The Pittsburgh Pirates announced on Wednesday that they signed free-agent left-hander Josh Fleming to a split one-year deal. The 27-year-old southpaw will make $850,000 if he's in the big leagues in 2024. The Pirates are planning to use him in a long-relief role, which won't give him much fantasy appeal for the rebuilding Bucs. Fleming went 2-0 in 2023 with a 4.70 ERA (5.66 FIP) and 1.45 WHIP with 19 walks and 25 strikeouts in 51 2/3 innings over 12 appearances (three starts), and he has a career 4.88 ERA and 1.42 WHIP with one save and 144 strikeouts in 223 1/3 innings over 55 outings (22 starts) in four years with the Tampa Bay Rays. Elbow issues cost Fleming more than two months in 2023, and at best, he'll be a low-upside streamer in NL-only leagues if he makes any spot starts in Pittsburgh.

The Pittsburgh Pirates placed right-hander Johan Oviedo (elbow) and catcher Endy Rodriguez (elbow) on the 60-day injured list on Wednesday. Oviedo will miss all of the 2024 season after having Tommy John surgery in December. The 25-year-old was inconsistent in his first full season as a starter for the Pirates last year, going 9-14 with a 4.31 ERA (4.49 FIP) and 1.37 WHIP while striking out a career-high 158 batters and walking 83 in 177 2/3 innings over 32 starts. Oviedo won't be back until 2025, and his high walk rate will continue to make him risky in deeper fantasy league. Rodriguez will also miss all of 2024 after having surgery last December to fix the UCL and flexor tendon in his right elbow. The 23-year-old backstop will have some mild post-hype sleeper appeal when he returns in 2025.

The Baltimore Orioles placed right-hander Felix Bautista (elbow) on the 60-day injured list on Wednesday to make room for outfielder Peyton Burdick, who was acquired in a trade from the Miami Marlins in exchange for cash considerations. Bautista emerged as one of the best closers in the game in 2023 for an Orioles team that won the American League East, but the 28-year-old reliever will miss all of the 2024 season after having Tommy John surgery in October. It was recently announced that he also had a right-elbow debridement and an ulnar-nerve transposition last week, but the additional procedures won't change his final timeline to return by 2025. With Bautista out all of this season, the Orioles brought in veteran Craig Kimbrel to serve as their closer.

The Baltimore Orioles and infielder/outfielder Ryan O'Hearn avoided salary arbitration on Wednesday by agreeing to a one-year, $3.5 million deal for the 2024 season that includes a $7.5 million club option for the 2025 season. O'Hearn will have escalators for his 2025 club option that include $500,000 for 120 games played and another $500,000 for 150 games played. This was the 30-year-old's final year of arbitration eligibility. After five years with the Kansas City Royals, he slashed an impressive .289/.322.480 with an .801 OPS, a career-high-tying 14 home runs, 60 RBI, five stolen bases and 48 runs scored in a career-high 112 games with the O's in 2023. O'Hearn is projected to see regular playing time between first base and designated hitter in 2024 against right-handed hurlers in 2024.

Boston Red Sox right-hander Garrett Whitlock is competing for a starting rotation spot at spring training this year. Whitlock opened last year as a starter, but he was moved to the bullpen eventually and finished 2023 with a career-worst 5.15 ERA (4.27 FIP), a 1.33 WHIP, one save, 13 walks and a career-low 72 strikeouts in 22 appearances (10 starts) covering a career-low 71 2/3 innings. Elbow injuries limited his workload along the way and most likely compromised his effectiveness as well. Lucas Giolito, Brayan Bello, Nick Pivetta and Kutter Crawford should be locked into the top four rotation spots in Boston, so Whitlock will be competing with Tanner Houck and Josh Winckowski for the No. 5 spot after lefty Chris Sale was traded to the Braves in the offseason. If he can stay healthy and earn a rotation spot, Whitlock still has some upside as a matchup-based, deep-league streamer.