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The Washington Nationals are signing free-agent right-hander Miles Mikolas to an undisclosed deal on Wednesday, sources told Jake Mintz of Yahoo Sports. Mikolas will head to the National League East after going 8-11 with a 4.84 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, and 100:37 K:BB in 156 1/3 innings over 31 starts in 2025 in his final season with the St. Louis Cardinals. The 37-year-old veteran is tied for the second-most starts in the majors over the last four seasons, so he'll bring durability to the Nationals' starting rotation in 2026. Mikolas should have a spot in the Opening Day starting rotation waiting for him in D.C., especially after the team traded left-hander MacKenzie Gore to the Texas Rangers in the offseason. He has made at least 30 starts in each of the last four seasons while compiling a 4.51 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 16.8% strikeout rate, and 4.6% walk rate. Mikolas should only be a target in NL-only leagues.

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Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy said that right-hander Brandon Woodruff (lat) "is in a good spot" physically and has been throwing bullpen sessions, but his ramp-up this spring will be monitored closely, according to Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "This is a time of year when people are very vulnerable, so you have to be mindful of that. A guy with an injury history, even more so," Murphy said. Woodruff missed the entire 2024 season after having capsule repair surgery on his right shoulder, and a right-lat strain kept him out at the tail end of last season, so the Brewers aren't going to take any chances with their ace. The 33-year-old didn't make his 2025 debut until July, but he pitched well in his 12 starts, going 7-2 with a 3.20 ERA and 0.91 WHIP with 83 K's and 14 walks in 64 2/3 innings. Woodruff showed diminished velocity last year, though, making him a risk/reward No. 3 fantasy starter.

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Free-agent left-handed reliever John King and the Miami Marlins agreed to a one-year, $1.5 million contract on Wednesday, sources told Jeff Passan of ESPN. The 31-year-old southpaw was non-tendered by the St. Louis Cardinals in November and will join the Fish on a fully guaranteed big-league deal. King appeared in 51 games out of the bullpen in St. Louis last year, posting a 4.66 ERA and 1.63 WHIP with 28 strikeouts and 14 walks over 48 1/3 innings pitched. He will most likely fill a middle-relief role in South Beach, leaving him virtually no fantasy upside. The former 10th-round pick by the Texas Rangers in 2017 out of the University of Houston has a career 3.80 ERA (4.04 FIP), 1.39 WHIP, 15.1% strikeout rate, and 6.2% walk rate in his six major-league seasons. King has never picked up a save in his career and is unlikely to do so in 2026.

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Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said that relievers Robert Garcia and Chris Martin are the front-runners to receive most of the save chances to start the 2026 season, according to Jeff Wilson of DLLS Sports. Alexis Diaz could be another option to close out games, but the Rangers want to see how he performs in spring training games first. Garcia, 29, went 4-8 in 2025 with a 2.95 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, the first nine saves of his career, 68 strikeouts, and 22 walks in 64 relief innings. Shawn Armstrong and Luke Jackson tied Garcia for the team lead in saves last year, but both Armstrong and Jackson are gone, potentially giving Garcia the leg up as the Rangers' primary closer this year. Martin, 39, had a nice 2.98 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, two saves, and a 43:8 K:BB in 42 1/3 frames for Texas last season. This has the makings of a committee approach, so fantasy managers shouldn't invest too much into either Garcia or Martin.

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San Diego Padres manager Craig Stammen officially announced on Wednesday that right-handed reliever Mason Miller will be the team's closer in 2026, according to AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. It formally ends any speculation that Miller would transition to a starting role with the Friars. The hard-throwing 27-year-old starred in a late-inning setup role in SD in the second half of last season after he was acquired from the Athletics in a blockbuster summer deal. He was always the obvious choice to succeed two-time All-Star closer Robert Suarez, who signed with the Braves in free agency. In 22 outings with the Padres in 2025, Miller had a microscopic 0.77 ERA and struck out a ridiculous 45 of the 83 batters he faced. Miller struck out eight of the nine Cubs hitters he faced in two appearances in the playoffs and tied the postseason record with eight straight K's. Pitching for what should be a competitive Padres team, Miller is in play as the best fantasy closer in baseball.

