Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said Thursday that Shaw could be used some in the outfield this season, Mike McGraw of the Chicago Daily Herald reports.

If the Cubs hang on to Nico Hoerner rather than trade him following the signing of Alex Bregman, Shaw's best shot at regular playing time would be in a super utility role. All 114 starts for Shaw with the Cubs in 2025 came at third base, but the 24-year-old also has significant experience at second base and shortstop, and he played the outfield some in college and in summer ball. It's also possible the Cubs use Shaw as a trade chip in order to supplement their roster elsewhere.

Alexander is expected to shift to a utility role following the Diamondbacks' acquisition of third baseman Nolan Arenado, Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports reports.

Alexander finished up the 2025 season as Arizona's primary third baseman after Eugenio Suarez was traded to the Mariners at the trade deadline. Until the Arenado news, Alexander was the nominal starter at the hot corner. He now moves back into a utility role, which will include opportunities in the outfield. The Diamondbacks will be without left fielder Lourdes Gurriel (knee) for much of the first half of 2026 and will want a right-handed complement to Alek Thomas in center field. The team may also deploy him in a rotation at DH. That's in addition to Alexander's ability to back up at three infield positions. His main competition for playing time will be Jordan Lawlar, although general manager Mike Hazen believes both will be able to impact the club "in a number of different ways."

The Rays designated Cheng for assignment Monday.

Cheng was claimed off waivers by the Rays last week, but he'll lose his spot on the 40-man roster in order to make room for Brett Wisely and Ken Waldichuk. The 24-year-old went hitless in a brief stint with the Pirates last season and slashed just .209/.307/.271 at Triple-A Indianapolis.

Lawlar is expected to play center field in addition to reps in the infield during spring training, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

After seeing Lawlar's struggles at third base last season, the Diamondbacks gave him center field reps during the Dominican Winter League but not a ton, according to Gilbert. As such, the organization will give him a serious look there this spring. There's a need in the outfield after Arizona traded Jake McCarthy to Colorado for right-handed pitching prospect Josh Grosz. That move, along with Lourdes Gurriel (knee) possibly missing the first half of the season, leaves the outfield in a state of uncertainty. Corbin Carroll will hold down right field while Alek Thomas is likely to start in center field against righties. Beyond that, Lawlar is in the mix along with Blaze Alexander, Jorge Barrosa, Tim Tawa and possibly top prospect Ryan Waldschmidt.

Volpe (shoulder) agreed to a one-year, $3.5 million contract with the Yankees to avoid arbitration Thursday, Jack Curry of YES Network reports.

Volpe is recovering from shoulder surgery and won't be ready to begin the 2026 season. This was the shortstop's first year of arbitration eligibility, and he'll see a raise of about $2.6 million from 2025 after posting a .212/.272/.391 slash line with 19 homers and 18 steals in 153 regular-season games.

McLain agreed to a one-year, $2.3 million contract with the Reds on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

McLain missed the entire 2024 season while recovering from shoulder and rib injuries, but he was healthy for the start of last season. He started strong with three home runs and five RBI through the first four games, though that momentum was halted when he landed on the IL briefly due to a hamstring strain. That turned out to be his only stint on the IL in 2025, and he finished the regular season with a .643 OPS, 15 home runs, 50 RBI, 18 stolen bases and 73 runs over 577 plate appearances while appearing in 147 games. With a full season under his belt, McLain is expected to enter the 2026 campaign as the Reds' everyday second baseman.

Duran agreed to a one-year contract with the Rangers on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Duran played 90 games for the Rangers last season and had a career-worst .559 OPS, failing to hit a home run in 219 plate appearances. The 26-year-old has a contract for 2026 but likely won't have much roster security given that he has a .237/.278/.309 slash line across the past two seasons.

Smith agreed to a one-year, $3.225 million contract with the Rangers on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Smith will end up earning a little more than the $2.5 million that he was projected for in his first year of arbitration eligibility, per Spotrac.com. He's primarily worked as a super-utility player for the Rangers but could find a regular role at second base in 2026 following the offseason departure of Marcus Semien.

Allen agreed to a one-year, $1.4 million contract with the Astros on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

The 27-year-old was traded from Atlanta to Houston earlier in the offseason and is now officially under contract for 2026. Allen played 135 games last season but with Jeremy Pena entrenched at shortstop, he'll work in a reserve role for the Astros after posting a .221/.284/.251 slash line in 2025.

The White Sox designated Cowles for assignment Thursday.

Cowles struggled to perform consistently at the Triple-A level in 2025, turning in a .679 OPS across 527 plate appearances between the Cubs' and White Sox's affiliates. He'll now lose his place on the Sox's 40-man roster to make room for Drew Romo, who was claimed off waivers.