Manager Joe Espada said Sunday that he plans to bat Alvarez second this season, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Alvarez mostly hit out of the No. 3 hole last season and also has plenty of experience as Houston's cleanup hitter, but the new skipper wants to move him up the lineup. The change shouldn't significantly alter the slugger's run production but should benefit fantasy managers as it will lead to more plate appearances over the course of a full season.

Stanton entered spring training noticeably slimmer after adding more movement and running to his offseason workouts, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.

Stanton indicated that he isn't certain how much weight he lost, but pictures from camp show that he is slimmer than in past campaigns. Manager Aaron Boone suggested that both the player and the team feel the lost weight can help Stanton "with some of the things that he's dealt with from an injury standpoint," per Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. Stanton has missed 113 games combined over the past two campaigns, so it would be a significant boon to his fantasy value if he could avoid the injured list this season.

Buxton told reporters Monday that he thinks he can steal 30 bases this season, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.

Buxton has never stolen 30 bases in a major-league season, with the closest coming back in 2017 when he pilfered 29 bags. That was also the only time he's played 100-plus games in a season. Since 2020, Buxton has stolen a total of 26 bases across 277 contests. The odds that he is able to stay healthy enough to reach the 30-steal plateau in 2024 aren't high, but it's nonetheless encouraging that he's feeling good enough to make such a proclamation. Buxton is slated to return to center field this season after spending all of 2023 at designated hitter.

Buxton (knee) said Saturday that he is "100 percent" healthy and expects to have a normal buildup during spring training, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Buxton underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee in October in order to limit the chances of future flareups of the patella tendinitis that caused him to miss the final month of the 2023 season. Now fully recovered from surgery, Buxton will prepare for a return to center field after exclusively operating as Minnesota's designated hitter last year.

Toronto signed Vogelbach to a minor-league deal Friday with an invitation to big-league camp, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Vogelbach would offer the Blue Jays another option against right-handed pitching, either at DH or off the bench. That is how the Mets used him last season, as he never saw the field as a defender. The 31-year-old posted a .780 OPS versus RHP in 2023 and has an .814 career OPS against them.

Ramirez lost his arbitration hearing and will earn $3.8 million in 2024, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Ramirez is in his third year of arbitration eligibility and will see a $1.6 million increase in his salary from 2023. He has earned over 400 plate appearances in each of the last two seasons, though he'll face competition from Jonathan Aranda for playing time in 2024.

Astros manager Joe Espada said Thursday that he hopes to play Alvarez more in left field this season, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Alvarez made 40 starts in left field last season (versus 73 at designated hitter), but his playing time in left tapered off in the second half after he came back from an oblique injury. The slugger is still expected to be Houston's primary DH in 2024, but Espada also wants to use the spot occasionally to give other regulars a break from playing the field. One of Chas McCormick or Jake Meyers will likely be on the bench on days Alvarez plays left field.

Solak signed a minor-league contract with the Mariners on Tuesday and received an invitation to major-league spring training, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

Solak spent all of last season in Triple-A, slashing .238/.353/.362 across 411 plate appearances between three different franchises. He'll have an opportunity to crack Seattle's Opening Day roster as a bench piece, but the 29-year-old outfielder is likely once again headed to Triple-A in 2024.

Turner signed a one-year, $13 million contract with the Blue Jays on Tuesday, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports.

He can earn an additional $1.5 million in roster and performance bonuses. Turner is expected to be Toronto's primary designated hitter in 2024 while also providing the Jays with an option at third base and first base. Most importantly, he will give the team some more thump in the middle of its lineup. The 39-year-old slashed .276/.345/.455 with 23 home runs and 96 RBI last season with Boston.

Torrens signed a minor-league contract with the Yankees on Thursday.

Torrens bounced around between four different organizations last season, managing to record seven hits and four RBI in just 28 big-league at-bats. He figures to operate as organizational depth in Triple-A but could see time in the majors should New York struggle to find production from behind the dish.