Lapsed fan guide: Dodgers rule, offseason moves, trades, more

Fantasy baseball season is back, perhaps with many lapsed fans and eager managers wondering what they missed over these long, cold winter months.

Well, much has occurred since the final regular-season games of 2025 were played! Spring training has arrived, so now seems like a fine time to recap the big baseball stories since your last fantasy championships were decided. Let’s catch up!

The Dodgers did not win the most regular-season games in 2025 (the Milwaukee Brewers did!), but they were the team that won the final game of baseball’s playoffs. The formidable Toronto Blue Jays entered Game 6 of the World Series with a chance to dethrone the defending champs and they had multiple chances to win an extraordinary Game 7, but ultimately, the Dodgers became the first repeat champions since the 2000 New York Yankees.

Baseball fans may have been stunned by how it happened — many still can’t believe it — but they could not have been surprised about which team finally earned the trophy, with the Dodgers boasting NL MVP Shohei Ohtani among multiple future Hall of Famers, suddenly healthy starting pitchers thriving in relief, and a ridiculously fat payroll that towered over the rest of the jealous sport.

RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto earned World Series MVP honors for winning three games, which included six solid innings as a starter in Game 6 and an inspiring eight-out performance to close out the Game 7 finale. He threw 34 pitches the day after tossing 96. The Dodgers overcame a 3-0 deficit in Game 7, scoring single runs in the eighth and ninth innings while exhibiting top defense, taking the lead on a Will Smith home run off Shane Bieber in the 11th inning. Yamamoto escaped a late jam when Blue Jays C Alejandro Kirk ended the series by hitting into a double play.

… and then they ruled free agency again

The Dodgers hit a collective .203/.294/.364 during the World Series — to them, a clear signal the franchise needed even more offensive punch. Few expected the top free agent OF Kyle Tucker to end up with the champs, as he was wooed/coveted by myriad franchises, including the Blue Jays, but Tucker ultimately chose a shorter-term contract with opt-outs so he could wear Dodgers blue. Baseball bristled at this result, with the rich only getting richer. Tucker is one of the top options in fantasy baseball, too, and he should thrive in a top-heavy lineup featuring Ohtani, SS Mookie Betts, 1B Freddie Freeman and Smith.

The Dodgers’ bullpen needed an upgrade as well, so in came former New York Mets RHP Edwin Diaz, whose 253 career saves are tied for fourth among active hurlers. A healthy Diaz should become the first Dodger to eclipse 25 saves since Kenley Jansen saved 38 games during the 2021 season. LHP Tanner Scott, a major signing last offseason who struggled, figures to be one of the top setup options.

However, other teams also made free agent noise

The Dodgers did not get everyone! The Mets, after losing Diaz and buoyed by ample financial resources themselves, fortified their bullpen with former Yankees veterans Devin Williams and Luke Weaver. They also bolstered their lineup with former Blue Jays SS Bo Bichette (who figures to play 3B), Texas Rangers 2B Marcus Semien, Chicago White Sox OF Luis Robert Jr. and Seattle Mariners IF Jorge Polanco (to replace 1B Pete Alonso, who went to the Baltimore Orioles). They also traded several prospects to the Brewers for ace RHP Freddy Peralta.

As for other big names to switch teams, the Chicago Cubs added former Boston Red Sox 3B Alex Bregman, former Houston Astros ace LHP Framber Valdez went to the Detroit Tigers, the Red Sox committed big money to former Philadelphia Phillies LHP Ranger Suarez, and the Blue Jays welcomed RHP Dylan Cease to their rotation. Phillies DH Kyle Schwarber and Yankees OF Cody Bellinger stayed with their respective clubs.

Free agency wasn’t just for the established MLB options. Japanese sluggers Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto joined the White Sox and Blue Jays, respectively, while RHP Tatsuya Imai replaces Valdez in the Astros’ rotation. Former Pittsburgh Pirates RHP Cody Ponce, after thriving for several seasons in Korea, signed a three-year contract with the Blue Jays, and the Tigers signed journeyman Drew Anderson, also back from Korea.

It is always trading season

In addition to the Mets acquiring Semien (for OF Brandon Nimmo) and Peralta (for several prospects) via the trade route, there were other notable swaps, several featuring the busy, retooling St. Louis Cardinals. The Red Sox added 1B Willson Contreras and RHP Sonny Gray from the Cardinals in a pair of separate trades, while the Arizona Diamondbacks acquired future Hall of Fame 3B Nolan Arenado and the Mariners picked up 2B Brendan Donovan. The Rangers dealt prospects to the Washington Nationals for LHP MacKenzie Gore. The Tampa Bay Rays cleansed their roster of a pair of unrelated hitters with the surname Lowe, with IF Brandon Lowe heading to the Pirates, and OF Josh Lowe now a member of the Los Angeles Angels.

Ballpark adjustments and movement

The Rays, after one occasionally awkward season of playing their home games at Yankees minor league stadium Steinbrenner Field, are back home at the domed Tropicana Field, fixed up after a hurricane damaged its roof. Returning to their stadium should normalize hitting and pitching statistics and alleviate concerns over excessive heat and rain.

Meanwhile, a year after the Orioles adjusted the fences at Camden Yards to aid hitters, the Kansas City Royals are doing the adjusting at spacious Kauffman Stadium. The outfield walls are up to 10 feet closer to home plate, and they are at least a foot shorter. This should add some offense and make things easier for SS Bobby Witt Jr., 1B Vinnie Pasquantino and C/1B Salvador Perez, among others. (The Athletics, however, remain in their minor league park in Sacramento.)

