Cubs, Guardians, Cardinals Sign Veteran Bats: Fantasy Baseball Takeaways

MLB spring training is underway, but there's still some MLB transactions taking place. Let's look over a few of the more notable moves.

We will break down real-world and fantasy baseball implications of each move.

For the latest player updates, be sure to head to FantasySP to utilize the real-time player news engine for all sports. The player news engine is the most robust and fastest player news system in fantasy sports. Signing up for a FantasySP membership can help you track all your fantasy players.

Conforto Lands with Cubs

Michael Conforto finally has a new home. He is signing a minor league deal with the Cubs - the deal has an invite to big league camp.

Conforto is nearly 33 years old and has spent 10 years in the big leagues. He has a career .245 average and .343 on-base percentage.

He played with the Dodgers in 2025, struggling mightily over 138 contests. Conforto had a .199 average and .305 OBP over 486 plate appearances. He had 83 hits, including 20 homers and 12 homers, plus 36 RBIs, 54 runs scored, a stolen base, 56 walks and 121 strikeouts.

The outfielder signing with the Cubs is kind of an interesting thing, as Chicago seems really set in the outfield with Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki and Pete Crow-Armstrong. The designated hitter is supposed to be a projected platoon between Moises Ballesteros and Tyler Austin. Along with Austin, Matt Shaw and Chas McCormick are other outfielders projected to make the big league roster, so Conforto could be on the outside looking in.

Conforto is an option to make the roster over McCormick. Kevin Alcantara, Justin Dean, Dylan Carlson and Brett Bateman are some other outfielders in camp for the Cubs.

Of course, if Conforto excels this spring, the Cubs might have a hard time keeping him off the roster. He's a better depth option with the Cubs, but could have started elsewhere - that's why I think it's interesting that he chose to sign in Chicago.

Maybe Conforto has a better chance at playing time than I think, or might be moving positions to give himself a chance at more playing time. He will be worth tracking in spring training, but I see him as just a deep-league fantasy asset, and maybe not even one to draft going into 2026.

We'll update you later in the spring to see if Conforto is in line for a bigger role. 

The move adds more outfield depth in Chicago, but it doesn't really move the needle for the team in the grand scheme of things - at least for now.

Hoskins Joins Guardians

Rhys Hoskins will look to revive his career with Cleveland after signing a minor league deal. 

Hoskins has played left field in his past, but has been at first base in every game he's played in since 2019. The nearly 33-year-old has a career .238 average and .344 OBP.

In 90 games with Milwaukee last season, he had a .237 average and .332 OBP over 328 plate appearances. Over his 66 hits, Hoskins had 12 homers and doubles, plus had 43 RBIs, 30 runs scored, two stolen bases, 38 walks and 91 punchouts.

His best playing days are behind him, but he can still be a source of power and run production in the right setting. Cleveland is a great landing spot for him, as the Guardians don't have a first baseman.

Hoskins is projected to be the starting first baseman for Cleveland. He's projected to hit fifth, after Steven Kwan, a projected platoon, Jose Ramirez and Kyle Manzardo.

If Hoskins indeed is the daily starter at first base, he could be a good fantasy asset, especially hitting in the fifth slot or so. He isn't a big fantasy draft asset, but he could be in deeper leagues if he makes the team at the start of the season.

It wouldn't be crazy to see Hoskins work into standard leagues eventually as well, but he'd need to bounce back at the plate and deliver better power marks. He's worth keeping an eye on.

The move gives the Guardians an option at first base, and it helps the team's odds, even if it's just a little bit. If Hoskins bounces back, this could be one of those sneaky-good additions. We'll see if Hoskins can make a little magic in Cleveland.

Urias Signs with Cardinals

Ramon Urias signed a one-year major league deal that has a 2027 mutual option on it. 

Urias is 31 years old and has played at first, second and third base, plus shortstop, over his six-year big league career. He logged the most time at third base in 2025, when he split time between the Orioles and Astros.

He has a career .257 average and .321 OBP. He had a .241 average and .292 OBP over 112 games last year. Urias had 85 total knocks, including 17 doubles and 11 homers, while adding 44 RBIs, 33 runs scored, three stolen bases, 27 walks and 88 strikeouts.

Urias has a chance at playing time on a depleted St. Louis roster. He's projected to be in a platoon, but as a right-handed hitter, that would mean he wouldn't play a ton. 

Nolan Gorman is the team's third baseman. Masyn Winn is the shortstop and Alec Burleson is the first baseman. J.J. Wetherholt is the projected shortstop, and as a highly-touted prospect, I don't see him ceding playing time to a veteran.

I really don't see a ton of available playing time for Urias, but maybe an injury or a change to the projected lineup/roster could help his cause. He's pretty much just been a deep-league asset in the past, and I don't see that changing in 2026.

St. Louis made a smart move here, adding a veteran to a team lacking a ton of proven talent. Urias can help some of the younger players on the team, but as for the long-term outlook, it's really not that great in St. Louis.