February 11, 2026
Boston Red Sox shortstop
Trevor Story could bat second after manager Alex Cora said that he "earned the right" to hit at the top of the order, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. Story's 2025 season was refreshing, as he improved his production at the plate while staying healthy for 157 games. He ultimately slashed .263/.308/.433 with 25 home runs, 31 stolen bases, a 5.0% walk rate, a 26.9% strikeout rate, and 101 wRC+. Last year represented his best power surge since 2019, but his walk rate dropped to a new career-low, and he continued to struggle with strikeouts. That's not great for a prospective No. 2 hitter, but Cora seems committed to putting the veteran infielder near the top of the lineup. Cotillo speculates that
Roman Anthony could lead off, followed by Story in the No. 2 hole.
--Andersen PickardSource: Chris Cotillo
February 11, 2026
Updating a previous report, the Philadelphia Phillies have told outfielder
Nick Castellanos not to report to the team's spring training complex this week, league sources told Matt Gelb of The Athletic. Castellanos doesn't even have a locker in the team's spring training clubhouse, and a resolution -- either through a trade or release -- is expected to come in the next two days. The declining 33-year-old outfielder is scheduled to make $20 million this year in the final year of the five-year, $100 million contract he signed with the team back in March of 2022, but the Phillies are ready to move on. Castellanos slashed a very mediocre .250/.294/.400 with a .694 OPS, 17 home runs, 72 RBI, 72 runs scored, and four steals in 547 regular-season at-bats in 2025. His hard-hit rate has fallen for three straight seasons, and on top of his declining offensive profile, he's one of the worst defensive outfielders.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Matt Gelb
February 11, 2026
The Washington Nationals are signing free-agent right-hander
Miles Mikolas to an undisclosed deal on Wednesday, sources told Jake Mintz of Yahoo Sports. Mikolas will head to the National League East after going 8-11 with a 4.84 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, and 100:37 K:BB in 156 1/3 innings over 31 starts in 2025 in his final season with the St. Louis Cardinals. The 37-year-old veteran is tied for the second-most starts in the majors over the last four seasons, so he'll bring durability to the Nationals' starting rotation in 2026. Mikolas should have a spot in the Opening Day starting rotation waiting for him in D.C., especially after the team traded left-hander
MacKenzie Gore to the Texas Rangers in the offseason. He has made at least 30 starts in each of the last four seasons while compiling a 4.51 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 16.8% strikeout rate, and 4.6% walk rate. Mikolas should only be a target in NL-only leagues.
--Keith HernandezSource: Yahoo Sports - Jake Mintz
February 11, 2026
Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy said that right-hander
Brandon Woodruff (lat) "is in a good spot" physically and has been throwing bullpen sessions, but his ramp-up this spring will be monitored closely, according to Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "This is a time of year when people are very vulnerable, so you have to be mindful of that. A guy with an injury history, even more so," Murphy said. Woodruff missed the entire 2024 season after having capsule repair surgery on his right shoulder, and a right-lat strain kept him out at the tail end of last season, so the Brewers aren't going to take any chances with their ace. The 33-year-old didn't make his 2025 debut until July, but he pitched well in his 12 starts, going 7-2 with a 3.20 ERA and 0.91 WHIP with 83 K's and 14 walks in 64 2/3 innings. Woodruff showed diminished velocity last year, though, making him a risk/reward No. 3 fantasy starter.
--Keith HernandezSource: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Todd Rosiak
February 11, 2026
Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said that relievers
Robert Garcia and
Chris Martin are the front-runners to receive most of the save chances to start the 2026 season, according to Jeff Wilson of DLLS Sports.
Alexis Diaz could be another option to close out games, but the Rangers want to see how he performs in spring training games first. Garcia, 29, went 4-8 in 2025 with a 2.95 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, the first nine saves of his career, 68 strikeouts, and 22 walks in 64 relief innings.
Shawn Armstrong and
Luke Jackson tied Garcia for the team lead in saves last year, but both Armstrong and Jackson are gone, potentially giving Garcia the leg up as the Rangers' primary closer this year. Martin, 39, had a nice 2.98 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, two saves, and a 43:8 K:BB in 42 1/3 frames for Texas last season. This has the makings of a committee approach, so fantasy managers shouldn't invest too much into either Garcia or Martin.
