Chicago White Sox shortstop Colson Montgomery made his MLB debut last season. While he logged a modest 71 appearances before the year came to an end, he wasted no time showing the world just how much power he possesses in his swing. Montgomery launched 21 homers across 71 MLB games -- more home runs than he had ever hit in a full minor league season. The thump was legitimate, but concerns persisted about his strikeouts; he posted a 29.2% strikeout rate and 8.8% walk rate down the stretch. Still, he finished the year with 129 wRC+ and 9.3 fWAR at the plate, as well as 7.0 fWAR in the field. Most of his defensive reps came at shortstop (6 OAA and 6 FRV), although he did log a dozen appearances at the hot corner. Montgomery could legitimately slug 40-plus home runs this year, so while it remains to be seen whether he can cut down on strikeouts, he offers intriguing fantasy upside nonetheless. As it stands, he ranks as the #21 shortstop and #116 hitter in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball draft rankings for 2026.

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Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Sal Frelick remains in line to handle an everyday role during the 2026 season. Frelick has played at least 142 games in each of the last seasons, and he slugged a career-high 12 home runs last year. Along the way, he slashed .288/.351/.405 with 63 RBI, 19 stolen bases, a 7.9% walk rate, a 13.5% strikeout rate, and 114 wRC+. He's not a major power threat, but he puts the ball in play, keeps his strikeout rate in check, and offers some speed. Frelick also enjoyed a very strong 2025 season on defense, posting 6 OAA and 7 FRV at his primary position in right field. Assuming newcomer Jett Williams spends most of his time at shortstop, the Brewers didn't really bring in any outfield competition this offseason. Frelick could be headed for 142-plus games once again, so even though he doesn't hit a ton of home runs, he can still have low-end value in fantasy baseball. As it stands, he ranks as the #51 outfielder in RotoBaller's latest fantasy draft rankings for 2026.

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Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez continues to display impressive power heading into his age-35 season. The veteran backstop slugged 30 home runs across 155 games last year; that home run total was higher than his total from each of the three previous seasons. Power is Perez's primary calling card at this point in his career, as he also posted a suboptimal 4.4% walk rate, 19.5% strikeout rate, and 95 wRC+ along with -8.2 fWAR at the plate and -8.7 fWAR in the field. He made 38 appearances as the Royals' designated hitter, 30 at first base, and 92 behind the dish. He played replacement-level defense at first, but he offered a worrisome -7.6 FRM at catcher. FanGraphs still projects Perez as the Royals' Opening Day catcher, but we wouldn't be surprised to see him spend more time at first base and designated hitter while a depth option -- presumably, rookie Carter Jensen -- straps on the gear. Regardless of where Perez plays defensively, we expect his power to carry over from last year, keeping him on the fantasy radar in most leagues. He currently ranks as the #9 catcher in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball draft rankings.

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The New York Yankees will manage designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton's (elbow) playing time this year after he missed a significant portion of the 2025 season with severe tennis elbow in both of his arms, according to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. It's an issue that has not healed, and it could lead to more rest days for the 36-year-old veteran right-handed slugger. The five-time All-Star and former MVP played in only 77 games last year, but he slashed a strong .273/.350/.594 with a .944 OPS, 24 home runs, 66 RBI, and 36 runs scored for the Yankees in 281 regular-season plate appearances when he was on the field. Fantasy managers will take on a lot of injury risk as well as contact issues when drafting Stanton, but his demise may have been a bit premature, and he also added outfield eligibility in some leagues going into 2026.

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Milwaukee Brewers infield prospect Jett Williams will get reps at third base in spring training, according to Jack Stern of Brewer Fanatic. Williams, who came over to Milwaukee this offseason in the trade that sent right-hander Freddy Peralta to the New York Mets, will also see work at the 6 this spring. Third base will be his best shot to see playing time in 2026, though, especially after the Brewers traded infielders Caleb Durbin and Andruw Monasterio to the Boston Red Sox on Monday. The 22-year-old has a plus arm despite having never played the hot corner in his professional career. Williams, a former 14th overall pick in 2022, will likely be ticketed for Triple-A Nashville to begin the season after slashing .261/.363/.465 with an .828 OPS, 17 home runs, 52 RBI, 91 runs scored, and 34 steals in 130 games in 2025 with Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse. In addition to shortstop and third base, Williams could be an option in the outfield in his new home. Williams is an under-the-radar prospect worth keeping an eye on.