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New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza announced that shortstop Francisco Lindor (hand) will have surgery on his right hamate bone on Wednesday, according to Will Sammon of The Athletic. The Mets announced on Tuesday that surgery was a possibility for Lindor, and he'll now go under the knife and miss significant time this spring. The 32-year-old is expected to face a six-week rehab period. The Mets are optimistic that the five-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner will be ready for Opening Day at the end of March, but nothing is guaranteed right now. With Lindor out, the Mets will most likely move new infielder Bo Bichette to the 6, with Brett Baty handling most of the work at third base. Lindor's injury news definitely makes him a more volatile draft pick in fantasy this year, but RotoBaller still has him ranked as the No. 6 shortstop after his second 30-30 season in 2025.

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San Francisco Giants first baseman Bryce Eldridge took fly balls in left field at spring training on Wednesday, according to Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports. Manager Tony Vitello wants to get Eldridge work in the outfield just in case. The 21-year-old played some outfield in the minors after getting drafted, so it's not completely foreign to him. However, he only played 26 games in right field back in 2023 in the Arizona Complex League and at Single-A San Jose. Adding some positional versatility for Eldridge makes sense, considering he'll mostly be rotating between first base and designated hitter in 2026 with Rafael Devers. The 6-foot-7 left-handed slugger has recovered from left-wrist surgery to remove bone spurs at the end of last year, and he'll provide immense power in the Bay Area. Eldridge didn't hit a homer in 10 games in his MLB debut last September, but he displayed his power stroke with an .843 OPS and 25 homers in 102 minor-league games before that. Strikeouts are a part of his profile, but the power is real, and he should add first base eligibility in 2026.

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New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said that Bo Bichette and Jorge Polanco will likely bat third and fourth, respectively. Presumably, that alignment is contingent on Francisco Lindor (hand) being ready for opening day. Bichette was the Mets' biggest addition of the offseason. The former Blue Jays shortstop will likely shift to third base in New York when Lindor is healthy. He's a dependable contributor with the bat in his hands, slashing .311/.357/.483 with 18 home runs and 134 wRC+ across 139 games in 2025. Polanco is also a new addition for the Mets after inking a free agent contract in December. He spent the last two years in Seattle, primarily slotting in as the Mariners' second baseman or designated hitter. He slashed .265/.326/.495 with 26 home runs and 132 wRC+ last season. He typically led off for the Mariners, but he did make 21 cleanup appearances with a suboptimal .615 OPS in the fourth slot.

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Texas Rangers starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore (ankle) threw a bullpen session on Wednesday, according to video from Kennedi Landry of MLB.com. Gore was acquired from the Nationals in a blockbuster trade last month. The trade wouldn't have happened if he hadn't passed a physical, but it's still worth noting that he is coming back from shoulder and ankle injuries that sidelined him for all of September last year. Thus, Rangers fans and fantasy managers should be encouraged that he threw a bullpen, seemingly without any limitations. The 26-year-old has posted an ERA of 3.90 or higher in each of his four MLB seasons, but he still fetched a significant prospect haul in the trade because of his underlying metrics, pitch characteristics, and team control. There's a lot to like about his 10.43 K/9 and 3.61 BB/9 from last year, and his 1.13 HR/9 should settle down now that he's in the Rangers' pitcher-friendly environment. As it stands, Gore ranks as the #59 starting pitcher in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball rankings for 2026.

