Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Chase Shugart was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday. In exchange, the Pirates receive infielder Francisco Loreto. Shugart was designated for assignment by the Pirates last week, but will now be shipped out for an 18-year-old infielder. Last season, Shugart registered a 3.40 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and a 31/17 K/BB ratio across 35 games with the Pirates. The 29-year-old could be an interesting back-end of the bullpen option. Loreto wasn't regarded as one of the Phillies' top prospects anyway. He slashed .237/.332/.396 with five home runs and 16 RBI in Rookie-ball last season.

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The Chicago Cubs claimed outfielder Justin Dean off waivers from the San Francisco Giants. Dean made his MLB debut last season when he played in 18 games with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 29-year-old was mainly used as a defensive replacement or a pinch-hitter during his time with the World Series champs. Dean was claimed by the Giants in November, but will now head to the North Side of Chicago. He slashed .289/.378/.431 with six home runs, 33 RBI, with 27 steals across 90 games with Triple-A Oklahoma City. Dean could be an interesting bench outfielder given his plus defensive ability. He's unlikely to offer fantasy value even if he does make the 26-man roster.

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The Arizona Diamondbacks signed relief pitcher Jonathan Loaisiga to a minor-league deal on Tuesday. Loaisiga spent the last eight seasons with the New York Yankees. He became a free agent after the organization decided to decline his $5 million option for the 2026 season. The 31-year-old registered a 3.54 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, and a 232/82 K/BB ratio across eight seasons with the Yankees. The injury bug has kept Loaisiga on the shelf the last few seasons. He has only pitched in a total of 50 games over the last three seasons. When healthy, Loaisiga is a viable middle reliever that is unlikely to offer fantasy value.

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The Cleveland Guardians have signed infielder Carter Kieboom to a minor-league deal with an invite to Spring Training. Kieboom is a former first-round pick of the Washington Nationals from 2016. He was never able to live up to the hype as he slashed .199/.297/.301 with 12 home runs and 42 RBI across 133 games in parts of four seasons with the Nats. Kieboom briefly played with the Los Angeles Angels last season, but spent most of his time in Triple-A. He hit well there as he slashed .265/.365/.386 with seven home runs and 42 RBI in 91 games with Triple-A Rochester. This is a low-risk move to add corner infield depth, but it's unlikely that Kieboom has a significant impact on the Guardians roster.

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League sources suggested that the New York Mets are in the range of offering $120 million to $140 million for three years to free-agent outfielder Kyle Tucker, according to Will Sammon of The Athletic. The Toronto Blue Jays or Los Angeles Dodgers may offer more to Tucker, who is the top free agent available this offseason. Tucker's decision could come as early as this week, according to multiple industry sources. New York held multiple video meetings with Tucker last week and would like to add the left-handed slugger to the middle of their batting order to help replace first baseman Pete Alonso and outfielder Brandon Nimmo. The Mets have a glaring hole in their outfield and could use more lineup protection for outfielder Juan Soto and shortstop Francisco Lindor. Right now, Tucker's preferences for contract length and dollars are unknown.

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The St. Louis Cardinals have traded third baseman Nolan Arenado to the Arizona Diamondbacks. In exchange, the Cardinals received right-handed pitcher Jack Martinez. Arenado has had his name on the trade block throughout the winter and finally agreed to waive his no-trade clause to join the Diamondbacks. The 34-year-old is coming off a quiet season, posting a low .237/.289/.377 slash line with just 12 home runs and three stolen bases. Under the hood, the former second round of pitch generated a .289 xwOBA, placing him in the ninth percentile among qualified hitters. However, Arenado remains one of the top defenders in the sport as he placed in the 83rd percentile in Range and has been awarded 10 Gold Gloves and six Platinum Gloves. Managers should expect Arenado to see an everyday role at the hot corner, which would likely shift Jordan Lawlar to the outfield or a super-utility role. In St. Louis, Thomas Saggese and Nolan Gorman figure to compete for daily opportunities at third base.

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Houston Astros first baseman Christian Walker seems to be in an overcrowded situation in Houston, but according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic, there isn't much interest in him on the open market. The Astros have Carlos Correa back in the mix, most likely at 3B, with Yordan Alvarez locked in as DH for most of next season. That leaves Isaac Parades without an everyday spot unless he moves to 1B, or he could be moved in a trade. Parades would likely get more in return, but it makes more sense for the Astros to try to move Walker. The veteran has two years, $40 million left on his contract, and could end up being moved in a salary dump if the Astros can find a taker. While he did have 27 homers last year, he only hit .238 with a .310 wOBA in 154 games. Walker's market doesn't seem to be heating up, though, so the Astros may have to get creative to solve their infield logjam.

