After two seasons as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals, veteran starting pitcher Sonny Gray was acquired by the Boston Red Sox in late November. With Boston, the 36-year-old looks locked in as the team's number three starter behind ace Garrett Crochet and fellow offseason acquisition Ranger Suarez. Across 180 2/3 innings (32 starts) with St. Louis in 2025, Gray posted a 14-8 record with a 4.28 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, and 201 strikeouts. While Gray's ERA represented his worst mark since 2018, he still recorded strong numbers under the hood with a 21.6% K-BB rate. Gray's 5% walk rate was the best mark of his career, so he could be in for a better overall line if his opponent batting average on balls in play of .329 regresses closer to his career mark of .288. Gray should also be in a good position to rack up wins while pitching in front of a strong Boston lineup. As long as he stays healthy, Gray profiles as a solid fantasy SP3 for 2026.

After breaking out as a solid regular in 2024, Chicago Cubs first baseman Michael Busch took his game to another level in 2025. Across 592 plate appearances, the 28-year-old posted a .261/.343/.523 slash line with 34 home runs, 90 RBI, 78 runs scored, and four stolen bases. Busch slashed his strikeout rate from 28.6% in 2024 to 23.5% in 2025 while boosting his barrel rate from 11.2% to 17.1%. If there's one negative in the lefty-swinging Busch's profile, it's his lopsided platoon splits. Across 95 plate appearances against left-handed pitching in 2025, Busch hit .207/.274/.368 with a 27.4% strikeout rate. Chicago signed right-handed hitting first baseman Tyler Austin over the offseason, so Busch appears likely to lose playing time against lefties for a second straight season. Still, Busch was able to rack up counting stats in the potent Cubs lineup even while being platooned in 2025. He's a legit power bat whose current average draft position of pick 112 could be a value selection for fantasy managers in 2026.

The Chicago White Sox are set to acquire right-handed pitcher Jordan Hicks and right-handed pitching prospect David Sandlin from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for right-handed pitching prospect Gage Ziehl, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. Cotillo characterizes the trade as a "salary move" for Boston, as the White Sox are reportedly absorbing the majority of the money still owed to Hicks. Boston acquired Hicks from the San Francisco Giants as part of the return for infielder Rafael Devers in the middle of the 2025 season. Hicks has worked as both a starter and a reliever in his career to this point, so he gives Chicago some innings-eating versatility. However, the 29-year-old struggled across 67 1/3 innings split between Boston and San Francisco in 2025, posting a 6.95 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, and 58 strikeouts. Sandlin is a 24-year-old pitching prospect who split the 2025 season between Boston's Double-A and Triple-A affiliates. Across 106 innings pitched (32 games) in the Minors last year, he posted a 9-6 record with a 4.50 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, and 107 strikeouts. Sandlin has experience as both a starter and a reliever in his pro career, so he profiles as a versatile depth piece for Chicago.

Cincinnati Reds right-handed pitcher Chase Burns got his first taste of the big leagues in 2025, posting a 0-3 record with a 4.57 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, and 67 strikeouts across 43 1/3 innings pitched (13 games, eight starts). Burns worked as a starter for his first eight appearances with Cincinnati before suffering an elbow injury that caused him to miss just over a month. Upon his return in early September, Burns worked out of the bullpen and aided Cincinnati's late-season playoff push. Entering 2026, the 23-year-old appears ticketed for a spot in the starting rotation. While his surface-level numbers as a rookie don't jump off the page, Burns's elite 35.6% strikeout rate is indicative of his significant upside. Opponents also hit .360 against Burns, which is a number that could easily regress in 2026. Given his age and considerable strikeout upside, Burns profiles as a borderline fantasy SP2 heading into his second MLB season.