Young shortstop prospects are all the rage

Baseball fans and fantasy managers alike tend to get extra hopeful about the new, young players entering the league. This season, the cool position to watch is shortstop, with Konnor Griffin (Pirates), Kevin McGonigle (Tigers) and JJ Wetherholt (Cardinals) among those with a chance to debut and start for their big league teams on Opening Day. Meanwhile, Colt Emerson (Mariners), Sebastian Walcott (Rangers) and Leo De Vries (Athletics) are not too far behind.

Griffin, coming off a 2025 in which he hit .333 with 21 home runs and 65 stolen bases in his age-19 season, has been compared to a young Alex Rodriguez. The Pirates made more than a few veteran additions this offseason, but their biggest one may be giving Griffin a chance to shine coming out of spring training.

Don’t forget about the young pitchers, as they are among the betting favorites for the Rookie of the Year awards, too. Mets RHP Nolan McLean posted a 2.08 ERA over eight starts for the big club last season, and he retains rookie eligibility. Blue Jays RHP Trey Yesavage starred for the AL champs in October, and he has earned a rotation spot this season. Other pitchers to watch include Bubba Chandler (Pirates), Andrew Painter (Phillies) and Red Sox LHPs Connelly Early and Payton Tolle.

It’s so hard to say goodbye

Clayton Kershaw won 223 games for the Dodgers over 18 seasons, along with an MVP award, three NL Cy Young awards and two World Series titles, although he was not a particularly valuable fantasy option in recent seasons. The Hall of Fame awaits his eligibility in five years. Other players who used to be fantasy favorites to retire from active MLB duty after the 2025 season include former Rays 3B Evan Longoria, Yankees/Cubs 1B Anthony Rizzo and Yankees/Phillies RP David Robertson.

On the comeback trail

Phillies RHP Zack Wheeler and Yankees RHP Gerrit Cole are among the many hurlers on the mend from injury, with neither expected to open the season on the active roster. Wheeler, who was an NL Cy Young Award contender before being sidelined in August, is recovering from venous thoracic outlet surgery involving his pitching shoulder. Cole underwent the more traditional Tommy John surgery, albeit with an internal brace, last March. He did not pitch in 2025. Yankees LHP Carlos Rodon (elbow), Dodgers LHP Blake Snell (shoulder) and Cubs LHP Justin Steele (elbow) should also start their respective seasons in delay.

Like Cole, numerous fantasy-relevant pitchers did not accrue any statistics in 2025, but they should this season. That list includes Angels RHP Grayson Rodriguez (elbow; acquired from Baltimore), Dodgers RHP Gavin Stone (shoulder), Pirates RHP Jared Jones (elbow) and San Diego Padres RHP Joe Musgrove (elbow).

On the hitting side, Yankees SS Anthony Volpe (shoulder) is expected to start the season on the injured list, while Red Sox 1B Triston Casas is on the mend from a serious knee injury. Diamondbacks OF Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (knee) may miss at least half the season recovering from ACL surgery, while Atlanta Braves SS Ha-Seong Kim (finger) needed surgery in January to repair a torn tendon (while slipping on ice). He may also miss several months of the season.

Additionally, Diamondbacks OF Corbin Carroll, Mets SS Francisco Lindor and Orioles 2B Jackson Holliday are each undergoing hamate bone surgery in February, putting Opening Day into jeopardy for all three stars. These are important fantasy options, with Carroll going in Round 1 of early ESPN ADP, Lindor in Round 2 and Holliday in Round 13. For now, drop these players down a bit in your rankings, but not excessively so.

Already gone

For those in redraft formats, avoid Orioles RHP Felix Bautista (shoulder), as he may miss most, if not all, of the upcoming season recovering from surgery. The Orioles signed RHP Ryan Helsley to likely handle closing duties. Padres RHP Yu Darvish (elbow), Mariners RHP Logan Evans (elbow) and Miami Marlins RHP Ronny Henriquez (elbow) are all out for the season. And, in an update for this annual story, we can ignore former Angels/Nationals 3B Anthony Rendon (hip), who did not play in 2025 and last batted 250 times in a season in 2019. He hasn’t officially retired, but he is unlikely to suit up again.

New managers

Former big leaguers Skip Schumaker (Rangers), Kurt Suzuki (Angels), Craig Stammen (Padres) and Walt Weiss (Braves) may be the headliners among the nine new managers in baseball. They join Craig Albernaz (Orioles), Derek Shelton (Twins), Blake Butera (Nationals), Warren Schaeffer (Rockies) and Tony Vitello (Giants) in dugouts across the league. The Vitello hire in San Francisco may be the most interesting, since he comes from a long stint managing at the University of Tennessee. There is little precedence for managers coming directly from the college ranks into leading an MLB club.

Baseball in early … and late March!

We last saw the World Baseball Classic in 2023, as the great Ohtani struck out the great Mike Trout (still his Angels teammate at the time) in the ninth inning to secure the title for Japan. Japan has won three WBC championships, while the United States and Dominican Republic each boast one crown. Yankees OF Aaron Judge, Royals SS Bobby Witt Jr. and Mariners C Cal Raleigh are among the hitting stars on the USA roster this time, and Tigers LHP Tarik Skubal and Pirates RHP Paul Skenes headline the pitching staff. The tournament begins on Tuesday, March 3, during early spring training, so do not expect pitchers to log heavy workloads.

Baseball’s regular season begins on Wednesday, March 25, with the Giants hosting the Yankees in the lone game of the day. That one can be watched on Netflix. The champion Dodgers are among 22 teams opening their schedule the following day, as they host the Diamondbacks, and the rest of the teams begin play on Friday, March 27. Play ball!