The Blue Jays selected Valenzuela's contract from Triple-A Buffalo on Thursday.

Valenzuela is now protected from next month's Rule 5 Draft. Acquired at the trade deadline from the Padres in exchange for Will Wagner, Valenzuela slashed .224/.309/.383 with 15 home runs over 113 games between the Double- and Triple-A levels in 2025. The 25-year-old will likely begin the 2026 campaign back at Buffalo.

The Rays exercised Lowe's $11.5 million option for 2026 on Thursday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Lowe will stay put after he slashed .256/.307/.477 with 31 home runs and 83 RBI this season for the Rays. The 31-year-old will be entering his walk year in 2026, so he will be a trade candidate if the Rays are not in contention when the deadline arrives.

The Rays exercised Walls' (sports hernia) $2.45 million option for 2026 and added a $3.1 million club option for 2027 on Thursday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

The new deal covers Walls' remaining years of arbitration eligibility, if the 2027 option is picked up. Walls is a career .195/.286/.298 hitter over parts of five major-league seasons but is regarded as a plus defender. He could compete for the starting shortstop job next season with Carson Williams but could ultimately settle into a utility infielder role. Walls is recovering from sports hernia surgery but is expected to be ready for spring training.

Taveras agreed to a one-year, $2 million contract with the Orioles on Wednesday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Taveras will head east after spending 2025 with the Rangers and Mariners. The 27-year-old slashed just .205/.226/.304 in the regular season across 180 big-league plate appearances, though he posted a much more respectable .809 OPS in 81 games at Triple-A Tacoma. Now with the Orioles, he is likely to work as a depth piece at Triple-A Norfolk or come off the bench for the big club.

The Athletics outrighted Shuster to Triple-A Las Vegas on Wednesday.

Shuster was claimed off waivers by the Athletics in August but did not make an appearance for them at the big-league level. The 27-year-old was a full-time reliever for the first time in 2025 and posted an 8.04 ERA and 12:5 K:BB over 15.2 innings this year with the White Sox.

The Rangers claimed Otanez off waivers from the Athletics on Wednesday.

Otanez is a hard thrower with a 34.1 percent strikeout rate but also a 14 percent walk rate over 39.1 big-league innings. The 28-year-old will compete for a spot in the Rangers' bullpen.

The Rangers claimed MacIver off waivers from the Athletics on Wednesday.

MacIver got his feet wet at the big-league level in 2025, slashing .186/.252/.324 over 32 games for the Athletics. The Rangers have Jonah Heim and Kyle Higashioka slated to handle catching duties in 2026, so MacIver is merely a depth addition.

The Mariners acquired Wilcox from the Rays on Wednesday in exchange for cash considerations.

Wilcox had been designated for assignment by the Rays earlier this week and will now join a new 40-man roster. The 26-year-old spent most of the 2025 season at Triple-A Durham, holding a 3.71 ERA and 57:24 K:BB over 51 innings. It was his first year as a full-time reliever, and Wilcox is likely to begin the 2026 campaign in the bullpen at Triple-A Tacoma.

The Orioles claimed Soriano off waivers from the Marlins on Wednesday.

In 118 innings across parts of three seasons in the big leagues, Soriano has collected a 5.95 ERA and 117:55 K:BB. The 26-year-old reliever does not have minor-league options remaining, so he would have to go through the waivers process again if he doesn't make the Orioles' Opening Day roster.

The Orioles designated Johnson for assignment Wednesday.

Clearing Johnson from the 40-man roster frees up a spot for waiver acquisition George Soriano. Johnson, 30, slashed .189/.246/.302 over 31 games between the Giants and Orioles this season.