January 25, 2026
As things currently stand, the Philadelphia Phillies don't have a set No. 4 or No. 5 starting pitcher, according to Matt Gelb of The Athletic.
Cristopher Sanchez, Jesus Luzard, and
Aaron Nola are their three healthy starters who are guaranteed rotation spots. The Phillies are hoping top prospect
Andrew Painter and veteran
Taijuan Walker fill out the rotation, but they aren't slam dunks. Both pitchers need to perform in spring training, but even if they don't, they have to be in the initial rotation as
Zack Wheeler continues his recovery from thoracic outlet syndrome. Painter, 22, had a 5.26 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, and 123:47 K:BB in 118 innings over 26 starts with Single-A Clearwater and Triple-A Lehigh Valley in 2025 in his first year back from Tommy John surgery. There wasn't a notable dip in Painter's stuff last year, and he could bounce back another year removed from TJ surgery. A lowered price in 2026 definitely makes Painter an intriguing buy-low candidate with elite pitching upside.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Matt Gelb
January 25, 2026
Houston Astros starting pitcher
Spencer Arrighetti (elbow) doesn't appear to be dealing with any lingering problems from his elbow issues from last season. Arrighetti was sidelined in September due to elbow inflammation, but it didn't require surgery. The right-hander said he's had a fairly normal offseason and feels good right now. Arrighetti believes he'll have no problem being ready for the beginning of Spring Training. This is good news for the Astros, who only got seven starts from Arrighetti last season. The organization is hopeful they can get a full season from the 26-year-old in 2026.
--Andy WebbSource: Leah Vann
January 25, 2026
Atlanta Braves outfielder
Ronald Acuna Jr. won't be making a positional change this upcoming season. The Braves have confirmed that they have no plans to move Acuna out of the outfield. There was some speculation that the Braves could move Acuna to shortstop, given
Ha-Seong Kim (finger) is expected to miss multiple months. That won't be the case as the Braves are likely to keep Acuna in right field for the foreseeable future. The Braves are just hopeful to keep Acuna healthy as he's only played over 100 games in a single season twice over the last five seasons.
--Andy WebbSource: Mark Bowman
January 25, 2026
Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder
Oneil Cruz has reportedly worked hard this offseason to improve his body and the issues he had last season. Cruz said there was no time to relax and immediately got back to work when he got home. The 27-year-old wants to focus on getting better, which is exactly what the Pirates want to hear from Cruz, who struggled last season. In 2025, Cruz posted a .200/.298/.378 slash line with 20 home runs, 61 RBI, and 38 stolen bases in 135 games. Before that, Cruz was a 2.5 WAR player during the 2024 campaign. The Pirates are hopeful that Cruz and bounce back and return to the type of production that he was giving during the 2024 season.
--Andy WebbSource: Jason Mackey
January 25, 2026
San Francisco Giants pitcher
Hayden Birdsong is reportedly excited heading into Spring Training after making some mechanical adjustments during the offseason. Birdsong is happy about how he's throwing, and he even received praise from his teammate,
Logan Webb. The 24-year-old came into the league with some hype after posting strong numbers in the minor leagues. Since making his debut in 2024, Birdsong hasn't quite performed as well as the Giants had hoped. Last season, Birdsong posted a 4.80 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, and a 68/37 K/BB ratio across 21 games (10 starts) with the Giants. The hope is that these adjustments will help Birdsong be a more productive option for the Giants in 2026.
--Andy WebbSource: Susan Slusser
January 25, 2026
Houston Astros pitcher
Hayden Wesneski (elbow) is reportedly feeling good heading into Spring Training. Wesneski reportedly threw from 90 feet as he continues to work his way back from injury. The right-hander underwent Tommy John surgery in May of last year. He's aiming to throw off the mound in April. Given the long road ahead of him, Wesneski is hopeful to make his return to the big league mound after the All-Star break. He'll hopefully serve as a nice second-half boost for this Astros pitching staff. Before going down last season, Wesneski posted a 4.50 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and a 29/6 K/BB ratio across six starts.
--Andy WebbSource: Leah Vann
January 25, 2026
Miami Marlins starting pitcher
Eury Perez is reportedly fully healthy heading into the regular season. In a recent interview, Perez said he had a healthy off-season and is feeling good heading into Spring Training. This is good news for the Marlins, who only got 20 starts from Perez last season. The 22-year-old has a ton of potential, but staying healthy on the mound has been the biggest problem. He made 19 starts in 2023 and then missed all of the 2024 campaign due to injury. When healthy, Perez was sharp on the mound last season. He posted a 4.25 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and a 105/32 K/BB ratio across his 20 starts. Both the Marlins and fantasy managers are hopeful for a full season from Perez in 2026.
--Andy WebbSource: Kevin Barral
January 24, 2026
The New York Mets have signed free-agent relief pitcher
Craig Kimbrel to a minor-league deal with an invite to spring training. It feels odd seeing Kimbrel sign a deal with a team that already has an established late-inning option. Kimbrel is one of the most successful relievers of all time with 440 career saves, which puts him fifth on the leaderboard. The 37-year-old isn't the same pitcher who earned four straight All-Star appearances. Kimbrel can still be a viable option in the bullpen, and his veteran presence and leadership alone are enough to sign him to an MLB deal. He most recently posted a 2.25 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, and 17/7 K/BB ratio across 14 games with the Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros in 2025. The expectation is that Kimbrel could serve as a late-inning option with occasional save chances when
Devin Williams needs a breather. That's assuming Kimbrel makes the team, as he'll need to compete for a roster spot during camp.
