Chicago Cubs shortstop Matt Shaw has been taking reps at third base, he told reporters. Shaw was the 13th overall pick in the 2023 MLB draft and was primarily a middle infielder in college at The University of Maryland. Shaw said he's taken "probably 99%" of his reps at third base and added that "you never know where the opportunities are gonna come. They could be anywhere." The Cubs are pretty set in the middle of their infield with Dansby Swanson at shortstop and Nico Hoerner at second so Shaw could see more playing time if he mans the hot corner. Shaw hit .357/.400/.618 with eight home runs, 28 RBI, and 15 steals across 157 at-bats over three levels of the Cubs' minor league system last year. He's a highly intriguing prospect and someone to keep an eye on in fantasy, particularly in dynasty leagues.

Free-agent starting pitcher James Paxton is drawing interest from the Baltimore Orioles, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The veteran southpaw started 19 games for the Red Sox last season, putting up a solid 7-5 record to go along with a 4.50 ERA, 1.313 WHIP, and 101:33 K/BB over 96 innings. The 19 turns in the rotation were his most since 2019, so it was nice to see the oft-injured pitcher show some durability. He could be a nice, affordable one-year option for any team looking to bolster their starting rotation.

St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, who will be an unrestricted free agent after the upcoming season, will need to wait until the start of the 2024 season for potential extension talks to begin. In regards to an extension for Goldschmidt, president of baseball operations John Mozeliak told reporters on Saturday"I think right now, I think everybody just wants to see how this season starts. You know, obviously, we want to get off on the right track, and then we can address things like that." It makes sense that the Cardinals would slow play this as the team struggled with a 71-91 record, which was good for last place in the NL Central. In addition to that, Goldschmidt had a down year by his lofty standards, finishing with a 268/.363/.447 batting line to go along with 25 home runs, 80 RBI, and 11 stolen bases over 593 at-bats (154 games). The veteran first baseman is fully capable of bouncing back but he is entering his age 36 season. Whether he is extended during the season or traded is anyone's guess at this point.

New York Mets left-handed pitcher Sean Manaea has officially signed a two-year, $28 million contract with the team. This deal was announced last week but now the team has made it official. Manaea was a free agent this offseason and coming off a 4.44 ERA (3.90 FIP), 1.241 WHIP, and 128:42 K/BB over 117 2/3 innings (37 appearances, 10 starts) with the San Francisco Giants. The deal also includes an opt-out after the 2024 season. This has been viewed as a solid move by the Mets as the veteran left-hander can work out of the bullpen and be used as a spot starter as well.

The Chicago Cubs acquired infielder Michael Busch and reliever Yency Almonte earlier this week from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for lefty Jackson Ferris and outfielder Zyhir Hope. The Athletic's Keith Law thinks Busch is a natural first baseman and will almost certainly play there for the Cubs. He also has experience at second and third base, although he's much more comfortable at the keystone. The 26-year-old gives the Cubs more left-handed thump in the lineup and hits southpaws well enough to project as an everyday player. Busch has been on Law's preseason top-100 prospect rankings for the last three offseasons and is an advanced hitter who has hit for power and hard contact for three straight years in Double-A and Triple-A (79 homers in the last three seasons). In a full-time big-league role, though, Busch is expected to be more of a doubles guy with more of a line-drive swing.