Castro signed a two-year, $12.8 million contract with the Rockies on Thursday, Jorge Castillo of ESPN.com reports.

Castro ended the 2025 campaign on a sour note, slashing just .170/.245/.240 over 110 plate appearances in the regular season after being traded from the Twins to the Cubs at the deadline. Playing 81 games at Coors Field figures to help the 28-year-old's chances of bouncing back at the plate, and his extreme defensive versatility, combined with the Rockies' weak roster, should keep him in the starting lineup nearly every day.

The Reds designated Zulueta for assignment Thursday.

The move frees up a 40-man roster spot for the addition of Pierce Johnson, whose signing was made official Thursday. Zulueta has made 19 relief appearances over the last two seasons with the Reds, collecting a 5.32 ERA and 25:11 K:BB across 23.2 frames. The righty will turn 28 next week and stands a good chance of passing through waivers unclaimed.

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.

The Rockies designated Blalock for assignment Thursday, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

The club needed to free up a spot on its 40-man roster for the addition of Michael Lorenzen, whose signing was officially announced Thursday. Blalock has been dreadful in the big leagues to this point, posting an 8.16 ERA and 47:43 K:BB over 89.1 innings in parts of two seasons. Perhaps another team believes it can coax more out of him outside Colorado, but it's likely he will clear waivers.

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 Yankees traded Jasso to the Marlins on Tuesday alongside Dillon Lewis, Brendan Jones and Juan Matheus in exchange for Ryan Weathers, Jack Curry of YES Network reports.

Jasso spent the entire 2025 campaign at Double-A Somerset, slashing .259/.328/.404 with 13 homers, 77 RBI and 62 runs scored across 537 plate appearances. Switching organizations could enable the 23-year-old infielder to be promoted to Triple-A, but he isn't expected to be a factor in the majors in 2026.

The Yankees traded Jones, Dillon Lewis, Dylan Jasso and Juan Matheus to the Marlins on Tuesday in exchange for Ryan Weathers, Jack Curry of YES Network reports.

Jones finished 2025 with a .245/.359/.395 slash line while tallying 11 homers, 69 RBI, 89 runs scored and an eye-popping 51 steals across 124 games between High-A and Double-A. Now with the Marlins, the 23-year-old outfielder is likely to reach Triple-A Jacksonville at some point in 2026.

Padres manager Craig Stammen said Tuesday on Foul Territory that Musgrove (elbow) will not have a strict innings limit in 2026.

Musgrove missed the entire 2025 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery but has been throwing bullpen sessions since August. Stammen noted that while the Padres will keep a close eye on how Musgrove is feeling after each start, the team will take the righty "as far as he's willing to go" with his workload. After topping 180 innings in 2021 and 2022, Musgrove threw 97.1 innings in 2023 and 99.2 innings in 2024. It would be a big ask for the 33-year-old to get back to the 180-inning plateau in 2026, but it sounds like the Padres would allow him to get to that level as long as he feels good.

The Cubs claimed Dean off waivers from the Giants on Tuesday, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Dean received two plate appearances for the Dodgers in 2025 and has since gone from the Giants and now to the Cubs via waivers. The 29-year-old slashed .289/.378/.431 with 27 steals at Triple-A Oklahoma City last season and can play all three outfield spots. Dean will compete for a reserve role in Chicago.

The Phillies acquired Shugart from the Pirates on Tuesday in exchange for Francisco Lareto, Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic reports.

Shugart had been designated for assignment last week and is now headed across the state. The right-hander appeared in 35 games for the Pirates in 2025, finishing with a 3.40 ERA and 31:17 K:BB over 45 innings. Shugart will compete for a spot in the Phillies' bullpen, but he has minor-league options remaining.