February 24, 2026
Pittsburgh Pirates hitting coach
Matt Hague said that outfielder
Oneil Cruz hired a left-handed batting practice coach on the second day of the offseason and worked on hitting lefties all offseason. Cruz reached the 20-homer mark for the second straight year in 2025 and also had a league-high 38 stolen bases, but he hit a career-low .200 (94-for-471) with 174 strikeouts in 544 plate appearances. Against southpaws, he went just 11-for-108 (.102) with one of his 20 home runs and 44 K's in 125 plate appearances. Cruz has elite bat speed and exit velocities when he contacts a baseball, but issues making contact have lowered his fantasy value going into his sixth year in the big leagues. The 27-year-old was the first player in MLB history to hit 20-plus homers and steal 30-plus bases while batting under .230. If Cruz can improve against lefties and find a way to make more consistent contact, he should easily be a top-20 fantasy outfielder. Right now, RotoBaller has him ranked at No. 29.
--Keith HernandezSource: Platinum Key
February 24, 2026
Texas Rangers shortstop prospect
Sebastian Walcott (elbow) had successful UCL surgery last week, an internal-brace procedure performed by Dr. Keith Meister, according to Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News. The Rangers expect a five- to six-month recovery for Walcott. The 19-year-old could miss the entire 2025 season, delaying his development another year. Walcott is ranked as the No. 7 overall prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline after hitting .255/.355/.386 with a .741 OPS, 13 home runs, 59 RBI, 71 runs scored, and 32 stolen bases in 552 plate appearances over 124 games at Double-A Frisco last year. He can obviously be avoided in single-year fantasy leagues, but Walcott is still a firm hold in dynasty/keeper leagues as one of the best position-player prospects in the game. Depending on how his recovery goes, Walcott could make his MLB debut late in the 2027 season.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Dallas Morning News - Shawn McFarland
February 24, 2026
Toronto Blue Jays left-handed pitching prospect
Ricky Tiedemann (elbow) felt left-elbow soreness after his last side session in spring training, according to Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. An MRI exam came back clean on his left elbow, but the Blue Jays will be cautious and back him off for a week in camp. It's not what you want to hear from a young pitcher who already missed all of the 2025 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. Once one of the most promising young pitching prospects in baseball, the 23-year-old southpaw could be in danger of missing more time because of elbow issues this year. The Blue Jays could decide to move Tiedemann to a relief role to keep him healthy, but for now, they are hoping he can remain a starter long-term. Given all the time he's missed due to injury, Tiedemann is expected to begin the 2026 season at Triple-A Buffalo if he's healthy.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Keegan Matheson
February 24, 2026
Chicago Cubs pitcher
Jameson Taillon can be a nice depth addition late in mixed-league drafts, since his ADP (average draft position) is currently around 300. Taillon had a solid season overall last year, making 23 starts and going 11-7 with a 3.68 ERA. His 4.65 FIP was a little high, but he was able to work around some extra hard contact effectively last year. He is starting his 10th season in the majors and is 34 years old, so he's in a race against time to stay effective. He's proven that he can be effective even without a high strikeout rate, and with the Cubs' solid lineup, he should be a good source of wins as long as he secures one of the starting spots and stays healthy. He isn't a flashy late-round sleeper with a ton of upside, but the solid veteran brings a relatively high floor as a late-round option if you're looking for some stability.
--Zach ThompsonSource: RotoBaller
February 24, 2026
Minnesota Twins outfielder
Matt Wallner brings elite raw power but has been very streaky in his time in the majors. He only hit .202 in his 104 games last season but did set a career-high with 22 home runs. The lefty actually had more success against lefties, but his contact rate was low on both sides of the splits. He did lower his strikeout rate from 36.4% in 2024 to 29.1% in 20205, but it was still extremely high. He arrived in spring training 10 pounds lighter and with an altered batting stance, looking to even out his hot and cold streaks. He said that he is "Just trying to have more of a simple [swing] path as opposed to the highs and lows that come with a big swing." He should get a chance to establish himself as one of the key sluggers in the Twins' thinner lineup coming into the year, so taking a shot on him late in your draft could pay off if he's able to continue to cut down on his strikeout rate and still bring power.
