Teams have asked the Toronto Blue Jays about right-hander Alek Manoah's availability via trade, but sources say that the Blue Jays are telling clubs they have no plans to move him. Manoah has had a very good offseason of workouts and is fully expected to be in the team's starting rotation to begin the year after struggling and being demoted to the minors twice in 2023. The 26-year-old was also dealing with some arm issues last season, which hopefully explains most of his problems just a year removed from an All-Star campaign. The former first-rounder will come at a discount in fantasy drafts this spring, and managers that take a shot on Manoah will be hoping he can return to his dominant form in 2022, when he had a 2.24 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and a career-high 180 strikeouts in 31 starts.

It seems as though the New York Mets and other teams are waiting for the price tag to drop on free-agent designated hitter J.D. Martinez and outfielder/DH Jorge Soler this offseason. Soler can play some outfield, but he's not the greatest of defenders, so interested teams are most likely looking at both Soler and Martinez as full-time DH options for a discounted price. MLB teams don't really want to pay for DH-only types anymore, but both Martinez and Soler proved last year that they can be impact bats. Martinez, 36, bounced back with the Dodgers to hit .271 with 33 home runs and 103 RBI in 432 at-bats, while Soler made his first All-Star team with the Marlins by hitting .250 with 36 long balls and 75 RBI in 137 games played.

The New York Mets are close to an agreement with free-agent left-handed reliever Jake Diekman on Thursday, according to league sources. Diekman is an affordable lefty veteran who has had some success in the majors. The 37-year-old southpaw was great after joining the Tampa Bay Rays in May, posting a 2.18 ERA and 1.12 WHIP with 50 strikeouts in 45 1/3 innings. Prior to joining Tampa, he had a terrible 7.94 ERA in 13 appearances with the Chicago White Sox. In his 12-year career, Diekman has a 111 ERA+ and 3.82 ERA. Brooks Raley is currently the Mets' top lefty option in the bullpen. Diekman would give New York another experienced left-hander to pair with Raley, but he won't have much fantasy appeal in 2024.

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. won his salary arbitration case against the team and will earn $19.9 million in 2024, according to a source. Guerrero will receive a $5.4 million raise this year despite seeing most of his numbers drop in 2023. The 24-year-old three-time All-Star slashed .264/.345/.444 with 26 home runs, 30 doubles, 94 RBI, five stolen bases and 78 runs scored in 156 games in his fifth big-league season. He hasn't come close to replicating his 2021 season, in which he led the league in home runs (48), on-base percentage (.401), slugging percentage (.601), OPS (1.002), total bases (363) and runs scored (123). Guerrero still has a strong fantasy floor in a great hitting environment and in a great lineup, but his 2021 season should be considered an outlier at this point.

Free-agent catcher Gary Sanchez signed a one-year, $7 million deal with the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday. Sanchez began last year with the New York Mets but only played in three games with them before eventually being picked up by the San Diego Padres, where he thrived in 72 games, clubbing 19 home runs and driving in 46 runs in 260 plate appearances. However, it also came with a weak .218 batting average (51-for-234). The 31-year-old veteran backstop was particularly effective against left-handed pitching in 2023 and should at least be in play as Milwaukee's designated hitter against southpaws in 2024, in addition to providing the team with a backup catching option to starter William Contreras. Sanchez can provide some pop in two-catcher leagues, but fantasy managers wouldn't be wise to expect a repeat of last year.