The Cleveland Guardians are among the most active suitors for Oakland Athletics catcher Sean Murphy, the 2021 Gold Glove winner who could be dealt by the end of next week's winter meetings, according to sources. Murphy has proven to be an above-average hitting catcher in three-plus big-league seasons and is attractive to any team seeking catching help this offseason. In a career-high 612 plate appearances in 2022, he slashed .250/.332/.426 with 18 home runs and a career-low 20.3 percent strikeout rate. A trade away from the pitcher-friendly park in Oakland and to a better all-around offense should make Murphy even more attractive in fantasy in 2023. If the A's move Murphy this offseason, it would open up playing time for top catching prospect Shea Langeliers.

The New York Yankees have offered free-agent outfielder Aaron Judge a deal in the neighborhood of eight years and $300 million after hitting a record-setting 62 home runs in the American League in 2022. He's primed to sign a record-setting deal at this year's winter meetings, exceeding the previous high average annual value for a position player of $35.5 million for Mike Trout. The Yankees could increase their offer, depending on how far the San Francisco Giants are willing to push Judge's market. Across the industry, the expectation is that Judge re-signs with the Yankees. The Yankees and Giants are the clear front-runners for the home run king, but anything can happen at the winter meetings. No matter where Judge is playing in 2023, he'll be the cream of the power crop in fantasy baseball.

The Pittsburgh Pirates announced via a tweet from the team's official Twitter account on Wednesday morning that first baseman Lewin Diaz has been designated for assignment. The 26-year-old appeared in 58 games for the Miami Marlins last season. In those 58 games for the National League East franchise, he hit .169 in 174 plate appearances while turning in a .224 on-base percentage and adding five home runs and a stolen base.

Ken Rosenthal reported in The Athletic Tuesday that the Houston Astros have been in discussions with free-agent catcher Willson Contreras and plan to meet with him during the winter meetings. The 30-year-old proved once again to be a reliable backstop from a fantasy perspective and otherwise in 2022, slashing .243/.349/.466 with 22 home runs, 55 RBI and four stolen bases in 487 plate appearances. Rosenthal said the Astros would consider playing Contreras in left field and at designated hitter in addition to catching. Catcher is always a thin position for fantasy, so Contreras will remain a higher-end option, regardless of what team he goes to. However, his fantasy value would receive a boost if he were to join the 2022 World Champions.

MLB Network's Jon Heyman reported Tuesday that the Los Angeles Dodgers have reached an agreement for a big-league deal with pitcher Shelby Miller. Details of the deal were not disclosed. The 32-year-old righty had a solid few seasons at the beginning of his career as a starter, but he has failed to post an ERA below 4.00 since 2015. He pitched just seven innings in 2022 out of the bullpen with the Giants with a poor 6.43 ERA. It remains to be seen what role he may play with the Dodgers, but Miller still holds almost no fantasy value at this time, despite his landing spot.

The New York Mets held a Zoom call Tuesday with free-agent starting pitcher Carlos Rodon, per SI.com's Pat Ragazzo. The Mets have several spots to fill in their starting rotation, and Rodon would be a higher-end option in the free-agent pool. Rodon had an excellent 2022 season with the Giants, going 14-8 with a 2.88 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 33.4% strikeout rate in 31 starts and 178 innings pitched. It was his second consecutive solid season, and it was encouraging for fantasy managers to see him stay healthy while maintaining an elite strikeout rate. The Rangers are also reportedly interested in Rodon. Regardless of where he lands, he will be a higher-end fantasy starter as long as he can stay on the field.

According to a tweet from MLB Network's Jon Morosi on Tuesday, the Seattle Mariners are reportedly "showing interest in" Michael Conforto. Morosi tweeted: "Sources: #Mariners among teams showing interest in free agent OF Michael Conforto, the Redmond (Wash.) High School grade. @MLBNetwork @SeattleSports." The 29-year-old hit .232 with a .344 on-base percentage, 14 home runs, and a stolen base in 479 plate appearances for the New York Mets during the 2021 season.

The Cincinnati Reds have signed catcher Luke Maile to a one-year deal, per a tweet from the National League Central franchise on Tuesday. The 31-year-old hit .221 with a .301 on-base percentage and three home runs in 206 plate appearances for the Cleveland Guardians in the 2022 season, appearing in 76 games in the process. He'll give the Reds a veteran backstop to utilize alongside starter Tyler Stephenson during the 2023 campaign.

Free-agent third baseman Jeimer Candelario is reportedly signing with the Washington Nationals, according to a tweet from The New York Post's Jon Heyman on Tuesday. Heyman tweeted, "Jeimer Candelario agrees to one-year deal with Nats." The infielder appeared in 124 games for the Detroit Tigers last season, hitting .217 with a .272 on-base percentage and 13 home runs in 467 plate appearances. Of the five players who saw time at third base for the Nationals in 2022, just one player, Ildemaro Vargas, remains on the 40-man roster.

The Seattle Mariners signed free-agent relief pitcher Trevor Gott to a one-year deal Monday, per The Seattle Times' Ryan Divish. The deal comes after the Mariners lost right-hander Erik Swanson in an offseason trade for outfielder Teoscar Hernandez. The 30-year-old compiled a 4.14 ERA with 11 holds and four blown saves through 45 2/3 innings in 2022 with the Brewers. Gott has never served in a high-leverage bullpen position throughout his career, so he holds little fantasy relevance.

