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According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Baltimore Orioles are among the clubs that have shown interest in free agent right-handed pitcher Justin Verlander. Rosenthal noted that the 43-year-old is still receiving interest from several clubs, but given his connection with Orioles GM Mike Elias, the Orioles appear to be among the favorites to land him. However, given that the Orioles are still actively pursuing starting pitching, they could look to pivot to an option with more upside, according to Rosenthal. Last season, Verlander logged 152 innings with the San Francisco Giants and held a 3.85 ERA with a 1.36 WHIP. He struck out only 137 hitters and generated a 37th percentile 4.24 xERA under the hood. Given his decreasing strikeout production and high ratios, Verlander would only be worth targeting in deep 15+ team/AL-only formats if he were to sign with the Orioles.

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According to Jon Heyman of The New York Post, New York Mets third baseman Brett Baty is expected to play numerous positions, including left field. On Friday, the team signed infielder Bo Bichette, who is now slated to take over the everyday role at third base, shifting Baty into a super-utility role. While Baty may struggle to find at-bats in the infield, he could carve out a role in the New York outfield that traded Brandon Nimmo this offseason and failed to sign Kyle Tucker. Throughout his MLB career, Baty has only made one appearance in left field, but is expected to earn opportunities there during camp. Last season, the 26-year-old held a .254/.313/.435 line with 13 doubles and a career-best 18 home runs across 130 contests. While Baty's short-term fantasy value did take a hit following Bichette's signing, he could eventually carve out a role in the outfield. For now, he is best left for deeper redraft formats.

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Cincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain has added 12 pounds in the offseason as he has focused on getting stronger. The former 17th overall pick has dealt with numerous injuries throughout his two-year MLB career and is eyeing a "fresh start." McLain made his debut in 2023 but missed the entire 2024 campaign due to a rib and shoulder injury. In 2025, McLain appeared in a career-high 147 games but struggled at the plate, posting a .220/.300/.343 line with 18 doubles, 15 home runs, and 18 stolen bases. Under the hood, he generated a low .290 xwOBA. This was a stark drop from the promising .290/.357/.507 line he held during his debut campaign in 2023. Managers should keep a close eye on his status during camp, as the young infielder does possess five-category upside when on the field.

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Pittsburgh Pirates infielder/outfielder Konnor Griffin is among the Pirates' invites to big-league spring training this year, according to the team. Per MLB Pipeline, Griffin is considered the top prospect in baseball in 2026. The 19-year-old turned heads in his first year in the minors for the Bucs in 2025, hitting .333/.415/.527 with a .941 OPS, 21 home runs, 94 RBI, 117 runs, and 65 stolen bases in 122 combined games with Single-A Bradenton, High-A Greensboro, and Double-A Altoona. Depending on how he looks in spring training, Griffin has a real chance to be the first teenager to debut in the big leagues since Juan Soto in 2018. Griffin is expected to compete for the starting shortstop job this spring. Griffin is a premium all-around athlete with plus-plus speed, and he certainly has the looks of a future fantasy superstar, potentially as early as 2026.

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The New York Mets have claimed shortstop Tsung-Che Cheng off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays. He was claimed off waivers by the Rays on January 8 from the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Rays designated Cheng for assignment to free up a spot on their 40-man roster following a trade. He'll now head to New York after putting up a lackluster campaign in Triple-A Indianapolis last season. Cheng slashed .207/.305/.267 with one home run, 36 RBI, and 20 steals in 110 games in the minors in 2025. He figures to serve as organizational depth in the minors to begin the season.

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The Miami Marlins have claimed right-handed pitcher Osvaldo Bido off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays. Bido was claimed off waivers by the Rays in December from the Atlanta Braves. He was designated for assignment by Tampa Bay after they needed to open a 40-man roster spot following a trade. The Marlins have decided to pick up the 30-year-old, who is looking to bounce back after a rough 2025 campaign. Last season, Bido registered a 5.87 ERA, 1.60 WHIP, and 68/35 K/BB ratio across 26 games (10 starts) with the Athletics. Bido posted strong numbers with the A's during the 2024 season. This is a solid low-risk move for the Marlins to take a chance on Bido, who could be a decent swingman option for them in 2026.

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The Minnesota Twins have agreed to a deal with free-agent catcher Victor Caratini on Friday. They've agreed on a two-year, $14 million deal, according to Robert Murray. At first glance, this seems like an odd fit given the Twins already have Ryan Jeffers. There's still a scenario that the rebuilding Twins trade Jeffers and use Caratini as the starting catcher. The 32-year-old has posted back-to-back strong campaigns with the Houston Astros. Last season, Caratini slashed .259/.324/.404 with 12 home runs and 46 RBI across 114 games. It seems unlikely that Caratini would play over 100 games in Minnesota, assuming Jeffers remains in the picture. His fantasy value will be dependent on his playing time, but Caratini isn't likely to be a strong fantasy option anyway.

