Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Alek Manoah is testing out a new cutter this spring as he looks to bounce back from an extremely difficult 2023 season. The 26-year-old worked to a 5.87 ERA and a bloated 14.2% BB% across 19 starts in the big leagues last season after finishing third in AL Cy Young voting in the 2022 season thanks to a 2.24 ERA across 31 starts. Manoah spent time at the team's spring training facility a season ago to get back on track but also refused to report to Triple-A Buffalo after an unsuccessful return to the big leagues. Manoah has previously featured a four-seam fastball, a sinker, a changeup, and a slider to this point as his cutter could be another avenue for him to get back on track in 2024. His fantasy value has obviously taken a major hit after the 2023 campaign.

Houston Astros right-hander Cristian Javier has reportedly lost 15 pounds in the offseason as he acknowledged some of his struggles in the 2023 season could be related to some extra weight he was carrying around. A steady force from 2020-2022, the right-hander indeed took a step back in the 2023 season as he put forth a 4.56 ERA across 31 starts, a far cry from the 2.54 ERA he tossed across 30 outings (25 starts) in the 2022 campaign. More so, Javier saw his strikeout rate drop from 33.2% in the 2022 season all the way to 23.1% a season ago. His presence is key for an Astros team that has Lance McCullers Jr. and Luis Garcia sidelined until the second half of the season while his fantasy value is questionable after a significant dip in 2023.

Free-agent infielder Gio Urshela and the Detroit Tigers agreed to a one-year, $1.5 million deal on Thursday, according to sources. The 32-year-old veteran should help the Tigers at third base and can also play the outfield and at first base. His ability to hit left-handers suits what the Tigers have been seeking over the winter. A fractured pelvis limited Urshela to 62 games with the Los Angeles Angels in 2023, and he hit .299/.329/.374 with 24 RBI in 228 plate appearances before the injury. The veteran Colombian could now be the favorite for most of the playing time at the hot corner in Detroit, at least against left-handers. In his career against southpaws, he's hit .290/.328/.445 with 17 homers and 67 RBI in 682 plate appearances. Urshela provides little power but could carry a strong average for fantasy managers in deep-mixed and AL-only leagues because of his high contact rate.

Toronto Blue Jays left-handed pitching prospect Ricky Tiedemann will make the start in the team's Grapefruit League opener on Saturday versus the Philadelphia Phillies. The 21-year-old is the team's top prospect entering the 2024 campaign and is fully expected to make his major-league debut this year, but he's expected to begin the season with Triple-A Buffalo. Tiedemann threw only 65 innings last year due to injuries, so the Blue Jays aren't going to rush him, and he'll most likely have a strict innings limit in both the minors and majors in 2024. He has an impressive arsenal and should already be rostered in dynasty/keeper leagues, but fantasy managers in single-year leagues should temper their expectations for Tiedemann at the major-league level in 2024.

Toronto Blue Jays infielder Cavan Biggio (shoulder) is taking batting practice on the field at spring training on Thursday. Biggio has been dealing with left-shoulder tendinitis in camp, but the issue never sounded serious, and he has plenty of time to get ready for Opening Day in late March. The 28-year-old probably won't play in Grapefruit League games this weekend, but he should be able to join the lineup sooner than later in spring action. Biggio was the team's everyday second baseman down the stretch in 2023 and will compete for playing time at both the keystone and third base for the Jays in 2024. Plate discipline is probably Biggio's biggest asset, as he's proven to be a below-average hitter in recent seasons and strikes out far too much. As a likely utility player for Toronto, he's merely a middle-infield option in deep-mixed fantasy leagues.