On the same day Crochet was traded, Chicago signed Tauchman. He wasn’t a major fantasy asset this past season, but a move to the White Sox should give him more starting chances, and thus more chances to produce as a fantasy player.
Tauchman hit .248 and had a .357 on-base percentage across 109 games and 350 plate appearances with the Cubs last season. He has a career .241 average and .344 OBP.
Again, I don’t view Tauchman as a big-time fantasy asset, but he could be a streaming option throughout the season, and maybe be a waiver wire pickup if he gets hot.
Tomoyuki Sugano Joins Orioles
Sugano signed a one-year deal with Baltimore, and he should compete for a starting rotation spot. He’ll join the MLB after pitching 12 seasons in the Nippon Professional Baseball Organization.
Sugano had a 136-74 record and 2.43 ERA in the NPB over 1,857 innings. He was one of the top international free agents this offseason.
He’s more of a control pitcher than a strikeout guy, but with a good team around him, Sugano has a chance to be a good fantasy asset for 2025.
Bryan De La Cruz Joins Braves
This free agent signing kind of slipped under the radar with some of the moves happening around the time.
De La Cruz looks like a outfielder starter at this point, and in a loaded Atlanta lineup, I like this move for De La Cruz’s fantasy outlook.
Across 149 games and 622 plate appearances with the Marlins and Pirates last season, De La Cruz had a .233 average and .271 OBP. He’s got a .253 average and .297 OBP for his career, so with a little improvement toward his average and being on a better team, De La Cruz has the chance to be a sneaky good fantasy player for the upcoming season.