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Chicago Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw could lose playing time after the signing of Alex Bregman, or the team could look to move him in a trade. There was initial speculation that the team could move the top prospect to 2B and look to trade Nico Hoerner, but The Athletic's Keith Law reported that Shaw has shown "resistance to help from the Cubs' staff" and could be a trade candidate as a result. Shaw hit .226 in his 126 games last season with 13 home runs, a .300 wOBA, and an elevated 21.5% striekout rate. The 24-year-old Shaw would be an interesting acquisition for any team looking for young infield help since he has shown so much promise, but struggled to put it together in the majors. In 2024, he hit .284 between Double-A and Triple-A with 21 homers and 31 stolen bases. He has great upside but comes with some coachability questions, which makes him an intriguing but risky potential addition this offseason.

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Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora views first baseman Willson Contreras as the cleanup hitter for the 2026 season, according to Christopher Smith of Mass Live. If Contreras does indeed become the BoSox's cleanup hitter this year after being acquired in a trade from the St. Louis Cardinals, the 33-year-old former catcher will have plenty of RBI opportunities, even if the team was unable to re-sign third baseman Alex Bregman. Outfielder Jarren Duran, shortstop Trevor Story, and outfielder Roman Anthony should hit in the top three spots to help set the table for Contreras. The three-time All-Star had an OPS under .800 for the first time in four seasons in 2025, but he also produced career highs in RBI (80), doubles (31), and runs scored (70) with more playing time (135 games) at first base. There will be plenty of RBI opportunities in the cleanup spot, but Contreras is more of an average fantasy first baseman without a high-end power profile.

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According to Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic, the New York Mets appear to be the favorite to land Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Freddy Peralta in a trade. However, Rosenthal and Sammon noted that they would be able to acquire him without moving top pitching prospect Nolan McLean. Instead, they could look to move one of Brandon Sproat, Jonah Tong, or Christian Scott. McLean made his MLB debut last summer and was one of the biggest risers in terms of prospects. McLean was sharp over his brief 48-inning taste of the majors, posting a 2.06 ERA with a 1.04 WHIP. He struck out 30.3% of the batters he faced and allowed walks at an 8.5% rate. In 87 1/3 innings at Triple-A, McLean posted a 2.78 ERA with 97 punchouts. Given his expected role in the MLB rotation, McLean is worth viewing as a solid SP3 in all formats in 2026.

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According to Thomas Harding of MLB.com, Colorado Rockies outfield prospect Charlie Condon is expected to compete for the starting first base job during spring training. Condon was selected with the third overall pick by the Rockies in the 2024 MLB Draft. The former Georgia Bulldog came out of college as an outfielder but appears to be in the mix for a role at first base, hoping to get him to the majors sooner. In 2025, Condon split his time between High-A and Double-A and posted an overall .268/.376/.444 line with an .820 OPS. He launched 14 home runs and added 16 doubles with two stolen bases. Condon also turned in a strong showing in the Arizona Fall League. Given that the Rockies do not have a firm answer at the first base position, Condon could make a strong case to start there on Opening Day. He will be competing alongside Troy Johnston and Blaine Crim.

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Toronto Blue Jays right-handed pitching prospect Trey Yesavage is not expected to have a strict innings limit during the 2026 campaign. Ben Nicholson-Smith of SportsNet reported that their top right-hander will have no workload limits in his second MLB season and is expected to remain in the starting rotation. The 20th overall pick from the 2024 MLB Draft made his MLB debut late in the season and played a key role in their run to the World Series. During his first three MLB starts (14 innings), Yesavage posted a 3.21 ERA with a 1.43 WHIP. However, in the postseason, the East Carolina product struck out an eye-catching 39 batters across 27 2/3 innings. Over 98 innings in the Tornot system last summer, Yesavage posted a 3.12 ERA and 0.97 WHIP, with 160 punchouts. Yesavage projects as an SP3 with upside in all formats heading into 2026.

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Toronto Blue Jays left-handed pitching prospect Ricky Tiedemann (elbow) is expected to be fully healthy ahead of spring training. Tiedemann has battled numerous injuries throughout his young career, which have prevented him from staying on the bump for consistent periods. Last season, Tiedemann missed the entire campaign recovering from Tommy John surgery. However, the team's No. 4-ranked prospect appears to be fully healed and prepared to make a push to make his MLB debut early in 2026. He made his professional debut during the 2022 campaign and tossed 78 2/3 innings split between the Low-A, High-A, and Double-A, and struck out 117 hitters with a 2.17 ERA. In 2023, Tiedemann racked up 82 punchouts in just 44 innings of work. The southpaw has immense strikeout upside and could be an intriguing late-round target for those in deeper leagues if he can show this potential in spring training.

