The Chicago Cubs are sending outfield prospect Alexander Canario down to Triple-A Iowa to begin the 2024 season. Canario, the team's No. 14 prospect per MLB Pipeline, won't open the season in the big leagues for the first time in his career, but we expect to see the 23-year-old make at the major-league level at some point in 2024. He missed most of last season after having multiple surgeries but was called up to the big leagues in Chicago, going 5-for-17 with a homer and six RBI in six games played. Canario should eventually gain outfield eligibility for fantasy managers in NL-only and dynasty/keeper leagues, but it's hard to envision him finding much playing time in Chicago unless an injury or two strikes. He can be avoided in mixed leagues for now.

The Atlanta Braves have signed pitcher Jesse Chavez to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. The 40-year-old journeyman spent last season in Atlanta, but was recently cut by the Chicago White Sox after a tough time in the Cactus League this spring. Despite his rough numbers with the White Sox this spring, he had a great season in 2023 with a 1.56 ERA and should have an opportunity to earn a bullpen spot with the Braves. Even with his impressive numbers in 2023, he doesn't provide much in the fantasy world and can be left on the waiver wire for now.

The Minnesota Twins were reportedly in agreement with relief pitcher Jesse Chavez earlier on Sunday. However, the two sides have not officially agreed on a deal. It sounds like the Twins and Chavez are discussing a one-year contract, but haven't made it official. The 40-year-old is looking to pitch at least one more season in the big leagues. Whether it's the Twins or elsewhere, Chavez will likely be a middle reliever. That means, Chavez probably won't carry much fantasy value on any organization.

Colorado Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar has reportedly signed a long-term extension with the organization on Sunday. It's a seven-year deal with a club option for the 2031 season. Tovar could earn up to $84 million if the team does exercise his option. The young infielder was fairly productive through his first big league season. Tovar slashed .253/.287/.408 with 15 homers, 73 RBI, and 11 stolen bases. The organization is hopeful that Tovar will take a step forward offensively in 2024. It appears that the Rockies believe Tovar is the future at shortstop and he very well could be if he keeps progressing.

The Minnesota Twins have signed veteran reliever Jesse Chavez to a one-year big league deal and he will serve in a middle relief role or pitch in matchup-specific opportunities. It will be the 40-year-old's tenth different major league club and 17th season, which is an enviable feat in and of itself. The Twins have lost some bullpen arms recently and needed to sure it up before the season began. While Chavez has found a niche for himself over his many MLB seasons, he's not going to log many innings and isn't a power strikeout pitcher, so his usefulness for fantasy purposes is pretty much limited to leagues where Holds are counted as a category.

The Oakland Athletics have acquired veteran reliever Austin Adams from the New York Mets in exchange for cash considerations. The 32-year-old was added to the Athletics' 40-man roster and in a corresponding move, Trevor Gott was placed on the 60-day IL after it was determined he would need Tommy John surgery. Adams made 24 appearances for the D-backs last season before an ankle injury ended his season, posting a 5.71 ERA and 1.38 WHIP over 17 1/3 IP. He had a nice 12:1 K:BB this spring for the Mets, although it went along with 5.68 ERA and 1.26 WHIP in six and one-third IP. He figures to pitch in middle relief and it's not a needle-mover for fantasy unless he's thrust into a more high-leverage role.

New York Mets third baseman Brett Baty and infielder Zack Short have made the Opening Day roster, with designated hitter Mark Vientos and Ji Man Choi to start the year in the minor leagues. Especially with Vientos out of the picture in Queens to start the year, it's likely that Baty will receive everyday playing time for the Mets at the hot corner. The 24-year-old former first-round pick in 2019 has struggled so far in his first two major-league seasons, slashing .210/.272/.325 with 11 home runs and 39 RBI in 119 games and 431 trips to the plate. Much like Vientos, he has raked in the minors but hasn't been able to translate that success offensively to the majors. It means that Baty is going to need to perform in 2024 to avoid being put in a platoon situation at third base.

