According to Robert Murray of FanSided, the Philadelphia Phillies are acquiring starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo from the Miami Marlins in exchange for infield prospect Starlyn Caba and outfield prospect Emaarion Boyd. The southpaw battled numerous back and elbow injuries last season which limited to a mere 66 2/3 innings pitched. Across this small stint, Luzardo held a 5.00 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP. However, across a career-high 178 2/3 innings in 2023, the left-hander posted a strong 3.58 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP. During that season, he struck out 208 batters at a 28.1% rate and held a solid 7.4% walk rate. Fantasy managers should expect Luzardo to slide into a permanent role in the starting rotation which will move Taijuan Walker to the No.6 spot on the depth chart. Even though Luzardo battled numerous injuries in 2024, he carries strong strikeout upside and should be in line to tally double-digit wins pitching on a competing Phillies roster in 2025. Caba was considered the No.4 prospect and Boyd was considered the No.23 prospect in the Philadelphia system according to MLB Pipeline.

Right-handed pitcher Codi Heuer and the Texas Rangers have agreed on a minor league contract that has an invite to Spring Training. Heuer was sidelined throughout the entire 2024 campaign due to an elbow fracture. Heuer began his professional career with the Chicago White Sox but was eventually traded to the Chicago Cubs during the 2021 campaign. Across 91 career innings in the major leagues, the right-hander posted a 3.56 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP. He tallied three saves and struck out 81 batters. When in the majors, Heuer posted an impressive 4.5% barrel rate and a solid 36.5% hard-hit rate. While he has battled numerous injuries over the past two seasons, he flashed decent upside when in the majors. Fantasy managers in deeper formats should keep an eye on his progression during Spring Training as he may contend for a spot on the Opening Day Roster.

According to Robert Murray of FanSided, the Cincinnati Reds have signed right-handed pitcher Bryan Shaw to a minor-league contract that has an invite to Spring Training. The 37-year-old has spent 14 seasons in the major leagues and has posted a 3.96 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP. He has struck out 681 batters across 764 1/3 career innings. Last summer, he spent most of his time in Triple-A, and held a 4.14 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP. Shaw was a productive relief pitcher under manager Terry Francona during his time in Cleveland and will now reunite with his former skipper in Cincinnati. If Shaw has a successful Spring Training, he may earn a permanent low-leverage role in the Cincinnati bullpen.

The Toronto Blue Jays have signed left-handed pitcher Eric Lauer to a minor league contract that contains an invite to Spring Training. Lauer spent the 2024 campaign with Houston and Pittsburgh. Lauer spent the entire summer at the Triple-A level and held a 5.26 ERA and a 1.57 WHIP across 75 1/3 innings. However, from 2018 through 2023, Lauer spent the majority of his time in the major leagues. The southpaw made his big league debut in San Diego in 2018 and then went on to spent four seasons in Milwaukee. He posted a career-best 3.19 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP with a 7-5 record across 118 2/3 innings during the 2021 season. Fantasy managers in deeper AL-only formats should keep an eye on his status during Spring Training as he may contend for a spot in the back-half of the Toronto rotation.