The Chicago Cubs and infielder Nick Madrigal have settled on a one-year, $1.81 million deal to avoid arbitration. The 26-year-old was hampered by a hamstring injury in the 2023 season but reportedly entered the offseason with no physical restrictions. Despite excellent contact skills and bat control, Madrigal's production at the plate has cratered over the last two seasons. He hit a decent .263 in 2023 but slugged just a pair of home runs and walked in only 3.4% of his plate appearances a season ago. He struck out in only 8.2% of his 294 plate appearances but his 83 wRC+ at the plate represented production 17% below the league average after posting a 71 wRC+ in 59 games in 2022. His fantasy baseball value is minimal as a result.

The Cleveland Guardians and right-hander Shane Bieber have avoided arbitration with a one-year, $13.125 million deal for the 2024 season. The right-hander dealt with injuries that limited him to 21 starts in the 2023 season but he still managed a solid 3.80 ERA in that time. That figure is below the 2020 Cy Young winner's lofty standard as he sports a career 3.27 ERA and his 2023 figure marks his worst number since posting a 4.55 ERA as a rookie in 2018. However, the 28-year-old's most noticeable drop came in his strikeout rate which dipped to just 20.1% versus his 27.8% career mark and a massive 41.1% clip in his COVID-shortened 2020 Cy Young season. Fantasy managers will certainly hope he can regain his strikeout stuff and return to full form (and health) in the 2024 campaign.

The Chicago White Sox and first baseman Andrew Vaughn have avoided arbitration with a one-year, $3.25 million deal for the 2024 campaign. The young slugger took over full-time duty at first base following the departure of Jose Abreu in the 2023 season and went on to hit .258 with 21 home runs and a .743 OPS across 615 trips to the plate. However, his subpar 5.9% BB% lowered his overall value at the plate as his 103 wRC+ registered just 3% above the league average. Nonetheless, it was the third straight season the former third-overall pick increased his home run total but he has still fallen below lofty expectations with 53 home runs across 413 big-league games, averaging 17.7 home runs per season across his first three big-league campaigns.

The Tampa Bay Rays and left-hander Shane McClanahan have avoided arbitration with a two-year, $7.2 million deal. The young stud pitcher will miss most, if not all of the 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in August, the main reason why this is a two-year deal. It's a devastating injury for all parties involved as the southpaw posted a 3.29 ERA in 21 starts before his injury after working to a dominant 2.54 ERA across 28 starts in the 2022 season. All told, the 26-year-old sports a career 3.02 ERA in 74 starts and 404 2/3 innings of work while also posting a tidy 20.9% K-BB%. He is certainly worth an injury stash throughout the 2024 season with the hope he can return to form upon his return late in the year or in the 2025 campaign.

The Chicago Cubs and left-hander Justin Steele have avoided arbitration and have agreed to a one-year, $4 million deal for the 2024 campaign. The southpaw is coming off of an excellent season that saw him work to a 3.06 ERA across a career-high 30 starts and 173 1/3 innings of work. He did so despite limping to the finish line as he surrendered six runs twice over his final three starts with 15 runs total allowed over 14 1/3 innings in that span. Nonetheless, Steele now sports a 3.30 career ERA across 74 appearances (63 starts) spanning 349 1/3 innings of work. His 2023 campaign also included a trip to the All-Star game and a fifth-place finish in NL Cy Young voting. Even without spectacular strikeout stuff, Steele should be a reliable fantasy option again in the 2024 season.