Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal will start the team's Opening Day game on March 28 against the Chicago White Sox, according to manager A.J. Hinch. Skubal only made 15 starts for the Tigers last year after he got a late start to the season due to flexor-tendon surgery on his arm, but he was strong in those 15 starts, posting a 2.80 ERA and 0.90 WHIP with 102 strikeouts in only 80 1/3 innings. The 27-year-old southpaw will have some workload concerns for fantasy managers, but if he's fully healthy, the upside is obvious. He's been pumping his fastball in the high-90s this spring and has looked good, adding even more intrigue around him in fantasy drafts as a low-end fantasy ace/high-end No. 2 starter to target. The matchup against the White Sox to kick things off in 2024 will be an excellent one, too.

The Boston Red Sox have signed veteran first baseman C.J. Cron to a minor-league contract, and he's expected to compete for a roster spot. Cron is a former All-Star (2022) known more for his power, hitting 28 and 29 home runs in his last two full seasons in Colorado. Last season, Cron missed time due to a back injury and was traded mid-season to the Los Angeles Angels. In all, he played 71 games and finished with a .248-12-37-38-0 line in 258 at-bats in 2023. He'll presumably back up Triston Casas if he were to win the job, which likely makes Bobby Dalbec the odd man out, with Dalbec starting the season back in Triple-A where he mashed 33 home runs last season and stole 18 bases.

Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies went 0-for-3 on Thursday in a 5-0 Grapefruit League win over the Minnesota Twins. Albies is now 0-for-7 in three spring games with two strikeouts. Hopefully the 3x All-Star is just shaking off the rust. As the No. 1 second baseman coming off draft boards, managers would like to see him get rolling before the regular season begins. Either way, 2023 showed us that the injuries that slowed him in 2022 were behind him and he will once again be at or near the top of the second baseman leaderboards in 2024 when it comes to home runs, RBI, runs scored, and batting average, plus he can steal double-digit bases.

Seattle Mariners closer Andres Munoz made his spring debut on Thursday in a 6-5 Cactus League loss to the Chicago White Sox. The righty pitched one inning, needing just eight pitches to get through it. He got Peyton Burdick to pop out on the first pitch he saw and struck out both Brett Phillips and Yoan Moncada on three pitches each. The only blemish was a Nicky Lopez double sandwiched between the Phillips and Moncada Ks. Munoz filled in admirably last season as the M's closer after Paul Sewald was traded away. With Matt Brash succumbing to injury, possibly for the season, there's no competition for the closer role, so Munoz will be the guy. He's got the characteristics you want in a closer: 99th percentile Whiff%, 95th percentile K%, along with a 98th percentile Fastball Velo that averages around 99 mph and can touch nearly 102 mph. He's projected for 26 saves in 2024 and is a top-12 option at the position.

Houston Astros left-handed pitcher Framber Valdez will experiment with calling his own pitches via the PitchCom technology this spring, according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic. Citing a desire for increased control over his outings, Valdez sought permission from pitching coach Josh Miller to make his own pitch selection decisions via PitchCom; he will implement this technique for the first time during Friday's Spring Training game against the Washington Nationals. "I want to feel comfortable and throw the pitches with more conviction," Valdez said. "Feel like I have the game in my hands." Presumably, if calling his own pitches works well for the southpaw this spring, he'll continue to do so in the regular season. Valdez dominated to the tune of a 3.50 FIP, 9.09 K/9, 2.59 BB/9, and 54.2 GB% last year, and he figures to remain a strong option throughout fantasy baseball in 2024.