The Astros acquired Smith, Isaac Paredes and Hayden Wesneski from the Cubs on Friday in exchange for Kyle Tucker, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

The 14th overall pick in the 2024 First-Year Player Draft, Smith debuted in pro ball with a .313/.396/.609 slash line and seven home runs over 32 games across three levels. He finished the year at Double-A Tennessee and will likely begin the 2025 campaign at Double-A Corpus Christi, with a debut by late 2025 or 2026 possible. He immediately becomes the best prospect in an Astros system that has seen a steady exodus of talent in recent years as the team stayed in World Series contention.

The Astros acquired Paredes, Hayden Wesneski and Cam Smith from the Cubs on Friday in exchange for Kyle Tucker, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

The Astros reportedly tried to get Paredes at last season's trade deadline, but they've now got their man after his pit stop in Chicago. Paredes slashed a pedestrian .238/.346/.393 with 19 home runs in 2024 between the Rays and Cubs, but his pull-heavy swing is perfect for the Crawford Boxes at his new home park, giving him a good chance to bounce back in the power department in 2025. Currently, Paredes would be in line to play third base for the Astros, at least until he gets pushed by Smith -- the 14th overall pick in the 2024 Draft -- but he could shift over to first base if the club also re-signs Alex Bregman.

The Marlins traded Burger to the Rangers on Tuesday in exchange for Echedry Vargas, Max Acosta and Brayan Mendoza, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com reports.

The Marlins will plunge even further into their full-scale rebuild by trading away Burger, who slashed .265/.315/.472 and launched 38 home runs during his 190-game tenure in Miami. Now with the Rangers, the 28-year-old slugger's easiest path to playing time is likely as Texas' third baseman, though his subpar defense could cause him to move into the DH spot.

Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said Tuesday that the team has not yet determined which position Lewis will play next season, Darren Wolfson of Channel 5 Saint Paul reports.

Lewis has been taking grounders on both sides of the second-base bag this offseason, but whether the 25-year-old ultimately settles in at third base or second base in 2025 will be decided "when we see what our roster overall is gonna look like," per Baldelli. The skipper did respond with "he can do it" when asked about Lewis' ability to handle second base. Lewis made one start at the keystone in 2024, with his other 49 starts in the field coming at third base.

The Tigers have asked Malloy to get work at first base during the spring, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Malloy played strictly in the outfield during the 2024 campaign, but Detroit has its sights set on increasing flexibility throughout the roster heading into 2025. Colt Keith will also see time at first base during the spring, which would increase the number of infield combinations available for the club if this idea pans out.

Detroit has asked Keith to take grounders at first base this spring, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

This doesn't necessarily mean that Keith will see time during the 2025 campaign at first base, but if he fares well enough at first during the spring, it would give the Tigers more infield flexibility. Justyn-Henry Malloy was also asked to try his hand at first base, so the general focus around the organization appears to be increasing the number of potential infield combinations.

Garcia (elbow) is expected to be ready for the start of spring training, MLB.com reports.

Garcia reported soreness in his right elbow while playing catch recently and an MRI revealed bone chips, which he had surgically removed Thursday. The Royals are calling the procedure "minor" and do not expect the infielder's availability for the beginning of spring training to be impacted. Garcia slashed .231/.281/.332 with seven home runs and 37 stolen bases for Kansas City during the 2024 regular season.

Garcia underwent surgery to remove bone spurs from his right elbow Thursday, Daniel Alvarez-Montes of ElExtraBase.com reports.

Garcia didn't spend any time on the injured list in 2024 and was available throughout the postseason, leaving it unclear when he suffered the injury. The Royals haven't commented as to whether Garcia's recovery will cost him any time during spring training or even regular season contests.

The White Sox signed Maton to a minor-league contract Tuesday that includes and invitation to spring training, Aram Leighton of Just Baseball reports.

Maton, who turns 28 in February, got a cup of coffee with the Orioles in 2024 but spent the majority of the year at Triple-A Norfolk, where he put up an .834 OPS with 16 homers. He can play everywhere other than catcher and will compete for a utility role with the White Sox.

The Red Sox have had internal discussions about moving Devers off third base, Sean McAdam of MassLive.com reports.

Devers battled through lingering issues with both shoulders during the 2024 season and again graded out poorly defensively at third base with a minus-six Outs Above Average rating. If the Red Sox do ultimately decide to shift him away from the hot corner, they would likely have both Devers and Triston Casas bounce back-and-forth between first base and designated hitter. Third base would then be filled by a free agent or trade acquisition, with Boston being connected to Alex Bregman, Willy Adames and Nolan Arenado. Finding a taker for Masataka Yoshida's contract is also part of the equation.