Atlanta Braves left-hander Chris Sale's workload will closely be monitored in his first year with Atlanta after going just over 100 innings in 2023 with the Boston Red Sox due to a scapula injury, but the Braves plan on having Sale in their starting rotation to begin the year. They don't think they need to delay Sale's debut a month or two in order to maximize what he might be able to provide during the playoffs. The 34-year-old southpaw's dominance has ended in recent seasons due to injuries. He had Tommy John surgery in 2020 and battled a rib fracture and right-wrist fracture in 2022. Sale had a 4.30 ERA in 20 starts this past season but finished the year strong with eight earned runs allowed in five starts in September. As he's been the past few seasons, Sale will be a risk/reward fantasy starter in 2024 in his new digs.

Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said the team views infielder Vaughn Grissom as an everyday second baseman after they acquired him from the Atlanta Braves in the trade that sent left-hander Chris Sale to Atlanta. It was a bit of a curious move for the pitching-needy Red Sox to part ways with a starting pitcher, but it makes more sense if they view the 22-year-old Grissom as the future at the keystone. He can also fill in at shortstop and third base if needed, but Grissom should enter spring training as Boston's regular second baseman. The expanded role on a new team will make Grissom more intriguing in fantasy leagues as a late-round flier in a great hitting environment. The right-handed hitter hit .287/.339/.407 with five home runs, 27 RBI and five stolen bases in 64 games in his two MLB seasons with the Braves but just never had enough of an opportunity to make him relevant in mixed fantasy leagues.

New York Mets rookie infielder Ronny Mauricio (knee) will have surgery to fix a torn ACL in his knee shortly after New Year's Day, according to a league source. The 22-year-old is in good spirits after injuring his right knee on Dec. 10 while playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic. He was expected to be heavily in the mix for the job at third base after making his MLB debut in 2023. Now that Mauricio will miss a good chunk of the 2024 season, left-handed batters Brett Baty and Joey Wendle will be the primary options competing at the hot corner in spring training. The Mets could look for another right-handed-hitting option at the position that offers good defense at an affordable price. Giovanni Urshela has attracted interest from both the Mets and New York Yankees.

After missing significant time in 2023, New York Mets outfielder Starling Marte (groin) is likely to play winter ball in the Dominican Republic after New Year's Day, according to people briefed on the matter. However, nothing has been firmly established regarding Marte's offseason plans, and it's unclear how much action he'll see if he actually plays. He's entering the third year of a four-year deal with the Mets worth $78 million. The 35-year-old veteran hasn't played winter ball since between the 2017 and 2018 seasons after missing time in '17 due to a suspension. Marte was limited to 86 games in 2023 due to various injuries and hit .248/.301/.324 with five home runs and 24 stolen bases in 341 plate appearances. He was a pretty big fantasy risk coming off double-groin surgery in 2022. Marte appears to be in a better spot heading into the 2024 season and should bounce back offensively, but at his age, the injury concerns aren't going to go away.

San Diego Padres right-handed reliever Robert Suarez is the team's projected closer in 2024 with Josh Hader and Nick Martinez leaving via free agency. Suarez will automatically have more fantasy appeal in a closing role, but he didn't help his stock much during a 2023 campaign that saw him deal with injury and ineffectiveness while also serving a 10-game suspension for using sticky stuff. Left-hander Yuki Matsui lacks height and experience in the United States, but he should immediately slot in as an option for high-leverage innings in San Diego and could push Suarez for save chances if he outperforms him in the back end of the Friars' bullpen. The 32-year-old hard-throwing Suarez didn't have a single save in 2023 while posting a 4.23 ERA (4.48 FIP) and 0.90 WHIP while striking out 24 and walking 10 in 27 2/3 innings pitched in his second MLB season.