Washington Nationals outfielder Eddie Rosario has been reassigned to Triple-A Rochester on Saturday, but it's a procedural move. The Nationals have until noon on Sunday to add Rosario to their 40-man roster. The move doesn't mean Rosario still can't make the Opening Day roster out of camp. If the 32-year-old left-handed-hitting veteran makes the team, he'll make $4 million in the majors, plus incentives. After signing with Washington on March 6, Rosario has hit just .167 with three RBI and four walks in 18 Grapefruit League at-bats. Still, given the nature of the Nationals' rebuilding roster, Rosario could make the big-league roster and at least serve in a platoon role against right-handed pitching in their outfield in 2024. That would make him fantasy relevant in NL-only leagues for his pop.

The New York Mets will officially option designated hitter J.D. Martinez to the minor leagues to begin the 2024 regular season so that he can build up at-bats, meaning he won't be with the team to start the year for at least the first 10 days of the season. Martinez just signed with the Mets the other day and will need to see some live pitching in the minors first before the Mets are comfortable throwing him into the fire in the big leagues in 2024. When the Mets deem him ready, the 36-year-old is expected to be the team's primary designated hitter to help give All-Star first baseman Pete Alonso more protection in the lineup. Martinez had yet another 30-homer season in 2023 with the Los Angeles Dodgers and can provide plenty of power when he's healthy, but his lack of positional eligibility in fantasy makes him less attractive.

Veteran third baseman Eduardo Escobar was granted his release by the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday. The 35-year-old was a non-roster invitee and was a long shot to make the roster, but was hitting just .122 (5-for-41) with 17 strikeouts in 15 spring appearances. Escobar was an All-Star as recently as 2021 but has seen his Contact% fall for three consecutive seasons while his K% has increased three consecutive seasons. He may not have much left in the tank, but he does have the ability to play multiple positions and can bat from both sides of the plate, so perhaps he could latch on somewhere.

Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez had his third straight game with a hit on Friday in a 10-0 Cactus League win over the Rangers. He's also had a hit in five out of the last six games, but he's yet to have a multi-hit performance this spring and is hitting just .200 (9-for-45) through 15 Cactus League games. On the bright side, he's hitting for power with three doubles and four home runs compared to just two singles. The 5x All-Star typically goes off the board as the first third baseman overall, due in part to his stolen base prowess at a position that is usually devoid of base stealers that can also produce in other categories like Ramirez can, but the 31-year-old has yet to swipe a bag in 46 spring PA, although he has been caught once. Regardless, the 4x Silver Slugger Award winner has been one of the most consistent and durable hitters for eight years now and shows no signs of slowing down, so look for another All-Star caliber campaign again in 2024.

The Chicago White Sox released infielder Mike Moustakas and outfielder Kevin Pillar on Friday. Moustakas was released after slashing a weak .195/.283/.317 with a home run and two RBI in 41 Cactus League at-bats for Chicago after signing a minor-league deal with the team on Feb. 14. The 35-year-old left-handed-hitting veteran is nearing the end of his career. The three-time All-Star hit .247/.293/.392 with 12 home runs and 48 RBI in 112 games with the Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Angels in his 13th big-league campaign. Pillar, who is also 35, went 11-for-44 in the Cactus League with five RBI. He hit .228/.248/.416 with nine home runs, 32 RBI and four steals in 81 games with the Atlanta Braves in 2023. Moustakas and Pillar will be looking to latch on with another team in reserve roles with the season starting next week.

The Chicago White Sox agreed to terms with free-agent outfielder Robbie Grossman on a minor-league deal on Friday that includes an invite to major-league spring training. Grossman doesn't have much time in camp to impress the White Sox in order to earn a spot on the Opening Day roster as outfield depth to begin the 2024 season. Because of the timing of his signing, the 34-year-old veteran left-handed hitter will most likely open the year at Triple-A Charlotte. The 11-year MLB veteran won't be on the fantasy radar in mixed leagues if he's on Chicago's active roster in 2024. Grossman has one year of hitting 20-plus homers (in 2021) and batted .238/.340/.394 with 10 home runs and 49 RBI in 115 regular-season games in 2023 for the Texas Rangers.

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Sonny Gray (hamstring) won't be ready in time for Opening Day. Cards manager Oliver Marmol confirmed on Friday that Gray will open the season on the injured list. The plan is for Gray to take the mound on Saturday in a spring contest. After that, Gray will make a pair of rehab starts before hopefully returning in mid-April. His stint on the injured list shouldn't be too long, so fantasy managers might just want to hold him here.

