Rice is slated to be the Yankees' primary first baseman in 2026, but Paul Goldschmidt -- who the team re-signed Friday -- is expected to frequently start at the position against lefty pitchers, Randy Miller of NJ.com reports.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said back in December that he expects Rice to play "a lot" against lefties this season, but New York's decision to bring back Goldschmidt -- who posted a standout .981 OPS against southpaws last year -- complicates matters. It doesn't necessarily mean that Rice will always sit against all left-handed starters; for those games, he could frequently move behind the plate to give fellow lefty hitter Austin Wells a break, and Rice may also be given turns at DH. With that in mind, fantasy managers need not downgrade Rice's outlook significantly, as Boone figures to get Rice's bat into the lineup on a near-everyday basis as long as he's hitting well. For those who roster Rice in dynasty and keeper leagues, the signing of Goldschmidt may end up being a good thing if it means Rice is able to maintain catcher eligibility beyond 2026.

Romo cleared waivers Friday and has been outrighted to Triple-A Charlotte while receiving a non-roster invite to spring training, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Romo was designated for assignment Sunday, and after clearing waivers, he'll remain within the organization. The 24-year-old catcher will join the White Sox at spring training as a non-roster invitee. Romo spent most of the 2025 season with the Rockies' Triple-A affiliate in Albuquerque, where he slashed .264/329/.409 with seven homers, 23 RBI, 28 runs scored and two stolen bases across 244 plate appearances.

The Dodgers claimed Rortvedt off waivers from the Reds on Friday.

Rortvedt went from the Dodgers to the Reds via waivers in November and is now headed back in the other direction. The glove-first catcher is a career .190/.279/.270 hitter over parts of four major-league seasons. Rortvedt does not have minor-league options remaining, and with Will Smith and Dalton Rushing already on the roster, the Dodgers might try to slip Rortvedt through waivers again.

The Royals re-signed Maile to a minor-league contract Thursday with an invitation to spring training.

Maile got into 25 games with the Royals last season, posting a .702 OPS. Kansas City is expected to carry Carter Jensen on the Opening Day roster along with Salvador Perez, which likely leaves Maile to serve as experienced catching depth at Triple-A Omaha.

Rodriguez's (elbow) may need to play primarily in the outfield or at second base to have the best chance to make the big-league club, Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review reports.

Rodriguez was viewed as Pittsburgh's catcher of the future as recently as the 2023 season, but he's since run into significant elbow injuries that have required two surgeries to repair. That history could be enough to convince the Pirates to move him to a new position, and Gorman suggests that both Joey Bart and Henry Davis will enter spring training as the favorites to work behind the plate. Rodriguez has played at first base in the majors, while also playing in the outfield and at second base during the 2022 minor-league season.

Atlanta announced Wednesday that Leon will join the big club for spring training as a non-roster invitee.

The 36-year-old Leon saw action in five games for Atlanta in 2025 before being outrighted off the 40-man roster following the season. After electing free agency in early October, he quickly re-signed with Atlanta on a new minor-league contract. Leon will serve as organizational depth behind the plate and will be a candidate to join the big club if Atlanta happens to be without either Drake Baldwin or Sean Murphy (hip) for any period of time.

Diaz will make $4.5 million in 2026 after winning his arbitration hearing with the Astros on Tuesday, Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com reports.

Diaz slashed .256/.284/.417 in 2025 while tallying 20 homers, 70 RBI and 56 runs scored across 567 plate appearances. His success ultimately led to the arbitration panel choosing his $4.5 million figure over the $3 million that the Astros submitted. The 27-year-old backstop is expected to continue playing nearly every day in 2026 and has two years of arbitration eligibility remaining.

The Rockies signed McCann to a minor-league contract Tuesday that includes an invitation to spring training, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

McCann got into 54 games for the Athletics in 2024 before splitting the 2025 season between Triple-A Las Vegas and the Mexican League. The 28-year-old is ticketed for Triple-A Albuquerque to begin the 2026 campaign.

The Reds designated Rortvedt for assignment Tuesday.

Booting Rortvedt off the 40-man roster clears a spot for Eugenio Suarez, who was officially signed Tuesday. Rortvedt was a waiver claim by the Reds earlier this offseason and is now likely to be on the move again. The defensive-minded catcher is a career .190/.279/.270 hitter over parts of four big-league seasons.

Ford is expected to compete with Keibert Ruiz for the starting catcher spot heading into the 2026 season, Jessica Camerato of MLB.com reports.

Ford was acquired by the Nationals from the Mariners in an offseason deal, and he's immediately been identified as one of his new club's top young prospects. The 22-year-old struggled to see time behind Cal Raleigh in Seattle, logging six at-bats in eight games in 2025, but that's set to change in Washington. Ruiz is coming off a tough season in which he didn't see the field after suffering a concussion in July, so if Ford can stay healthy, he appears likely to break camp with the big-league squad and could even overtake Ruiz for the starting job.