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The Milwaukee Brewers have signed free agent catcher Gary Sanchez to a one-year, $1.75 million contract, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Sanchez most recently appeared with Milwaukee in 2024, but he spent last season with the Baltimore Orioles. Across 30 games in 2025, the veteran backstop slashed .231/.297/.418 with a 4.0% walk rate, 26.7% strikeout rate, and 100 wRC+. His defense took a step backward as he posted -2.6 FRM and -5 FRV behind the dish. Despite the subpar metrics, he's a solid depth addition for the Brewers, who were in need of another catcher. He'll join a depth chart that also includes William Contreras and Jeferson Quero. Sanchez might have an early jump on the backup catcher competition over Quero, who hasn't made his MLB debut yet.

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Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Dylan Cease said that he's working to add a changeup this spring, and he is preaching consistency as a main component of his 2026 outlook, according to Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. Cease joined the Jays this offseason after two seasons with the Padres. Across 32 starts last year, he posted 11.52 K/9, 3.80 BB/9, a 36.6% ground ball rate, and a 3.56 FIP. It's interesting that Cease is looking for more consistency, especially after making at least 32 starts in each of the last five seasons. He presumably means more consistency on the process and results side, but there's still a ton to like about the underlying metrics. His fastball jumped to 97.1 mph last year, and his slider graded out at 115 on FanGraphs' Stuff+ model. It will be interesting to see what his new changeup looks like; he has thrown one in the past, but it accounted for just 1% of his pitch usage over the last two seasons.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers have re-signed veteran reliever Evan Phillips (elbow) to a one-year, $6.5 million contract, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN.com. In a corresponding move, catcher Ben Rortvedt was designated for assignment. Phillips is coming off Tommy John surgery and is not expected to pitch until July. He made just seven appearances prior to injury last season, allowing zero earned runs with six strikeouts and a pair of walks. He posted a 2.08 FIP, but it came over such a small sample size that we should really pay closer attention to his 3.28 FIP from 2024. The 31-year-old is a very effective right-hander with a track record of posting high K/BB and ground ball rates. He won't be a closer in the Dodgers' deep bullpen, but he does have plenty of experience in save situations and can be trusted in high-leverage scenarios.

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Philadelphia Phillies infield prospect Aidan Miller will take most of his spring training reps at shortstop and third base, according to manager Rob Thomson. He may also play some second base. However, the skipper shut down any chance of him playing left field. Miller was a first-round pick out of high school in 2023, and a meteoric rise through the minors resulted in him playing eight games at Triple-A last year. Between Double-A and Triple-A in 2025, he slashed .264/.392/.433 with 14 home runs, 59 stolen bases, a 15.6% walk rate, a 23.4% strikeout rate, and 137 wRC+. It seems like he'll probably open 2026 at Triple-A, but his minor league statistics and his impending spring training workload both indicate that he should make his MLB debut in the very near future. He's already generating buzz in fantasy baseball circles, ranking as the #40 shortstop in RotoBaller's latest draft rankings for 2026.

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Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell expects a bigger workload for right-hander Cade Horton in 2026 after a successful rookie campaign in which he went 11-4 with a 2.67 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and 97:33 K:BB in 118 innings over 23 appearances (22 starts) during the regular season. "He dominated the league last year. Now it's do it again and do it over a full season, workload increased," Counsell said. The 24-year-old left his final regular-season start with a right-rib fracture and wasn't available for the Wild-Card round or Division Series in the playoffs, but all indications are that he had a normal offseason and is ready to roll this spring. Horton finished second in voting for National League Rookie of the Year in 2025. He'll have a secure spot in Chicago's rotation, but regression could be coming after he disappointed with a 20.4% strikeout rate. Horton is RotoBaller's No. 57 fantasy starting pitcher in 2026.

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New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone expects designated hitter/outfielder Giancarlo Stanton and his elbows to be "good to go" when he arrives at spring training, according to the New York Daily News' Gary Phillips. Boone typically slow-plays getting the oft-injured Stanton into games in camp, which should especially be the case this spring after the 36-year-old veteran had his 2025 season debut delayed until mid-June due to serious tennis elbow in both of his arms. Reports surfaced last week that Stanton's elbows will need to be managed again this year, but as of right now, everything looks good. He only played in 77 regular-season games last year, but he had a strong .273/.350/.594 slash line, .944 OPS, 24 home runs, and 66 RBI. Injuries seem inevitable with the right-handed slugger, as are plenty of strikeouts, but the power remains.