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Free-agent Colombian infielder Gio Urshela agreed to a minor-league deal with the Minnesota Twins on Monday that includes an invitation to major-league spring training, sources told Daniel Alvarez-Montes of El Extra Base. Urshela will try to win a big-league roster spot this spring after hitting .238/.287/.326 with a .613 OPS, no home runs, 20 RBI, 10 runs scored, 13 walks, and 40 strikeouts in just 59 games in 2025 with the Athletics. He was designated for assignment by the club in August and didn't latch on with another team before the end of the 2025 season. The 34-year-old will be nothing more than a bench player who can play the corner infield spots if he wins a roster spot with the Twins. Urshela has just one season with more than 20 home runs, and that came way back in 2019 with the New York Yankees. He holds a .270/.314/.407 career slash line with a .722 OPS and 73 home runs in 10 major-league seasons.

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MassLive.com's Chris Cotillo suggests that Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran could be out of the left field and designated hitter mix this year against left-handed pitchers. Wilyer Abreu is expected to be in right field every day, and Ceddanne Rafaela is expected to patrol center field regularly, with Roman Anthony and Duran swapping between left field and DH against right-handed pitchers. That's if the 29-year-old Duran isn't traded before the start of the 2026 regular season. The former seventh-rounder in 2018 out of California State Long Beach hit just .211/.260/.340 with a .600 OPS and three of his 16 home runs against southpaws in 209 plate appearances, as opposed to hitting .277/.363/.488 with an .852 OPS versus righties. Fantasy managers might want to forget about Duran being a 20-20 candidate if he's not playing every day in Boston.

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Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Ben Casparius said over the weekend that he is preparing himself as a starting pitcher entering spring training this year, according to Steve Webb of DodgersBeat.com. Casparius had an up-and-down first full season in the big leagues with the Dodgers last year, appearing in 46 games (three starts) while throwing 77 2/3 innings in the regular season. The 26-year-old went 7-5 with a bloated 4.64 ERA and 1.27 WHIP with 71 strikeouts and 21 free passes. Even though Casparius will get stretched out in spring training, he will most likely enter the 2026 campaign as a bulk-innings reliever for the defending World Series champions. Casparius won't be much of a fantasy asset as long as he remains in a relief role, although he could still be useful in deeper fantasy leagues for his swing-and-miss stuff.

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The New York Mets extended a non-roster invitation to outfield prospect Carson Benge on Monday. Despite adding Luis Robert Jr. in a trade this offseason, Benge is expected to compete for a starting job in the Mets' outfield in spring training this year. His primary competition for the left-field job will be Tyrone Taylor, MJ Melendez, and Brett Baty. The 23-year-old hit .281/.385/.472 with 15 home runs and 22 stolen bases in 116 games at three minor-league levels last year. Benge is a former two-way star who should already be stashed in dynasty/keeper leagues. While his upside remains high long term, don't be surprised if the Mets use him in a platoon role at the big-league level against right-handed pitchers. He slugged only .326 in 123 plate appearances against lefties last year. MLB Pipeline has Benge ranked as the No. 16 overall prospect entering the 2026 season.

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The Boston Red Sox acquired infielder Andruw Monasterio from the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday, a source told Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. Monasterio will give the Red Sox some more infield depth in 2026. The 28-year-old Venezuelan hit .270/.319/.437 with a .755 OPS, four home runs, 16 RBI, 19 runs scored, and two stolen bases in 68 games played (135 plate appearances) in 2025 in his third year in the big leagues with the Brew Crew. He has been a bench player in all three seasons with the Brewers, and his role likely won't change all that much in Beantown, limiting his fantasy appeal to the deepest of AL-only formats. Boston would have to be in dire straits health-wise on the infield for Monasterio to carve out an everyday role. In his three MLB seasons, he's slashed .250/.321/.351 with a .672 OPS, only eight home runs, 59 RBI, and 15 stolen bases in 219 regular-season games.

