Free-agent shortstop Nick Ahmed signed a minor-league deal with the San Francisco Giants on Monday. The deal includes an invitation to major-league spring training. Ahmed and long-time Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford battled for the National League Gold Glove at the 6 for a while, with Ahmed winning it in 2018-19 while playing for the Arizona Diamondbacks. The 33-year-old veteran will give the Giants a backup option to rookie Marco Luciano at shortstop in 2024. Ahmed really struggled at the plate in his 10th season in the desert last year, slashing just .212/.257/.303 with two home runs, 17 RBI, five stolen bases and 14 runs scored in 72 games played before he was released in September. Unless Luciano misses extended time with an injury, Ahmed isn't going to be attractive in many fantasy leagues.

The St. Louis Cardinals signed free-agent shortstop Brandon Crawford to an undisclosed deal on Monday, according to league sources. The three-time All-Star with the San Francisco Giants is expected to serve as the backup to 21-year-old rookie shortstop Masyn Winn while the team awaits further clarity on Tommy Edman's recovery from wrist surgery. Crawford spent the previous 13 seasons in the Bay Area, playing a key role in the team's 2012 and 2014 World Series championships. He was an All-Star as recently as 2021, but his performance started to decline in 2022, and he appeared in just 93 games last year due to various injuries and finished with a meager .194/.273/.314 slash line. The 37-year-old is a good defender but can't be counted on for offensive production at this point, and the 2024 season could easily be Crawford's last as a pro.

Free-agent infielder/outfielder Enrique Hernandez signed an undisclosed one-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday. The 32-year-old Puerto Rican utility man began the 2023 season with the Boston Red Sox before finishing the year in LA. In total, he hit .237/.289/.357 with 11 home runs, 23 doubles, 61 RBI, four stolen bases and 57 runs scored in 140 games played. He'll basically take the place of Manuel Margot, who was traded to the Minnesota Twins on Monday, as a reserve outfielder for the Dodgers in 2024. But Hernandez can also fill in where needed on the infield. Although he had double-hernia surgery last October, he's expected to be ready for Opening Day. Because Hernandez won't be an everyday player on a stacked Dodgers roster, he shouldn't attract much attention in mixed fantasy leagues this year.

Cleveland Guardians catching prospect Bo Naylor (back) was scratched from the team's Cactus League lineup on Monday against the San Diego Padres due to back spasms. The Guardians are probably just being cautious with the young catching prospect early in spring training, but we'll have more updates on the 24-year-old backstop's condition once we know more. He's likely to be day-to-day. Naylor took over in Cleveland last year during the summer and hit .237/.339/.470 with an .809 OPS, 11 home runs, 32 RBI and five stolen bases in 67 games in 2023. Naylor, the younger brother of Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor, will be the team's starting catcher from the get-go in 2024. If he stays healthy and gets enough playing time, he has the potential to be a top-10 catcher in fantasy when all is said and done, mainly due to his speed.

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Alek Thomas (wrist) is dealing with wrist soreness that kept him out of the team's Cactus League lineup on Monday. He has been tracking pitches during live batting practice sessions without swinging in the meantime, and manager Torey Lovullo said the concern is minimal and that Thomas could have played on Monday, if needed. It sounds as though the 23-year-old center fielder should be back in spring training action by the end of the week, if not sooner, and he'll be good to go for Opening Day in late March. Thomas struggled at the plate in 125 games for the D-backs last year, slashing .230/.273/.374 with nine home runs, 39 RBI and nine steals and was demoted to the minors in the first half. Unless he improves against left-handers, he probably isn't going to be much of an asset in shallow mixed leagues in 2024.