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The Tampa Bay Rays acquired left-hander Ken Waldichuk and infielder Brett Wisely from the Atlanta Braves on Monday in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations, according to Rays Communications. Waldichuk will head back to the American League after the Braves claimed the 28-year-old southpaw off waivers last week. He missed the entire 2024 season and some of 2025 due to Tommy John surgery. The former fifth-rounder had a rough 8.65 ERA, 2.06 WHIP, and a 64:42 K:BB ratio in 51 innings at Triple-A in 2025. In his two MLB seasons with the Athletics, Waldichuk had a 5.28 ERA (5.10 FIP) and 1.49 WHIP with a 21% strikeout rate and 10.3% walk rate in 175 2/3 innings in 42 appearances (29 starts). Waldichuk will most likely begin the 2026 season at Triple-A Durham, where he'll provide starting and long-relief depth for Tampa.

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Tampa Bay Rays infielder Tsung-Che Cheng was designated for assignment by the organization on Monday. He was claimed off waivers by the Rays from the Pittsburgh Pirates last week. The Rays needed to open up roster spots after acquiring infielder Brett Wisley and pitcher Ken Waldichuk in a trade with the Atlanta Braves. Cheng spent the majority of his time in the minor leagues last season. He slashed .207/.305/.267 with one home run, 36 RBI, and 20 steals across 110 games in Triple-A. The 24-year-old has above-average speed and should be able to find another opportunity elsewhere.

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Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Osvaldo Bido was designated for assignment by the organization on Monday. Bido was recently picked up on waivers by the Rays, but he won't make it to camp. The Rays acquired infielder Brett Wisley and pitcher Ken Waldichuk from the Atlanta Braves, so they needed to make cuts from their 40-man roster. In 2025, Bido registered a 5.87 ERA, 1.60 WHIP, and a 68/35 K/BB ratio across 26 games (10 starts) with the Athletics. He posted a 3.41 ERA in 16 appearances with the A's during the 2024 campaign. He offers enough upside in a swingman role that someone should give him an invite to Spring Training.

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Toronto Blue Jays infielder Rodolfo Castro was released by the organization over the weekend. Castro recently signed a minor-league deal with the Jays in November. He wasn't even able to make it to camp before getting let go by the organization. His upside in the power department should be able to land him another opportunity. Last season, Castro slashed .235/.324/.421 with 19 home runs and 82 RBI in 133 games in Triple-A with the Philadelphia Phillies. Castros hasn't played at the MLB level since the 2023 season with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Phillies. The 26-year-old doesn't hit for average, but has enough pop in his bat to warrant stashing as organizational depth.

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The Chicago Cubs have signed relief pitcher Corbin Martin to a minor-league contract with an invite to spring training. Martin is a former second-round pick who hasn't been able to establish himself at the big league level. Last season, Martin registered a 6.00 ERA, 1.72 WHIP, and a 23/9 K/BB ratio across 17 appearances with the Baltimore Orioles. This is a low-risk move by the Cubs to bolster their relief pitching depth ahead of the 2026 season. The Cubs have a good track record of turning around struggling pitchers. Martin figures to spend most of his time in Triple-A, but we'll see what he can do in camp.

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The New York Mets have met with free-agent outfielder Kyle Tucker, multiple sources told Pat Ragazzo of Sports Illustrated. The meeting reportedly went well, and the Mets are cautiously optimistic about their chances of landing the All-Star outfielder. The Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers have also met with Tucker, either in person or via Zoom. If the Mets were to sign Tucker, he could take over as the primary right fielder, which would push Juan Soto to left field. Tucker would provide plenty of lineup protection for Soto and shortstop Francisco Lindor after the team lost Pete Alonso and Brandon Nimmo in the middle of the order. The 28-year-old Tucker missed more time late in 2025 due to injuries, and he finished with a .266/.377/.464 slash line, .841 OPS, 22 home runs, and 73 RBI with the Chicago Cubs. When healthy, Tucker is one of the best all-around hitters in baseball, having posted a .273/.358/.507 slash line with an .865 OPS, 147 homers, and 490 RBI in eight big-league seasons.

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The Tampa Bay Rays acquired infielder Brett Wisely and left-hander Ken Waldichuk from the Atlanta Braves on Monday in exchange for a player to be named later or cash, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Wisely has played parts of three seasons in the big leagues with the San Francisco Giants and Braves, posting a .214 batting average and .584 OPS in 168 games. He'll serve as a utility infielder for the Rays in 2026, with the ability to play second base, shortstop, third base, and center field. Waldichuk, 28, pitched in 42 games over 2022-23 with the Athletics before missing 2024 and some of 2025 after having Tommy John surgery. He has mostly been a starter in his career, going 6-11 with a 5.28 ERA in 42 major-league games. Wisely is out of minor-league options, which should help his chances of winning an Opening Day roster spot as a bench player.

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