MLB DFS News & Updates

Right-handed reliever Evan Phillips and the Atlanta Braves agreed on a three-year, $35 million contract on Thursday, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN. It is the biggest deal of the winter so far and will send the veteran reliever to Atlanta, which already has one of the best bullpens in baseball. The 32-year-old veteran will head to the National League East after going 3-2 with a 3.46 ERA (3.87 FIP), 1.08 WHIP, one save, 33 strikeouts, and six walks in 26 innings with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2026 in his ninth year in the majors. It was not a bad showing for Phillips, who was returning from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow. Since his first full season with the Dodgers in 2022, Phillips went 17-10 with a nice 2.31 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 46 saves, 245 strikeouts, and 53 walks in 210 2/3 innings pitched across 225 relief appearances in L.A. He will give the Braves some late-inning, high-leverage insurance in front of closer Raisel Iglesias after setup man Robert Suarez dealt with elbow issues in the second half last season. At the very least, Phillips will be a strikeout artist to target in holds leagues in fantasy baseball in 2027.

Atlanta Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said that right-hander Spencer Strider (elbow) is on track to be ready for spring training and the start of the 2027 regular season, according to Chad Bishop of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. It was another injury-plagued season for Strider in 2026 with the Braves, as he made only eight starts (39 innings) due to elbow and oblique injuries, going 4-2 with a 5.31 ERA (5.36 FIP) and 1.36 WHIP with 46 strikeouts and 20 walks in his sixth year in the big leagues. He did not pitch again after he dealt with right-elbow inflammation in mid-June. Strider had an internal-brace procedure done on his right arm in 2024 (he made only two starts that year) and returned to post a 7-14 record, 4.45 ERA (4.53 FIP), and 1.39 WHIP with 131 strikeouts and 51 walks in 23 starts covering 125 1/3 innings in 2025. It is good news for the Braves that Strider should be ready for the start of next season, but there is now a lot of risk around the former All-Star due to his arm injuries and a sudden drop in velocity after his return. The likelihood of him leading the league in strikeouts ever again (281 in 2023) is remote.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh (hand), who is available via trade, had surgery on his left hand (just above his wrist) after the season, a league source told Matt Gelb of The Athletic. Marsh played through the injury for several months, which could explain his uneven performance in 2026. He maintained his bat speed throughout the season, but Marsh did not drive the ball like he did in the first half of the year. Even without the left-handed-hitting outfielder's offensive woes, the Phillies might view this as a time to move on from a platoon player with a rising salary. The soon-to-be 29-year-old was an All-Star in the first half in what was looking like a breakout season before falling off in the second half and finishing with a .260/.304/.408 slash line with a .713 OPS, 18 home runs, 62 RBI, 71 runs scored, and 11 stolen bases in 524 regular-season at-bats. He hit over .300 in the first half with 15 home runs, but in 63 games after the All-Star break, he hit just .184 (34-for-185) with three homers, 16 RBI, 15 walks, and 46 strikeouts. Marsh is projected to earn roughly $8 million through salary arbitration before becoming a free agent next winter, and with enough platoons already expected for the Phillies, now could be the time for them to move on from Marsh.

Free-agent left-hander Adrian Morejon is drawing interest as a starter, but his preference is to remain a reliever, a person briefed on his market told The Athletic. A common theme among Clay Holmes, Seth Lugo, and other relievers converted to starters in recent years was their strong desire to become members of the rotation, and perhaps Morejon's thinking will be changed by a big free-agent offer. Morejon dealt with issues as a starter with the San Diego Padres before converting to a relief role and becoming one of the most dominant left-handed relievers in the sport in recent seasons. He was a first-time All-Star in 2025 with the Friars, and he has gone 25-11 with eight saves, a 2.58 ERA, a 1.09 WHIP, 248 strikeouts, and 66 walks in 223 1/3 innings pitched out of the bullpen in San Diego in the last three years. Morejon regularly hits triple digits with his fastball and went 9-3 in 2026 with a 2.83 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, three saves, a career-high 107 strikeouts, and only 28 walks in 86 innings pitched as the eighth-inning setup man in front of closer Mason Miller. If he stays in a relief role and leaves San Diego, Morejon would suddenly become a high-end fantasy closer, depending on the landing spot.