The Atlanta Braves signed veteran left-hander Chris Sale to a two-year, $38 million deal on Thursday that includes an $18 million club option for 2026. The move comes five days after they acquired Sale from the Boston Red Sox. The 34-year-old southpaw had one year plus a 2025 option left on his previous contract. He will make $16 million this year and $22 million in 2025. Under the old contract, Sale would have made $27.5 million this year, with the Braves paying only $500,000 now plus $10 million deferred to 2039, and the Red Sox covering $17 million as part of the trade that sent infielder Vaughn Grissom to Boston. The seven-time All-Star is a health question mark, throwing only 151 innings over 31 starts since 2019, but he still has plenty of strikeout upside when he's on the mound and the Braves will be hoping he can avoid the injury bug after going over 100 innings in 2023 for the first time since 2019.

The Arizona Diamondbacks signed free-agent left-hander Logan Allen to a minor-league deal on Tuesday. The deal includes an invitation to major-league spring training. Allen didn't surface at all in the big leagues in 2023, instead pitching for the Triple-A affiliates with the Colorado Rockies and Seattle Mariners, where he went 6-2 with a 5.77 ERA, 1.74 WHIP, 56 walks and 99 strikeouts in 103 innings pitched over his 38 appearances (10 starts). The 26-year-old southpaw will be looking to get back in the majors in a relief role in 2024, but he'll most likely start the year at Triple-A Reno. In Allen's four major-league campaigns with the San Diego Padres, Cleveland Guardians and Baltimore Orioles, he's posted a 5.89 ERA (5.62 FIP) and 1.66 WHIP while striking out only 15.5 percent of the batters he faced.

The Cincinnati Reds signed free-agent left-hander Justin Bruihl to a minor-league deal with an invitation to major-league spring training on Wednesday. Bruihl will provide the Reds with some bullpen depth in 2024 and will be competing for a roster spot in spring training. The 26-year-old southpaw has three years of big-league experience, posting a 4.22 ERA (4.49 FIP) and 1.24 WHIP with one save, 24 walks and 46 strikeouts in 70 1/3 career innings over 72 appearances (two starts) for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Colorado Rockies. Bruihl had a 5.46 ERA (4.11 FIP) and 1.39 WHIP with 22 K's in 28 relief innings for the Dodgers and Rockies this past season. He will be nowhere near the fantasy radar this year.

New York Mets outfielder Starling Marte (groin) is hitting second and playing right field on Wednesday in his first winter ball game for the Leones del Escogido in the Dominican Republic. It was another injury-filled year for Marte in 2023, but it's a good sign that he's already playing in games this offseason. The 35-year-old outfielder was a pretty big risk in fantasy leagues in 2023 while coming off double-groin surgery. The two-time All-Star ended up playing in only 86 games while hitting .248 (78-for-315) with only five home runs and 28 RBI, although he did steal 24 bases in 341 plate appearances. Marte could bounce back with better health in 2024, but he'll remain a pretty big injury risk and it remains to be seen how much he'll keep running as he tries to stay on the field late in his career.

New York Mets rookie infielder Ronny Mauricio (knee) underwent surgery to fix a torn ACL in his right knee on Wednesday and is expected to be out anywhere from eight to 12 months. Mauricio suffered the serious injury while playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic. The promising 22-year-old will now be forced to miss most of the 2024 season. He was slated to open spring training competing with Brett Baty and Mark Vientos for the starting role at the hot corner, but that job will now likely go to Baty to start the season. Fantasy managers in single-year leagues can ignore Mauricio in spring drafts, but he should be stashed in dynasty/keeper formats. The Dominican switch-hitter batted .248 (25-for-101) with two home runs, nine RBI and seven stolen bases in his major-league debut in 26 games.