--Keith HernandezSource: DLLS Sports - Jeff Wilson
February 11, 2026
Free-agent left-handed reliever
John King and the Miami Marlins agreed to a one-year, $1.5 million contract on Wednesday, sources told Jeff Passan of ESPN. The 31-year-old southpaw was non-tendered by the St. Louis Cardinals in November and will join the Fish on a fully guaranteed big-league deal. King appeared in 51 games out of the bullpen in St. Louis last year, posting a 4.66 ERA and 1.63 WHIP with 28 strikeouts and 14 walks over 48 1/3 innings pitched. He will most likely fill a middle-relief role in South Beach, leaving him virtually no fantasy upside. The former 10th-round pick by the Texas Rangers in 2017 out of the University of Houston has a career 3.80 ERA (4.04 FIP), 1.39 WHIP, 15.1% strikeout rate, and 6.2% walk rate in his six major-league seasons. King has never picked up a save in his career and is unlikely to do so in 2026.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Jeff Passan
February 11, 2026
San Diego Padres infielder Sung-Mon Song said that he's been told that he'll work at third base, second base, first base, and maybe some outfield as he enters his first major-league season, according to Sammy Levitt of 97.3 The Fan. The Padres signed the 29-year-old to a four-year, $15 million contract in December after he mostly played the hot corner in the Korean Baseball Organization for the Kiwoom Heroes. The Friars are set at third with All-Star
Manny Machado, obviously, so Song is expected to bounce around as a super-utility guy in 2026. He could also compete for playing time at designated hitter with newcomer
Miguel Andujar. Song came on strong the last two years in Korea and displayed more power at the plate, but it remains to be seen how it'll translate to MLB. Fantasy managers shouldn't be expecting much as Song transitions to better competition.
--Keith HernandezSource: 97.3
February 11, 2026
New York Mets manager
Carlos Mendoza announced that shortstop
Francisco Lindor (hand) will have surgery on his right hamate bone on Wednesday, according to Will Sammon of The Athletic. The Mets announced on Tuesday that surgery was a possibility for Lindor, and he'll now go under the knife and miss significant time this spring. The 32-year-old is expected to face a six-week rehab period. The Mets are optimistic that the five-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner will be ready for Opening Day at the end of March, but nothing is guaranteed right now. With Lindor out, the Mets will most likely move new infielder
Bo Bichette to the 6, with
Brett Baty handling most of the work at third base. Lindor's injury news definitely makes him a more volatile draft pick in fantasy this year, but RotoBaller still has him ranked as the No. 6 shortstop after his second 30-30 season in 2025.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Will Sammon
February 11, 2026
San Diego Padres manager
Craig Stammen officially announced on Wednesday that right-handed reliever
Mason Miller will be the team's closer in 2026, according to AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. It formally ends any speculation that Miller would transition to a starting role with the Friars. The hard-throwing 27-year-old starred in a late-inning setup role in SD in the second half of last season after he was acquired from the Athletics in a blockbuster summer deal. He was always the obvious choice to succeed two-time All-Star closer
Robert Suarez, who signed with the Braves in free agency. In 22 outings with the Padres in 2025, Miller had a microscopic 0.77 ERA and struck out a ridiculous 45 of the 83 batters he faced. Miller struck out eight of the nine Cubs hitters he faced in two appearances in the playoffs and tied the postseason record with eight straight K's. Pitching for what should be a competitive Padres team, Miller is in play as the best fantasy closer in baseball.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - AJ Cassavell
February 11, 2026
San Francisco Giants first baseman
Bryce Eldridge took fly balls in left field at spring training on Wednesday, according to Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports. Manager Tony Vitello wants to get Eldridge work in the outfield just in case. The 21-year-old played some outfield in the minors after getting drafted, so it's not completely foreign to him. However, he only played 26 games in right field back in 2023 in the Arizona Complex League and at Single-A San Jose. Adding some positional versatility for Eldridge makes sense, considering he'll mostly be rotating between first base and designated hitter in 2026 with
Rafael Devers. The 6-foot-7 left-handed slugger has recovered from left-wrist surgery to remove bone spurs at the end of last year, and he'll provide immense power in the Bay Area. Eldridge didn't hit a homer in 10 games in his MLB debut last September, but he displayed his power stroke with an .843 OPS and 25 homers in 102 minor-league games before that. Strikeouts are a part of his profile, but the power is real, and he should add first base eligibility in 2026.
