Right-hander Dane Dunning avoided salary arbitration with the Texas Rangers on Thursday by agreeing to a one-year, $3.325 million deal for the 2024 season, according to a source. Dunning gets a nice raise in his first year of arbitration eligibility. The 29-year-old had the best season of his career in 2023 in his third year with the Rangers, going 12-7 with a career-best 3.70 ERA (4.27 FIP) and 1.26 WHIP while walking 55 and striking out a career-high 140 batters in 172 2/3 innings over his 35 appearances (26 starts). He will open 2024 with a spot in Texas' starting rotation yet again after initially entering it early last year when Jacob deGrom got hurt. Dunning's fantasy ceiling will remain low this year because he relies more on inducing soft contact than creating swings and misses.

Catcher Danny Jansen and the Toronto Blue Jays settled on a $5.2 million salary in 2024 to avoid salary arbitration on Thursday, according to a source. Jansen was in his third year of arbitration eligibility. A fractured finger cost Jansen the final month of last season, and the 28-year-old backstop ended up finishing 2023 with a .228 batting average (61-for-268) with a career-high 17 home runs, 15 doubles, 53 RBI and 38 runs scored in 301 plate appearances over 86 games played. He has impressive power at a position that lacks it, but his inability to stay on the field and the fact he'll again be sharing duties behind the plate in Toronto with Alejandro Kirk in 2024 limits his fantasy appeal. If Jansen could stay healthy over a full season, he'd pretty much be a lock for 20-plus home runs in a hitter-friendly environment and in one of the better offenses in baseball.

Catcher Will Smith and the Los Angeles Dodgers avoided salary arbitration on Thursday by settling on an $8.55 million salary for the 2024 season, according to a source. It's a record for a second-time arbitration-eligible catcher. It's also a $3.3 million raise from what he earned in 2023. Smith was a first-time All-Star last season despite a slight drop in his numbers. He finished with a .261/.359/.438 slash line with 19 home runs, 21 doubles, two triples, 76 RBI, three stolen bases and a career-high 80 runs scored in 126 total games played. At the weak catcher position in fantasy, those numbers are still well above-average. The 28-year-old backstop is one of just five catchers to score 80 runs in the last 15 seasons. Smith will be one of the first few catchers off the board yet again in fantasy drafts this spring.

Free-agent right-hander Marcus Stroman and the New York Yankees are in agreement on a two-year deal that includes an option for a third year. The deal averages $18.5 million per season. The 32-year-old was an All-Star with the Chicago Cubs last year for the second time in his career and finished by going 10-9 with a 3.95 ERA (3.58 FIP) and 1.26 WHIP with 52 walks and 119 strikeouts over 136 2/3 innings covering his 27 appearances (25 starts). Stroman had a great first half with the Cubbies before dealing with injuries and struggling down the stretch. He became a free agent when he opted out of his $21 million option in Chicago for 2024. Injuries are to be expected, but when healthy, Stroman has been solid for fantasy managers in recent seasons and should slot into New York's starting rotation right behind ace Gerrit Cole and lefty Carlos Rodon.

The Houston Astros and outfielder Kyle Tucker settled at a $12 million salary for the upcoming 2024 season on Thursday to avoid salary arbitration, according to a source. It's a $7 million raise from a season ago. The 26-year-old has become one of the best left-handed sluggers in the game after slashing .284/.369/.517 with an .886 OPS, 29 home runs, 37 doubles, five triples, a league-high 112 RBI, a career-high 30 stolen bases and a career-high 97 runs scored in 674 trips to the plate over 157 games played. He's made back-to-back All-Star teams has one more season of arbitration eligibility before he becomes a free agent after the 2025 season. Tucker fell short of his third straight season of exactly 30 home runs when he finished with 29 dingers in 2023.