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.

St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Sonny Gray's (hamstring) next minor-league game is expected to be on Thursday in Florida. The Cardinals were holding out hope that Gray would be able to avoid the injured list to start the season after injuring his hamstring in spring training, but they are ultimately playing it safe and will place the 34-year-old veteran on the 15-day injured list to start the campaign. If he can avoid any setbacks as he continues to ramp up his arm, it's possible that he could make his Cardinals debut in just the second week of the season. While Gray doesn't throw hard, he has excellent control and knows how to limit hard contact. He was also the runner-up in last year's American League Cy Young voting. Despite his injury, he makes for a high-floor No. 3 fantasy starter in his first year in St. Louis.

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Taijuan Walker was getting loose for a bullpen session on Saturday and stated that his shoulder "didn't feel right." The Phillies sent him for an MRI, the results of which should be known Sunday. Walker had already battled some right knee soreness this spring and had only made two spring appearances thus far. Last time out, the veteran was tagged for seven earned runs on five hits (three home runs) and three walks while striking out just one batter over two and two-thirds IP. The injury doesn't sound promising for his already bleak outlook. Right-handed 31-year-old Spencer Turnbull would take his spot in the rotation were he placed on the IL.

Yankees GM Brian Cashman stated that starting pitcher Gerrit Cole could be placed on the 60-Day IL if they need to free up a spot on the 40-man roster. Cole is expected to miss an extended amount of time anyway, so putting him on the IL would give them some roster flexibility. If the Yankees were to do that, that would at least firm up the fact that the 6x All-Star would not return before late May or early June at the earliest, and fantasy managers can adjust expectations accordingly. Cole's draft stock has already plummeted of course, but a late-round flier on a pitcher with Cole's ceiling seems like a reasonable gamble, assuming he won't need to miss any additional time and provided you have space to stash him.

Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Kevin Kiermaier (knee) exited Saturday's spring game against the Detroit Tigers after fouling a ball off his right knee. Kiermaier went 0-for-1 with a strikeout before exiting. The 33-year-old is expected to be fine and would have stayed in the game if it were the regular season. He is considered day-to-day, with Sunday being the earliest he could return to the lineup. Kiermaier slashed .265/.322/.419 with eight home runs, 36 RBI, 58 runs, and 14 stolen bases over 408 plate appearances in 2023. He signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Jays during the offseason to be the team's starting center fielder. Kiermaier has an ADP of 685 and is mainly a fantasy option in AL-Only or deep league formats.

The New York Mets have informed Jose Iglesias, Tomas Nido, and Luke Voit that they did not make the team's Opening Day roster. Voit signed a minor-league contract with the Mets in February but failed to latch onto the team's main roster after hitting .097 with a home run and four RBI over 31 spring at-bats. Iglesias had a solid spring, but it wasn't enough to make the team's Opening Day roster. This spring, he hit .278 with a home run and three RBI over 36 at-bats. Both Voit and Iglesias will look to latch onto another team. Neither Iglesias nor Voit will provide much fantasy value even if they sign with another club ahead of 2024 fantasy drafts.

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.

San Francisco Giants infielder Wilmer Flores (knee) returned to Cactus League action on Friday against the Chicago Cubs, starting at first base and batting third in the lineup. Flores returned to the field on Friday after he was scratched from Wednesday's Cactus League lineup due to minor knee soreness. The fact that the 32-year-old is already back on the field heading into the weekend suggests he won't open the 2024 regular season on the injured list next week. The Venezuelan veteran hit an impressive .284/.355/.509 with an .863 OPS, a career-high 23 home runs and 60 RBI in 126 games in 2023 in his third year in the Bay Area. At the very least, Flores should be a lineup regular for the Gigantes this year against left-handed pitching at either first base or designated hitter.

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.

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.

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.

Colorado Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer against the Chicago Cubs in Thursday's Cactus League matchup. The veteran is entering his 14th season, all with Colorado and has looked good this spring with a .333 batting, two homers and six RBI in 39 at-bats. At age 37, Blackmon may have to succumb some playing time to younger players on a rebuilding Rockies team, but he can still be useful during long stretches at Coors Field. Even with a nice spring, there should be players with bigger upsides towards the end of deep league drafts.

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich has been having a nice spring with two homers, five RBI and a .333 batting average in 24 Cactus League at-bats. Yelich, 32, bounced back in 2023 after some rough campaigns in 2022 and 2023 and finished with a .278 batting average that was accompanied by 19 homers, 76 RBI and 28 stolen bases. Yelich looked to be on the decline, but last year proved he still has enough juice in his bat to be productive. Despite not being the MVP-caliber player that he was in years past, Yelich should still be a useful piece for managers filling out their outfields ahead of Opening Day.

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.

Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman (shoulder) threw a two-inning simulated game in camp on Wednesday as he tries to recover from right-shoulder fatigue that has sidelined him from Grapefruit League action. He reported feeling good afterward and is scheduled to make his spring debut on Monday. If he continues to progress, there's a chance that Gausman won't need to open the season on the injured list. Gausman has been one of the best pitchers in baseball the last three seasons, averaging a 3.10 ERA and 29.6% strikeout rate. The 33-year-old veteran finished third in the American League Cy Young voting in 2023. If Gausman is in the Opening Day rotation, he'll most likely be on a strict pitch limit, which will make him a pretty big fantasy risk early on.

St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said that right-hander Sonny Gray (hamstring) will pitch two innings against minor-league hitters on Friday on a back field at the team's spring training complex. If Gray passes that test, he could be slotted in for his first regular-season start on the team's West coast road trip from March 28-April 3. The 34-year-old won't be able to start on Opening Day on March 28 due to the hamstring he strained in camp, but it sounds like he may not need to open the year on the injured list. Gray was the runner-up behind Gerrit Cole in the American League Cy Young voting in 2023, and while he doesn't throw that hard, he has great control and knows how to limit hard contact. In his first year with the Cardinals, Gray should be a high-floor No. 3 fantasy starter.