Despite the offseason acquisition of left-hander MacKenzie Gore, Texas Rangers right-hander Jack Leiter is likely locked into a starting rotation spot in Texas as he enters his second full big-league season, according to Kennedi Landry of MLB.com. Along with Leiter and Gore, the Rangers' Opening Day rotation will consist of Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi, and Kumar Rocker. Leiter, 25, improved as the year went on in 2025 and finished with a 10-10 record, 3.86 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, and 148:67 K:BB in 151 2/3 innings over 29 starts for the Rangers. While there were some ugly outings for the former second overall pick, it was mostly a successful season in his first full year in the big leagues. Walks are still the biggest issue for Leiter, but he made strides in that area in the second half. If he can display better control on the mound, Leiter could be in for a breakout campaign at a low cost in fantasy baseball drafts. He's currently ranked as the No. 74 starting pitcher at RotoBaller.

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The Athletic's Dan Hayes writes that Minnesota Twins infielder Brooks Lee is the "leader to start at shortstop" this year, but he needs to "show improved mobility and find more consistency with his bat." Lee has good hands and a steady arm, but he was below-average as both a hitter and defender in his second year in the big leagues in 2025. The 24-year-old switch-hitter and former eighth overall pick slashed just .236/.285/.370 with a .654 OPS, 16 home runs, 64 RBI, 50 runs scored, and three stolen bases in 139 games last year. With no sure options behind Lee at the position now that Carlos Correa is gone, the Twins could be in a serious bind if Lee doesn't show improvement in 2026. Ryan Kreidler and Orlando Arcia are the top internal options behind Lee. The good news for Lee is that he made contact 81.1% of the time and showed decent power, but he had just a 28% hard-hit rate and doesn't have much speed.

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Arizona Diamondbacks left-handed reliever A.J. Puk (elbow) said he would "love" to be back by early May, but that's unlikely to happen, according to Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports. Puk does expect to be back before July, though. Meanwhile, fellow high-leverage reliever Justin Martinez (elbow) is targeting a late-August return in 2026. Puk, 30, underwent an internal-brace procedure on his left elbow last June, which isn't as serious as Tommy John surgery. Barring a setback, Puk should return before the All-Star break and get a shot at save chances before Martinez makes his season debut. Before his elbow injury in 2025, Puk had a 3.38 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, four saves, 12 strikeouts, and two walks in just eight innings out of the bullpen. The 6-foot-7 hurler has lots of upside as a high-leverage reliever, but durability issues make him a question mark in fantasy baseball.

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A Boston Red Sox source indicated a preference for infielder Marcelo Mayer at third base over second base, but that was before the team acquired infielder Caleb Durbin from the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday, according to Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic. It's unclear whether Durbin's play at third last year will bump Mayer to second, but McCaffrey writes that wherever Durbin plays, Mayer "will man the other spot." We'll get a better idea of Boston's plans based on where Mayer and Durbin are positioned during their spring training drills. Mayer, 23, struggled in his first year in the big leagues in 2025, hitting .228/.272/.402 with a .674 OPS, four home runs, 10 RBI, eight walks, and 41 strikeouts in 136 plate appearances over 44 games. With Alex Bregman and David Hamilton gone, the former first-rounder should see more playing time in 2026. He'll need to lower his strikeout rate, but at the very least, he should be on the strong side of a platoon at either second or third base in Boston.

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Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Corbin Burnes (elbow) said that he hopes to rejoin the team's starting rotation around the All-Star break as he rehabs from Tommy John surgery, according to Steve Gilbert of MLB.com. Burnes is also expecting to throw off a mound before the end of spring training as he continues to recover from TJ surgery that he had last June. The 31-year-old four-time All-Star and former National League Cy Young winner made the All-Star team from 2021 to 2024 but then made only 11 starts for Arizona in 2025 due to his right-elbow injury. When on the mound, though, he was his usual dominant self, posting a 2.66 ERA and 1.17 WHIP with 63 strikeouts and 26 walks in 64 1/3 innings. Fantasy managers shouldn't just expect Burnes to return around the All-Star break and be his former dominant self right away.

