Free-agent left-hander Blake Snell has privately expressed interest in playing for the New York Yankees, according to SNY's Andy Martino. At the moment, Snell seems a more likely fit in New York than Jordan Montgomery, with whom they have also talked. The Yankees are looking to aggressively add to their starting rotation and are planning an active month of January, according to league sources familiar with the team's thinking. Snell is coming off his second career Cy Young award after going 14-9 with a 2.25 ERA and 1.19 WHIP with 234 strikeouts in 180 innings over 32 starts with the San Diego Padres, so his price is going to be high. The 31-year-old's 2024 fantasy value is going to be high no matter where he lands given his swing-and-miss stuff, but the tough American League East wouldn't exactly be the ideal landing spot.

The Minnesota Twins have claimed relief pitcher Ryan Jensen off waivers from the Miami Marlins. This marks the second time this offseason that Jensen has been claimed off waivers as the Marlins scooped him up a month ago after he was designated for assignment by the Seattle Mariners. Jensen made 29 appearances between the Triple-A affiliates of the Cubs and Mariners in the 2023 season, initially struggling with Triple-A Iowa before tossing a 3.18 ERA across 13 appearances with Triple-A Tacoma. While he boasts a big arm and swing-and-miss stuff, the right-hander issued 32 walks in 32 innings at Triple-A last season. He could prove to be a nice pickup if he can rein in the free passes.

The New York Yankees have claimed outfielder Bubba Thompson off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds. It's the second time he's been claimed this offseason as the Reds claimed him from the Texas Rangers but recently designated him for assignment after they re-signed reliever Buck Farmer. The former first-round pick has appeared in the big leagues in each of the last two seasons, combining to hit .242 with one homer and 22 stolen bases across 241 trips to the plate. Clearly, Thompson offers plenty of value on the basepaths as he also stole 27 bags across just 65 games between the Triple-A teams of the Royals and Rangers in the 2023 campaign. He has shown some pop in the minors but that has yet to translate to the big-league level.

The Houston Astros have claimed relief pitcher Declan Cronin off of waivers from the Chicago White Sox. The 26-year-old was designated for assignment by Chicago when their signing of Erick Fedde became official on Dec. 28. A 36th-round pick of the White Sox in 2019, Cronin made his pro debut that same season and reached the big leagues in the 2023 campaign, tossing a 9.00 ERA with seven walks and eight strikeouts across just 11 innings of work. He fared much better at Triple-A where he posted a 3.83 ERA across 47 outings, locking down a pair of saves in the process. With the Astros' 40-man roster full, a corresponding move will need to be made by the club.

The Chicago White Sox have signed outfielder Brett Phillips to a minor-league deal. The deal will pay the veteran $1.2 million if he makes the big-league team. The 29-year-old had his best season at the plate in the 2021 season with the Rays but is coming off a pair of dismal campaigns with the Orioles and Angels. Most recently, he hit just .175 with three homers and three steals across just 71 plate appearances with the Halos in 2023 and also hit .230 with six HR and seven SB across 66 games at the Triple-A level. Phillips offers some defensive versatility as he's capable of playing all three outfield spots but his lifetime .187 average and 38.7% K% put a hard cap on his offensive upside.