--Zach ThompsonSource: Bobby Nightengale
February 24, 2026
Toronto Blue Jays shortstop/second baseman
Andres Gimenez helped the Blue Jays get to the World Series in his first season after joining the team via trade, but he had a down year at the plate. He hit only .210 after hitting over .250 in each of his last three seasons in Cleveland, and he only had seven homers and 12 stolen bases after hitting at least nine homers and stealing at least 20 bases in each of his last three seasons. He was limited to only 101 games, mostly by a high ankle sprain, and he admitted this spring training that he continued to play through pain after he returned in mid-August. He'll be sliding from 2B to SS on a full-time basis in 2026, and if he's healthy, he could have a bounce-back season. Since he stole 30 bases in 2024 and 2023, he could be a sneaky source of late-round speed if he's able to stay healthy in his second season in Toronto.
--Zach ThompsonSource: RotoBaller
February 24, 2026
Toronto Blue Jays infielder
Ernie Clement is a nice late-round fantasy baseball value who brings versatility and should get regular playing time for the Blue Jays. He actually hit leadoff in their first game of spring training while playing 2B.
George Springer was not in the lineup and will normally hit leadoff, but Clement will be crucial to their hopes of going back to the World Series and will likely fill in at multiple spots around the infield. Last year, Clement played 157 games and had a career-high 588 at-bats while hitting .277 with nine homers, six stolen bases, and a .308 wOBA. While he doesn't necessarily bring elite production in any single category, he consistently chips in with counting stats and a good batting average, bringing a high floor and lots of versatility. If you're looking for a safer late-round pick, Clement can be a solid depth addition.
--Zach ThompsonSource: RotoBaller
February 24, 2026
Atlanta Braves starting pitcher
Chris Sale agreed to a one-year extension to stay in Atlanta that includes a team option for the 2028 season. Before the extension, the former Cy Young winner was on track to be a free agent after the upcoming 2026 season, but this deal will keep him in Atlanta through 2027 and possibly 2028. The 36-year-old lefty has revitalized his career with the Braves, going 25-8 in 50 games over the last two seasons. He has a 2.46 ERA and 2.33 FIP with an 11.6 K/9. He missed time with a rib injury during the team's lost season last year, but this signing is a great indication that he'll start the season healthy, and that the team is confident in his return to form coming into this season.
--Zach ThompsonSource: Jeff Passan
February 23, 2026
Free-agent right-hander
Carson Fulmer signed a minor-league deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday that includes an invitation to major-league spring training, a source told Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Fulmer's 2025 season with the Los Angeles Angels was cut short due to an elbow injury. Before his injury, he struggled to a 5.83 ERA and 1.23 WHIP with 26 strikeouts and 11 walks in 29 1/3 relief innings over 13 appearances. The 32-year-old former eighth overall pick by the Chicago White Sox out of Vanderbilt is probably fighting long odds to make the Opening Day bullpen in Pittsburgh. In his nine big-league seasons, Fulmer has a 5.44 ERA (5.27 FIP), 1.46 WHIP, 20% strikeout rate, and 11.9% walk rate in 256 2/3 innings over 127 appearances (24 starts). He's nowhere near the fantasy radar.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Colin Beazley
February 23, 2026
Free-agent right-hander
Brent Honeywell, who won the World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2024, signed a minor-league contract with the San Francisco Giants on Monday, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. The former top prospect with the Tampa Bay Rays did not pitch with a team in 2025. The 30-year-old former second-round pick in 2014 out of Walters State Community College never panned out as a big-league starter and has started only three of the 63 games that he's appeared in in the majors since debuting with the Rays in 2021. Honeywell actually had a solid year in 2024 with the Dodgers and Pittsburgh Pirates, posting a 2.63 ERA and 1.14 WHIP with a save, 18 strikeouts, and 11 walks in 37 2/3 innings over 20 outings (one start). He will most likely start the year at Triple-A Sacramento as relief depth for the Gigantes.