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Arizona Diamondbacks right-handed reliever Justin Martinez (elbow) said he's tentatively targeting an August return from elbow surgery, according to Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic. Martinez is recovering from Tommy John surgery that he had last June, although he did start a throwing program in the middle of last month. The 24-year-old Dominican hurler broke out in 2024 with a 2.48 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, eight saves, 91 K's, and 36 walks in 72 2/3 innings for the Snakes and was their primary closer last year before injuring his right elbow. Martinez had a 4.11 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, five saves, 22 K's, and 12 walks in 15 1/3 innings in 2025 before he was shut down. Until Martinez and left-hander A.J. Puk (elbow) return in 2026, Kevin Ginkel could get the majority of save opportunities in the desert, with Ryan Thompson and Kade Strowd potentially also in the mix for saves.

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Houston Astros starting pitchers Lance McCullers Jr. and Cristian Javier have the inside track on claiming starting rotation spots to open the season, but it's expected to be a top spring training battle to watch. The Astros are going with a six-man rotation to accommodate Tatsuya Imai's arrival from Japan and a busy early-season schedule. Hunter Brown, Imai, Mike Burrows, and Cristian Javier are almost guaranteed to be in the rotation, with Spencer Arrighetti, Lance McCullers Jr., Ryan Weiss, Jason Alexander, Nate Pearson, Colton Gordon, and AJ Blubaugh all in the mix for the other spots. Arrighetti and McCullers have the most MLB experience, and Pearson is still returning from a "cleanup" on his elbow. While the competition will be exciting to watch this spring, the depth is outstanding for the Astros since they've dealt with so many starting pitcher injuries in the last few seasons.

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Atlanta Braves catcher Sean Murphy (hip) is still without a timeline for his return, but he is progressing through his recovery and will start running at the Braves' spring training workouts on Tuesday. Murphy suffered a labrum tear in his hip that ended his 2025 season in early September after he hit just .199 with 16 homers and a .309 wOBA in 94 games. Murphy is expected to back up Drake Baldwin once he's ready to return, but it looks like that will most likely be after the start of the season, sometime in May. A firmer timeline will likely be established as his recovery continues throughout spring training.

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Free agent catcher Jonah Heim has agreed to a minor-league contract with the Atlanta Braves, and he could begin the year as the team's backup behind Drake Baldwin since Sean Murphy is not expected to be ready for Opening Day. The 30-year-old switch-hitting catcher spent the first six seasons of his MLB career in the AL West, starting with the Athletics in 2020 and spending the last five seasons with the Rangers. He hit a career-high 18 homers in 2023 when he hit .258 with a .324 wOBA. Over the last two years, his numbers have declined, and in 2025, he hit just .213 in 124 games with 11 homers and a .266 wOBA. Heim has good career splits against lefties and could get most of his at-bats on that side of the splits with Baldwin and Murphy both batting from the left side. Since he does bring a little pop from behind the plate and could earn playing time with a strong spring, he's a deep-league option to watch this spring with his new team.

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Free agent pitcher Konnor Pilkington has agreed to a minor league contract with the Detroit Tigers that includes an invitation to spring training. Pilkington came up with Cleveland in 2022 and 2023, and he made 11 starts in 2022, posting a 3.88 ERA and 4.49 FIP across 58 innings in 15 games. He spent 2025 in the Nationals' system and returned to the majors for 32 games in the second half of the season. He had an unremarkable 4.45 ERA and 5.96 FIP, while totaling 34 strikeouts in 28 1/3 innings. This offseason, he was designated for assignment and chose free agency after passing through waivers unclaimed. Pilkington could push his way into consideration for a roster spot with a strong spring, but it's more likely that he starts the season at Triple-A and is called up when the team needs depth mid-season.

