Lawlar will likely open the year at Triple-A Reno if he doesn't win the starting job at shortstop, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

Gilbert projects Geraldo Perdomo as the starting shortstop, but Lawlar should get plenty of reps this spring. Perdomo experienced a nice jump during his second full season in MLB, which included an All-Star nod. The offseason addition of Eugenio Suarez solidified third base, so there may not be an obvious way for both Lawlar and Perdomo to co-exist. The organization may best be served by letting Lawlar get regular reps for the Aces in the Pacific Coast League, where he had just 80 plate appearances in 2023.

Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns implied Monday that Lindor (elbow) is fully healthy ahead of spring training, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Stearns noted that lefty David Peterson (hip), infielder Ronny Mauricio (knee) and right-hander Kyle Crick (calf) are the only players who will be held out of drills to begin camp, which suggests that Lindor has a clean bill of health after he underwent surgery in October to remove a bone spur from his right elbow. The injury didn't cost Lindor any time in 2023, with the 30-year-old finishing his third season with the Mets with a .254/.336/.470 slash line to go with 31 home runs and 31 stolen bases over 160 games.

The Cubs announced Friday that Shaw received an invitation to major-league spring training.

Fellow top prospect Owen Caissie will join Shaw in big-league camp. A first-round pick in the 2023 Draft, Shaw slashed .357/.400/.618 with eight homers and 15 steals across three levels in his pro debut, reaching Double-A Tennessee. He's mostly played shortstop and second base to this point, but Shaw's offseason workouts have been focused mainly at third base, where he has the clearest path to playing time with the Cubs. An Opening Day roster spot is unlikely, but we could see the 22-year-old sometime in 2024.

Owings signed a minor-league contract with the Dodgers on Thursday that includes an invitation to spring training, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Owings has spent more time in the minors than the majors the last few years, most recently going 4-for-25 in 10 games with the Pirates and posting a .798 OPS in 86 contests at Triple-A Indianapolis in 2023. The 32-year-old utility player is likely headed to Triple-A Oklahoma City to begin the 2024 campaign.

Berti isn't expected to remain atop the Marlins' depth chart at shortstop as the club looks at available free-agent options, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

Tim Anderson is the biggest name still on the market at shortstop, with Amed Rosario, Nick Ahmed and Adalberto Mondesi also said to be on Miami's radar. Berti saw a career-high 424 plate appearances last season, playing 64 games at short but also 41 at third base, 15 at second base and 19 between the corner outfield spots, and the Marlins still view him as a better fit in a utility role. If the team elects not to bring in a free agent, Jacob Amaya and Vidal Brujan could also get looks this spring as potential starting options at shortstop.

The Phillies claimed Castillo off waivers from the Yankees on Monday.

Castillo has now been in four organizations this offseason as he continues to bounce around via waivers. The utility player hasn't found his footing at the major-league level to this point but slashed .313/.431/.410 in 556 plate appearances with Arizona's Triple-A affiliate in Reno last season. He'll compete for a reserve role in Philadelphia.

Padres manager Mike Shildt indicated last week that he could eventually discuss a possible position switch with Bogaerts, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Shildt said that Bogaerts is projected to play shortstop in 2024 "right now" but added that he will talk with the 31-year-old soon and indicated that an eventual move to the right side of the infield -- presumably second base -- would be discussed. Bogaerts actually graded out well defensively at shortstop for the second year in a row in 2023, but Ha-Seong Kim is viewed as the superior defender there and top shortstop prospect Jackson Merrill could be ready before long.

The Padres plan to play Merrill both at shortstop and in the outfield during spring training, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

Merrill is a good defender at shortstop and might be the future at the position for the Padres. However, Xander Bogaerts is expected to play there in 2024 and the team is light on established options in the outfield, so Merrill may have a clearer path to reaching the big leagues if he can emerge as a viable defender in the outfield. Merrill already made five starts in left field in 2023 with Double-A San Antonio and has the athleticism to handle center field if the Padres want to go that route. There's no indication at this point that a long-term position switch is on the table for the top prospect, but it's something to monitor in spring training.

Lux (knee) is a "full go" for spring training, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Lux missed all of last season after tearing the ACL and spraining the MCL in his right knee during a spring training game last year. Despite his extended absence, Lux is on track to begin the new campaign as the Dodgers' primary shortstop, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. The 26-year-old infielder slashed .276/.346/.399 with 42 RBI across 471 plate appearances in 2022.

Peguero is the favorite to start at second base for the Pirates entering spring training, Jake Crouse of MLB.com reports.

Peguero was promoted to the majors in mid-July and stuck with the team through the close of the 2023 season. He made 33 starts at second base and 39 at shortstop, though Oneil Cruz will be back to handle the latter position in 2024. Peguero will still have to battle with Jared Triolo and Nick Gonzales for playing time at the keystone, but he arguably has the highest long-term upside of the group. That could be enough to convince the Pirates to give him a long look to begin the season, even after he struck out at a 28.1 percent clip with a 64 wRC+ in his first significant taste of the majors.