Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies is expected to return in 2027 on a one-year, $7 million club option, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. Albies signed a seven-year, $35 million contract with the Braves in 2019 that included team options for the 2026 and 2027 seasons. The veteran switch-hitter has had his ups and downs in Atlanta, but Feinsand thinks he did enough this past season to make picking up his option a formality this winter. The 29-year-old four-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger winner made his fourth All-Star team in 2026 and finished his 10th year in the big leagues with a .237/.293/.392 slash line, a .685 OPS, 22 home runs, 73 RBI, 85 runs scored, and four stolen bases in 162 regular-season games across 683 plate appearances. It was nice to see Albies return to the 20-homer mark for the first time since 2023, but his stolen-base and batting-average numbers were pretty disappointing. Albies still has pop from the second base position, but fantasy managers might want to forget about him ever slugging 30 homers again.

MLB.com's Mark Feinsand writes that right-handed reliever Andres Munoz's $8 million club option for the 2027 season seems likely to be picked up, as he remains a key piece of their bullpen. Munoz was an All-Star closer for the Mariners in both 2024 and 2025, but he struggled this past season, converting only 24 of his 32 save chances while posting a 4.28 ERA. The 27-year-old Mexican hurler also went 5-6 in his seventh year in the majors with a 1.22 WHIP with 89 strikeouts, and 24 walks in 57 1/3 innings pitched in his 61 total appearances. To top things off in 2026, the M's placed Munoz on the 15-day injured list to end his season early at the end of September with inflammation in his right knee. He should be fully recovered from that injury to start spring training next year, and he should be a lock to open the 2027 campaign as Seattle's primary closer unless he gets injured or really struggles in spring training. Munoz had 22 saves in 2024 and then followed it up with a career-high 38 saves and a 1.73 ERA in 64 relief appearances in 2025.

MLB.com's Mark Feinsand thinks that Athletics left-hander Jeffrey Springs is likely to receive a buyout from the A's this offseason and hit the open market looking for a one-year deal to re-establish his value. The A's hold a one-year, $15 million club option ($750,000 buyout) on Springs for next season, but after a dreadful 2026 campaign, the 34-year-old southpaw is likely to become a free agent. Springs went 4-14 with a 6.18 ERA in 29 starts this year and gave up an American League-leading 98 earned runs and 35 home runs. In his first year in Sacramento in 2025, Springs went 11-11 with a 4.11 ERA (4.65 FIP) and 1.21 WHIP with 138 strikeouts and 54 walks in 171 innings across 32 appearances (30 starts). It was even more disappointing that Springs' strikeout rate fell to a career-low 17.8% in 2026, while his walk rate ballooned to 9.0%, his highest since he walked 14.8% of the batters he faced in 2019 with the Texas Rangers in just his second year in the big leagues. Getting away from hitter-friendly Sutter Health Park will be a good thing as Springs looks to bounce back in 2027 on a prove-it deal.

The Boston Red Sox will surely exercise right-handed reliever Garrett Whitlock's one-year, $8.25 million ($1 million buyout) club option for the 2027 season, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. Whitlock and left-handed closer Aroldis Chapman were an excellent one-two punch at the back end of the bullpen for Boston in 2026, so they will be looking to bring that duo back next year. Whitlock ended the season on the injured list due to a fractured tibia, but he has been a star as a reliever for the BoSox since he became a full-time reliever in 2025, recording a 2.17 ERA and 140 strikeouts in 107 outings (116 innings pitched). The 30-year-old former 18th-round pick by the New York Yankees in 2017 from Alabama at Birmingham went 7-2 for Boston this year with a sharp 1.72 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, four saves, and 59 strikeouts in 52 1/3 innings pitched. Whitlock should be fully recovered from his fractured leg by spring training next year and will once again be a valuable reliever in fantasy leagues that count holds.