San Francisco Giants left-hander Blake Snell will pitch in a minor-league game in camp on Sunday, according to manager Bob Melvin. The next steps for Snell after that outing are to be determined. The Giants signed the 2023 National League Cy Young winner to a two-year deal last weekend, and the 31-year-old southpaw threw his first bullpen session in spring training on Thursday. Snell is not injured, but the fact that he signed so late in camp means that he will not be ready to be a part of the team's Opening Day rotation, starting next Thursday, March 28, when the Gigantes face his old team, the San Diego Padres. Snell has all kinds of strikeout upside, but he also led the league in walks in 2023, making him more of a No. 2 fantasy starter than an ace.

Arizona Diamondbacks left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (lat) has a left-lat strain and is going to be shut down from throwing, according to manager Torey Lovullo. Rodriguez will open the regular season next week on the injured list. The 30-year-old veteran southpaw left his Cactus League outing early on Tuesday with the lat injury and will now unsurprisingly not be ready for Opening Day next Thursday. E-Rod put up some career-best numbers in his final season with the Detroit Tigers in 2023 but was pretty fortunate to do so. The Venezuelan hurler has thrown over 160 innings just once in his eight major-league seasons, so fantasy managers shouldn't be super surprised that he's already injured to begin the 2024 campaign. At best, he's a stash candidate in deep-mixed leagues for rotation depth, but Rodriguez's durability issues aren't going away.

Oakland A's reliever Trevor Gott (elbow) is set to undergo Tommy John surgery after being diagnosed with a full torn UCL in his right elbow. The 31-year-old will miss all of the 2024 season and likely a good chunk of the 2025 campaign, as well. Gott split the 2023 season between the Mets and Mariners, working to a 4.14 ERA and a 16.5% K-BB% across 64 appearances, also posting a 3.77 SIERA while limiting home runs to just 0.62 HR/9 in that time. He also posted a 3.34 SIERA in the 2022 season across 45 outings with the Brewers. He was unlikely to be in the mix for saves in the 2023 season but was a holds candidate prior to Friday's news.

New York Mets designated hitter J.D. Martinez has minor-league options remaining but has way more than five years of service time, so he can consent to being sent to the minor leagues. Given the fact that Martinez probably isn't going to be ready by Opening Day next Thursday after just signing with the team on Thursday, Newsday's Tim Healey writes that it looks like the Mets will ask the veteran slugger to start the year in the minors with Triple-A Syracuse. The 36-year-old six-time All-Star bounced back in 2023 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, hitting .271 (117-for-432) with 33 hoe runs and 103 RBI in 113 games played, but fantasy managers may want to temper expectations for Martinez, at least early on, as he ramps back into form after not playing at all in spring training. Mark Vientos could operate as New York's primary DH until Martinez is ready to go.

The Arizona Diamondbacks announced on Friday that they released infielder Elvis Andrus. The team also optioned left-hander Andrew Saalfran and outfielder Pavin Smith to Triple-A Reno and reassigned left-hander Jose Castillo to minor-league camp. Andrus was in camp with the Diamondbacks as infield depth, mainly behind Geraldo Perdomo at shortstop, but the 35-year-old veteran will now be back on the open market with Opening Day next Thursday, March 28. Now that Andrus is gone, Jace Peterson and Emmanuel Rivera are the best bets to back up Perdomo at the 6 in 2024. Waiting in the wings in the minors at the position are Jordan Lawlar and Blaze Alexander. In 112 games with the Chicago White Sox last year, Andrus hit .251/.304/.358 with six homers, 44 RBI and 12 stolen bases.

St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Sonny Gray (hamstring) won't pitch in a minor-league game as scheduled on Friday due to heavy rain in the forecast. The Cardinals aren't going to take any chances with their free-agent acquisition as he returns from a strained hamstring on a wet field. The 34-year-old will likely pitch two innings in a minor-league game on Saturday instead. Because of his hamstring injury, Gray won't start on Opening Day for the Red Birds in his first year with the club, but manager Oliver Marmol hasn't ruled out Gray starting at some point on the team's opening day road trip that starts on March 28 and ends on April 3. The runner up in the American League Cy Young voting in 2023 comes to the Cardinals as a solid veteran rotation option and should also be a solid No. 3 starter for fantasy managers in his first year in St. Louis.

Atlanta Braves first baseman Matt Olson couldn't get going in Thursday's 5-2 Grapefruit League loss to the New York Yankees, striking out in each of his three at-bats. Over 35 ABs during spring training, Olson is now batting a mere .171 with a .596 OPS, one home run, two RBI, and four runs scored. Fantasy managers spending a second-round pick on Olson this spring are hoping the 29-year-old reigning home run king is getting the struggles out of his system before the games begin to count on March 28 in Atlanta's regular-season opener against the division-rival Philadelphia Phillies. After also leading MLB with 139 RBI and the National League in slugging percentage (.604) plus perfect attendance in 2023 (162 games played), Olson is going to be just fine. He's among fantasy's safest bets in 2024 for prolific power numbers in a high-powered Braves lineup.