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Free agent outfielder Nick Senzel re-signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers and will be a non-roster invitee to Major League spring training for the two-time World Series champions. Senzel was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 MLB Draft but hasn't been able to get regular playing time in the majors. He has played 451 career games for the Reds, Nationals, and White Sox with a career slash line of .232/.299/.363. Last year was the first year he hadn't played in the majors since 2018, as he spent the season in Double-A and Triple-A for the Dodgers. In his 99 minor-league games last year, he hit .252 with 12 homers, eight stolen bases, and a .337 wOBA. The 30-year-old will provide organizational depth and injury insurance for the Dodgers, but he isn't likely to make a significant fantasy impact unless he has a monster spring training.

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The Boston Red Sox acquired infielder Anthony Seigler from the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday, a source told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand. Seigler struggled in his MLB debut in Milwaukee last year, slashing only .194/.292/.210 with a .501 OPS, no home runs, five RBI, two stolen bases, eight walks, and 16 strikeouts in 34 games and 73 plate appearances. The 26-year-old left-handed hitter was much better in 72 games at Triple-A Nashville, hitting .285/.414/.478 with an .892 OPS, eight home runs, 39 RBI, 51 runs scored, and 23 stolen bases. In Boston, he'll provide the BoSox with defensive versatility with the ability to play third base, second base, both corner outfield spots, and catcher. With minor-league options remaining, Seigler will be expected to open the 2026 campaign at Triple-A Worcester. He has a .230/.369/.370 slash line with a .739 OPS in seven minor-league seasons.

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Free-agent right-handed reliever Hunter Strickland (shoulder) re-signed a minor-league deal with the Los Angeles Angels on Monday, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Strickland only appeared in 19 games for the Halos in 2025 and missed the entire second half with a right-shoulder strain. Before his injury, the 37-year-old veteran was decent with a 3.27 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, one save, 14 strikeouts, and 10 walks in 22 innings out of the bullpen. Going into his 12th MLB season, and third straight in Anaheim, Strickland won't really be on the fantasy radar as an aging reliever who will most likely occupy a middle-relief role. It's unclear if Strickland will be ready for the start of spring training. In the last two years with the Angels, Strickland has a weak 18.4% strikeout rate and 8.8% walk rate in his 95 1/3 innings pitched.

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The Cincinnati Reds plan to slow-play right-handed reliever Emilio Pagan and Tony Santillan in spring training this year. Both relievers are healthy in 2026, but they won't pitch in spring training games right away after pitching in so many high-stress situations in 2025, according to Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer. The Reds don't plan to sue Pagan or Santillan as much as they did last year, which is why they added relievers Caleb Ferguson, Pierce Johnson, and Brock Burke in the offseason. Pagan appeared in a career-high 70 games (68 2/3 innings), recording a 2.88 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, career-high 32 saves, 81 strikeouts, and 22 walks. Santillan appeared in a career-high 80 games and threw 73 2/3 innings in the regular season. The 34-year-old Pagan will open the year as Cincy's primary closer, but he could be on a short leash in the role if he continues to struggle to keep the ball in the yard.

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MLB.com's Jordan Bastian lists the Chicago Cubs' current starting rotation as Matthew Boyd, Edward Cabrera, Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon, and Cade Horton. That leaves Colin Rea, Javier Assad, Ben Brown, and Jordan Wicks as depth behind that group. Justin Steele (elbow) is expected to make his season debut in the first half of the season, so the 35-year-old Rea could spend most of the 2026 campaign in a relief role. Twenty-seven of his 32 appearances last year were in a starting role, and he finished the 2025 season with a career-best 3.95 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, and 127:44 K:BB in 159 1/3 innings pitched. Rea's career year in 2025 will unlikely be repeated this year, especially if he's relegated to mostly a long-relief role. Last year was the first time in Rea's seven-year major-league career that he had an ERA under 4.00.

