Lee is the favorite to start at shortstop for the Twins but must show improved range and more consistent offense, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Lee took over as the everyday shortstop last season after Carlos Correa was traded, but he struggled at the position defensively. The Twins have very little depth behind Lee at shortstop, so they have little choice but to throw him out there and hope for improvement with the glove. If Lee falters, Ryan Kreidler and Orlando Arcia would be next in line at shortstop for Minnesota.

Shewmake was outrighted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Monday.

Shewmake was booted from the 40-man roster Thursday after the Yankees claimed Osvaldo Bido off waivers. Shewmake appears destined to begin the 2026 campaign at Triple-A, where he hit .243 with four home runs, 29 RBI and 15 stolen bases in 85 games a year ago.

Volpe (shoulder) will begin the 2026 season on the injured list and is unlikely to be ready to play "at least until May," Randy Miller of NJ.com reports.

Volpe underwent left labrum surgery last October and is still in the recovery phase. This isn't a new timeline for him -- Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reported in early December that Volpe isn't likely to play in April -- but rather serves as a reminder for fantasy managers that the young shortstop is going to miss a substantial chunk of time early in the campaign. Jose Caballero seems to be the leading candidate to get the most starts at shortstop until Volpe is back in action.

The Red Sox claimed Cheng off waivers from the Nationals on Friday, Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald reports.

It's the fifth organization Cheng has been in this offseason, as he has been bouncing around all winter via waivers. The 24-year-old went hitless in seven plate appearances during a cup of coffee in the majors and slashed only .209/.307/.271 at Triple-A Indianapolis in the Pirates organization last season, but he's known for a reliable infield glove.

Baez has been suspended from the World Baseball Classic for testing positive for marijuana in March 2023, but the suspension will not affect his availability for the start of spring training, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

The World Baseball-Softball Confederation -- which governs the WBC -- classifies marijuana as a banned substance, hence the suspension. He will be eligible to play again for Team Puerto Rico in the 2029 WBC. Major League Baseball does not list it as a banned substance, so Baez's status with the Tigers is unaffected. The 33-year-old Baez is expected to be the Opening Day shortstop in 2026, though he will have to hold off top prospect Kevin McGonigle for the gig.

The Yankees have extended Lombard an invitation to big-league camp during spring training.

Fellow top prospects Carlos Lagrange and Ben Hess, among others, will also be on the major-league side of camp. Lombard was in big-league camp last year, too, but could stick around longer this time after spending most of the 2025 season at Double-A Somerset. The 20-year-old slashed .235/.367/.381 with nine home runs and 35 stolen bases over 132 contests between High-A Hudson Valley and Somerset last season.

The Orioles acquired Alexander from the Diamondbacks on Thursday in exchange for Kade Strowd, Wellington Aracena and Jose Mejia, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.

Alexander had appeared pegged for a super-utility gig in Arizona, but he's now on the move to Baltimore, where his immediate role seems less certain. The 26-year-old slashed .230/.323/.383 with seven homers and four steals over 74 games for the Diamondbacks and hit .284/.413/.479 with eight long balls and 11 steals at Triple-A Reno in 2025. Alexander is under team control through 2030.

The Yankees designated Shewmake for assignment Thursday.

The move frees a spot on the 40-man roster for waiver claim Osvaldo Bido. Shewmake spent all of the 2025 season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, slashing .244/.318/.362 with four homers and 15 steals in 85 games. The 28-year-old infielder does not have minor-league options remaining, which will likely affect his appeal on waivers.

The Mariners could give Emerson more seasoning at Triple-A Tacoma following the acquisition of Brendan Donovan, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.

Emerson will compete with Cole Young for a spot in the Mariners' lineup, but Young is considered the heavy favorite for the second-base job entering camp. The 20-year-old Emerson reached Tacoma in 2025, finishing with a .285/.383/.458 batting line with 16 home runs and 14 stolen bases over 130 games covering three levels of the minors. He should get an opportunity at the big-league level at some point during the 2026 campaign.

Young "would have to struggle mightily to lose his grip on the second-base job," Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.

New acquisition Brendan Donovan's primary position has been second base, but he will enter spring training slated to see most of his action in 2026 at third base. Young put up just a .607 OPS in 257 plate appearances during his rookie season, but he is only 22 and the Mariners remain high on his long-term potential. If Young stumbles, Seattle could consider shifting Donovan over to second base and installing Colt Emerson at the hot corner.