San Diego Padres manager Mike Shildt said that shortstop prospect Jackson Merrill will be with the club for their two-game, season-opening series in Korea against the Los Angeles Dodgers on March 20-21, but the skipper wouldn't go as far as to name Merrill as the team's Opening Day center fielder. "He's earned his way on the plane," Shildt said. "He's earned what's coming after the plane." While the 20-year-old should eventually be the long-term option at the 6 in SD, he could open 2024 as the Friars' starting center fielder after working there this spring. Merrill homered for the second straight Cactus League game on Tuesday and has lots of upside, but fantasy managers in single-year leagues need to remember that he also has not played a single game above Double-A in the minors before this year.

The New York Mets are among the teams talking to free-agent designated hitter J.D. Martinez, and the interest is mutual, according to sources. Owner Steve Cohen has apparently given the go-ahead to seriously discuss signing Martinez, even though the team is over the so-called "Steve Cohen tax," and they'd have to pay a 110 percent tax on any new deals. Martinez would solve the team's long-running issue of not having much protection for cleanup hitter Pete Alonso. The Los Angeles Angels remain involved with the veteran slugger, too, and he's said to like the idea of going to Anaheim to join Mike Trout. Martinez is now 36, but he still managed to hit .271 with 30-plus homers in 2023, but he also struck out over 30% of the time with the Dodgers.

The Miami Marlins optioned right-hander Max Meyer to Triple-A Jacksonville on Tuesday. It's not what Meyers had hoped for, but the 25-year-old figures to be in the big-league starting rotation at some point in 2024. He looked good in spring training, throwing seven shutout innings, and the Fish could need him in April with both Braxton Garrett (shoulder) and Edward Cabrera (shoulder) dealing with arm injuries this spring. Meyer had Tommy John surgery early in 2022 after making his MLB debut, which forced him to miss all of last season. There's plenty of fantasy intrigue here if Meyer is healthy, including a potential relief role down the road if starting doesn't work out, but his fantasy ceiling will be limited in 2024 while he's on an innings limit.

Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Max Muncy and shortstop Gavin Lux are both out of camp on Tuesday due to illnesses. Muncy has been out of Cactus League action for a few days and could miss another day or two while resting up. Both infielders should be feeling just fine for their two-game series in Korea against the division-rival San Diego Padres on March 20-21, though. The 33-year-old Muncy has become injury-prone in recent seasons and won't help fantasy managers with his average, but he can still produce plenty of home runs and RBI in a stacked Dodgers lineup. Lux suffered a season-ending knee injury last spring and missed all of 2023. But he's healthy now and will serve as LA's starting shortstop to open the year. The 26-year-old former first-rounder hasn't seen much success at the big-league level, but he has an opportunity to break out in 2024 if he can stay healthy.

Boston Red Sox outfielder Rob Refsnyder (toe) was hit by a pitch on his left foot in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the St. Louis Cardinals, and he said he has a crack in his small toe. It sounds like Refsnyder is dealing with a fracture in his toe, which isn't serious, but there's a good chance he won't be ready for the start of the 2024 regular season now. The 32-year-old veteran is merely a depth outfielder in Boston that will mostly be inserted into the starting lineup on occasion when the team is facing a left-handed pitcher. The former fifth-round pick by the New York Yankees in 2012 out of Arizona played in 89 games last year for the BoSox and hit .248/.365/.317 with a homer, 28 RBI and seven stolen bases. Refsnyder can be ignored in mixed fantasy leagues.