Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Nate Pearson is working on a new split-fingered fastball in camp as another pitch to complement his arsenal. "We're still working on it, but he threw some really good ones today that could be really effective at the major-league level," pitching coach Pete Walker said. Pearson is competing for a spot in the bullpen at spring training this year, and the Blue Jays view him as someone who could pitch up to three innings for them in relief. The 27-year-old hard-throwing righty has been set back by injuries early in his MLB career and continues to try and find his niche at the major-league level. So far in three seasons in Toronto, he has a 5.00 ERA and 1.41 WHIP with one save and 79 strikeouts in 75 2/3 innings over 52 outings (five starts). Pearson could eventually become a high-leverage reliever, but he can be avoided for now in most fantasy leagues.

Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider made sure to point out how "electric" right-hander Mitch White looked in his first bullpen session this spring, where he was sitting at around 94-95 mph with his fastball. Along with Bowden Francis, White is a leading candidate for the fifth starting rotation spot to open the 2024 season. He's been less successful in the big leagues, but he ended the season well at Triple-A Buffalo and is out of minor-league options. If he doesn't win a starting spot, he'll be a leading candidate to break camp in a long-relief role. The 29-year-old has had an ERA over 7.00 in his short time with the Blue Jays since 2022, but he could be in play in AL-only leagues if he shows improvement this year and manages to win the No. 5 starting role.

Toronto Blue Jays Cuban right-hander Yariel Rodriguez finally reported to camp over the weekend and threw his first bullpen session of spring training after signing a five-year, $32 million deal in the offseason. "He's got a lot of weapons. He's got just about every pitch in the book from different angles," pitching coach Pete Walker said. "He's got a slight hesitation in the delivery. There are certainly some things there that are interesting, and we'll just have to kind of fine-tune a little bit and find out what will really work the best at the major-league level." Toronto plans to stretch Rodriguez out as a starter this spring, but they'll take a cautious approach with him after he sat out in 2023 while preparing for his transition to the big leagues. The 26-year-old has a lot of long-term potential, but with a strict innings limit likely imposed on him in 2024, he'll have a low fantasy ceiling.

Minnesota Twins first baseman Alex Kirilloff (shoulder) was scheduled to face live pitching at spring training on Monday at Hammond Stadium. It's a notable development for Kirilloff after he had surgery last October to fix the labrum in his right shoulder. The 26-year-old left-handed slugger doesn't appear to be limited at all at camp and should be good to go for Opening Day in 2024. In an effort to keep him healthy, the Twins figure to use Kirilloff mostly at designated hitter this year, although he can play both first base and the outfield. The former first-rounder has shown plenty of offensive ability in the minors, but he's only appeared in 192 games in three seasons with the Twins, mainly due to wrist injuries. Despite the injury risk, Kirilloff is worth a late-round flier in deep-mixed leagues for his power at a corner-infield spot.

The Baltimore Orioles acquired right-hander Kaleb Ort from the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday in exchange for cash considerations. In a corresponding move, the Orioles designated outfielder Peyton Burdick for assignment. The move comes after the Phillies recently designated Ort for assignment. The 32-year-old will stay on the East coast and try to win a spot in Baltimore's Opening Day rotation out of spring training. He'll probably be a long shot to do so and could end up with a new organization before the start of the 2024 season, considering he's out of minor-league options. Ort had a 6.26 ERA and 1.56 WHIP in 23 innings for the Boston Red Sox last year and has a 6.27 ERA and 1.70 WHIP in only 51 2/3 frames over three MLB seasons in Boston.