Fantasy Baseball Positional Eligibility Updates: Kevin McGonigle, JJ Wetherholt about to get a boost

Who has gained new eligibility so far? Who is about to? Chris Towers investigates

Chris Towers

Mar 31, 2026

5:45 pm ET

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6 min read

Positional eligibility shouldn't be a main focus when you're building your Fantasy Baseball team. Just draft the best players and set the best lineups you can and figure out the particulars later.

Well, "later" is now. Because while that's good advice for your draft, once it actually comes time to set your lineup every week, having more players than you can actually start in any given lineup spot can be kind of a nightmare. It's better than the alternative of not having enough good players, of course,but trying to decide between multiple similar options at first base can be frustrating, especially if you've got a weak spot somewhere else in your lineup.

This is where positional flexibility really matters. And luckily, early in the season gives us a lot of players gaining new eligibility. We're five games or less into the season for every team in the majors as of Tuesday afternoon, so we haven't actually had many players gain new eligibility yet. But we've had one relevant name add eligibility already, and a few more are on the verge, so let's take a look at the biggest names who have played at least one game at a new position, with some thoughts on what their new eligibility might mean for their value moving forward:

Brendan Donovan, Mariners is now eligible at 3B and 2B

That gives Donovan eligibility at the two weakest positions in the game, which is a nice bonus for a guy who is otherwise kind of fringe-y. It's always nice to have a batting average specialist around to slot in at the two toughest positions to fill.

Yordan Alvarez, Astros needs 3 games to be eligible at OF

This one matters a great deal seeing as Alvarez entered the season with only DH/UT eligibility. But the Astros roster crunch has created the need for Alvarez to get out into the field, and the fact that he is so far willing and able to do so regularly seems like a great sign for a guy who has struggled to stay healthy in his career — though let's hope this doesn't materially increase his injury risk. We want him to get those five games in the outfield — okay, 10, for those of you in NFBC leagues — and then stay wrapped in bubble wrap until he's needed at the plate.

Bo Bichette, Mets needs 1 game to be eligible at 3B

This'll come to fruition Tuesday night and it's a nice boost for Bichette. You should have drafted him with the expectation of using him at third base, so whenever your next lineup swap comes up, get ready to move him there. And don't worry about the slow start, he'll be fine.

Ivan Herrera, Cardinals needs 4 games to be eligible at C

It'll be three more games after Tuesday, which is a great sign for a guy who has a DH-caliber bat and big questions about his ability to play enough behind the plate. He's a viable starter at DH, of course, which makes him a potential top-five catcher even in the newly deep state of the position.

JJ Wetherholt, Cardinals needs 1 game to be eligible at 2B

This is another one coming to fruition after Tuesday's game, and it's another one you should have been anticipating to open the season. Even with his hot start, it's going to be hard for Wetherholt to be a must-start option at shortstop. At second base? I'm already ready to rank him in the top 12.

Kevin McGonigle, Tigers needs 2 games to be eligible at 3B

After Tuesday, this is down to one game, and it'll make McGonigle even more valuable. This was one where we didn't quite know what McGonigle's role would be in the spring, but I'm happy to see the Tigers using him at the more valuable position. Though the fact they've also used him at shortstop as well is a sign of how much they value him, which is a good signal moving forward.

Isaac Paredes, Astros needs 4 games to be eligible at 1B and 2B

Paredes is getting the day off Tuesday, and if that had happened earlier, it might have elicited some panic. But after he started five days in a row — while forcing the Astros to accommodate him, no less — I think we can say with a fairly high degree of confidence that Paredes is a big part of their plans. Now let's just get him those second base appearances quick.

Colson Montgomery, White Sox needs 3 games to be eligible at 3B

I thought Montgomery was mildly undervalued entering the season, and that was without even really considering the possibility of him re-gaining eligibility at third. His fairly empty power profile is hard to use at shortstop when there are so many well-rounded stars available. But being able to use him at third or in either the middle infield or corner infield spots would be enough to push Montgomery into the must-start territory if he lives up to his 35-homer upside.

Jorge Polanco, Mets needs 3 games to be eligible at 1B

Polanco's push to gain first base eligibil