--Keith HernandezSource: NBC Sports Bay Area - Alex Pavlovic
February 11, 2026
Texas Rangers starting pitcher
MacKenzie Gore (ankle) threw a bullpen session on Wednesday, according to video from Kennedi Landry of MLB.com. Gore was acquired from the Nationals in a blockbuster trade last month. The trade wouldn't have happened if he hadn't passed a physical, but it's still worth noting that he is coming back from shoulder and ankle injuries that sidelined him for all of September last year. Thus, Rangers fans and fantasy managers should be encouraged that he threw a bullpen, seemingly without any limitations. The 26-year-old has posted an ERA of 3.90 or higher in each of his four MLB seasons, but he still fetched a significant prospect haul in the trade because of his underlying metrics, pitch characteristics, and team control. There's a lot to like about his 10.43 K/9 and 3.61 BB/9 from last year, and his 1.13 HR/9 should settle down now that he's in the Rangers' pitcher-friendly environment. As it stands, Gore ranks as the #59 starting pitcher in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball rankings for 2026.
--Andersen PickardSource: Kennedi Landry
February 11, 2026
New York Mets manager
Carlos Mendoza said that
Bo Bichette and
Jorge Polanco will likely bat third and fourth, respectively. Presumably, that alignment is contingent on
Francisco Lindor (hand) being ready for opening day. Bichette was the Mets' biggest addition of the offseason. The former Blue Jays shortstop will likely shift to third base in New York when Lindor is healthy. He's a dependable contributor with the bat in his hands, slashing .311/.357/.483 with 18 home runs and 134 wRC+ across 139 games in 2025. Polanco is also a new addition for the Mets after inking a free agent contract in December. He spent the last two years in Seattle, primarily slotting in as the Mariners' second baseman or designated hitter. He slashed .265/.326/.495 with 26 home runs and 132 wRC+ last season. He typically led off for the Mariners, but he did make 21 cleanup appearances with a suboptimal .615 OPS in the fourth slot.
--Andersen PickardSource: Anthony DiComo
February 11, 2026
The Milwaukee Brewers have signed free-agent catcher
Gary Sanchez to a one-year, $1.75 million contract, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Sanchez most recently appeared with Milwaukee in 2024, but he spent last season with the Baltimore Orioles. Across 30 games in 2025, the veteran backstop slashed .231/.297/.418 with a 4.0% walk rate, 26.7% strikeout rate, and 100 wRC+. His defense took a step backward as he posted -2.6 FRM and -5 FRV behind the dish. Despite the subpar metrics, he's a solid depth addition for the Brewers, who needed another catcher. He'll join a depth chart that also includes
William Contreras and
Jeferson Quero. Sanchez might have an early jump on the backup catcher competition over Quero, who hasn't made his MLB debut yet.
--Andersen PickardSource: Jon Heyman
February 11, 2026
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher
Dylan Cease said that he's working to add a changeup this spring, and he is preaching consistency as a main component of his 2026 outlook, according to Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. Cease joined the Jays this offseason after two seasons with the Padres. Across 32 starts last year, he posted 11.52 K/9, 3.80 BB/9, a 36.6% ground ball rate, and a 3.56 FIP. It's interesting that Cease is looking for more consistency, especially after making at least 32 starts in each of the last five seasons. He presumably means more consistency on the process and results side, but there's still a ton to like about the underlying metrics. His fastball jumped to 97.1 mph last year, and his slider graded out at 115 on FanGraphs' Stuff+ model. It will be interesting to see what his new changeup looks like; he has thrown one in the past, but it accounted for just 1% of his pitch usage over the last two seasons.
--Andersen PickardSource: Keegan Matheson
February 11, 2026
The Los Angeles Dodgers have re-signed veteran reliever
Evan Phillips (elbow) to a one-year, $6.5 million contract, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN.com. In a corresponding move, catcher
Ben Rortvedt was designated for assignment. Phillips is coming off Tommy John surgery and is not expected to pitch until July. He made just seven appearances prior to injury last season, allowing zero earned runs with six strikeouts and a pair of walks. He posted a 2.08 FIP, but it came over such a small sample size that we should really pay closer attention to his 3.28 FIP from 2024. The 31-year-old is a very effective right-hander with a track record of posting high K/BB and ground ball rates. He won't be a closer in the Dodgers' deep bullpen, but he does have plenty of experience in save situations and can be trusted in high-leverage scenarios.
--Andersen PickardSource: Jeff Passan
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