Justin Mason | Wed, Feb 14th 2024, 6:56am EST

10 Notable Team Changes & Fantasy Baseball Impact (2024)

We are still waiting for a number of major free agents to sign, but we have already had plenty of big moves that will shake up the MLB landscape and fantasy baseball this year. Below are the notable free agents that have signed with new teams so far and the impact it will have on their (and others) fantasy value for 2024.

2024 MLB Team Changes & Fantasy Impact

Shohei Ohtani (DH – LAD)

Ohtani signed a massive deal to move across town to the Dodgers, and it could not be a better landing spot. While he won’t pitch this season, he will hit full time from the third spot in the best lineup in baseball which makes him a truly elite offensive option. Don’t let the Util-only eligibility sway you, Ohtani is well worth a top 15-to-20 pick.

Sonny Gray (SP – STL)

Gray is leaving Minnesota and heading over to St. Louis on a three-year deal. This feels like a very lateral move. St. Louis has a good park and great defense. That isn’t much different from Minnesota. The Cards also play in a pretty mediocre division. Gray should regress some from last year, as he got very lucky in HR/FB rate. Strill, Gray has great skills and, as long as he is healthy, is a nice SP3.

Teoscar Hernandez (OF – LAD)

Hernandez also heads to L.A. on a one-year deal, and he likely becomes an everyday player in the outfield. Hernandez has good power but will bat further down the lineup than he often has in his career since the Dodgers are so stacked. Hernandez is also a poor defender, which could limit his ability to get a huge amount of plate appearances. I think he is likely to hit 25-plus home runs with a handful of stolen bases, but his propensity to strike out and poor defensive skills limits some of the upside, giving him a lower floor than some would expect.

Eduardo Rodriguez (SP – ARI)

Rodriguez is moving over to the Diamondbacks on a four-year deal after a great bounceback season. He was pretty lucky with BABIP and home-run rate, but he is moving to an elite defensive team with a good park. I think Rodriguez may be overlooked a bit in the ADP. I would be happy to have him in my rotation.

Lucas Giolito (SP – BOS)

Giolito moves to Boston on a two-year deal with an opt out. He will try to recoup his value before hitting free agency again. Giolito is a talented pitcher but has struggled with mistakes in the zone over the last couple of seasons. He is moving to an organization that has recently brought in a great pitching coach in Andrew Bailey. I don’t know for sure if Giolito can be fixed, but he is definitely worth the gamble at his current price

Josh Hader (RP – HOU)

Hader was an elite closer in San Diego. He will continue to be in Houston. The only real value change concerns Houston’s former closer Ryan Pressly. Pressly will now be a set up guy for the Astros. Hader is still worth a high pick, but, outside of holds formats, Pressly doesn’t retain much value.

Marcus Stroman (SP – NYY)

Stroman signed a two-year deal to go to the Yankees. A return to the A.L. East was not necessarily a great move for his fantasy value, especially in Yankee Stadium with its short porch. However, Stroman’s xHR is better in New York than it was in Chicago and the defense behind him isn’t bad. I think there is always some risk of moving to a tough park, but his price is very low.

Rhys Hoskins (1B – MIL)

Hoskins is moving to Milwaukee on a two-year deal that includes an opt out. He is coming off of a lost year due to injury, but he has been a reliable power bat in Philly throughout his career. As long as he is healthy, Hoskins can be counted on for 25 to 30 home runs and decent counting stats.

Jeimer Candelario (1B,3B – CIN)

Candelario is moving over to Cincinnati after a career-best season. He moves to arguably the best offensive park in baseball. While it was a bit of a puzzling move by the Reds considering how strong they already were in across the infield, Candelario should play every day and rip another 20 or more home runs.

Mitch Garver (C,DH – SEA)

Garver is moving over to Seattle on a two-year deal. He has always been a good hitter when healthy, but he struggles to stay on the field, getting over 350 plate appearances only once in his career. Garver will likely be just a DH in 2024, which is actually fantastic since it could help him stay healthy. He keeps his catcher eligibility for this season and could return top-10 numbers at the position.

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