Play ball! The players and the owners finally agreed, and it is time for Major League Baseball. Spring Training is underway, and the stove is hot with transactions. Things are happening fast, so I am here to keep you up to date on all the transactions that take place and their fantasy impact. Each morning I will publish a new article covering players that signed the previous day. There was a lot of action yesterday; let’s get to it!

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Free Agent Signings, Trades, and News: March 13

*Transactions up to date as of 3/14/22 at 12:30 EST.

Sonny Gray was traded to the Minnesota Twins, 2021 first rounder Chase Petty sent to Cincinnati 

Gray’s move to Minnesota is enormous for his fantasy value. He moves from one of the most hitter-friendly parks in Great American Ballpark to a more pitcher-friendly environment in Target Field. Home/road splits are what they are. But, at home in 2021, Gray posted a 4.89 ERA in 70 innings with a 25.5 percent strikeout rate. On the road, Gray had a 3.44 ERA and 28.6 percent strikeout rate in 65.1 road innings.

Over the last three seasons, Gray has pitched 366.2 innings and has a 3.49 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP. He has constantly tinkered with his pitch mix over the years. The Yankees messed with what he was doing, and the results were poor. Gray got back to who he is in Cincinnati, and the results showed.

His ADP will likely move up, but currently, he sits at 163 according to Fantasy Pros Consensus, making him an excellent draft target, even if his ADP moves up 50 spots.

Josh Donaldson and Isiah Kiner-Falefa traded to New York Yankees

Just as it seemed like Sunday night would end quietly on the hot stove, a trade struck. News first came that Gary Sanchez was heading to Minnesota. Then, the bomb was dropped on the entire trade. Donaldson and Kiner-Falefa are heading to the Bronx to join the Yankees.

Donaldson gets a massive park and lineup upgrade by joining the Yankees. He should slot in the middle of a stacked Yankees lineup. Last season Donaldson slashed .247/.352/.475 with 26 home runs in 543 plate appearances. He scored 73 times and drove in 72 but should see those numbers increase significantly in New York.

Donaldson also posted an xSLG of .542 last season, which is significantly higher than his actual .475 number. His average exit velocity of 94.1 mph was the fourth highest in baseball, behind new teammates Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Kiner-Falefa becomes the Yankees’ everyday shortstop for the time being. More trades are likely to happen, but Kiner-Falefa has an elite defense and a solid bat. Last season he slashed .271/.312/.357 with eight home runs and 20 stolen bases. He makes high-end contact, and with his defense, he is an excellent fit in New York as a bridge to Oswald Peraza or Anthony Volpe in a couple of years. Kiner-Falefa sees a solid value boost for 2022.

Gary Sanchez and Gio Urshela were traded to the Minnesota Twins

Sanchez was on the outs in New York but gets a chance to bounce back getting out of the bright lights in New York. He still has enormous power, but strikeouts have plagued him most of his career. Not to mention being a liability being the plate.

Sanchez can play more relaxed with the Twins without the added pressure of being a Yankee. He also stands a better chance to get time as the designated hitter.

Urshela was likely the odd man out in New York as the team made more signings, so a trade is ideal. He Wheeler’sot in as the Twins’ everyday third basemen. Urshela hit 14 home runs last season with a .267/.301/.419 slash in 442 plate appearances.

Nelson Cruz signs a one-year deal with the Washington Nationals

This year, Nelson Cruz will turn 42 years old, but the “boomstick” still has it. Last season Cruz hit 32 home runs with a .265/.334/.497 slash line. He was a different player after leaving the Twins, however. Tampa Bay is not a great hitters park, and Cruz’s splits back that up. He slashed .294/.370/.537 with 19 home runs in 346 plate appearances with the Twins. With Tampa, he slashed just .226/.283/.442 with 13 home runs.

Cruz will likely slot in the lineup between Juan Soto and Josh Bell. There are a lot worse lineup spots he could be in. Like I previously noted, Cruz should still be close to the hitter he was before the trade to Tampa last season. Thirty or more home runs with a good batting average is in play for Cruz in 2022.

Jake Diekman signs two-year contract with the Boston Red Sox

This move could seem insignificant to most, but there is some fantasy relevance in this signing by the Red Sox. The back-end of their bullpen is shaky, and with how Matt Barnes finished last season not even making the postseason roster, the closer role is still open. Enter Jake Diekman.

Between 2020 and 2021, Diekman pitched 82 innings with a 2.96 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP. He also has a 32.9 percent strikeout rate over that span with a subpar 13.3 percent strikeout rate.

Diekman recorded seven saves last season. Since Diekman is a left-handed pitcher, it could be a scenario where matchups are played in the ninth inning.

Newsworthy Fantasy Notes

Ronald Acuña Jr. is hopeful of making his 2022 debut in May

This is certainly not the news many fantasy managers wanted to hear. Most managers assumed they would not get an entire season from Acuña most of the offseason. The news seemed promising with the delayed season that we could get nearly a full season from Acuña, but that does not appear the case now.

Acuña still has plenty of upsides even in a season where he only plays 120 games, but I, unfortunately, have to fade him. His draft cost likely will not drop enough to make him worth drafting. With the current news, it would take Acuña falling into the mid-20s overall for me to consider drafting him.

Zack Wheeler will likely not be ready for Opening Day

This is highly unfortunate for many fantasy managers drafting Wheeler in the second round of drafts. The lockout caused everyone to have no knowledge that Wheeler experienced shoulder soreness in December. The Phillies have suggested there is no injury, but it seems crazy to think there is no injury if Wheeler will likely miss Opening Day.

Fantasy managers should hope that his shoulder injury was minor due to him pitching 213 innings last season. Wheeler’s ADP should drop with the question marks but draft at your own risk.

Minor Deals Without Much Fantasy Relevancy

• Matt Strahm: one-year contract with Boston Red Sox
• Jesse Chavez: Minor League contract with Chicago Cubs
• Hanser Alberto: one-year contract with Los Angeles Dodgers
• Ehire Adrianza: one-year contract with Washington Nationals
• Tim Locastro: one-year contract with the New York Yankees
• Adam Ottavino: one-year contract with New York Mets
• Nick Wittgren: one-year contract with St. Louis Cardinals
• Brad Boxberger: one-year contract with Milwaukee Brewers
• Carlos Martinez: Minor League contract with San Francisco Giants

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Chris Clegg is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Chris, check out his archive and follow him @RotoClegg.