The Los Angeles Angels and free-agent relief pitcher Chris Devenski agreed to a one-year, minor-league deal Monday, per MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger. The deal includes an invitation to spring training, so Devenski will have the opportunity to compete for a spot in the bullpen. The 32-year-old had a solid first few seasons of his career with the Astros, but pitched just 14 2/3 innings in 2022 with the Diamondbacks and Phillies, struggling with an 8.59 ERA. He has a long way to go before gaining any fantasy consideration.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are reportedly one of the teams interested in free-agent starting pitcher Kyle Gibson, per MLB Network's Jon Heyman. The 35-year-old compiled a 10-8 record with a poor 5.05 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 20.1% strikeout rate in 31 starts with the Phillies in 2022. However, he was a useful fantasy streamer at times throughout the season and had a more encouraging 4.06 SIERA. Gibson's high WHIP and low strikeout numbers have always limited his fantasy upside, and going to a team with a poor offense like the Pirates would further limit his potential fantasy value.

Detroit Tigers designated hitter Miguel Cabrera announced Monday that the 2023 season will be his last. It will be the 21st season of the 39-year-old's Hall-of-Fame career. Cabrera hasn't been fantasy relevant for the past several seasons and slashed .254/.305/.317 with five home runs and 43 RBI through 433 plate appearances in 2022. However, he spent over a decade as a top corner infield and overall fantasy option with the Florida Marlins and the Tigers.

According to a tweet from USA Today's Bob Nightengale on Monday, the Houston Astros are reportedly "finalizing a deal for" Jose Abreu. According to the Houston Chronicle's Chandler Rome, the deal is expected to be for three years and around $20 million per year. Nightengale tweeted the following on Monday morning: "The Houston #Astros are finalizing a deal for free-agent first baseman Jose Abreu." The slugger hit .304 last season in 679 plate appearances for the Chicago White Sox, adding 15 home runs and a strong .378 on-base percentage in those 679 plate appearances. He'll give the Astros yet another quality lineup option alongside the likes of Yordan Alvarez, Alex Bregman, Kyle Tucker, Jose Altuve, and Jeremy Pena.

The Chicago White Sox are reportedly signing free-agent starter Mike Clevinger to a one-year deal, per a pair of tweets from MLB Network's Jon Morosi. Also per Morosi, Clevinger's one-year deal is worth more than $8 million. Clevinger made 23 appearances, including 22 starts, for the San Diego Padres last season, pitching to a 4.33 ERA and a 4.98 FIP in 114 1/3 innings of work. He also logged 91 strikeouts against 35 walks in those 114 1/3 innings. He'll now join a White Sox rotation that also features Lucas Giolito, Dylan Cease, Lance Lynnand Michael Kopech.

The Pittsburgh Pirates and veteran first baseman Carlos Santana agreed on a one-year, $6.7 million deal on Friday, pending the results of a physical, according to sources familiar with the deal. The 36-year-old hit just .202/.316/.376 with the Seattle Mariners and Kansas City Royals last season and posted a league-average .692 OPS in 131 total games. But Santana hit the ball hard and had an elite walk rate in the 97th percentile, which drove his free-agent market. He also saw the most shifts in baseball in 2022, and with the shift going away in 2023, he figures to see much better results. The switch-hitter will bring veteran leadership to a young Pirates squad. Santana has a career .242/.359/.432 slash line with 278 home runs and 925 RBI. He's best known for his plate discipline and power, but he won't have much fantasy upside, especially in Pittsburgh.

The San Diego Padres are a surprise team looking at shortstop, and they like free-agent shortstop Xander Bogaerts. Ha-Seong Kim could become a super-utility player, and Fernando Tatis Jr. could move to the outfield in 2023. The Padres are looking for leadership and also like first baseman Jose Abreu. The Friars have to also be considered players for Japanese right-hander Kodai Senga since right-hander Yu Darvish is his mentor. As expected, Bogaerts opted out of his deal with the Boston Red Sox after the 2022 season, making him a free agent. The 30-year-old will be one of the most coveted position players in free agency this winter after he slashed .307/.377/.456 with an .833 OPS, 15 home runs, 73 RBI, 84 runs scored and eight stolen bases in 557 at-bats for Boston this year.

The San Francisco Giants, Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays are among many teams interested in free-agent outfielder Brandon Nimmo. The New York Mets are also interested in bringing the table-setter back. The Seattle Mariners have also been mentioned as suitors. Nimmo is expected to land a five-year deal worth more than $100 million this winter, which would likely be too costly for the penny-pinching Rays. The 29-year-old left-handed hitter has an impressive .385 career on-base percentage, which makes him very attractive to contending teams as a top-of-the-order hitter. In 151 games for the Mets in 2022, he hit .274/.367/.433 with an .800 OPS, 16 home runs, a league-leading seven triples, 64 RBI, 102 runs scored and three stolen bases.

The Chicago Cubs are among the teams considering free-agent outfielder Michael Conforto. He is seeking a deal for two years with an opt-out clause. The Cubs are also in touch with free-agent catcher Christian Vazquez, among other catchers. Conforto underwent surgery on his shoulder in April, and although there was a chance he could return to play for a contender late in the season, that never panned out. The 29-year-old left-handed slugger is reportedly back to full health heading into next season, so he should receive plenty of interest on the open market. Conforto was an All-Star in 2017 and hit a career-high 33 home runs while driving in 92 in 151 games as recent as 2019.

The Boston Red Sox acquired shortstop Hoy Park from the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday in exchange for minor-league left-hander Inmer Lobo. The Pirates designated Park for assignment on Tuesday before dealing him to Boston. The 26-year-old South Korean infielder played in just 23 games for the Bucs in 2022, hitting .216 (11-for-51) with two home runs, six RBI, seven runs scored and a stolen base. Most of his time was spent at Triple-A Indianapolis, where he slashed .225/.332/.354 with 10 home runs, 37 RBI, 48 runs scored and 14 stolen bases in 375 plate appearances over 89 games played. Lobo, 18, played in the Dominican Summer League in 2022 and allowed only two runs while striking out 28 in 22 innings pitched.