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Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Brad Keller has decided to join Team USA for the upcoming World Baseball Classic. This should pretty much round out the pitching staff, but it's always possible that someone drops out. This is a nice addition to the roster as Keller experienced a breakout season with the Chicago Cubs in 2025. He posted a 2.07 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, and a 75/22 K/BB ratio across 68 games. That performance earned him a two-year, $22 million deal with the Phillies this offseason. The 30-year-old will now get a chance to shine for his country.

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According to Marc Topkin, newly acquired infielder/outfielder Gavin Lux is going to primarily play second base with the Tampa Bay Rays. It sounds like Lux is going to step in and fill the void left by Brandon Lowe. Rays' president of baseball operations Erik Neander sounds confident in Lux being an everyday option at the keystone. Lux spent most of his time in left field or as the designated hitter during his time with the Cincinnati Reds last season. He did play full-time at second base during his time with the Los Angeles Dodgers, so it's not an unfamiliar position to him. Last season, Lux slashed .269/.350/.374 with five home runs and 53 RBI in 140 games with the Reds. The loss of power at the position is significant because Lowe smacked 31 homers with the Rays last season. The front office clearly sees something in Lux, so maybe they can tap into some hidden potential.

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The Houston Astros have signed free-agent pitcher Cody Bolton to a minor-league deal with an invite to Spring Training. Bolton only pitched in one game for the Cleveland Guardians last season. That was his lone big league appearance in 2025, but he did pitch 17 games with the Seattle Mariners in 2024. Bolton is a former sixth-round pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates from the 2017 draft. He began his career as a starter, but has converted into a bullpen arm. He'll likely serve as organizational depth and start the season in Triple-A.

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The Philadelphia Phillies have reached an agreement to bring back free-agent catcher J.T. Realmuto. They've agreed on a three-year, $45 million deal, which could total to $60 million with incentives. A deal between the two seemed inevitable as a return to Philly makes sense for both sides. The 34-year-old has seen a regression in production in recent years, but still offers around a 3.0 WAR. Last season, Realmuto slashed .257/.315/.384 with 12 home runs, 52 RBI, and eight steals in 134 games with the Phillies. Realmuto has spent the last seven years with the Phillies organization. He's familiar with their pitching staff and is a trustworthy option behind the plate.

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Detroit Tigers infielder Colt Keith could be primed to "lock down a large share of playing time at third base," per Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic. The 24-year-old has spent time at every infield position other than shortstop so far in his big league career, but saw more appearances as a designated hitter than anywhere else in 2025. Stavenhagen notes that Detroit has a multitude of options at the hot corner, namely, veterans Javier Baez, Zach McKinstry, and Matt Vierling, as well as prospects Kevin McGonigle and Max Anderson. As such, Keith is not guaranteed to hold the job throughout the season, but he may enter Spring Training as the favorite to start at third base on Opening Day. Across 468 plate appearances for Detroit in 2025, Keith posted a .256/.333/.413 slash line with 13 home runs, 45 RBI, 65 runs scored, and one stolen base. He's been significantly better against right-handed pitching (.731 OPS) than left-handed pitching (.610 OPS) so far in his career.

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The Philadelphia Phillies offered infielder Bo Bichette a seven-year, $200 million contract before he signed with the New York Mets, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Bichette's reported agreement with New York is worth $126 million over three years, so the 27-year-old is apparently prioritizing a higher average annual value and the chance to get back on the open market more quickly. Nightengale reports that the Phillies "believed they would sign (Bichette) until the Mets swooped in." Bichette has almost exclusively played shortstop as a big leaguer, but he's set to move to third base with the Mets and likely would have done the same in Philadelphia. With Bichette now in New York, Philadelphia's opening day third baseman currently projects to be Alec Bohm. Bohm posted a .287/.331/.409 slash line with 11 home runs, 59 RBI, 53 runs scored, and two stolen bases across 504 plate appearances with the Phillies in 2025.

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Free agent outfielder Michael Conforto is drawing interest from the Chicago White Sox, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Conforto, who is entering his age-33 season, is coming off a brutal 2025. Across 466 plate appearances with the Los Angeles Dodgers, he posted a .199/.305/.333 slash line with 12 home runs, 36 RBI, 54 runs scored, and one stolen base. The rebuilding White Sox would presumably be able to offer Conforto significant playing time in their corner outfield spots, which would allow the veteran an opportunity to get his career back on track and re-establish his market. Conforto posted a .759 OPS across 488 plate appearances with the San Francisco Giants in 2024, so he's not too far removed from providing above-average production at the plate.

