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.

The Rays acquired Waldichuk and Brett Wisely from Atlanta on Monday in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations.

Waldichuk had been a waiver claim of Atlanta last week and he's now on the move again. The left-hander struggled in his first year back from Tommy John surgery in 2025, posting an 8.65 ERA, 2.06 WHIP and 64:42 K:BB across 51 innings at the Triple-A level. However, Waldichuk boasts a career 33.9 percent strikeout rate in the minors, so the Rays felt he was worth a flyer. Waldichuk has minor-league options remaining and is likely to begin the 2026 season in the rotation at Triple-A Durham.

The Rays acquired Wisely and Ken Waldichuk from Atlanta on Monday in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations.

Wisely came up through the minors with the Rays before being traded to the Giants in November 2022. The 26-year-old is a career .214/.265/.319 hitter over parts of three major-league seasons, but he's slashed .275/.372/.433 at the Triple-A level and can play all over the diamond. Wisely is out of minor-league options and could compete for the Rays' opening at second base, though a reserve role is likelier.

The Cubs signed Martin to a minor-league contract Monday that includes an invitation to spring training, Lance Brozdowski of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Martin made 17 appearances out of the Orioles' bullpen this past season, finishing with a 6.00 ERA but a more promising 23:9 K:BB over 18 innings. The 30-year-old has been a full-time reliever each of the last two seasons after missing the 2023 campaign following lat surgery. Martin will try to win a spot in the Cubs' bullpen but is likely ticketed for Triple-A Iowa to kick off the 2026 season.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Saturday that he expects Contreras to be his cleanup hitter this season, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Things could change based on additional moves the Red Sox make this offseason, but as things stand right now, Contreras is penciled into the No. 4 spot. Jarren Duran, Trevor Story and Roman Anthony appear likely to hit in the first three spots of the batting order, setting Contreras up for plenty of RBI opportunities. Acquired via trade from the Cardinals in December, Contreras slashed 257/.344/.447 with 20 home runs over 562 plate appearances with St. Louis in 2025.

The Marlins re-signed Tinoco (elbow) to a minor-league contract Jan. 5.

Tinoco is recovering from UCL surgery and will miss the entire 2026 season, so it's likely a two-year minor-league deal. The right-handed reliever made 20 appearances for Miami in 2025, posting a 5.12 ERA and 10:8 K:BB over 19.1 innings while notching four saves.

The Pirates signed Davis to a minor-league contract Jan. 5.

Davis owns a career 9.53 ERA and 58:29 K:BB over 62.1 innings covering parts of four seasons at the big-league level. The 28-year-old has plenty of past experience as a starting pitcher, but he was used almost exclusively as a reliever in 2025, and he'll likely open 2026 in the bullpen at Triple-A Indianapolis.

The Red Sox signed Sikkema to a minor-league contract Jan. 6 that includes an invitation to spring training.

Sikkema was in the Reds organization this past season, posting a 4.57 ERA and 72:31 K:BB over 86.2 innings in 15 starts and eight relief appearances between Double-A Chattanooga and Triple-A Louisville. The 27-year-old lefty has yet to appear in the majors but will get a chance in spring training to compete for a spot on Boston's Opening Day roster.

The Blue Jays released Castro on Jan. 9.

Castro had agreed to a minor-league contract with a spring training invite in November. It's possible he's now being cut loose in order to pursue another opportunity overseas, although that has not been confirmed. Castro is a career .219/.292/.380 hitter over parts of three big-league seasons.

Jimenez and the Blue Jays agreed on a minor-league contract Sunday, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com reports.

Jimenez will stick around with the Blue Jays organization after ending the 2025 campaign with Triple-A Durham. The 29-year-old batted .278 with three home runs, 29 RBI, 14 runs scored and a stolen base over 151 at-bats in 40 contests with Durham last year. Jimenez has reportedly lost 20 pounds since the end of the 2025 campaign, and he has been playing in the Dominican winter league. Additionally, the contract he signed Sunday includes a spring training invite.