The Texas Rangers agreed to sign free-agent shortstop Corey Seager for 10 years and $325 million dollars. The massive contract includes a $5 million signing bonus, a limited trade clause and no opt outs. It comes just a day after Texas landed middle infielder Marcus Semien for seven years and $175 million. Semien will presumably play the keystone, and Texas now has one of the most powerful middle-infield combinations in baseball at a hitter-friendly park. Seager, 27, hit .295/.364/.501 with 100 home runs in 609 games from 2016 to 2021 and is one of the best offensive shortstops in the game. However, he also had Tommy John surgery in 2018 and arthroscopic hip surgery three months later. He suffered a fractured hand in 2021 and missed nearly 11 weeks but finished with a strong .306/.394/.521 slash line.

Reigning American League Cy Young winner Robbie Ray and the Seattle Mariners are finalizing a five-year, $115 million deal on Monday that includes an opt-out after the third season, according to sources familiar with the deal. Seattle will have to give up a draft pick after the lefty declined Toronto's qualifying offer. Ray will give the M's a legitimate ace atop their starting rotation after coming off a career season in 2021 in which he led the AL in ERA (2.84) and innings (193 1/3) and became the first Jays pitcher to lead the league in strikeouts with 248. He had a league-leading 10 starts with double-digit strikeouts. Ray's career-best 6.9% walk rate was a sharp dropoff from his career 11% walk rate through 2020. The 30-year-old southpaw throws hard and has always generated a bunch of strikeouts, but fantasy managers will be banking on him maintaining the mechanics that led to better control and fewer free passes in 2021.

The New York Mets are finalizing a deal with free-agent right-hander Max Scherzer on Monday that will be for three years and around $130 million, according to a source. The deal isn't quite done yet, but it would be a record for average annual value in the major leagues. Scherzer has spent around half of his 14-year career in the National League East and won two of his three Cy Young awards and a World Series title with the Washington Nationals. The righty is 190-97 in his career with a 3.16 ERA for the Diamondbacks, Tigers, Nationals and Dodgers. At 37 years old, he has shown only small signs of slowing down, and his 2,536 2/3 innings rank fourth among active pitchers. Scherzer and Jacob deGrom will form one of the most feared pitching duos in the league.

The Texas Rangers agreed to a four-year, $56 million deal with free-agent right-hander Jon Gray on Sunday night, pending a physical, according to a source. In addition to inking Gray on Sunday, the Rangers also added middle infielder Marcus Semien to a big seven-year, $175 million deal and added outfielder Kole Calhoun. With no qualifying offer attached to him, the Rangers won't have to give up a draft pick to sign Gray. The 30-year-old right-hander had a 4.59 ERA and 1.33 WHIP in 149 innings over 29 starts for the Colorado Rockies in 2021. Although Gray was actually better in his seven seasons at hitter-friendly Coors Field than on the road, the move out of Coors should make him more attractive in fantasy in a prominent role in Texas' rotation.

The New York Mets have offered free-agent starting pitcher Max Scherzer more than $40 million per year, according to sources. The length of their offer is unknown, and it doesn't mean he'll sign with them. The Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels and San Francisco Giants are still in the running, and Scherzer could make his decision on Sunday night or Monday. The Mets have turned their full attention to Scherzer, especially with right-hander Kevin Gausman signing a five-year deal with the Toronto Blue Jays. An average annual value of more than $40 million would be a record for any contract in MLB history, and the offer could be at least three years in length. Despite being 37 years old, Scherzer dominated in the second half with the Dodgers, going 7-0 with a 1.98 ERA, 0.82 WHIP and an 11.7 K/9 in 68 1/3 innings over 11 starts.

The Toronto Blue Jays and right-hander Kevin Gausman agreed to a five-year, $110 million deal on Sunday night, according to sources familiar with the deal. Gausman accepted a one-year, $18.9 million qualifying offer from the San Francisco Giants last year and set career-highs in innings (192), ERA (2.81), WHIP (1.04), strikeouts (227) and wins above replacement (5.2) in 2021 while earning his first All-Star nod. He used his splitter/four-seamer combination 88% of the time and had 219 of his K's with those two pitches. The 30-year-old's splitter generated 138 K's last season. With the Rays potentially losing Cy Young winner Robbie Ray, Gausman is a nice prize for the top of the rotation heading into 2022. It'll be hard for him to replicate his success next season in the tough American League East, though.