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Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. said on Wednesday after launching a ball just shy of the scoreboard in batting practice at spring training that he's "healthy now." Acuna recovered from a second torn ACL in his knee last year but was limited to 412 plate appearances and 95 games played in his eighth year in the big leagues. The five-time All-Star and former MVP hit .290/.417/.518 with a .935 OPS, 21 home runs, 42 RBI, 74 runs scored, and nine stolen bases, signaling that a huge 2026 could be in store if he is indeed fully healthy. Perhaps the 28-year-old will run more this year as well. Acuna's talent is hard to match around the league, but fantasy managers must remember that he has only played 100 games in a season twice in the last five years due to injuries. His elite contributions across all categories make him a top-10 overall fantasy asset, though.

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New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that right-hander Gerrit Cole (elbow) could start throwing live batting practice in a couple of weeks and might graduate to Grapefruit League action by the end of spring training, according to Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News. Cole had Tommy John surgery with an internal brace last March and didn't pitch at all in 2025. The 35-year-old veteran and former American League Cy Young winner has been throwing since last August, though, and he could be ready to make his 2026 debut in late May or early June, barring setbacks along the way. Cole, a six-time All-Star, will obviously be a pretty big injury risk for fantasy managers this year, especially since his stuff was down in 2024 before he was sidelined. It's a pretty big stretch to expect Cole to immediately recapture his 2023 form when he returns from a long layoff this year.

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Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell said that right-handed reliever Daniel Palencia is his closer, according to Bruce Levine of 670 The Score. Palencia said he learned to be more calm and confident after some failures last year, but overall, he was great at the back end of Chicago's bullpen. The 26-year-old Venezuelan had a career-best 2.91 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 22 saves, 61 strikeouts, and 16 walks in 52 2/3 innings out of the bullpen in the regular season. Palencia lost the closing role to Brad Keller late last year after dealing with a shoulder injury, but Keller is now gone, and Palencia has a chance to take a step forward in 2026. He was able to break out last year by dropping his walk rate from 13.8% his first two MLB seasons to 7.4% last year. Palencia is one of the hardest-throwing relievers in the game with nasty stuff, but he'll need to throw strikes to stave off regression.

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Baltimore Orioles right-hander Zach Eflin (back) is a full-go in spring training and will have a normal camp, according to Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports. Eflin missed the final two months of last season after having a lumbar microdiscectomy on Aug. 18. After re-signing on a one-year, $10 million deal last October, the 31-year-old veteran hurler should have a spot in the back of Baltimore's starting rotation. Eflin's greatest strength is his ability to pepper the strike zone, as his 4.2% walk rate last year was in the 98th percentile. The former first-rounder doesn't do anything that well outside of throwing strikes, though, and he had a rough 5.93 ERA and 1.42 WHIP in 14 starts in 2025 while striking out only 50 and walking 13 in 71 1/3 innings pitched. With durability concerns to boot, Eflin has very limited fantasy upside.

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Despite the return of first baseman Paul Goldschmidt on a one-year deal, New York Yankees first baseman/catcher Ben Rice should see the majority of playing time at first base in 2026, according to Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News. "I think Benny's going to definitely be planning to get the bulk of the playing time over there. And I'm definitely fine with whatever role they need me to [do]," Goldschmidt said. The Yankees said early in the offseason that Rice would play "a lot" against left-handed pitchers, but the return of Goldy complicates things at first base. Goldschmidt had a .981 OPS against southpaws in 2025, so he should play often at first in those situations. Rice, meanwhile, could give Austin Wells a break behind the dish against lefties. As long as Rice swings the bat like he did last year (26 home runs in 138 regular-season games), fantasy managers shouldn't have to worry about his playing time. Rice is a top-10 fantasy first baseman at RotoBaller.

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