The New York Mets optioned designated hitter Mark Vientos to Triple-A Syracuse on Sunday and also told first baseman Ji Man Choi that he won't be on the team's Opening Day roster. It's a mild surprise after it was announced on Saturday that the newly signed J.D. Martinez would be starting the year on the farm to get his bat up to speed after just signing with the Mets several days ago. It pretty much kills any fantasy value the 24-year-old Vientos might have had in NL-only leagues to start the year. While Vientos won't begin the year in the big leagues, he'll almost certainly be up with the Mets at some point in 2024 once injuries hit. He was destroying Triple-A pitching in 2023 to earn a big-league call-up, but he hit just .211 (46-for-218) with nine homers and 22 RBI for the Mets in 65 games.

Oakland Athletics left-hander Sean Newcomb (knee), who has not pitched since March 20, is experiencing irritation in the left knee that he had surgery on last September, and it will put him on the 15-day injured list to begin the 2024 season. Newcomb had a 3.00 ERA in four Cactus League outings this spring and was expected to begin the year in the bullpen as the team's top lefty relief option. In addition to Newcomb, the A's bullpen is also dealing with injuries to Trevor Gott (elbow), who needs Tommy John surgery, and lefty Scott Alexander (ribs), so they could explore the free-agent market for more relief options to start the season. The 30-year-old southpaw wasn't on the fantasy radar to begin with after making just seven appearances (two starts) in his first season with the A's in 2023.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Michael Siani will be on the team's Opening Day roster. Siani has had a solid spring, hitting .297 (11-for-37) with an RBI, nine runs, and a stolen base over 37 at-bats. The 24-year-old slashed .227/.347/.350 with nine home runs, 48 RBI, 69 runs, and 23 stolen bases over 118 games in Triple-A. The Cardinals are dealing with multiple injuries as Lars Nootbaar (ribs) and Tommy Edman (wrist) are expected to start the season on the injured list. Siani will likely come off the bench and be sent back down to the minors once Edman or Nootbaar return to action, making him mainly an NL-only option in fantasy.

Miami Marlins right-hander Max Meyer has made the team's Opening Day roster and has the inside track to begin the season in the team's starting rotation as their fifth starter, according to a source. If Meyer is indeed in the rotation, he would likely make his first start on April 1 in an excellent matchup against the Los Angeles Angels. The 25-year-old earned a roster spot out of camp by throwing seven scoreless Grapefruit League innings with five strikeouts and only one walk in spring training. He's getting the opportunity with Eury Perez (elbow), Braxton Garrett (shoulder) and Edward Cabrera (shoulder) all starting the year on the shelf, so as soon as one of them is ready to make their 2024 debut, Meyer could be the one to get booted from Miami's rotation.

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.

With right-hander Sonny Gray (hamstring) opening the year on the injured list, St. Louis Cardinals left-hander Zack Thompson will make the team out of camp and will start in the rotation. Fellow left-hander Matthew Liberatore will also make the Opening Day roster and pitch out of the bullpen. Thompson looked good in Grapefruit League action this spring, sporting a 2.81 ERA in 16 innings pitched, but with Gray expected to miss the minimum time on the IL to begin the year, the 26-year-old southpaw will only have a few starts in St. Louis' rotation. Thompson bounced around between starting and relieving roles in the majors and minors in 2023 and ended up posting an unimpressive 4.48 ERA and 1.42 WHIP with 25 walks and 72 strikeouts in 66 1/3 innings over 25 outings (nine starts) for the Red Birds at the major-league level.

