Washington Nationals shortstop Alcides Escobar re-signed with the club, agreeing to a one-year deal. Escobar appeared in the majors for the first time since 2018 this past season, slashing .288/.340/.404 in 319 at-bats with four homers and three steals. Escobar was lauded for his leadership abilities, particularly providing an example for young infielders Carter Kieboom and Luis Garcia. He will enter 2022 without a guaranteed starting job, and fantasy managers may want to look to other options at draft time.

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher David Price was added to the team's 26-man roster for the NLDS. Price wasn't part of the team's roster for the Wild Card game against the St. Louis Cardinals. He and starting pitcher Walker Buehler were added to the roster prior to the NLDS while outfielders Zach McKinstry and Luke Raley were optioned to the minors to trim the roster down to 26. Price made 39 appearances (11 starts) for the Dodgers this year and went 5-2 with a 4.03 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP. He'll be a bullpen arm for the team in the NLDS.

Tampa Bay Rays designated hitter Nelson Cruz went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Game 1 of the American League Division Series 5-0 win over the Boston Red Sox. He launched a towering blast off the catwalk to give the Rays a 3-0 lead. The 41-year-old became the second-oldest player to homer in a postseason game, only trailing Julio Franco, who hit two at the age of 43. Cruz is batting .287 with 18 home runs, 38 RBI, and 34 runs scored over 47 career postseason games.

Houston Astros pitcher Jake Odorizzi was left off the team's 26-man American League Division Series roster. The Astros announced the roster on Thursday, but it didn't include the veteran starter. Odorizzi, his first season in an Astros uniform, pitched to a 4.21 ERA, 4.48 FIP, 91 strikeouts and 34 walks in 104 2/3 innings during the regular season. Lance McCullers Jr. is starting Game 1 for Houston. The Astros also have Jose Urquidy, Framber Valdezand Luis Garcia as potential starting options for the rest of the series.

Houston Astros outfielder Michael Brantley will try and deliver when the team opens up their ALDS series against the White Sox. It was another highly productive season for Brantley despite limping to the finish line with injuries. Brantley hit .326 through his 69 games this season but injuries sapped his power in the second half of the season. The veteran slugged only .380 over his final 52 games with only 10 extra-base hits spanning 187 at-bats. Brantley is a pro at the plate and was fantastic in the postseason last year, posting a .981 OPS through 52 playoff at-bats in 2020.

Washington Nationals infielder Alcides Escobar reached three times in Sunday's 7-5 season-finale loss to the Washington Nationals. He went 2-for-4 with a double, a walk and a run scored. Escobar finished the season slashing .293/.338/.451 with three homers, two steals and 23 runs scored over his last 30 games, with three multi-hit efforts in his last six. It remains to be seen where he will land for 2022, but he does not figure to be on fantasy rosters to start the year.

Washington Nationals catcher Alex Avila played in his final career game Sunday against the Boston Red Sox, and he went 1-for-4 with a double and two RBI. Avila finishes the season with a .694 OPS in 89 at-bats this year, with his fantasy-relevant days long behind him. For his career, he slashed .233/.348/.393 with 105 home runs in 1052 games.

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale was ineffective in Sunday's season finale against the Washington Nationals, allowing two runs on four hits and three walks in 2 1/3 innings. He struck out seven batters, and left the game after 62 pitches in position for the loss, though he was saved by a Boston comeback that clinched a playoff spot for the team. Sale pitched quite well in his nine starts this season, recording a 5-1 record with a 3.16 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, and 52 strikeouts in 42 2/23 innings. He'll enter the postseason healthy, and with the potential to be top-end fantasy starter in 2022.

After a disappointing 2021 campaign, San Diego Padres first baseman Eric Hosmer enters the offseason with doubts about his role as an everyday player. With an outsized contract and uninspiring 102 wRC+, the 31-year-old was often the scapegoat for the Friars second half collapse. Across 565 plate appearances, Hosmer recorded a .269/.337/.395 slash, 12 homers, five steals and 118 runs-plus-RBI, posting his worst offensive output since 2014. Although he's still signed through 2025, it's possible the Padres force him into a reduced role in 2022. With a vanilla fantasy profile, a reduction in volume would further dampen Hosmer's marginal value. Consider him an option only in deep leagues going into early drafts.

San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado wrapped up another solid season in 2021, compiling a .278/.347/.489 slash with 28 homers, 12 stolen bases and 198 runs-plus-RBI over 640 plate appearances. Despite the Friars cratering in the second half, Machado remained a reliable force in the lineup, placing third in the NL with 106 RBI while playing Gold Glove-caliber defense. With seven years remaining on his contract, the 29-year-old should again co-lead the Padres with star shortstop/outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. in a bounceback 2022 campaign. One of baseball's most consistent players, Machado should again settle as a top-5 hot corner option in offseason fantasy drafts.