--Andy WebbSource: Jon Heyman
January 24, 2026
Houston Astros infielder/outfielder
Jose Altuve will mostly play second base in 2026. Astros manager Joe Espada said Altuve will mainly be at second base, but will occasionally play in left field as well. The long-time second baseman made the switch to the outfield last season. The Astros quickly realized that having a five-foot-six-inch outfielder with below-average arm strength might not be the best decision. They've decided to put Altuve back in his primary position, which is the best move for everyone involved. At his age, Altuve is best served playing second base or getting reps at designated hitter.
--Andy WebbSource: Chandler Rome
January 24, 2026
Houston Astros infielder
Isaac Paredes will reportedly get reps at second base during Spring Training. Paredes is primarily a third baseman, but will get some playing time at the keystone in camp. This isn't a completely foreign position to Paredes, as he's played 67 games at second base during his pro career. During his first season with the Astros last season, Paredes saw time only at third base and designated hitter. The Astros could be attempting to shift Paredes over to second base to give
Jose Altuve more time in left field and at DH. Paredes isn't known for his defensive abilities, but a move to second base might help him on defense.
--Andy WebbSource: Chandler Rome
January 24, 2026
Houston Astros infielder
Brice Matthews will reportedly take some reps in the outfield during Spring Training. According to Chandler Rome, Matthews is going to see some playing time in center field during camp. Until this point, Matthews has almost exclusively played in the infield during his pro career. He did play nine games in center field during his time in Triple-A Sugar Land last season. The Astros need another outfielder with
Jesus Sanchez,
Jake Meyers,
Cam Smith, and
Jose Altuve as the main options. Matthews appears to be ready for the big league level after posting impressive numbers in the minors last season. His best path to playing time might be moving to the outfield.
--Andy WebbSource: Chandler Rome
January 24, 2026
Houston Astros outfielder
Yordan Alvarez will reportedly play some left field this upcoming season. According to Chandler Rome, Alvarez will see time in left field, but will mostly serve as the designated hitter. This isn't shocking news, given Alvarez was limited to 48 games due to injuries last season. The Astros keeping Alvarez as the DH is the best way to protect him from injury. Alvarez played 15 games in left field in 2025 and 53 games in the outfield during the 2024 campaign. The 28-year-old isn't exactly known for his defensive ability, so keeping him at DH for the majority of the games makes sense. He's an elite player when healthy, so hopefully, fantasy managers will get a full season from Alvarez in 2026.
--Andy WebbSource: Chandler Rome
January 24, 2026
The Arizona Diamondbacks are reportedly the favorites to re-sign free-agent starting pitcher
Zac Gallen. A reunion appears to be in the works after it seemed likely that the two sides would go their separate ways at the beginning of the winter. Gallen rejected the qualifying offer and entered free agency, but with draft pick compensation tied to his name. The Orioles, Braves, Giants, and Tigers have reportedly expressed interest in Gallen, but there is no deal in place. The 30-year-old is coming off a down year with the D-Backs in 2025. Last season, Gallen posted a 4.83 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and a 175/66 K/BB ratio across 33 starts. It was the first year that Gallen had finished with a 4-plus ERA since the 2021 campaign. It seems possible that Gallen would take a short-term deal with opt-out options to try to re-establish his value. The D-Backs haven't replaced Gallen's spot in the rotation, so a reunion could still happen. Gallen is a quality arm that makes sense for a team that doesn't have a ton of established arms to count on right now.
--Andy WebbSource: Diamondbacks on SI
January 24, 2026
The San Diego Padres have signed infielder/outfielder
Samad Taylor to a minor-league deal with an invite to spring training. Taylor recently elected free agency after being removed from the Seattle Mariners' 40-man roster. His versatility makes Taylor an attractive utility option, but he lacks experience at the big league level. The 27-year-old has only played 38 games across parts of three seasons. He slashed .296/.378/.461 with 17 home runs, 86 RBI, and 44 stolen bases across 137 games in Triple-A with the Mariners last season. He only played in three big league games last season, but his excellent play in the minors makes him worthy of a flier. He figures to compete for a bench role on the 26-man roster during Spring Training.
--Andy WebbSource: Chris Cotillo
January 24, 2026
San Diego Padres right-hander
Yu Darvish's (elbow) agent, Joel Wolfe, said that no decision has been made on Darvish's retirement, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. A report earlier on Saturday said that Darvish was hanging up his cleats. "Yu has not made a final decision yet. This is a complicated matter we are still working through," Wolfe said. The 39-year-old veteran will not play at all in 2026 after having an internal-brace procedure and flexor-tendon surgery. Darvish is set to make $46 million over the next three seasons if he doesn't retire, but the Japanese legend doesn't appear to have much left in the tank. He has made a combined 31 starts in the last two seasons in San Diego and has gone 12-8 with a 4.28 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and 146:41 K:BB in 153 2/3 innings pitched. The odds are against Darvish being a reliable fantasy pitching option in 2027 if he doesn't retire.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Mark Feinsand
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