The Minnesota Twins announced on Tuesday that they claimed right-hander Jackson Kowar off waivers from the Seattle Mariners. Kowar was designated for assignment by Seattle last week after the team acquired Jhonny Pereda from the Twins. The 29-year-old former first-rounder by the Kansas City Royals in 2018 out of the University of Florida had his 2025 season cut short by a right-shoulder impingement. Before his injury, he had a 4.24 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 15 strikeouts, and seven walks in 17 innings for the M's out of the bullpen. Kowar will most likely begin the 2026 campaign in the minors as organizational relief depth for Minnesota. In his four major-league seasons (three with the Royals), Kowar has posted an ugly 8.21 ERA (5.96 FIP), 1.93 WHIP, 90 strikeouts, and 58 walks in 54 outings (eight starts) over 91 innings pitched.

Houston Astros manager Joe Espada said that outfielder Cam Smith will play some center field in spring training, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Reports this offseason have suggested that Smith isn't a lock for an Opening Day roster spot, but adding versatility in center field definitely will help his cause. The 22-year-old former first-rounder played well defensively in right field in 2025 in his first year in the big leagues while also slashing .236/.312/.358 with a .671 OPS, nine home runs, 51 RBI, 55 runs scored, and eight stolen bases in 134 games played. The 22-year-old was brought up to the big leagues quickly, which makes his struggles less surprising. Smith carried a 27.8% strikeout rate, 90 wRC+, 6.9% barrel rate, and 45.1% ground-ball rate. Because of the possibility that Smith will start the 2026 season at Triple-A Sugar Land, he's a very risky investment in single-year fantasy leagues.

The Miami Marlins announced that they claimed right-hander Garrett Acton off waivers from the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday and designated outfielder Victor Mesa Jr. for assignment in a corresponding move. Acton, 27, made his major-league debut with the Athletics in 2023 and only threw one inning in relief for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2025. He spent most of last year at Triple-A Durham, where he pitched to a 3.68 ERA with 71 strikeouts and 27 walks in 58 2/3 innings pitched. Acton will now compete for an Opening Day bullpen spot with the Marlins in spring training, but he'll likely open the year at Triple-A Jacksonville. Mesa made his big-league debut in 2025 with the Fish and went 6-for-32 (.188) with a homer in only 16 appearances. He was much better at Triple-A, though, slashing .303/.374/.513.

St. Louis Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom said on Tuesday that infielders Thomas Saggese and Freddy Fermin could play into the competition in the outfield during spring training, according to Brandon Kiley of 101 ESPN. Entering the mix in the outfield would give Saggese a better path to more playing time, but he hasn't spent any time in the outfield yet in his professional career. The 23-year-old former fifth-round pick by the Texas Rangers in 2020 debuted in the majors in 2024 but played in only 18 games. Last year in 82 games (295 plate appearances), Saggese hit .258/.299/.342 with a .641 OPS, two home runs, 25 RBI, 25 runs scored, and three stolen bases for the Red Birds. Saggese still has time to develop, but he has so far disappointed with an elevated strikeout rate and limited power. His 44.1% hard-hit rate and 90.2 average exit velocity give hope that he can build on his offensive performance in 2026, but consistent playing time could be hard to come by.