The New York Yankees and free-agent pitcher Marcus Stroman reportedly have mutual interest. Stroman has reached out to the club and has let them know he is interesting in signing with them, but there has not been a contract offer from the Yankees at this time. The veteran remains one of the better free-agent starting pitching options available on the open market but is a tier below the likes of reigning Cy Young winner Blake Snell and former Yankee Jordan Montgomery. Stroman is coming off a solid season that saw him post a 3.95 ERA across 27 outings (25 starts), while he is the owner of a career 3.65 ERA in 231 appearances in the majors. The Yankees are looking to add to their rotation behind ace Gerrit Cole, who won the AL Cy Young Award in 2023.

Free-agent outfielder Teoscar Hernandez and the Los Angeles Dodgers have reached an agreement on a one-year, $23.5 million contract. ESPN's Jeff Passan notes that the corner-outfield market is tough, and Hernandez opted for a big one-year deal over other multiyear offers. The Toronto Blue Jays traded Hernandez to the Seattle Mariners last offseason, and he put together an up-and-down campaign overall in 2023. The 31-year-old two-time Silver Slugger slashed .258/.305/.435 with 26 home runs, 93 RBI, 70 runs scored, and seven stolen bases over 678 plate appearances in 160 games last year. The Dodgers could be a favorable landing spot for fantasy purposes, but L.A.'s loaded lineup may also force Hernandez to frequently occupy the lower-third of the batting order against right-handed pitching. With David Peralta remaining unsigned, however, Hernandez still looks set to be the primary left fielder at Chavez Ravine for 2024.

St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, who will be an unrestricted free agent after the upcoming season, will need to wait until the start of the 2024 season for potential extension talks to begin. In regards to an extension for Goldschmidt, president of baseball operations John Mozeliak told reporters on Saturday"I think right now, I think everybody just wants to see how this season starts. You know, obviously, we want to get off on the right track, and then we can address things like that." It makes sense that the Cardinals would slow play this as the team struggled with a 71-91 record, which was good for last place in the NL Central. In addition to that, Goldschmidt had a down year by his lofty standards, finishing with a 268/.363/.447 batting line to go along with 25 home runs, 80 RBI, and 11 stolen bases over 593 at-bats (154 games). The veteran first baseman is fully capable of bouncing back but he is entering his age 36 season. Whether he is extended during the season or traded is anyone's guess at this point.

New York Mets left-handed pitcher Sean Manaea has officially signed a two-year, $28 million contract with the team. This deal was announced last week but now the team has made it official. Manaea was a free agent this offseason and coming off a 4.44 ERA (3.90 FIP), 1.241 WHIP, and 128:42 K/BB over 117 2/3 innings (37 appearances, 10 starts) with the San Francisco Giants. The deal also includes an opt-out after the 2024 season. This has been viewed as a solid move by the Mets as the veteran left-hander can work out of the bullpen and be used as a spot starter as well.

The Chicago Cubs acquired infielder Michael Busch and reliever Yency Almonte earlier this week from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for lefty Jackson Ferris and outfielder Zyhir Hope. The Athletic's Keith Law thinks Busch is a natural first baseman and will almost certainly play there for the Cubs. He also has experience at second and third base, although he's much more comfortable at the keystone. The 26-year-old gives the Cubs more left-handed thump in the lineup and hits southpaws well enough to project as an everyday player. Busch has been on Law's preseason top-100 prospect rankings for the last three offseasons and is an advanced hitter who has hit for power and hard contact for three straight years in Double-A and Triple-A (79 homers in the last three seasons). In a full-time big-league role, though, Busch is expected to be more of a doubles guy with more of a line-drive swing.