--Keith HernandezSource: MassLive.com - Chris Cotillo
February 23, 2026
Miami Marlins third baseman
Graham Pauley (forearm) has not appeared in a Grapefruit League game yet in spring training and underwent imaging for forearm tightness on Monday, according to Christina De Nicola of MLB.com. Although Pauley doesn't have a ton of upside offensively, he was considered one of the favorites for regular playing time at third in Miami to begin the 2026 regular season. It's unclear if this injury will jeopardize his availability for Opening Day in late March, but if it does, it will be good news for
Connor Norby's path to regular playing time. The 25-year-old Pauley played in 62 games in 2025 in his first year with the Fish, slashing .224/.311/.366 with a .678 OPS, four home runs, 11 RBI, 18 runs scored, and two stolen bases in 184 plate appearances. For now, Pauley should be considered day-to-day.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Christina De Nicola
February 23, 2026
Boston Red Sox shortstop
Trevor Story is a strong candidate to hit second in the batting order this year, following outfielder
Roman Anthony in the leadoff spot, according to Christopher Smith of MassLive.com. Story was in the two-hole in his final 10 games of the 2025 regular season and also hit there in all three of the team's Wild-Card games in the playoffs against the New York Yankees. The veteran shortstop hit .294 with a .339 on-base percentage, .497 slugging percentage, and .836 OPS in his final 84 games last year, but overall, he had a .308 on-base percentage (tied for 11th), and his .433 slugging percentage ranked 72nd among qualified hitters. The 33-year-old two-time All-Star stayed healthy and hit 25 homers, drove in 96, scored 91 runs, and stole 31 bases in 157 regular-season games. Story is still a top-15 fantasy shortstop when healthy, but his lengthy injury history suggests volume could be an issue in 2026.
--Keith HernandezSource: MassLive.com - Christopher Smith
February 23, 2026
Houston Astros relief pitcher
Bryan Abreu could be asked to step up into the closer role to begin the regular season. Normally,
Josh Hader (biceps) would fill the role, but he's currently dealing with biceps inflammation. The southpaw is playing light catch off flat ground, so he'll need to ramp up his progress to be ready in time for Opening Day. It sounds like Abreu is the next man up after posting elite numbers as the set-up man for multiple years. Last season, Abreu registered a career-high seven saves across 70 appearances with the Astros. The team has faith that Abreu can hold down the job while Hader recovers from his injury. The 28-year-old is probably the favorite for saves early in the season, assuming Hader misses time.
--Andy WebbSource: The New York Times
February 23, 2026
Texas Rangers infielder
Justin Foscue (hamstring) was forced to make an early exit from Monday's Cactus League matchup versus the Los Angeles Angels. Foscue was removed from the contest due to right hamstring tightness. It sounds like he pushed to stay in the game, but the Rangers didn't want to risk him making it a more serious injury. He singled in his lone at-bat of the game and should be considered day-to-day for the moment. The former first-round pick has looked solid early in camp, so hopefully he can get back out there soon. There should be another update on his status in the coming days.
--Andy WebbSource: Kennedi Landry
February 23, 2026
Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher
Trevor Megill (forearm) reportedly had platelet-rich plasma injections this offseason. The right-hander decided to get platelet-rich plasma injections after missing time due to a forearm strain in 2025. Megill appears to be healthy now, but his role in the bullpen is not certain yet. Last season, Megill registered a 2.49 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and a 60/17 K/BB ratio with 30 saves in 50 games. The 32-year-old has recorded over 50 total saves over the last two seasons, but might not be the full-time closer. It seems like the Brewers also like
Abner Uribe, who looked good as a closer when Megill missed time last season. Knowing how the Brewers operate, Megill could be a trade candidate given his age and current salary. His full-time closer gig could be in jeopardy, but at least it sounds like Megill is healthy heading into the 2026 season.
--Andy WebbSource: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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