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Colorado Rockies right-hander Chase Dollander made his MLB debut much earlier than expected in 2025 and struggled to a 2-12 record, 6.52 ERA, and 1.55 WHIP while striking out 82 and walking 49 in 98 innings over his 21 starts. He was better on the road away from hitter-friendly Coors Field, though, posting a 3.40 ERA in 10 away starts compared to a 9.98 ERA in 11 home starts. The 24-year-old heads into his second big-league season with a detailed plan to fix the direction of his motion. "I was a little bit more cross-body -- I was pulling off everything," Dollander said. After making tweaks this offseason, Dollander's fastball and slider are in the zone more, and he's getting more vertical break on his heater. The former Tennessee star could become more intriguing if his tweaks lead to results, but his 18.6% strikeout rate and 11.1% walk rate were not encouraging in 2025.

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Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero "trimmed down and looks in great shape," according to an observation from sideline reporter Ryan Bass at spring training. Caminero, whose official bio lists him at 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds, occupied an everyday role at the hot corner last year. Across 154 games, he slashed .264/.311/.535 with 45 homers, 110 RBI, and 129 wRC+. He cut down his strikeout rate to a career-low 19.1%, which is certainly serviceable for someone with tremendous power. He finished the year with 22.5 fWAR at the plate and -0.4 fWAR in the field. His defense wasn't spectacular, but he played well enough that the Rays are able to justify playing him every day to get his terrific bat in the lineup. Plus, we wouldn't be surprised to see him develop into an above-average defender now that he's in better shape and has a full season at the hot corner ahead of him. Currently, Caminero ranks as the #2 third baseman in RotoBaller's fantasy baseball draft rankings for 2026.

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Washington Nationals outfielder Daylen Lile had an impressive rookie year, and he's looking to build on his big campaign during the 2026 season. Across his first 91 games of big-league action last year, he slashed .299/.347/.498 with nine home runs, 41 RBI, eight stolen bases, a 6.0% walk rate, a 16.0% strikeout rate, and 132 wRC+. While not a major power or speed threat, he consistently put the ball in play while keeping his walk and strikeout rates at fairly respectable clips. His defense wasn't as encouraging, though. Lile appeared in both corner outfield spots, totaling -8 OAA and -10 FRV across 624.1 innings. Presumably, he'll spend most of 2026 in left field or at designated hitter, where the effects of his subpar defense won't be felt quite as much. On a more positive note, he should play almost every day and is the leading candidate to bat third in Washington's lineup, boosting his fantasy upside. As it currently stands, he ranks as the #53 outfielder in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball draft rankings for the 2026 season.

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Miami Marlins starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara had a frustrating 2025 season, posting a 5.36 ERA across 31 starts. Miami's ace faced levels of adversity he hadn't seen throughout his entire major league career, and it ultimately led to him accruing a dozen losses for the second consecutive season. Alcantara is certainly looking to shake off last year's rough campaign, and there's reason for him (as well as fantasy managers) to be optimistic. Most notably, the underlying metrics show that the right-hander was unlucky. His 5.36 ERA exceeded his 4.63 xERA, and similarly, his 4.28 FIP was a tad higher than his 4.19 xFIP. Plus, while his strikeout rate dipped to 7.32 K/9, he had never been a major swing-and-miss guy anyway. He kept his walk rate in check at 2.94 BB/9, too. Perhaps Alcantara's biggest issue was that he started to allow more loud contact than usual, as evidenced by a 46.5% ground ball rate (lower than his career average) and a career-worst 1.13 HR/9 home run rate. Still, he kept his fastball velocity up around 98 mph, and for the first time since 2020, all five of his pitches graded out as above league-average (higher than 100) by FanGraphs' Stuff+ model. Time will tell how Alcantara fares in 2026, but the bottom line is that the underlying metrics indicate that fantasy managers shouldn't yet panic too much about his results from last year. He ranks #63 among pitchers in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball draft rankings and could end up being a value pick at cost.

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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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