The New York Yankees signed free-agent utility man Jose Rojas to a minor-league deal on Thursday that includes an invitation to spring training, according to a source. Rojas can play right field, third base and second base. The 30-year-old left-handed hitter made his big-league debut in 2021 with the Los Angeles Angels and has hit just .188 (42-for-224) with six home runs (all in his rookie season) and 16 RBI in 83 games and 241 plate appearances in his two seasons. He played for the Doosan Bears in the Korea Baseball Organization in 2023 but hit just .188/.245/.339 over 83 games. Rojas is most likely going to open the 2024 season in the minor leagues with the Yankees, providing utility depth.

Free-agent right-hander Matt Bowman signed a minor-league deal with the Minnesota Twins on Thursday that includes an invite to spring training, according to a source. He'll make $925,000 if he reaches the majors. Bowman spent the last three seasons in the New York Yankees organization and made three relief appearances for the Bombers in 2023, allowing four earned runs on six hits (one homer) while walking two and striking out three in four innings. It was the 32-year-old's first appearances in the big leagues since 2019 with the Cincinnati Reds. Bowman is strictly going to provide minor-league relief depth for the Twins to open the 2024 season. Bowman has a 4.13 ERA (3.73 FIP) and 1.28 WHIP with two saves, 64 walks and 152 strikeouts in 185 1/3 relief innings in his five years in the majors with the Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals and Reds.

San Francisco Giants right-hander Alex Cobb (hip) is hoping to start a flat-ground throwing program in the next few days. It's unclear when Cobb will be ready to pitch in games leading up to the 2024 season after he had surgery in late October to fix a torn labrum and remove three bone chips from his left hip. The 36-year-old said he expects to be pitching for the Giants in the first half of the season, but when exactly that will be is unclear. We should have a better idea on his timetable once the club begins preparations at spring training. Despite being long in the tooth, Cobb was a first-time All-Star in 2023 and went 7-7 with a 3.87 ERA (4.01 FIP) and 1.32 WHIP with 37 walks and 131 strikeouts in 28 starts (151 1/3 innings). Given the injury, Cobb's age and his declining strikeout rate, he's not going to be a terribly attractive fantasy starter in 2024.

The San Francisco Giants are committed to using right-hander Jordan Hicks as a "conventional starter" in 2024, and he'll start the year stretched out to five innings and/or 75 pitches. Hicks is excited for the opportunity to be a starter that he hasn't yet received in the big leagues. The 27-year-old hard-throwing right-hander has never thrown more than 77 2/3 innings in the big leagues in a single season, and durability hasn't exactly been his strong suit, so it's a bit of a risk turning him into a starter. He'll also be on an innings limit in his first year in San Francisco, which will surely limit his fantasy ceiling. But Hicks throws as hard as anyone in the majors and had career-highs in strikeouts (81) and strikeout rate (28.4%) in 65 2/3 relief innings for the St. Louis Cardinals and Toronto Blue Jays in 2023. Pitching half his games in San Fran will also make him appealing when he's on the mound.

Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said that the team isn't trying to trade utility player Christopher Morel this offseason. And as far as where Morel will play in 2024, they view him as a game-changing hitter whom the Cubs want to keep in their lineup, whether he's playing one spot or moving around. Morel has appeared at each outfield spot, shortstop, second base and third base in his career, but he made 61 appearances in 107 games as the designated hitter in 2023 while hitting 26 home runs, which was tied with Cody Bellinger for the team lead. Morel didn't make his season debut until May 9 and was tied for 19th in MLB with a .508 slugging percentage. Not only can Morel hit and hit for power, but he could give fantasy managers some nice positional flexibility in 2024. Third base and first base, in addition to DH, might be the most realistic for Chicago.