Tampa Bay Rays designated hitter Jonathan Aranda could see additional playing time at designated hitter for the club in 2024 now that Luke Raley is in Seattle. Aranda doesn't play the outfield, but he's a left-handed hitter, and the Rays want to create an opportunity for Aranda to prove himself after he dominated Triple-A pitching the last few years. Given Aranda's defensive limitations, it will be hard for him to crack the Rays' infield, so his best path to more playing time will be DH duties on a more regular basis. Tampa could also look to create more of a role for Curtis Mead, MLB Pipeline's No. 34 overall prospect. The 25-year-old Aranda has 43 homers in the last two years at Triple-A Durham, but he's hit just .212/.311/.346 in 190 big-league plate appearances the last two seasons. There's intriguing power potential in his bat, but his lack of positional versatility merely will make him a bench bat for fantasy managers in 2024 drafts.

Tampa Bay Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander said it's "unlikely" shortstop Taylor Walls (hip) will be ready for Opening Day after having right-hip surgery this offseason. The Rays don't know what will happen with Wander Franco, who remains under investigation in the Dominican Republic. Jose Caballero, who was acquired in a trade with the Seattle Mariners, can play multiple positions and provides value with his defense, baserunning and willingness to find ways to get on base. Right now, Caballero looks like Tampa's Opening Day shortstop, which will put less pressure on Wall's rehab, young infielder Osleivis Basabe or top prospect Junior Caminero. The 27-year-old has little power to speak of but hit lefties well in 2023 and will be valuable in deeper mixed fantasy leagues for his speed.

The Washington Nationals hired former left-handed relief pitcher Sean Doolittle as a pitching strategist on Tuesday. The former two-time All-Star and World Series winner will serve as a liaison between the analytics department and pitching staff while also assisting the manager and pitching coach with strategy, mental preparation and mechanics for the team's pitching staff. The 37-year-old southpaw spent six years in D.C. with the Nats but retired last year after an 11-year big-league career. Doolittle ranks tied for third in Nationals history with 75 saves, and his 153 relief appearances are second-most by a Nationals pitcher since 2017 and 13th-most in Nationals history. He won the World Series in 2019 and finished his career going 26-24 with 112 saves, a 3.20 ERA and 522 K's in 450 2/3 innings pitched.

The Texas Rangers acquired right-hander Daniel Duarte from the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday in exchange for cash considerations. The Rangers now have 40 players on the major-league roster. Duarte's season ended early last year due to a shoulder injury, and it's unclear if he's going to be ready for spring training. The 27-year-old Mexican pitcher had a 3.69 ERA (5.84 FIP) and 1.39 WHIP while walking 20 and striking out 23 in 31 2/3 innings over 31 appearances out of Cincinnati's bullpen in 2023. He's only thrown 34 1/3 innings at the big-league level over the last two seasons and is most likely to begin the 2024 regular season in minor leagues in the Rangers organization as relief depth.

The Texas Rangers signed free-agent right-hander Jose Urena to a minor-league deal on Tuesday that includes an invitation to major-league spring training. The veteran hurler combined for 10 starts with the Colorado Rockies and Chicago White Sox in 2023, going 0-7 with a rough 6.45 ERA (7.28 FIP) and 1.61 WHIP with 22 walks and 29 strikeouts in 44 2/3 innings pitched. The 32-year-old will provide the Rangers with starting-rotation depth to open spring training, but Urena is likely to open the year pitching for Triple-A Round Rock in the minors. In nine seasons in the big leagues with the Marlins, Rockies, Tigers, White Sox and Brewers, Urena has a 4.89 ERA (4.90 FIP) and a 1.41 WHIP with a weak 15.5 percent strikeout rate in 839 1/3 innings over 199 outings (143 starts).