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Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash and president of baseball operations Erik Neander said that left-hander Shane McClanahan (triceps) will get a full build-up in spring training, and the expectation is that he'll be ready for Opening Day, according to Ryan Bass of Bally Sports Florida. "The last six or eight weeks have been really, really good," pitching coach Kyle Snyder said. "I think we'll consider the math in terms of the season and where he slots, but he's being totally built up to start, with the expectation that he'll be in our rotation." The 28-year-old southpaw is a dice roll going into 2026 since he hasn't pitched in the big leagues since 2023. McClanahan made only two minor-league rehab starts last year before having season-ending surgery on his triceps in August. The two-time All-Star will be hoping to find his pre-injury form in 2026 while the Rays manage his workload.

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The Milwaukee Brewers acquired left-hander Shane Drohan from the Boston Red Sox on Monday, sources told Jeff Passan of ESPN. Drohan will head to the National League Central and will most likely open up the 2026 campaign at Triple-A Nashville. The 27-year-old appeared in only 15 games (14 starts) in the minors last year due to a left-forearm injury, but when he was healthy, he was solid on the mound. Drohan went 5-2 with a 3.00 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and 77:21 K:BB in 54 total innings at High-A Greenville and Triple-A Worcester. He will give the Brewers some extra rotation depth in 2026 after they traded right-hander Freddy Peralta to the New York Mets. Drohan has a career 4.29 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 472 strikeouts, and 205 walks in 104 outings (89 starts) in his five-year minor-league career.

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Boston Red Sox right-hander Johan Oviedo's career 4.24 ERA, 4.61 FIP, and 15-26 record don't jump off the page, but an improvement in his fastball last year intrigued the Red Sox enough to trade for him this offseason, according to Mike Petriello of MLB.com. Oviedo returned from Tommy John surgery that cost him all of 2024 to record a 3.57 ERA and 1.21 WHIP with 42 strikeouts and 23 walks in 40 1/3 innings over nine starts with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2025. His fastball had a minus-12 run value, a bottom-20 mark, in 2023. Despite a hard fastball, Oviedo had among the worst vertical movement on the pitch. When Oviedo returned in August of last year, he added five inches of rise to his fastball and increased his whiff rate on the pitch from 19% in 2023 to 31%. The 27-year-old's 14% walk rate was still ugly, but if he can stay healthy, he could be a nice sleeper in deeper leagues in Boston's starting rotation.

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The Milwaukee Brewers acquired infielder David Hamilton from the Boston Red Sox on Monday, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan. Hamilton will return to the Brewers' organization after they originally drafted him in the eighth round in 2019 out of the University of Texas. The 28-year-old mostly played second base and shortstop in Beantown, but he'll be given a chance to compete at third base in spring training this year after Caleb Durbin was sent from Milwaukee to Boston in the same trade. Hamilton hit just .198/.257/.333 with six home runs, 19 RBI, 27 runs scored, and 22 stolen bases in 91 regular-season games for Boston last year, and he holds a .222/.283/.359 slash line with a .642 OPS, 14 home runs, 47 RBI, 76 runs, and 57 steals in 204 games over his three MLB seasons. He is mostly useful for his glove on defense and his speed on the base paths, but he won't be a lock for a regular role with his new team in 2026.

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Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Ryne Nelson was the team's most consistent starting pitcher last year, compiling a 3.39 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 132:41 K:BB, and 127 ERA+ in 154 innings over 33 appearances (23 starts). Nelson wasn't in the Opening Day rotation, but he quickly joined the rotation after Corbin Burnes' season-ending Tommy John surgery in May. Arizona didn't let Nelson throw 100 pitches in a start until Aug. 5 last year as the team looked to keep him healthy. According to MLB.com's Steve Gilbert, Nelson made it a priority this offseason to get physically stronger so he can "handle the rigors of making 30 or more starts." He's added muscle and reduced some body fat while also working to develop his slider and curveball. The 28-year-old should be a rotation lock for at least the first half of 2026, and he could become more of a top-of-the-rotation arm for the D-backs if his secondary offerings take a step forward.