Miami Marlins right-hander Sixto Sanchez will be on the team's Opening Day roster, according to manager Skip Schumaker. Sanchez hasn't pitched in the big leagues since the shortened 2020 season due to multiple shoulder injuries, so the fact that he will even start in the big leagues is a modest surprise for the Fish. The 25-year-old former top prospect tossed seven scoreless Grapefruit League innings this spring while walking three and striking out four and will open his second MLB season in a relief role, which puts him off the fantasy radar for now. It's hard to predict how Sanchez will fare because of how long of a layoff he's had due to injuries. In his rookie campaign in 2023, he showed promising upside with a 3.46 ERA and 1.20 WHIP with 11 walks and 33 K's in 39 innings over just seven starts.

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.

St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman has been healthy in camp this spring training and hasn't had any issues with his balky back. The 23-year-old worked to improve his already elite bat-to-ball skills and radically changed his diet this offseason to eliminate any inflammation that had caused his back to stiffen up on him in the past. He dropped eight pounds and is no longer feeling pain in his back after it bothered him for years. The Cardinals are confident that good health could be the only thing keeping Gorman from a 40-homer season. He has enormous power and could break out in 2024 if he can stay healthy. Despite being limited to 119 games and 406 at-bats in 2023 due to back and hamstring issues, Gorman hit a team-best 27 home runs. He also ranked in the top 3% in barrel rate and in the top 9% in hitting the ball on the sweet spot of the bat.

Atlanta Braves shortstop Orlando Arcia went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Thursday's Grapefruit League action against the New York Yankees. Arcia now has four homers to go along with a healthy .286 batting average this spring. The 29-year-old has always had a great glove, but broke out offensively last season to make his first All-Star team. Arcia hit .264 with a career-high 17 homers and 65 RBI in 488 at-bats. It is always wise to draft players in strong offenses and Arcia fits that bill, but managers should not be surprised if there is a little regression out his bat in 2024. He is best served as infield depth in deeper formats.

Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Dauri Moreta (elbow) underwent UCL surgery on Thursday and will miss the next 14 to 16 months. Moreta injured his right elbow earlier this spring and will now miss all of the 2024 season. There's a chance he won't be ready for the start of the 2025 campaign, either, depending on how his rehab goes. The 27-year-old Dominican reliever appeared in a career-high 55 games out of Pittsburgh's bullpen in 2023 and had a 3.72 ERA (2.93 FIP), a 1.09 WHIP, his first career save, 24 walks and a career-high 76 strikeouts in 58 innings pitched. Moreta has pitched to a 4.32 career ERA and 1.11 WHIP with 38 walks and 119 strikeouts in 100 innings pitched for the Bucs and Cincinnati Reds in his three big-league seasons.

Atlanta Braves left-hander Tyler Matzek (elbow) is back this year after missing all of last season and the last two postseasons while recovering from Tommy John surgery in October of 2022. Matzek threw two perfect innings with four strikeouts in a Grapefruit League game on Sunday to erase any questions about whether he'd need a short minor-league rehab stint to shake off the rust to open the season. The 33-year-old veteran reliever looks ready for the 2024 season, and his velocity has ticked up to 95 mph in his fifth spring appearance on Sunday. He has nine strikeouts, two hits allowed and two walks in 5 2/3 scoreless innings over five outings and will return to Atlanta's bullpen as an important late-inning lefty arm. Matzek isn't going to be a save option, but don't forget that he had 24 holds in 2021.

New York Mets right-hander Tylor Megill has won an Opening Day starting rotation spot due to Kodai Senga's (shoulder) injury, according to manager Carlos Mendoza. As a result, Jose Butto will open the year in the minor leagues, although he'll likely be the next starter up, potentially as early as the team's 13-day stretch of no off days in April. The 28-year-old Megill earned his rotation spot in New York by posting a 3.45 ERA and 1.02 WHIP while walking four and striking out 16 in 15 2/3 Grapefruit League innings this spring. The former eighth-round pick by the Mets in 2018 out of Arizona went 9-8 last year with a 4.70 ERA and 1.57 WHIP while walking 58 and striking out a career-high 105 hitters in 126 1/3 innings over 25 starts. Megill now becomes a rotation option for fantasy managers in NL-only leagues.