Kansas City Royals first baseman Carlos Santana had a strong showing at the plate in the team's season finale against the Minnesota Twins on Sunday. He went 3-for-4 with three singles and an RBI. It was just his fourth multi-hit game since the start of September as he slumped his way to the 2021 finish line. It was a disappointing first year in Kansas City for Santana, who played in 158 games and slashed .214/.319/.342 with 19 home runs, 69 RBI and 66 runs. After posting a career-high .515 slugging percentage in 2019, he has now failed to top a .350 slugging percentage in two straight years. He remains one of the league's best in drawing walks (13.1% walk rate), but he offers little else of value for fantasy purposes at this point in his career.

Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez wrapped up the best season of his 11-year career on Sunday. He finished the year with an MLB-leading 121 RBI and he also tied with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for the major league lead in home runs with 48. He scored 88 runs and slashed .273/.316/.544 across the season. The 31-year-old had never topped 27 home runs or 80 RBI in a single season before this year. His career year was fueled by some elite power peripherals. He had a 56.2% hard-hit rate, which ranked in the 99th percentile, and he also ranked in the 94th percentile in both average exit velocity (93 mph) and xSLG (.554). While it will be hard for him to repeat anything like this next year, it's also going to be hard to justify taking another catcher over him in fantasy drafts next spring.

Houston Astros outfielder Michael Brantley was removed in the sixth inning of Sunday's season finale against the Oakland Athletics. Yordan Alvarez came in to replace him in left field. Brantley finished the game 0-for-2, dropping his season-long batting average slightly to .311. The 34-year-old veteran was a key cog in one of the league's best lineups this year. He of course gave fantasy managers a solid boost in batting average, but his counting stats were a bit underwhelming. He had eight home runs, 68 runs and 47 RBI over 121 games.

Detroit Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera is getting the day off for the team's season finale against the Chicago White Sox on Sunday. Harold Castro is getting the start at first base and batting third in the game. It was an historic year for Cabrera as he notched his 500th career home run. He ended the year with 15 home runs on the season and 502 for his career. Next year should be another milestone for him as he currently has 2,987 career hits, just 13 shy of joining the 3,000-hit club.

On Sunday, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters that Max Scherzer would start Game 163 for the team if the game is required. That game would take place if the Dodgers win and the San Francisco Giants lose on Sunday. Scherzer has been fantastic since joining the Dodgers. Over 11 starts, he's gone 7-0 with a 1.98 ERA and a 0.82 WHIP. However, he struggled in his last two outings, allowing a combined 10 earned runs over 10.1 innings. Roberts also said that everyone would be available in Game 163 as the team would be in a "play to win" mode.

New York Mets starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco endured a nightmare of a season in 2021, and his final start on Saturday against the Atlanta Braves was no different. Carrasco allowed five runs on seven hits and two walks with five strikeouts in five innings of work, taking the loss in the 6-5 defeat which drops his record for the year to 1-5. He finishes with a 6.04 ERA in 53 2/3 innings and two quality starts in 14 attempts. He won't be a popular draft pick in 2022, but he may be worth a flier on pedigree alone.

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Jon Lester allowed four runs in five innings of work on Saturday against the Chicago Cubs. Lester gave up six hits and four walks while striking out four. He ended up with a no decision in a game the Cardinals ultimately lost. The veteran lefty will head into the postseason with a 4.71 ERA.

The San Francisco Giants activated closer Jake McGee (oblique) from the 10-day injured list on Saturday. McGee has pitched to a 2.72 ERA, a 3.35 FIP, and 58 strikeouts in 59.2 innings this season. He's also walked 10 batters while securing 31 of 39 saves. Camilo Doval was getting save opportunities while McGee was on the injured list, but he figures to move back into a setup role for the season's final games. The Giants wrap up the regular season against a San Diego Padres team that had lost 12 of 13 entering play on Saturday, so there might be a save opportunity remaining for fantasy managers with McGee on their rosters.

San Diego Padres first baseman Eric Hosmer is not in the lineup for Saturday's game against the San Francisco Giants, according to MLB.com. After posting a .851 OPS in the shortened 2020 season, Hosmer's been more of an average hitter this season. He's slashed .270/.338/.396 with just 12 HRs in 149 games. Jake Cronenworth will play first in his place, and Ha-Seong Kim will start at second and bat sixth. His first season in the Majors hasn't gone as planned, as he's hit a meagre .205 and owns a .629 OPS. There is no reason for fantasy managers in any league to pick Kim off the waiver wire, as there are far better options out there.

San Francisco Giants third baseman Evan Longoria will start Saturday on the bench, according to MLB.com. The 35-year old veteran has put together his best campaign since his days with the Tampa Bay Rays, slashing .266/.357/.492 with 13 HRs over 79 games this season. With Longoria out of the lineup, Darin Ruf will play first base and bat third. Ruff's having his best season in a major-league uniform, hitting .271 with 16 HRs and a .910 OPS in 116 games. He should be streamed in every league by any fantasy managers looking for offensive production.