Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said on Saturday that he expects catchers Ryan Jeffers and Christian Vazquez to split playing time close to evenly this year. The Twins signed Vazquez to a three-year, $30 million deal last winter, but the 33-year-old veteran had the worst season of his career, hitting .223 (73-for-327) with six homers and 32 RBI, while Jeffers batted .276 (79-for-286) with a career-high-tying 14 homers and 43 RBI. As a result, the 26-year-old Jeffers became the team's starting catcher for the postseason. Vazquez worked hard on his swing and body this offseason, but Jeffers earned more playing time with a strong second half in 2023. At this point, the younger Jeffers has more offensive upside, but with an even timeshare expected, neither catcher is all that attractive for two-catcher leagues in fantasy.

Minnesota Twins veteran catcher Christian Vazquez has improved bat speed and is more fit in spring training this year as he looks to bounce back from a disappointing 2023 season after signing a three-year, $30 million deal with the team in December of 2022. Ryan Jeffers took over the lead duties behind the dish over Vazquez later in the year when Vazquez slumped and finished with a .598 OPS in the worst season of his career. The 33-year-old struck out more than ever last year and had the second-lowest slugging percentage of his career. Vazquez got a late start to his offseason workouts last year after playing in the World Series in 2022 with the Astros, and he thinks the lack of preparation affected him in his first year in Minnesota. A bounce-back is possible, but it could be more difficult with Vazquez expected to split time evenly with Jeffers in 2024.

The Minnesota Twins are planning to stretch right-hander Louie Varland out as a starter in camp, although he could still be moved back to the bullpen at some point. To help him try and lock down a starting role in 2024, the 26-year-old has been working on improving his two-seam fastball and his slider. He finished with a 4.63 ERA (5.02 FIP) and 1.22 WHIP with 17 walks and 71 strikeouts in 68 innings over 17 appearances (10 starts) for the Twins in his second big-league season in 2023. Varland impressed as a reliever, as he had a 1.50 ERA with 17 K's and just one walk in 12 innings while showing improved velocity to close out the year. He'll primarily be competing with newcomer Anthony DeSclafani for the No. 5 rotation spot in camp. If he wins a rotation spot, Varland will certainly be intriguing as rotation depth in deeper fantasy leagues.

Boston Red Sox right-hander Kutter Crawford is working on a split-finger fastball in spring training that he's hoping will better complement his existing arsenal. "All my stuff is moving glove side, away from righties and into lefties. The splitter would open up the other side of the plate," Crawford said. The 27-year-old began eventually settled into Boston's starting rotation in 2023, ultimately finishing 6-8 with a 4.04 ERA (3.83 FIP) and 1.11 WHIP with 36 walks and a career-high 135 strikeouts in 129 1/3 innings over 31 appearances (23 starts). He's locked into a rotation spot to open the 2024 season again and has intriguing strikeout upside. Crawford's biggest issue will be keeping the ball in the ballpark in a hitter-friendly home ballpark, but he's absolutely worth a late-round flier in fantasy drafts with his stock on the rise.

Detroit Tigers outfielder Justyn-Henry Malloy gives the team the most offensive potential for the final bench spot to open the 2024 regular season, as he had a .417 on-base percentage at Triple-A Toledo last year. He's now focusing exclusively on playing outfield rather than spending time at third base, which could severely hurt his chances of making the Opening Day roster. The Tigers will also look closely at right-handed infielders with versatility, including Keston Hiura, Ryan Kreidler and Eddys Leonard. Andre Lipcius and Wenceel Perez can't be ruled out, either. Malloy is going to need to prove he can hit well enough to warrant significant time in the designated hitter spot. But Detroit will want to rotated DH bats with Kerry Carpenter and Mark Canha also on the roster.