The Minnesota Twins claimed outfielder Bubba Thompson off waivers from the New York Yankees on Wednesday. Thompson is on his fifth different team since last August. The 25-year-old former first-round pick in 2017 by the Texas Rangers has played in 92 games the last two seasons with the Rangers and has gone 54-for-223 (.242) with one home run, 13 RBI and 22 stolen bases in 241 trips to the plate. The 25-year-old will give the Twins some center field depth with Byron Buxton (knee) coming off yet another injury-plagued season in 2023. Speed is Thompson's greatest asset, and he can also play all three outfield positions. He's going to need to show better discipline at the plate when he gets chances in Minnesota so that he can get on base more often to utilize his excellent speed.

The Cincinnati Reds have so much infield depth entering the 2024 season that it's going to take some creativity to rotate six infielders among four positions and designated hitter. It could include second baseman Jonathan India playing in unfamiliar spots, such as first base or left field. "He just wants to be on the field and in the lineup as much as possible. Obviously as a second baseman, but depending on how things shake out, to be able to get him on the field as much as he wants to be and as much as I want him to be, there may be other positions that he'll need to play," general manager Nick Krall said. The 27-year-old has only played the keystone in the big leagues with Cincy, but he has experience at third and shortstop from his time in the minors. The former Rookie of the Year could lose playing time if he struggles at the plate or is injured again, so a trade in 2024 might be the best for his fantasy value.

Cincinnati Reds general manager Nick Krall said the hamstring injury that infield prospect Noelvi Marte suffered late in November while playing in the Dominican Republic winter league came with a six- to 10-week recovery process, meaning he's on a good track to be ready for the start of spring training. Barring a setback in his recovery process, the 22-year-old figures to be the team's starting third baseman on Opening Day. Marte saw his first 114 major-league at-bats in 2023 and went 36-for-114 (.316) with three home runs, 15 RBI, six stolen bases and 15 runs scored in 35 games played. There's a lot to like about Marte for fantasy managers in an improved Reds lineup. There's a nice combination of power, contact ability and speed on the basepaths with Marte as he preps for his first full season in the big leagues. He has a high ceiling and the potential to hit around 25 home runs in 2024.

The Washington Nationals are likely to take the cautious route and give outfielder Stone Garrett (leg) more time to recover from his broken leg, making it unlikely that he'll be ready to go for Opening Day in 2024. Garrett broke his left fibula last year and underwent surgery in August, followed by a minor surgery on his ankle. The 28-year-old should have a pretty good chance to see regular at-bats for the rebuilding Nationals when healthy, but at the very least, he should be in an outfield platoon against left-handed pitching. Garrett has posted a strong .813 OPS in 355 total major-league at-bats, but he's most likely going to be a placeholder in Washington's outfield until prospects James Wood and Dylan Crews arrive, possibly as early as this summer. Garrett is going to need to cut down on his strikeout rate to become a lineup regular in NL-only leagues.

The Detroit Tigers signed free-agent right-hander Drew Anderson to a minor-league deal on Wednesday. Anderson, who turns 30 years old in March, spent the last two seasons pitching overseas in Japan. He's pitched in the big leagues for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago White Sox and Texas Rangers. In his five years in the big leagues from 2017-21, Anderson went 1-3 with a rough 6.50 ERA (4.35 FIP), a 1.58 WHIP, 17 walks and 30 strikeouts in 44 1/3 innings over 19 appearances (two starts). While pitching for the Hiroshima Carp in Nippon Professional Baseball the last two years, he was much better with a 3.05 ERA and 98 strikeouts in 115 innings pitched. Anderson will give the Tigers some minor-league pitching depth entering the start of the 2024 season.