The Red Sox claimed Cheng off waivers from the Nationals on Friday, Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald reports.

It's the fifth organization Cheng has been in this offseason, as he has been bouncing around all winter via waivers. The 24-year-old went hitless in seven plate appearances during a cup of coffee in the majors and slashed only .209/.307/.271 at Triple-A Indianapolis in the Pirates organization last season, but he's known for a reliable infield glove.

Baez has been suspended from the World Baseball Classic for testing positive for marijuana in March 2023, but the suspension will not affect his availability for the start of spring training, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

The World Baseball-Softball Confederation -- which governs the WBC -- classifies marijuana as a banned substance, hence the suspension. He will be eligible to play again for Team Puerto Rico in the 2029 WBC. Major League Baseball does not list it as a banned substance, so Baez's status with the Tigers is unaffected. The 33-year-old Baez is expected to be the Opening Day shortstop in 2026, though he will have to hold off top prospect Kevin McGonigle for the gig.

The Yankees have extended Lombard an invitation to big-league camp during spring training.

Fellow top prospects Carlos Lagrange and Ben Hess, among others, will also be on the major-league side of camp. Lombard was in big-league camp last year, too, but could stick around longer this time after spending most of the 2025 season at Double-A Somerset. The 20-year-old slashed .235/.367/.381 with nine home runs and 35 stolen bases over 132 contests between High-A Hudson Valley and Somerset last season.

The Orioles acquired Alexander from the Diamondbacks on Thursday in exchange for Kade Strowd, Wellington Aracena and Jose Mejia, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.

Alexander had appeared pegged for a super-utility gig in Arizona, but he's now on the move to Baltimore, where his immediate role seems less certain. The 26-year-old slashed .230/.323/.383 with seven homers and four steals over 74 games for the Diamondbacks and hit .284/.413/.479 with eight long balls and 11 steals at Triple-A Reno in 2025. Alexander is under team control through 2030.

The Yankees designated Shewmake for assignment Thursday.

The move frees a spot on the 40-man roster for waiver claim Osvaldo Bido. Shewmake spent all of the 2025 season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, slashing .244/.318/.362 with four homers and 15 steals in 85 games. The 28-year-old infielder does not have minor-league options remaining, which will likely affect his appeal on waivers.

The Mariners could give Emerson more seasoning at Triple-A Tacoma following the acquisition of Brendan Donovan, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.

Emerson will compete with Cole Young for a spot in the Mariners' lineup, but Young is considered the heavy favorite for the second-base job entering camp. The 20-year-old Emerson reached Tacoma in 2025, finishing with a .285/.383/.458 batting line with 16 home runs and 14 stolen bases over 130 games covering three levels of the minors. He should get an opportunity at the big-league level at some point during the 2026 campaign.

Young "would have to struggle mightily to lose his grip on the second-base job," Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.

New acquisition Brendan Donovan's primary position has been second base, but he will enter spring training slated to see most of his action in 2026 at third base. Young put up just a .607 OPS in 257 plate appearances during his rookie season, but he is only 22 and the Mariners remain high on his long-term potential. If Young stumbles, Seattle could consider shifting Donovan over to second base and installing Colt Emerson at the hot corner.

Genao showed more full extension on his swings while with Aquilas in the Dominican Winter League, Keith Law of The Athletic reports.

Genao suffered a right shoulder injury during spring training last year, and the effects of the injury lingered throughout the regular season. After a boffo 2024, the 21-year-old shortstop dropped to a .259/.323/.359 slash line over 77 games at Double-A Akron. In winter ball, Genao improved to .325/.387/.386 over 26 games for Aquilas, suggesting he regained strength and confidence in the shoulder. He might eventually move to second base in the majors, but his improved defense at Akron in 2025 suggest shortstop is still a possibility. Genao's a bounce-back candidate for 2026 and expected to reach Triple-A Columbus.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora noted at Fenway Fest in January that he envisions Mayer getting more playing time against left-handers in 2026, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Mayer was allotted 27 of 136 plate appearances at the MLB level against lefties in 2025, managing a miniscule .416 OPS in the small sample size. With the departure of Alex Bregman, it's likely Mayer will take over at third base this season, and Cora wants a more full-time role for the 23-year-old infielder, who is capable of slotting in at three infield positions. Boston's recent signing of Isiah Kiner-Falefa, a Gold Glove winner at third base in 2020 while with Texas, could impact the eventual infield positioning, but he appears ticketed for a rotation at second base with several other candidates.

The Tigers have extended McGonigle an invitation to big-league camp during spring training.

Fellow top prospects Max Clark, Max Anderson and Jose Briceno, among others, will also be in major-league camp. Arguably the top prospect in all of baseball, McGonigle is an extremely advanced hitter at just 21 years of age, having slashed .305/.408/.583 with 19 home runs, 10 stolen bases and a 59:46 BB:K across 88 games covering three levels in 2025. He can handle shortstop, second base and third base, and it's at shortstop where the left-handed batter has the clearest opening for playing time with the big club. The Tigers might not be ready to carry McGonigle on their Opening Day roster, but he should make an impact at some point during the 2026 season.