Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco was arrested in the Dominican Republic on Monday for no-showing at his meeting last Thursday with the prosecutor who is investigating him for alleged relationships with underaged girls, according to sources. The arrest was because Franco did not show up to his summons and not because there has been any type of progress in the investigation against him. The 22-year-old is also being investigated by Major League Baseball and could be given a lengthy suspension for the 2024 season, clouding his fantasy appeal for the upcoming campaign. Franco didn't play for the Rays after Aug. 12 due to the accusations against him. When he's on the field, he's one of the best fantasy and real-life shortstops in the game. Franco slashed .281/.344/.475 with an .819 OPS, 17 home runs, 58 RBI, 30 stolen bases and 65 runs scored in 442 at-bats in 2023.

Free-agent left-handed pitcher Sean Manaea has signed a two-year, $28 million contract with the New York Mets. The deal includes an opt-out after the 2024 season as well. The 31-year-old lefty was solid with the San Francisco Giants last season, finishing with a 4.44 ERA (3.90 FIP), 1.241 WHIP, and 128:42 K/BB over 117 2/3 innings (37 appearances, 10 starts). The Mets will likely use him out of the bullpen and in spot-starting/opener situations. This is a pretty low-risk deal with New York that could end up paying off after Manaea showed significant improvement with his velocity after a down year in 2022 with the Padres.

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz (ankle) is healthy heading into the 2024 season, according to manager Derek Shelton. "He's healthy. He's moving around. That's a really encouraging sign for everybody who's a Pirates fan," Shelton told reporters. The 25-year-old shortstop fractured his left ankle back in April of the '23 season and missed the entire year as a result. It's been a long road to recovery but he's now looking primed for the 2024 campaign. Cruz has as much upside as anyone at the SS position but injuries have plagued him so far early in his career. He has a .237/.302/.449 batting line to go along with 19 home runs, 61 RBI, and 13 stolen bases in 410 plate appearances over three seasons. He's an intriguing fantasy player due to his blend of power and speed but the hype could get out of control if he remains healthy and has a solid spring training.

The Milwaukee Brewers signed free-agent catcher Austin Nola to a minor-league deal with an invitation to big-league spring training on Friday. The 34-year-old backstop became a free agent when the San Diego Padres non-tendered him in November. Nola became the Friars' starting catcher in 2022 by hitting .251 (87-for-347) with four home runs and 40 RBI in 110 games, but he fell flat this past season and was sent to the minors after hitting a putrid .146 (19-for-130) with a homer and 31 strikeouts in 52 games played at the big-league level. He's going to need to show better results offensively in 2024 and will likely open the season at Triple-A Nashville, where he'll serve as minor-league catching depth behind William Contreras and Eric Haase at the major-league level.

The Atlanta Braves signed free-agent infielder Luis Guillorme to a one-year, $1.1 million eal on Friday and also avoided salary arbitration with right-hander Huascar Ynoa by inking him to a one-year, $825,000 deal. Guillorme, 29, is a left-handed hitter who played second base, third base and shortstop in 2023 and slashed .261/.344/.333 in 823 plate appearances over the last six seasons in Queens. The Venezuelan utility infielder is mostly useful for his defensive abilities, as he has only five home runs and 48 RBI in 334 career games played, and playing time isn't going to be easy to come by in Atlanta. Ynoa missed all of last season after having Tommy John surgery in September of 2022. The 25-year-old should be ready to go at some point in 2024, but he holds a bloated 5.22 ERA and 1.32 WHIP in 122 1/3 innings over 31 appearances (24 starts) in his four years with the Braves.