Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic speculates that Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story may not be guaranteed to hold the team's starting shortstop job in 2027. Story had a rough year in 2026, hitting .235 with five home runs, 29 RBI, 24 runs scored, and five stolen bases across 266 plate appearances. He's also dealt with myriad injury issues since signing with Boston ahead of the 2022 season, reaching 400 plate appearances just once in five years with the Red Sox. Story has one year and $25 million remaining on his current contract with Boston, which makes it unlikely that the team will be able to move on from him without taking on significant dead money. However, the Red Sox have top shortstop prospect Franklin Arias, who hit .331 across 188 plate appearances at Triple-A in 2026, waiting in the wings. If Story gets off to a slow start in 2027 or suffers another injury, his role in Boston could be in danger.

Philadelphia Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski described outfielder Brandon Marsh as a "platoon-type guy (who) hits right-handed pitching and he hasn't done very well versus left-handed pitching," per Charlotte Varnes and Matt Gelb of The Athletic. Marsh set career highs by appearing in 155 games and logging 568 plate appearances in 2026, slashing .260/.304/.408 with 18 home runs, 62 RBI, 71 runs scored, and 11 stolen bases. Marsh got off to an excellent start to the year, but he hit just .184 with three home runs across 205 plate appearances after the All-Star break. The 28-year-old has struggled to hit left-handed pitching throughout his time in the big leagues, posting a .588 OPS with a 38.1% strikeout rate across 603 career plate appearances against southpaws. While his combination of power and speed gives him some appeal in deeper fantasy leagues, Marsh's upside is limited if he does not see everyday playing time.

Chicago Cubs first baseman Michael Busch said he is focused on being more aggressive at the plate to regain his pull-side power in 2027, per Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic. Busch had a breakout year in 2025, hitting .261 with 34 home runs, 90 RBI, and 78 runs scored across 592 plate appearances. However, the 28-year-old's numbers regressed across the board in 2026, as he hit .242 with only 20 homers and 77 RBI across 710 plate appearances this past season. Busch's walk rate improved to a career-best 13.0%, but his pull rate fell from 46.8% to 40.0%. Perhaps due to letting the ball travel, Busch's barrel rate plummeted from 17.1% to 9.1%. If the lefty slugger can regain some of his missing power over the offseason, he would become a much more attractive option for fantasy managers in 2027.

Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Quinn Priester (rib/shoulder) is progressing well in his recovery from thoracic outlet surgery, per Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Priester was given a recovery timeline of eight to 10 months after undergoing the surgery in June, but Rosiak reports that he is on track to be ready for 2027 Spring Training. Priester did not pitch at all in the big leagues in 2026 after first batting symptoms of Thoracic Outlet Syndrome this past spring. However, the 26-year-old had a breakout season in 2025 with Milwaukee, recording a 13-3 record with a 3.32 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and 132 strikeouts across 157 1/3 innings. If Priester can indeed make it back for the start of 2027, he could re-emerge as a quality starting pitcher option for fantasy managers.