ESPN's Jeff Passan reports that the Texas Rangers "are trying to deal" catcher Jonah Heim and outfielder Adolis Garcia before this Friday's tender deadline. If they can't find any takers, both Heim and Garcia are non-tender candidates. Heim split playing time behind the dish in 2025 with Kyle Higashioka and hit .213/.271/.332 with 11 home runs, 43 RBI, and 38 runs scored in 124 games played. His 11 home runs were his fewest since 2021, when he played in only 82 games. Garcia, meanwhile, is entering the final year of his contract in 2026 and has had trouble staying healthy in recent seasons. The 32-year-old right-handed-hitting Cuban hit a career-best 39 long balls in 2023 but dropped down to 19 homers in 2025 while slashing a pedestrian .227/.271/.394 with a below-average .665 OPS, 75 RBI, 58 runs scored, and 13 stolen bases in 135 games played.

The Los Angeles Angels acquired right-hander Grayson Rodriguez (elbow) on Tuesday from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for power-hitting outfielder Taylor Ward, according to ESPN's Alden Gonzalez. Rodriguez missed the entire 2025 season due to a right-elbow injury, but he is a former top prospect with plenty of long-term upside, and the Angels are desperately hoping he can become a top-of-the-rotation starter they've been seeking for years. The 26-year-old former 11th overall pick in 2018 is under club control for four more years and is expected to be ready for spring training. In his first two big-league seasons with the O's in 2023 and 2024, Rodriguez went 20-8 with a 4.11 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, and 259:78 K:BB in 43 starts. Rodriguez's strikeout upside is obvious, but he also missed the end of the 2024 season with a lat injury, leaving plenty of questions about his durability. He'll be a risk/reward fantasy selection in 2026 drafts.

The Baltimore Orioles acquired outfielder Taylor Ward from the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday night in exchange for right-hander Grayson Rodriguez (elbow), according to ESPN's Alden Gonzalez. The Orioles get the power-hitting outfielder that they were seeking while giving up their former top pitching prospect, who missed all of the 2025 season due to injury. Ward, 32 next month, was a former catcher but has transitioned to a power-hitting corner outfielder. From 2024 to 2025, Ward slashed .237/.320/.450 with 61 home runs and 178 RBI while ranking 25th among 316 hitters in chase rate. He has one year left until he reaches free agency. Ward will fill a need for the Orioles alongside outfielders Colton Cowser and Tyler O'Neill, but they are also expected to target a center fielder this offseason. Ward isn't going to hit for a high average, but his power should play very nicely at Camden Yards and in the American League East.

Left-hander Shota Imanaga accepted the Chicago Cubs' one-year, $22.025 million qualifying offer on Tuesday and will return to the team for the 2026 season, according to The Athletic's Patrick Mooney. The Cubs made Imanaga a free agent earlier this offseason by declining his three-year, $57.5 million option, but now he'll return to the Windy City for at least one more year. The 32-year-old Japanese left-hander was an All-Star in his first year in the big leagues in 2024, but he wasn't quite as good in 2025. He missed time in the first half of the season due to injury and just wasn't the same in the second half. Imanaga finished 9-8 with a 3.73 ERA (4.86 FIP) and 0.99 WHIP with 117 strikeouts and 26 walks in 25 starts covering 144 2/3 frames. Imanaga's strikeout rate dropped from 25.1% in 2024 to 20% in 2025, but his walk rate remained elite, so a bounce back is entirely possible in 2026 in his third year in Chicago.