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Free agent infielder Bo Bichette has agreed to a three-year, $126 million contract with the New York Mets, per ESPN's Jeff Passan. While the Mets were not one of the teams most frequently linked to Bichette throughout the offseason, Passan notes that New York pivoted to Bichette after losing out on outfielder Kyle Tucker to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Across 628 plate appearances with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2025, Bichette posted a .311/.357/.483 slash line with 18 home runs, 94 RBI, 78 runs scored, and four stolen bases. He turns just 28 in March, so the shorter-term, high-AAV contract structure will allow Bichette another shot at free agency as he enters his age-31 season. While Bichette has almost exclusively played shortstop in his big-league career to this point, he seems likely to move to third base in New York with Francisco Lindor locked in at short. Mets infielders Mark Vientos and Brett Baty could both see a significant playing time reduction as a result of the team's acquisition of Bichette.

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Pittsburgh Pirates infield prospect Konnor Griffin is considered the No. 1 prospect in the entire sport on MLB.com and is quickly climbing the minor leagues. Last summer, the former ninth-overall pick from the 2024 MLB Draft made his professional debut with Low-A but finished the season with Double-A Altoona. Through 101 games split between Low-A and High-A, the 19-year-old posted an elite .332/.414/.524 line with a .937 OPS. He hit 16 home runs and swiped 59 bases. Then, during his first 21 games at Double-A, Griffin continued to play at an elite level, carrying a .337/.418/.542 line with five home runs and six stolen bases. Given his impressive rise through the minor leagues, Girffin could be in play to not only make his MLB debut early in 2026 but potentially out of spring training. Reports earlier this offseason suggest that the Pirates may give Griffin an opportunity to claim the shortstop job. Even if it is unlikely for Griffin to debut in the majors at the start of this season, he should be in the mix to reach the big leagues by the second half.

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Detroit Tigers outfield prospect Max Clark has continued to progress at a steady pace through the system and is nearing the top level of the minor leagues. In 2025, the former third overall pick began the season with High-A, but eventually made his debut at Double-A Erie in the second half. Through 68 games with High-A, Clark posted a strong .285/.430/.427 line with an elite 56:65 K:BB. During his first taste of Double-A action, the 21-year-old took a bit of a step back but remained productive, carrying a .251/.360/.439 line with a.799 OPS. He continued to show a strong eye at the plate, drawing 29 walks compared to 34 strikeouts. If Clark can see his production reach a new level with Double-A to begin the 20226 campaign, Clark could reach Triple-A early in the first half, which may leave the door open for a late-season MLB debut.

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Boston Red Sox left-handed pitching prospect Payton Tolle made his MLB debut during the 2025 season and had mixed results. The southpaw logged 19 1/3 innings to the tune of a 6.09 ERA and a 1.59 WHIP. Tolle was deployed out of the rotation in each of his first three outings but was then shifted to the bullpen over his last four. Through six innings of relief, Tolle looked much more stable, allowing only two runs while striking out seven hitters. Earlier in 2025, Tolle made his professional debut with High-A and was able to quickly progress through the Boston system, which earned him the late-season promotion. Through 91 2/3 innings split between High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A, the No. 28-ranked prospect in baseball posted a 3.04 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, and a dominant 133:23 K:BB. However, managers should keep an eye on him during spring training, as he may not be guaranteed a spot in the team's starting rotation given his inconsistent debut. Additionally, the Red Sox recently signed left-hander Ranger Suarez, which will add yet another pitcher to a largely crowded rotation. For now, Tolle is best left for deeper redraft leagues given his unknown role.

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Philadelphia Phillies top pitching prospect Andrew Painter was in the mix to make his MLB debut last season, but was unable to earn the call from Triple-A. After battling numerous injuries throughout his young career, including Tommy John surgery, Painter was able to log a career-high 118 innings in the minor leagues last season, most of which were spent with Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Through his first 106 2/3 innings with the top team in the Phillies' system, Painter struggled, posting a 5.40 ERA and 1.55 WHIP. During this stretch, Painter struck out 111 hitters but allowed a rather high 46 walks. Over the last 38 2/3 innings of the season, the former 13th overall pick struggled even further, posting a high 6.05 ERA. However, with Zack Wheeler (shoulder) working his way back from injury and Ranger Suarez now in Boston, Painter could make a case to make the Opening Day roster out of spring training, given the state of their rotation. He is worth monitoring as he could be an intriguing late-round option if Wheeler's recovery is delayed.

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Minnesota Twins top outfield prospect Walker Jenkins made his Triple-A debut late in the second half of the 2025 season and could be in the mix for his MLB debut sooner than expected. He began the 2025 season with Double-A, where he continued to perform at an elite level, carrying a .309/.426/.487 line with 11 doubles, seven home runs, and 11 stolen bases. He then earned the call to Triple-A St. Paul, where Jenkins took a bit of a step back, carrying an overall .242/.324/.396 line through 23 contests. However, the former fifth-overall pick from the 2023 MLB Draft showed significant progress over his last 16 games as he posted a much-improved .273/.333/.439 line, suggesting he had already begun to take strides forward. While managers should expect Jenkins to open the season at Triple-A, he may only need a brief stint before proving he is ready to join the MLB roster. Given his ability to get on base at an elite rate while showing nearly 20-SB upside in each season, he is a prime early-season stash option in deeper redraft leagues.

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