Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports that Toronto Blue Jays CEO Mark Shapiro believes the team will reach an agreement with first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on an extension. "We have such a clear alignment on the desired outcome," said Shapiro. "Vlad wants to play his whole career as a Toronto Blue Jay. We want him to end his career in a Blue Jays uniform...That's a pretty good place to start." When negotiations were last reported, Vladdy Jr. and the Jays were roughly $50 million apart, as the star slugger is looking for a contract similar to that of New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto. Guerrero Jr. hit a career-high .323 last season and has not played in fewer than 156 games since the start of 2021. Whether both parties will strike a deal remains to be seen. Regardless, the 26-year-old is RotoBaller's top option at first base and should be one of the more productive bats overall in 2025.

Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Max Scherzer (thumb) will start the team's Grapefruit League game on Saturday against the Minnesota Twins, according to Sportsnet's Arden Zwelling. Scherzer asked to make the two-hour road trip to Fort Myers because he wanted to face major-league hitters. The 40-year-old future Hall of Famer has been dealing with a nagging right-thumb injury in spring training, but he looked good during a bullpen session on Thursday and is now ready to test his finger in game action and is looking to throw around 60-65 pitches against Minnesota. If Scherzer avoids a setback with his thumb, he should be ready for Opening Day next Thursday. While Scherzer was initially looking like a late-round value pitch as fantasy rotation depth, his thumb injury might have a lot of fantasy managers pumping the brakes.

New York Mets outfielder/designated hitter Starling Marte (knee) is scheduled to play right field in a Grapefruit League game on Friday for the first time this spring, according to MLB.com's Anthony DiComo. Marte is expected to be the Opening Day DH against a left-handed pitcher, but his ability to play the outfield is still important to him. Marte got a late start to spring action due to a bone bruise in his right knee, but he's now been cleared to start playing some defense. The 36-year-old Dominican veteran has gone 3-for-14 with a double and six strikeouts in five Grapefruit League games entering Friday's action. Most of Marte's plate appearances in his 14th year in the big leagues in 2025 should come at DH. At this point in his career, there's little fantasy upside because of his injury risk and the fact that he's unlikely to run much.

The Seattle Times' Ryan Divish reports that Seattle Mariners right-hander George Kirby (shoulder) played catch in camp on Friday. Kirby was diagnosed with right-shoulder inflammation on March 7, and this is the first time he's thrown a ball since then. It's progress, but the 27-year-old will still open the 2025 regular season on the injured list. However, barring a setback now that he's throwing again, he may not miss much time and could make his season debut by mid-April. While Kirby should still be rostered in all fantasy leagues despite the fact he won't be ready for the start of the season, the injury certainly makes him a little less attractive in fantasy drafts this weekend for a pitcher that has had a below-average strikeout rate in his three major-league seasons. Stash him as a No. 3/4 fantasy starter to begin the year.

St. Louis Cardinals infielder Jose Fermin has made the team's Opening Day roster, sources told The Athletic's Katie Woo. Fermin will serve in a backup utility role and as a contact bat off the bench. The 25-year-old beat out Jose Barrero for one of the final spots on the team's Opening Day roster. The Dominican infielder has hit .282 (11-for-39) with a homer, five doubles, nine RBI and two runs scored in 17 Grapefruit League games. He's likely to see most of his playing time at second base in St. Louis, especially if Nolan Gorman's struggles from last year continue. Fermin tore up Triple-A pitching in 2024, but he struggled offensively in 45 games at the big-league level, slashing just .155/.241/.197 with no homers, four RBI, two steals and seven runs scored in 79 plate appearances. At best, he's a deep bench stash in NL-only leagues for his speed.