At the moment, Kansas City Royals left-hander William Smith is the team's leading candidate to open the 2024 season as the closer after they signed him to a one-year, $5 million contract early in free agency. Smith, who turns 35 years old in July, has won three straight World Series titles with three different teams. He went 22-for-27 in save chances last year with an expected ERA of 3.35 well below his actual 4.40 ERA. If the Royals trade for a closer or land one in free agency, they could shift the veteran Smith to more of a setup role, thus strengthening the back end of their bullpen. Smith will have fantasy appeal as a closing option if the Royals don't upgrade, but save chances could be few and far between for the rebuilding Royals.

The Colorado Rockies have signed pitcher Josh Rogers to a minor-league deal. The 29-year-old didn't appear in the big leagues in the 2023 season but rather spent the campaign with Triple-A Albuquerque in the Rockies organization. He made 30 appearances (13 starts) for the Isotopes but struggled mightily to an 8.02 ERA (and 7.82 FIP) across 104 1/3 innings of work, striking out just 13.1% of his opponents. He also struggled mightily with the home run ball by way of a massive 2.67 HR/9 clip. He made six starts of 3.28 ERA ball with the Nationals in 2021 but owns a 5.42 ERA across 30 outings (12 starts) and 88 innings of big-league work split between the Orioles and Nationals.

Chicago White Sox third baseman Yoan Moncada is feeling healthy and motivated as spring training nears. The veteran dealt with knee and back issues in the 2022 and 2023 seasons as he appeared in just 92 games in 2023 after appearing in just 104 games in the 2022 campaign. "I'm motivated and excited because I'm healthy. That's the only thing I want. If I'm healthy, I know I can do a lot of good things in the field. I'm excited right now to get to spring training and start working," he told the media at White Sox FanFest. The 28-year-old hit .260 with 11 home runs and one stolen bases across 357 plate appearances last season after hitting just .212 with 12 HR and two SB in 433 trips to the plate in 2022. His 2019 career year saw him hit .315 with 25 HR and 10 SB across 132 games played.

The New York Yankees are reportedly one of a number of clubs interested in signing free-agent third baseman Matt Chapman. The veteran remains one of the top free agents left on the market and perhaps the best infielder available. The 30-year-old tailed off after a blistering start at the plate in 2023 but still hit 17 home runs and 39 doubles, alongside a 10.7% BB% across 581 plate appearances, production that graded out 10% superior to the league average, as per his 110 wRC+. Of course, he remains an excellent defensive third baseman and boasts significant extra-base power with a career-high of 36 home runs set in the 2019 season. A lucrative multi-year deal is a lock for a player still in his prime.

The St. Louis Cardinals have signed right-hander Josh James to a minor-league deal. The deal presumably comes with an invite to big-league spring training, although not yet confirmed. Once a highly-touted young arm with the Astros, the now-30-year-old's career has been decimated by injury, most recently flexor tendon surgery that cost him all of last season. In fact, James hasn't appeared on a big-league mound since Sept. 22, 2021. He saw diminished velocity after early-career injuries as he averaged 94.1 mph on his four-seam fastball in 2021 versus a 97.3 mph average in both the 2018 and 2019 seasons. James owns a career 4.64 ERA in 73 big-league outings (six starts) while posting an eye-popping 34.3% K% in that time. He is a low-risk flyer for a Cardinals team that has been busy in addressing pitching needs this winter.