Taylor signed a contract with the Angels on Thursday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

No details of the deal are currently known, but presumably it's a short-term contract that gives Taylor a good chance of starting the campaign on the big-league roster. He ended the 2025 season with the Angels and hit .179 with two homers and 10 RBI across only 90 plate appearances with the club. Taylor will likely be in a reserve role, but he could get several starts per week due to his ability to play all three outfield spots as well as the infield.

Simpson was designated for assignment Thursday.

Simpson made his big-league debut in 2025, posting a 7.34 ERA and 1.83 WHIP across 30.2 innings with the Marlins. He walked 22 during that time while also serving up 1.5 HR/9. Those numbers make it little surprise that Simpson lost his roster spot, which is a move that created room for John King to officially be added to the roster.

Montero signed a minor-league contract with the Yankees on Thursday, which includes an invitation to spring training, Hector Gomez of Z101Digital.com reports.

Montero bounced between three teams in 2025 but still covered 60.1 innings in the majors. His primary problem was control, as he walked 37 batters while striking out 58. If Montero earns a roster spot, he'd likely begin the season in a low-leverage role.

Gonzales was spotted fielding grounders at third base Thursday, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Gonzales was Pittsburgh's primary second baseman when healthy in 2025, though the addition of Brandon Lowe will force him into a new role in 2026. The assumption was that Gonzales would fill in at shortstop until Konnor Griffin makes his big-league debut, though Jared Triolo was instead at shortstop Thursday. This alignment could be fluid throughout spring, as the Pirates have also been rumored to be trying to add a third baseman via trade. However, this could be positive news for Gonzales' long-term outlook if he proves capable of handling the hot corner defensively, given the lack of long-term solutions currently on the roster.

Schmidt (elbow) was placed on the 60-day injured list Thursday.

Schmidt underwent an internal brace surgery July 11 and will be out until at least the middle of the 2026 season. This move doesn't come as a surprise and is procedural to create a roster spot for the signing of Paul Goldschmidt.

Murakami will have his Cactus League debut delayed until Feb. 28, James Fegan of SoxMachine.com reports.

It was always the White Sox's plan to bring Murakami along slowly as he adjusts to his first season stateside, though Feb. 28 represents a later exhibition debut than originally anticipated. There doesn't appear to be any cause for concern at this point, as he's still expected to appear in a few Cactus League games before playing in the World Baseball Classic.

Roden, who had surgery in August to repair a torn ligament in his left thumb, had a normal offseason, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

It sounds like he's fully healthy as spring training begins. Roden will compete for a starting role in the outfield but could also be part of a platoon in the corner outfield. He struggled in his first taste of the majors last season (hitting .204 with a .589 OPS in 43 games with the Blue Jays) but had a second strong season at Triple-A (.919 OPS). He was traded to the Twins at the deadline and struggled again with a .463 OPS in 12 games before suffering a season-ending thumb injury.

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol believes Walker could steal more bases in 2026, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

The 6-foot-6, 250-pounder is surprisingly fleet of foot, ranking in the 84th percentile in sprint speed last season. Walker stole a career-high 10 bases in 13 attempts in 2025, and Marmol thinks there could be more in the tank for the 23-year-old if the team is able to "coach him up in a way that he feels comfortable taking more risks." Of course, Walker will need to get on base more to have an opportunity to pilfer more bags, and the former top prospect has been trying to implement swing changes he worked on this offseason at Driveline Baseball. Marmol has been encouraged by what he's seen from Walker early on in camp, noting that, "he knows what's at stake, and man, he's working really hard at it."

Thompson is not yet throwing off a mound after having arthroscopic left shoulder surgery in August, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Thompson missed the entire 2025 season due to shoulder issues, but it was not previously known that he had a cleanup procedure. The left-hander has been playing catch as he eases back into a throwing program. Thompson is no longer on the Cardinals' 40-man roster and should report to Triple-A Memphis once he's healthy enough to do so.

The Rockies placed Criswell (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Thursday.

Criswell sat out the entire 2025 campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery in March, and he'll now officially remain sidelined for the first few months of the 2026 season while he finishes up his rehab. His 40-man roster spot will be given to Jose Quintana, who agreed to a one-year deal with the Rockies this week.