The Los Angeles Angels and the Philadelphia Phillies have been rumored to be looking into free agent reliever Raisel Iglesias, according to MLB.com. The closer spent last season with the Angels, who offered him a qualifying offer before declining it. He had a dominant year on the mound, posting a 2.57 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, and 37.7 K% while compiling 34 saves, ranking fifth in all of baseball. Both clubs have needs in the bullpen, as the Angels produced a 4.59 bullpen ERA and the Phillies relievers combined for a 4.60 ERA in 2021. No matter where he lands, Iglesias should remain in a closer role, and he will be one of the top fantasy relievers going into next year, contributing in most categories.

Free agent third baseman Pablo Sandoval expects to play next season, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network. Sandoval, 35, spent last season with the Atlanta Braves before being traded to the Cleveland Indians but was right after. The veteran slashed .178/.302/.342 with four home runs in 69 games. He's had a hard time producing numbers that he put up earlier in his career since he signed a big contract with the Boston Red Sox ahead of 2015. His fantasy value is non-existent, and he probably won't find a starting job with any team he lands on.

The Texas Rangers and free-agent outfielder Kole Calhoun have agreed to a one-year deal on Sunday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports. The financial details aren't known as of now. The 34-year-old veteran dealt with injuries for the majority of last season with the Arizona Diamondbacks and was never able to find his stroke, slashing .235/.297/.373 with five home runs in 51 games. However, he posted an .864 OPS in 2020 and has shown the ability to hit for power in his career, compiling 131 home runs from 2015-2020. Calhoun won't be drafted in most leagues but does have some value as a late-rounder in deep leagues if he's able to bounce back.

Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton signed a seven-year, $100 million contract extension with the team on Sunday, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN. With this extension, Buxton will also have full no-trade protection. While Buxton now is set to remain with the Twins for the next seven years, the question will be whether or not he can stay on the field long enough to provide good value for the team. He got off to a hot start last season, as he slashed .306/.358/.647 with 19 homers, nine steals, 32 RBI and 50 runs scored over 61 games, but injuries derailed his season once again. Buxton has got great upside when healthy, but he has played in 100 games only once in his seven year career. At this point, Buxton should be considered a potential high-upside middle-round pick.

Free-agent outfielder Avisail Garcia will be heading south next season, as he has signed a four-year, $53 million deal with the Miami Marlins, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network. After a poor showing in 2020, Garcia put up his best numbers since 2017 last season, slashing .262/.330/.490 with 29 homers, eight steals, 86 RBI and 68 runs scored over 135 games with Milwaukee. Garcia will likely slot into the heart of the order for Miami to provide some solid pop, and he could see some nice RBI totals with the Marlins.

Free-agent middle infielder Marcus Semien has signed with the Texas Rangers for seven years and $175 million, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN. Semien is coming off a season in which he finished third in the American League MVP race after slashing .265/.334/.538 with 45 home runs, 15 steals, 102 RBI and 115 runs scored over 162 games with Toronto. Despite entering into a slightly worse lineup with the Rangers than what he had with the Blue Jays, Semien should still be one of the top middle infielders come draft day next season.

The Houston Astros signed free-agent relief pitcher Hector Neris to a two-year deal worth $17 million guaranteed on Saturday, according to a source. Neris will replace right-hander Kendall Graveman, who signed a three-year, $24 million deal with the Chicago White Sox earlier this week, in Houston's bullpen. The 32-year-old right-hander had multiple stints as the Philadelphia Phillies closer in the last eight seasons, and he had a 3.63 ERA with 98 strikeouts in 74 1/3 inning in 2021. Neris ranks second in relief appearances (372) and is third in relief innings (366 1/3) since 2016, so he should at least provide the Astros with plenty of innings in a backend bullpen role while helping Ryne Stanek set up closer Ryan Pressly. Neris should have value in leagues that reward points for holds.

The Miami Marlins maintain interest in free-agent outfielder Nick Castellanos. Castellanos is from the Miami area. He'll be seeking at least two years and $34 million after opting out of the final two years of his deal with the Cincinnati Reds. The Marlins typically don't spend that kind of money, but they may try to bring Castellanos home to give their young pitching staff some help on the offensive side of the ball after losing out on Starling Marte. Castellanos hit .309/.362/.576 with a career-high 34 home runs, 100 RBI, three stolen bases and 95 runs scored in 585 plate appearances over 138 games for Cincinnati. The 29-year-old is one of the best all-around hitters in the big leagues and has power to all fields.

