There have been no extension talks between the Los Angeles Dodgers and catcher Will Smith so far this year. Smith's numbers dropped slightly in 2023, but he was also playing a majority of the season with a broken rib and also missed time due to a concussion. Still, he was able to finish third among catchers with a minimum of 400 plate appearances in wRC+ last year. The 28-year-old was a first-time All-Star and was one of the better offensive backstops in the game with a .261/.359/.438 slash line, 19 home runs, 21 doubles, two triples, 76 RBI, three stolen bases and a career-high 80 runs scored in 126 regular-season games. Not only has Smith been durable for fantasy managers, but he has 68 homers and 239 RBI in the last three seasons. He's easily a top-five fantasy catcher.

Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Dustin May (elbow) is in the early stages of a throwing program progression at camp and is hoping to be back sometime in August. He's finally in a spot where his elbow isn't giving him trouble. May said that even when he came back from Tommy John surgery, he kept waiting for a day when his discomfort would go away. The pain in his arm is no longer an issue. How the Dodgers deploy the hard-throwing 26-year-old later this year may depend on who is healthy by that point in the season. LA is hoping veteran lefty Clayton Kershaw (shoulder) will return in the second half, and they'll have plenty of pieces to juggle given the pitching staff's injury history. The Dodgers aren't currently hinging any plans on May, so fantasy managers in single-year leagues should act similarly.

The Milwaukee Brewers placed right-hander Brandon Woodruff (shoulder) on the 60-day injured list on Wednesday to make room on the 40-man roster for recently signed catcher Gary Sanchez. Woodruff was able to begin a throwing program last week and is over four months removed from having surgery on the anterior capsule in his right shoulder in October that will keep him out for the entire 2024 season. While the 31-year-old is feeling great following his surgery, he still faces a long recovery process and will be off the fantasy radar in single-year leagues this spring. Fantasy managers that take on the two-time All-Star next year will be dealing with some risk/reward in hopes that Woodruff can return to his pre-injury form.

San Francisco Giants catcher Joey Bart, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 draft, appears unlikely to make the team's Opening Day roster out of spring training and is out of minor-league options. As a result, it makes him a candidate to be traded or dropped from the 40-man roster in late March. The 27-year-old backstop has hit a disappointing .219/.288/.335 with 11 home runs, 38 RBI and 178 strikeouts in 162 games played for the Gigantes in four seasons since making his big-league debut in 2020. He dealt with a groin injury last year and played in only 30 games, hitting .207 in 95 trips to the plate. Patrick Bailey took over the starting duties behind the dish in 2023, and Tom Murphy was brought in over the winter to serve as his backup. Bart's dynasty/keeper appeal is waning, but perhaps a change of scenery will do him some good.

San Francisco Giants catcher Patrick Bailey bulked up in the offseason to prepare for his second major-league season in 2024. Bailey struggled down the stretch in his rookie campaign in 2023 and finished with a .233/.285/.359 slash line, seven home runs, 18 doubles, a triple, 48 RBI and 29 runs scored in 353 plate appearances over 97 games played. The extra weight will hopefully help Bailey over the course of his second full season in the big leagues. The 24-year-old switch-hitting backstop hit .322 with five home runs in his first 33 games last year but really fell off after the All-Star break. His excellent defense is his calling card and will likely land him the starting job to start the 2024 season, but if he continues to slump at the plate, the Giants have other catching options they can turn to.