Infielder Gleyber Torres and the New York Yankees agreed to a one-year, $14.2 million deal for 2024 on Thursday to avoid salary arbitration. A career-low 14.6 percent strikeout rate helped Torres to a fine offensive season in 2023. He finished with a .273/.347/.453 slash line, an .800 OPS, 25 home runs, 28 doubles, two triples, 13 stolen bases and 90 runs scored in 672 plate appearances over a career-high 158 games played. The two-time All-Star has settled in as New York's everyday second baseman and should hit high in the batting order again in 2024, giving him plenty of fantasy appeal for a Yankees lineup that should be stronger next season. Torres has produced 24 home runs in four of his five full major-league seasons, giving fantasy managers a solid floor.

New San Diego Padres right-hander Michael King and the team agreed to a one-year, $3.15 million deal for 2024 on Thursday to avoid salary arbitration. King was part of the package sent to San Diego when the New York Yankees acquired outfielder Juan Soto in December. The 28-year-old was moved from the bullpen to the starting rotation in 2023 in the Bronx and delivered to the tune of a strong 2.75 ERA and 1.15 WHIP with 127 strikeouts in 49 outings (nine starts) over 104 2/3 innings pitched. He's expected to stay in a starting role for the Friars in his first year with the team and will have plenty of fantasy appeal with an upgrade in home ballpark. No matter what role King had in 2023, he was effective with a nearly 30 percent strikeout rate.

Right-handed reliever Clay Holmes and the New York Yankees settled at $6 million plus performance bonuses for the 2024 season on Thursday to avoid salary arbitration, according to a source. Holmes has been New York's primary closer over the last two seasons and has delivered a strong 2.70 ERA (2.75 FIP), 1.09 WHIP, 44 saves, 43 walks and 136 strikeouts over 126 2/3 relief innings in 128 appearances out of the bullpen. In addition to a career-high 24 saves in 2023, the 30-year-old had a career-high 27.1 percent strikeout rate and an elite 2.4 percent barrel rate and 66.7 percent ground-ball percentage. Holmes will enter the 2024 campaign as the Yankees' primary closer once again, giving him high-end closer appeal.

Right-hander Zac Gallen and the Arizona Diamondbacks settled at $10.011 million for the 2024 season to avoid salary arbitration on Thursday, according to a source. Gallen will be in his final year of arbitration eligibility going into next season. The 28-year-old made his first All-Star team in 2023 and went 17-9 with a 3.47 ERA (3.26 FIP) and 1.12 WHIP while walking 47 and striking out a career-high 220 batters in 34 starts covering a career-high 210 innings pitched to eventual lead his team to the World Series. He will remain a front-line rotation option for the Snakes going into his fifth full season with the team. Gallen could carry more injury risk because of his huge jump in workload of the last two seasons, but everything else in his profile is rock-solid, most impressive of which is his pinpoint control.

The Pittsburgh Pirates signed free-agent outfielder Billy McKinney, infielder Sergio Alcantara, outfielder Gilberto Celestino, right-hander Ben Heller, infielder/outfielder Jake Lamb, left-hander Michael Plassmeyer, right-hander Ryder Ryan and right-hander Hunter Stratton to minor-league deals with invites to spring training on Thursday. McKinney was traded to the Pirates from the New York Yankees in December and will now open up the 2024 campaign with the Pirates, albeit likely in the minor leagues. The 29-year-old played in 48 contests at the big-league level with the Yankees in 2023 and hit just .227/.320/406 with six home runs and 14 RBI in 147 plate appearances. The rebuilding Bucs will offer McKinney a better shot at playing time in the majors, but he's off the fantasy radar.