Free-agent right-hander Kevin Gausman is expected to sign a contract in the next two or three days, according to sources, and it's increasingly likely that he'll land a five-year deal. Gausman turns 31 in January and finished sixth in the National League Cy Young voting after posting a career-best 14-6 record with a 2.81 ERA in 192 innings while striking out 227 batters in 2021. The Toronto Blue Jays are one finalist for Gausman's services as he nears his decision. The Giants would likely be interested in bringing him back after his career year, but it's unclear if they'd be willing to go five years for him. Along with the Jays and Giants, the Los Angeles Angels, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets and Seattle Mariners have all been linked to the right-hander. With no draft-pick compensation attached to him, the 30-year-old is even more attractive on the open market.

The New York Mets are aggressively pursuing free-agent starter Max Scherzer, who is expected to make his decision before the impending Dec. 1 lockout, but they may need to move to a Plan B given his known preferences. Scherzer limited his choices to California teams as a trade piece last summer, so the Mets know it won't be easy. The Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Angels are among the team's interested. The perennial All-Star and Cy Young contender had a great second half with the Dodgers, going 7-0 with a 1.98 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, 89 strikeouts and only eight walks in 11 starts over 68 1/3 innings. The 37-year-old is still going strong as a fantasy asset and should help anchor any pitching staff he joins in 2022.

The Seattle Mariners are among the teams interested in free-agent third baseman/outfielder Kris Bryant, according to sources familiar with the situation. The expectation, as of right now, is that Bryant will not sign before the potential Dec. 1 work stoppage. The Mariners are eying players with defensive versatility like Bryant, Kyle Schwarber and Chris Taylor, and they just traded for second baseman/outfielder Adam Frazier on Saturday. Bryant, who has already won the National League Rookie of the Year and an MVP, would represent a significant offensive upgrade to a Mariners team that just missed the postseason in 2021. The 29-year-old is also a five-time All-Star and has the 17th-highest on-base percentage (.376) since his rookie season in 2015. Bryant is coming off a five-game NLDS series against the Dodgers in which he hit .471/.500/.647 with a home run in 18 plate appearances.

The Toronto Blue Jays agreed to a two-year, $11 million deal with right-handed reliever Yimi Garcia on Saturday. The deal includes a club option for the 2023 season. Garcia has a high-spin fastball and will provide the Blue Jays with a nice middle-innings reliever. The 31-year-old spent part of last season as the closer for the Miami Marlins and had a 3.47 ERA with 15 saves before he was traded to the Houston Astros. Garcia wasn't as good there, sporting a 5.48 ERA down the stretch and allowing seven runs in five innings in the postseason before tossing four scoreless innings in the World Series. Toronto is coming off a 91-71 season in 2021 in which they just missed the postseason. Jordan Romano should enter 2022 as the Jays closer, but bullpen roles might be flexible.

Free-agent right-hander Corey Kluber agreed to a one-year deal, pending a physical, with the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday, according to sources. The 35-year-old missed more than three months with a right shoulder strain before rejoining the New York Yankees in late August of the 2021 season. When he was available, Kluber was solid, though, posting a 3.83 ERA in 80 innings pitched, including a no-hitter. His experienced arm will complement young starters Shane McClanahan, Drew Rasmussen, Luis Patino and Shane Baz next season. If the deal is finalized, Kluber will make $8 million, with the chance to earn up to $13 million through incentives. If healthy, the three-time All-Star and two-time American League Cy Young winner could be a nice value in fantasy drafts.

The New York Mets are determined to add a top starting pitcher after just signing outfielders Starling Marte and Mark Canha and infielder Eduardo Escobar on Friday, and their order of preference appears to be Max Scherzer, Kevin Gausman and Robbie Ray. It's unclear how realistic it is for the Mets to land Scherzer. The Mets also have interest in re-signing Marcus Stroman, but he said that the team would prefer a bigger name starting pitcher. The New York Post's Joel Sherman reported that the Mets also have interest in right-hander Jon Gray. After spending $124.5 million on free-agent bats on Friday, it's possible that Gray and Stroman are more realistic targets. Stroman had a nice 3.02 ERA in 33 starts for the Mets in 2021, so he'd be a solid consolation prize if New York doesn't make a huge splash with a starting pitcher.