The New York Mets and free-agent designated hitter J.D. Martinez agreed to a one-year, $12 million contract on Thursday. After a long stay in free agency, Martinez lands in Queens one week before Opening Day to offer the Mets a formidable protection bat in their lineup behind slugging superstar Pete Alonso. The 36-year-old Martinez is a six-time All-Star and three-time Silver Slugger and slashed a robust .271/.321/.572 with 33 home runs, 27 doubles, and 103 RBI over 432 at-bats (113 games) for the Los Angeles Dodgers a year ago. He figures to immediately slot into the heart of New York's order as their everyday DH, likely taking some shine away from the fantasy appeal and RBI upside of former top prospect Francisco Alvarez in the process. Martinez's 221 NFBC ADP will rise with the move, and managers who have already drafted should make sure the veteran slugger isn't floating around waiver wires in shallow mixed leagues.

Milwaukee Brewers left-hander Wade Miley (groin) was scratched from Thursday night's Cactus League appearance versus the San Francisco Giants due to groin tightness. Miley will throw a bullpen session on Thursday without the up and downs instead and might try to pitch in a spring game this weekend. He said he was going to start the 2024 season on the injured list anyway because of shoulder issues, so he figured he wouldn't push it. With Miley sidelined to begin the season, either Joe Ross or Robert Gasser will likely fill in for the Brewers' starting rotation. Even when healthy, Miley should be avoided in mixed fantasy leagues. The soft-tossing 37-year-old southpaw just doesn't offer any upside in the strikeout department, and durability is also an issue.

Boston Red Sox relievers Kenley Jansen (back) and Chris Martin (groin) are both scheduled to pitch in Thursday night's Grapefruit League game against the Baltimore Orioles. Jansen didn't make his Grapefruit League debut until last Friday due to lat tightness this spring and then was scratched from a spring appearance earlier this week due to lower-back stiffness. While Jansen is running out of time to be ready for Opening Day on March 28 next Thursday, if he can avoid anymore setbacks with his back, he could still be ready. Martin, who is probably next in line for saves in Boston if Jansen ever misses time, will be making his Grapefruit League debut on Thursday after injuring his groin in early March. Jansen is the active MLB leader in saves, but he's become extremely injury-prone.

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve reached base twice during his team's Grapefruit League contest versus the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday. The veteran, fresh off a five-year contract extension, doubled to lead off the game before coming around to score on a Kyle Tucker single. He would also draw a fourth-inning walk and also struck out before departing the contest. It's been a solid, yet unspectacular spring for Altuve to this point as he's hitting .263 (10-for-38) with one homer, three doubles, and a .754 OPS across 42 trips to the plate with four walks and 10 strikeouts in that time. However, he has also stolen three bases. Altuve continues to rank as one of the best fantasy second basemen after hitting .311 with 17 homers and 14 stolen bases across just 90 games in the 2023 season. He missed significant time to begin the season after suffering a broken thumb in the World Baseball Classic in March.

Tampa Bay Rays infielder Yandy Diaz clubbed a home run during his team's Grapefruit League contest versus the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday. Diaz's third home run of the spring led off the game while he also added a double in the top of the fourth inning. The 32-year-old is hitting .313 (10-for-32) with those three homers and a double with just one walk versus six strikeouts across 33 trips to the plate this spring, good for a healthy .958 OPS. Despite dealing with groin issues throughout the 2023 season, Diaz raked to the tune of a .330 average with a career-high 22 home runs, 95 runs, 78 RBI, and a .932 OPS across an even 600 plate appearances. He is reportedly fully healthy this spring and carries a nice floor into the 2024 season but expect some regression in the home run department.

Houston Astros right-hander Justin Verlander (shoulder) faced hitters in camp on Wednesday in a live batting practice session. Verlander looked good while throwing 20 pitches, according to manager Joe Espada. However, Verlander will not pitch in a Grapefruit League game or in the two exhibition contests at Minute Maid Park next week before Opening Day next week, which means he will need a full minor-league rehab assignment. The Astros aren't going to push the 41-year-old veteran as he continues to progress from a right-shoulder issue this spring. The nine-time All-Star appears to be making good progress, but he's going to start the season on the injured list, and it won't be a surprise if he doesn't make his 2024 debut until May.