The New York Mets will officially option designated hitter J.D. Martinez to the minor leagues to begin the 2024 regular season so that he can build up at-bats, meaning he won't be with the team to start the year for at least the first 10 days of the season. Martinez just signed with the Mets the other day and will need to see some live pitching in the minors first before the Mets are comfortable throwing him into the fire in the big leagues in 2024. When the Mets deem him ready, the 36-year-old is expected to be the team's primary designated hitter to help give All-Star first baseman Pete Alonso more protection in the lineup. Martinez had yet another 30-homer season in 2023 with the Los Angeles Dodgers and can provide plenty of power when he's healthy, but his lack of positional eligibility in fantasy makes him less attractive.

Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (back) is back in the team's Grapefruit League lineup on Saturday against the New York Yankees, playing first base and batting third in the lineup. After getting seven at-bats on the back fields in camp on Friday, Harper is ready to return to spring action this weekend after dealing with a minor back injury. The 31-year-old former MVP has gone only 5-for-22 with three runs scored in Grapefruit League games this spring, but the only thing that really matters is that he'll be ready for Opening Day next Thursday. Moving to first base full time in 2024, Harper is ranked at RotoBaller as the No. 1 fantasy first baseman, behind only the Dodgers' Freddie Freeman.

Veteran third baseman Eduardo Escobar was granted his release by the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday. The 35-year-old was a non-roster invitee and was a long shot to make the roster, but was hitting just .122 (5-for-41) with 17 strikeouts in 15 spring appearances. Escobar was an All-Star as recently as 2021 but has seen his Contact% fall for three consecutive seasons while his K% has increased three consecutive seasons. He may not have much left in the tank, but he does have the ability to play multiple positions and can bat from both sides of the plate, so perhaps he could latch on somewhere.

Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz went 1-for-5 with a triple and two runs scored in Thursday's 7-6 Cactus League loss to the Mariners. The 22-year-old began the spring season with 11 hits in his first 11 games, but the bat has gone cold as of late with Thursday's triple being his only hit in his last 15 at-bats. The switch hitter has a spring line like you might expect, hitting .273 (12-for-44) with three doubles, two triples, one home run, four RBI, 12 runs scored, and five stolen bases to go along with seven walks and an outrageous, albeit not unexpected, 19 strikeouts (37.3%). Although he was working in the offseason to shorten his swing in order to reduce his K%, it doesn't appear to be translating into success yet with eight multi-strikeout showings in 15 total games. Despite this, his tantalizing speed and power will make him a coveted fantasy asset, but managers need to be prepared for bouts of extreme ineffectiveness mixed in with some supercharged performances.

Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez had his third straight game with a hit on Friday in a 10-0 Cactus League win over the Rangers. He's also had a hit in five out of the last six games, but he's yet to have a multi-hit performance this spring and is hitting just .200 (9-for-45) through 15 Cactus League games. On the bright side, he's hitting for power with three doubles and four home runs compared to just two singles. The 5x All-Star typically goes off the board as the first third baseman overall, due in part to his stolen base prowess at a position that is usually devoid of base stealers that can also produce in other categories like Ramirez can, but the 31-year-old has yet to swipe a bag in 46 spring PA, although he has been caught once. Regardless, the 4x Silver Slugger Award winner has been one of the most consistent and durable hitters for eight years now and shows no signs of slowing down, so look for another All-Star caliber campaign again in 2024.