The Texas Rangers have signed right-handers Shane Greene and Austin Pruitt to minor-league deals with invites to big-league spring training. Greene, 35, made just a pair of relief outings in each of the last two MLB seasons and spent the 2023 season in the Cubs organization, tossing a 1.75 ERA (alongside a 4.12 FIP) across nine outings (seven starts) with Triple-A Iowa. He sports a career 4.50 ERA across 345 MLB outings (33 starts) between the Yankees, Tigers, Braves, Dodgers, and Cubs. Pruitt, 34, enjoyed a nice season largely out of the A's bullpen in 2023, tossing a 2.98 ERA across 38 appearances (six starts. The veteran has worked to a 4.43 career ERA in 150 big-league outings (17 starts) with the Rays, Astros, Marlins, and A's.

The New York Yankees have emerged as the top suitor for free-agent pitcher Marcus Stroman. It was recently reported that the right-hander had reached out to express his interest in joining the club, but no official contract offer had been tabled. A 2023 All-Star, Stroman worked to a 3.95 ERA across 27 outings (25 starts) last season, but his season was cut short due to rib and hip injuries. It was the seventh time in parts of nine big-league seasons Stroman posted a sub-4.00 ERA, while he's now done so in each of his last four campaigns. The Yankees haven't done much to upgrade their starting pitching behind Gerrit Cole this offseason and also lost significant pitching depth in the trade that brought in outfielder Juan Soto from the Padres. Stroman would be a solid No. 2 asset for the Bronx Bombers.

A right-oblique strain ended Cincinnati Reds middle infielder Matt McLain's impressive rookie season early. Had he not missed the final month of the season, he might have finished higher than fifth in the National League Rookie of the Year voting. The 24-year-old slashed .290/.357/.507 with 16 home runs and 50 RBI in only 89 games and was second among NL rookies in batting and third with an .864 OPS. "I'm back to 100%," McLain said. "I've been swinging and stuff. I think we've gotten up to 100 swings at this point in the offseason. I'm full-go. I'm 100%, doing everything. It's going well." The impressive young infielder is making adjustments this offseason and hopes to improve on hitting fastballs at the top of the strike zone in Year 2 in 2024. There's a lot to like about McLain, and he'll have eligibility at both second base and shortstop.

Chicago White Sox general manager Chris Getz said Tuesday that newly-signed pitcher Chris Flexen is expected to be part of the team's starting rotation and provide a starter's workload in 2024, per MLB.com's Scott Merkin. The 29-year-old has served as both a starter and a bulk reliever throughout his career, functioning as both in 2023 with the Mariners and Rockies. While Flexen has produced serviceable ERA marks at times in his career, he offers little strikeout upside and pitches to contact, resulting in high WHIP marks. Flexen went 2-8 with a 6.86 ERA, 1.67 WHIP, and 15.9% strikeout rate in 29 appearances (16 starts) and 102 1/3 innings pitched in 2023. While he should be able to provide innings for the White Sox, fantasy managers may not want to turn to him for value to their teams.

Newly-signed catcher Tucker Barnhart will reportedly compete with 26-year-old Jose Herrera to serve as the backup catcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks, per MLB.com's Steve Gilbert. While Gabriel Moreno has the starting spot, it is not yet determined who will serve as the backup, and the team could even bring in another backstop to add into the mix. Neither player offers much offensive upside, but the 32-year-old Barnhart is known for his defensive prowess. Regardless, it sounds as though both players will have the opportunity to win the role.