Arizona Diamondbacks right-handers Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly return from last season, while left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez has been added to their starting rotation via free agency. Brandon Pfaadt seemingly has a leg up on the No. 4 spot given the way he pitched in the postseason. The fifth spot will be hard-fought between mainly righty Ryne Nelson and lefty Tommy Henry. Nelson spent the majority of the season as a starter for Arizona in 2023 and had a 5.31 ERA and 1.42 WHIP with 96 K's in 144 innings but was demoted to relief late in the year. Henry was a bit more effective with a 4.15 ERA and 1.36 WHIP with 64 strikeouts in 89 innings but was left off the postseason roster. Nelson has more upside as more of a strikeout pitcher, but either player could be useful in NL-only leagues if they win a rotation spot.

Arizona Diamondbacks top prospect Jordan Lawlar, who is ranked as the No. 11 overall prospect in all of baseball by MLB Pipeline, will get a lot of repetitions in spring training, but he'll be hard-pressed to beat out Geraldo Perdomo given what the switch-hitter did for the team last year when he made the National League All-Star team. If Lawlar doesn't make the Opening Day roster, he'll start out at Triple-A Reno in 2024. The 21-year-old got off to a brutal start in the minors last year but eventually settled in, finishing with a .278/.378/.496 slash line, 20 home runs, 67 RBI, 36 stolen bases and 95 runs scored in 105 games with Double-A Amarillo and Reno. The power should eventually develop as he matures, but for right now, Lawlar is attractive to the D-backs for his elite defense and speed on the basepaths.

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that rookie outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela will be the center fielder in 2024 if he makes the team out of spring training. As of right now, it's to be determined if he opens the year at Triple-A Worcester or the major leagues. "The defensive game is elite. It's a game-changer," Cora said. Jarren Duran is currently the favorite to open the year as Boston's starting center fielder, with Tyler O'Neill in left and Wilyer Abreu in right. The 23-year-old Rafaela went 20-for-83 (.241) with two homers and five RBI in his first 28 major-league games in 2023, and his glove and his speed will probably always be his money-makers. He stole 39 games in 136 games at two minor-league levels last year, but he also managed to clear the fences 22 times as well.

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that he expects outfielder Masataka Yoshida to get the majority of his at-bats this year at designated hitter. In his first year in the big leagues in 2023, the 30-year-old Japanese outfielder struggled defensively for the BoSox in left field, which has made newcomer Tyler O'Neill the most likely candidate to start at that position for the team in 2024. Yoshida should still be an everyday player, though, and will occasionally make starts in the outfield when O'Neill needs some rest. Offensively, Yoshida didn't show a ton of power (15 home runs), but he had a solid .289/.338/.445 slash line with 72 RBI, eight stolen bases and 71 runs scored in 140 games. There's reason to believe Yoshida will be able to improve, if even slightly, in his sophomore campaign.

The Chicago White Sox agreed to minor-league deals with right-handers Dominic Leone and Corey Knebel on Tuesday that include non-roster invites to spring training. The White Sox now have 68 players in camp, including 28 non-roster invitees. Leone and Knebel will provide much-needed depth for Chicago's bullpen this year. Leone, 32, pitched for the New York Mets, Los Angeles Angels and Seattle Mariners in 2023 and had an uninspiring 4.67 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, one save, 28 walks and 54 K's in 54 relief innings. Knebel, 32, tore his right-shoulder capsule in August of 2022 and hasn't pitched with a team since. He was an All-Star in 2017 with Milwaukee and has 72 career saves in eight big-league campaigns. Before his injury in 2022 with the Phillies, Knebel had a 3.43 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 12 saves, 28 walks and 41 strikeouts in 44 2/3 relief frames. Both pitchers will be battling for bullpen roles this spring.