Johnson elected to become a free agent Thursday, Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Johnson was pushed off the Orioles' 40-man roster earlier in the day, and he'll now test his luck in the open market. The 29-year-old outfielder logged just one plate appearance in the majors in 2024 -- his first in three seasons -- but slashed .259/.320/.448 across 118 games with Triple-A Norfolk.

Smith elected free agency Thursday, Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Smith cleared waivers after the Orioles removed him from their 40-man roster, but he will look for a job elsewhere rather than accepting an outright assignment. The righty collected a 4.95 ERA and 46:12 K:BB over 56.1 innings between the Marlins and Orioles this season.

The Athletics traded Cameron to the Orioles on Thursday in exchange for cash.

After slashing .200/.258/.329 with 15 RBI across 186 plate appearances with the A's last season, Cameron will now move across the country to give the Orioles some additional outfield depth. Given how crowded Baltimore's outfield room is already, it's unlikely the 27-year-old takes on a meaningful role with the O's in 2025.

The Twins have declined their side of Margot's $12 million mutual option for 2025, Darren Wolfson of Channel 5 Saint Paul reports.

He'll receive a $2 million buyout instead and hit the free-agent market. Margot, 30, slashed only .238/.289/.337 with four home runs and five stolen bases over 129 contests during his lone season in Minnesota.

Giolito (elbow) exercised his $19 million player option for 2025 on Thursday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Giolito was unlikely to receive anything close to a $19 million salary in free agency after missing all of 2024 due to an elbow procedure he underwent in March, so it's unsurprising to see him opt into another year with the Red Sox. The 30-year-old right-hander started a throwing program in early August, though it remains unclear if he'll be ready to go for the start of spring training.

The Rangers claimed Contreras off waivers from the Angels on Thursday, Kiley McDaniel of ESPN.com reports.

Contreras looked in 2022 like he might be part of the Pirates' rotation for a while, but he's collected a 5.47 ERA and 111:63 K:BB over 136.2 innings since the start of the 2023 season and is now in his third organization since May. The righty mostly pitched in relief in 2024, but the Rangers could stretch him back out during spring training.

The Angels traded Canning to Atlanta on Thursday in exchange for Jorge Soler.

Canning started a career-high 31 games in 2024 but struggled mightily throughout the year, turning in a 5.19 ERA and 1.40 WHIP alongside a 130:66 K:BB through 171.2 innings. Now in Atlanta, the 28-year-old righty will likely compete for a rotation spot during spring training. Otherwise, he could be moved into a multi-inning relief role.

The Angels acquired Soler from Atlanta on Thursday in exchange for Griffin Canning, Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com reports.

There's no money changing hands, so the Angels will be solely responsible for the $32 million Soler is owed over the next two seasons. Slated to turn 33 in February, Soler slashed .241/.338/.442 with 21 home runs over 142 regular-season games between San Francisco and Atlanta in 2024. He is likely to be used mostly at designated hitter with the Angels, although general manager Perry Minasian said Thursday that Soler could play some in the outfield, as well, per Taylor Blake Ward of the Sporting Tribune.

Covey signed a one-year, major-league contract with the Mets on Thursday.

Covey spent the first four months of last season working his way back from a shoulder injury he suffered in spring training with the Phillies. After beginning his rehab assignment in late July, he turned in a 2.66 ERA and 1.23 WHIP across 20.1 innings split between three different minor-league affiliates. He was unable to make an appearance in the majors last year, but he'll immediately get a chance to contribute to the Mets' bullpen in 2025, likely as a middle reliever.

The White Sox declined Moncada's $25 million club option for 2025, Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com reports.

The veteran infielder will be given a $5 million buyout. It was an obvious move, given where the White Sox' roster stands and the fact that Moncada was limited to just 12 games in 2024 and 92 games in 2023 due to injury. Moncada won't turn 30 until May, but durability concerns and inconsistent production could point to a bearish market this winter.