Walls (sports hernia) appears to be in position to begin the season as Tampa Bay's top shortstop, per Adam Berry of MLB.com.

With spring training on the horizon, Walls is set to compete primarily with top prospect Carson Williams for everyday reps at shortstop. Walls is coming off sports hernia surgery, which ended his 2025 campaign in August, so he'll need to prove he's healthy during Grapefruit League play as well. Even in a potential full-time role, the switch-hitting infielder could struggle for fantasy relevance after slashing just .220/.280/.319 with four home runs, 38 RBI, 36 runs scored and 14 stolen bases across 317 regular-season plate appearances (101 games) last year.

Astros manager Joe Espada said Tuesday that Smith will play some center field during spring training, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Smith learned right field on the fly last season and took surprisingly well to it, so the Astros will push him further to see if he can learn a more demanding position. Right field still represents Smith's best path to a starting job, but more opportunities could be afforded if he shows he can adequately handle center field. Smith slashed .236/.312/.358 with nine home runs and a 27.8 percent strikeout rate across 134 games during his rookie season.

The Astros and Paredes avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $9.35 million contract Tuesday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports. The deal includes a club option for 2027.

The deal is the midpoint of the figures that were exchanged last month. Paredes will have one more year of arbitration eligibility next offseason before reaching free agency the following winter. There's currently not a clear opening in Houston's everyday lineup for Paredes, who hit .254/.352/.458 with 20 home runs in 2025, but he remains a candidate to be traded.

The Angels signed Candelario to a minor-league contract Tuesday that includes an invitation to spring training, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Candelario was released by the Reds last season after slashing just .113/.198/.213 over his first 22 games. He signed a minor-league deal with the Yankees after that but never got back to the majors. The Angels are lacking in third-base depth, giving Candelario a chance to see action with the big club at some point.

The Rays acquired Williamson from the Mariners on Monday as part of a three-team trade involving the Cardinals, Adam Jude of The Seattle Times reports.

Brendan Donovan is headed to Seattle as part of the deal. Williamson is a glove-first third baseman who slashed just .253/.294/.310 with one homer in 85 regular-season games for the Mariners in 2025. He is now stuck behind Junior Caminero in Tampa Bay, so Williamson could begin the 2026 campaign at Triple-A Durham.

The Orioles acquired Ramos from the White Sox in exchange for cash considerations Sunday, Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com reports.

Chicago DFA'ed Ramos this past week in order to make room for Seranthony Dominguez on the 40-man roster. Ramos spent the vast majority of the 2025 season at Triple-A Charlotte, where he slashed .216/.309/.396 with 16 home runs, 51 RBI, 60 runs scored, 13 stolen bases and a 42:96 BB:K across 431 plate appearances. The 23-year-old has struggled to a .198/.244/.333 slash line across 36 games at the big-league level. He'll provide organizational depth in Baltimore.

The White Sox designated Ramos for assignment Thursday.

Ramos will give up his place on the 40-man roster to make room for Seranthony Dominguez, who officially signed with the team Thursday. Ramos has appeared in 36 games for the White Sox since making his MLB debut in 2024 and has slashed just .198/.244/.333 with three homers, 13 RBI and 14 runs scored across 119 plate appearances. He's still just 23 years old, however, so another team may be willing to claim the young infielder off waivers.

Ramirez signed a seven-year, $175 million contract extension with the Guardians on Saturday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

Ramirez still had three years left on the seven-year deal he signed with Cleveland prior to the 2022 season, but his new contract will ensure he remains with the Guardians through 2032. The 33-year-old third baseman has proven to be well worth the investment, as he's reached 150 games played in each of the past five seasons while averaging 31.6 homers, 102.4 RBI, 101 runs and 32 steals per year in that span.

Burger is fully recovered from left wrist surgery and has been working in the batting cage on regaining his pull-side power, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Burger referred to his pull-side power as "my bread and butter," but in 2025 his pull rate dropped from 42.4 percent to 34.6 percent and his pull AIR rate dipped from 19.8 percent to 13.5 percent year-over-year. Nagging injuries likely played a part, and Burger said he's done "a lot of Pilates" this offseason in hopes of avoiding soft-tissue injuries. Burger hit 63 home runs from 2023-2024 before falling off to 16 in an injury-shortened 2025 campaign. With health, he could be in for a bounce-back season in the power department in 2026.

Moncada signed a one-year, $4 million contract with the Angels on Wednesday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Injuries limited Moncada to playing in fewer than 100 games during 2025 for a third straight season. He was fairly effective when healthy, however, slashing .234/.336/.448 with 12 homers, 35 RBI and 39 runs scored across 289 plate appearances. He'll presumably reprise his role as the Halos' primary third baseman in 2026, but his inability to stay on the field remains a significant concern for fantasy managers.