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Chicago White Sox general manager Chris Getz said that both young catchers Edgar Quero and Kyle Teel will work exclusively as catchers in 2026, according to Bruce Levine of 670 The Score. Teel, a former 14th overall pick by the Boston Red Sox in 2023 out of Virginia, has the higher fantasy baseball ceiling as a low-end starting catching option in single-catcher leagues. The 23-year-old left-handed hitter made his MLB debut in 2025 and hit .273/.375/.411 with a .786 OPS, eight home runs, 35 RBI, and 38 runs in 253 at-bats. Quero was in the big leagues in Chicago before Teel, but Teel saw most of the playing time behind the dish against righties. Quero, 22, hit .268/.333/.356 with a .689 OPS, five homers, 36 RBI, and 31 runs in 365 at-bats. Teel should be a solid source of on-base percentage at the catching position against lefties in what could be a platoon in the Windy City.

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The Boston Red Sox have reportedly tried to trade for Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto, but the Angels have set a very high bar for him. The Red Sox were unable to re-sign third baseman Alex Bregman in free agency, but they have traded for first baseman Willson Contreras and third baseman Caleb Durbin to boost their infield depth this offseason. Neto would be a clear upgrade over the injury-prone and aging Trevor Story, but Boston would likely have to part with several high-end prospects to land him. As things currently stand, Durbin and Marcelo Mayer figure to compete for playing time at third base, with Story at the 6 and Kristian Campbell manning the keystone. Neto has emerged as one of the best young shortstops in the game after hitting a combined .253/.318/.458 with a .776 OPS, 49 home runs, 139 RBI, 152 runs scored, and 56 stolen bases in the last two seasons.

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The Milwaukee Brewers acquired left-hander Kyle Harrison, infielder David Hamilton, and pitcher Shane Drohan from the Boston Red Sox on Monday in exchange for third baseman Caleb Durbin, shortstop Andruw Monasterio, third baseman Anthony Seigler, and a Compensation B draft pick, sources told Jeff Passan of ESPN. Harrison, 24, went from the San Francisco Giants to the Red Sox last year in the trade that involved infielder Rafael Devers, and now he's on the move again. The former third-round pick only appeared in 11 games (six starts) for the Giants and BoSox in 2025, posting a 4.04 ERA and 1.37 WHIP with 38 strikeouts and 14 walks in 35 2/3 frames. It wasn't a great sign that Harrison's walk rate sat at 11.8% at Triple-A Worcester last year, but the Brew Crew will try to get more out of him. Harrison will be in the mix for the competition for one of the final rotation spots in Milwaukee in spring training this year.

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Boston Red Sox infielder Romy Gonzalez (shoulder) is dealing with shoulder inflammation that popped up during the end of the regular season and got worse in early offseason workouts, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. Gonzalez said he received a platelet-rich plasma injection 2 1/2 weeks ago. He's currently behind schedule, but the goal remains to be ready for Opening Day. The 29-year-old former 18th-round pick by the Chicago White Sox in 2018 out of the University of Miami slashed .305/.343/.483 with an .826 OPS, nine home runs, 53 RBI, 47 runs scored, and six stolen bases in 96 regular-season games in 2025 in his second year with Boston. Gonzalez had an impressive 99th-percentile hard-hit rate and 123 wRC+ in what was a breakout year, and he also dominated left-handed pitchers with a .331 average. Playing time will be the biggest issue for Gonzalez, who figures to open the season in a utility infield role if he's healthy.

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Arizona Diamondbacks left-handed reliever Andrew Saalfrank (shoulder) posted a photo of himself on Monday on his Instagram account and announced that he underwent shoulder surgery, according to Alex D'Agostino of Sports Illustrated. MLB.com's Steve Gilbert reports that Saalfrank will miss the entire 2026 season. The 28-year-old southpaw was a key bullpen piece during the team's 2023 run to the World Series. The former sixth-round pick made a career-high 28 relief appearances for the Snakes last year, posting a 1.24 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, his first three career saves, five holds, 19 strikeouts, and 10 walks in 29 innings pitched. Saalfrank's injury is another blow to a banged-up Diamondbacks bullpen that will also be without relievers Justin Martinez (elbow) and A.J. Puk (elbow) for a good chunk of the 2026 season.

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