Atlanta Braves right-hander Charlie Morton (finger) said that his finger is fine and that he's fully healthy heading into the 2024 season. The Braves were a bit uncertain about bringing back Morton for his age-40 season, but they still went ahead and picked up his $20 million option for 2024 this offseason. Morton had a career-worst 11.6 percent walk rate in his third year with Atlanta in 2023, but he still managed to strike out 183 batters and had a decent 3.64 ERA (3.87 FIP) and 1.43 WHIP in 163 1/3 total innings over his 30 starts. Morton might have just one season left in him, but he makes for a solid middle-of-the-rotation arm for the Braves and carries more fantasy appeal while being backed by one of the best offenses in the league. He's been reliable, making at least 30 starts in each season since 2018, excluding the shortened 2020 campaign.

Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton (knee) said he plans to be back in center field for the team in 2024 despite being limited to designated hitter duties in 2023. Buxton hasn't played center field since August of 2022 and he can't say for sure how often he'll be able to play center field in 2024. But for now, he's running three times a week, hitting at full strength and doing some outfield work. It comes after offseason surgery that included an excision of the plica in his right knee to address the pain that kept him from playing defense. The Twins are a lot more optimistic about Buxton's knee than they were heading into last spring training. The 30-year-old managed to his 17 home runs in 85 games, but his knee injury impacted his swing and he hit just .207 with a .731 OPS. Buxton said his swing feels "as close to normal as it's going to get," but he's become one of the biggest injury risks in all of baseball.

Free-agent right-hander Carlos Carrasco signed a minor-league deal with an invitation to big-league spring training on Saturday with the Cleveland Guardians, according to sources. The 36-year-old veteran pitched for the Guardians from 2009-20. He spent the last three seasons with the Mets, going 19-20 with a bloated 5.21 ERA (4.55 FIP) and 1.46 WHIP with 97 walks and 268 strikeouts in 295 2/3 innings over 61 starts. He was even worse in 2023, posting a 6.80 ERA and 1.70 WHIP in 90 innings over 20 starts before fracturing his finger in September. The Guardians' starting rotation is already pretty set heading into the 2024 season, so Carrasco could open the year in a middle-relief role out of Cleveland's bullpen, making him unattractive in the majority of fantasy leagues.

The Detroit Tigers signed infield prospect Colt Keith to a six-year, $28.64 million contract extension that runs through the 2029 season on Sunday, followed by club options for the 2030, 2031 and 2032 seasons. If all of Keith's options are exercised, the 22-year-old would make $82 million over nine years, which would buy out all of his arbitration years. The Tigers are locking up one of their young prospects early for the long term. Keith is Detroit's top position-player prospect and hit an impressive 13 home runs with an .890 OPS in 67 games after his promotion to Triple-A Toledo. His big extension likely secures him a spot on the team's Opening Day roster in 2024. Keith's defense is nothing to write home about, but if he continues to hit the ball hard like he did in the minors, the Tigers will find a spot for him in their lineup.

Free-agent left-hander Alex Wood agreed to an undisclosed deal with the Oakland Athletics on Saturday, pending a physical, according to sources familiar with the deal. The 33-year-old veteran southpaw should be a part of Oakland's starting rotation to open the 2024 campaign after he went 5-5 with a 4.33 ERA (4.47 FIP), 1.43 WHIP, 42 walks and 74 strikeouts in 97 2/3 innings over 29 appearances (12 starts) in his third year with the San Francisco Giants in 2023. Wood's days of being fantasy relevant are in the past, although he could have some deep-league streaming appeal in a pitcher-friendly ballpark in the right matchups now that he should be in a full-time starting role with his new squad. With his velocity down, Wood relies even more on deception from his funky delivery than ever before.