The Yankees were in pursuit of a few right-handed bats this offseason, and they reportedly checked in with the Phillies on outfielder Nick Castellanos.
According to the NY Post's Jon Heyman, the Yankees looked into making a trade with the Phillies for Castellanos earlier in the offseason, but stopped their pursuit after receiving mixed reviews about the slugger.
New York would eventually re-sign Paul Goldschmidt to fill that right-handed bat role off the bench, while also periodically spelling Ben Rice at first base against left-handers and for late-game defense. New York had also considered signing Ty France, Randal Grichuk and Austin Slater, who played with the Yanks in 2025, as right-handed options this offseason.
As for Castellanos, the Phillies officially released him on Thursday for a few reasons. He had a subpar 2025 season where he slashed .250/.294/.400 with an OPS of .694 and 17 homers. There were also reports of conduct detrimental to the team, including bringing a beer into the Phillies dugout during a game last June, which Castellanos admitted to on Instagram.
Castellanos is owed $20 million in 2025.
After seven productive seasons with Detroit, Castellanos made stops in Chicago -- with the Cubs -- Cincinnati and eventually Philadelphia after signing a four-year deal before the 2022 season. He made two All-Star teams (2021, 2023) and won a Silver Slugger in his 13-year career.
Castellanos, who turns 34 in March, will now look to take his talents elsewhere.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 11: Infield Coach Ron Washington #37 of the San Francisco Giants practices drills during Spring Training at Scottsdale Stadium on February 11, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Andy Kuno/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images) | Getty Images
One of the key moments in the film “Moneyball” comes when Brad Pitt’s Billy Beane and Brent Jennings’ Ron Washington visit Chris Pratt’s Scott Hatteberg to inform him they’re offering him a contract to play first base for the Oakland Athletics, even though he’s only played catcher in his big-league career so far. Beane insists that it’s not that hard. Washington disagrees.
24 years later, the 73-year-old Washington is the San Francisco Giants’ new infield coach. And he’s got another relative newbie at first base in Rafael Devers, who was enmeshed in a huge first base controversy last season with the Boston Red Sox after they signed third baseman Alex Bregman in free agency, moved Devers to DH, then asked him to play first.
But if Hatteberg could develop into a first sacker at age 32 with an elbow injury that hampered his throwing, then Devers, just 29 years old and already familiar with playing infield, should surely develop, right? Here’s the “Moneyball” playbook.
Get rejected by the Boston Red Sox
Done and done! Not only did the Sox trade Devers to the Giants in a deal where they seemed most interested in salary relief — they have only one player left from that return left on their roster — they bad-mouthed Devers after the deal, saying he had “not lived up to his responsibilities” by refusing to switch positions midseason. A team source also lamented what Devers’ actions would do to a club “increasingly reliant on young, impressionable players.” Won’t someone think of the Red Sox children!
(Note: The Red Sox were “increasingly reliant” on young players because they didn’t want to pay Mookie Betts or Xander Bogaerts.)
Find a wife
Hatteberg’s wife, Elizabeth, helped him prepare for his position change by hitting grounders to him off a tee at a tennis court near their home. However, Devers does not have a wife, so he’ll have to get someone else to do it. Is Bob Melvin busy? Does Devers live near a tennis court? If Devers chooses to seek out the wife first, it’s possible that Washington is not the right man to help with his Hinge profile.
Become a pickin’ machine
According to Chapter 8 of “Moneyball,” titled: “Scott Hatteberg: Pickin’ Machine,” Washington spent the six weeks of spring training in 2002 encouraging Hatteberg as he learned the new position. Every time Hatteberg dug a throw out of the dirt, Washington would yell, “Pickin’ machine!”
Is Devers really going to be worse than some of the Oakland first basemen Washington had to work with before? This is a group that included both Jason and Jeremy Giambi (R.I.P.), Olmedo Sáenz, Matt Stairs, and John Jaha. The bar for becoming una máquina recolectora is not too high.
Receive huge from Buster Posey
Obviously, this is the pinnacle of success every San Francisco Giants aims for.
Luis Arraez
Probably would not have been signed by 2002 Billy Beane.
As for Bryce Eldridge in left field… look, Wash is only in charge of the infield and he can only do so much.
The Minnesota Twins signed three-time All-Star reliever Liam Hendriks to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training on Thursday.
Hendriks, who turned 37 on Tuesday, made his major league debut with the Twins on Sept. 6, 2011, and appeared in 30 games from 2011-13 before finding great success and dealing with much adversity in his career.
The right-hander appeared in just 14 games last season with the Boston Red Sox, going 0-2 with a 6.59 ERA, seven walks and 12 strikeouts in 13 ⅓ innings.
The native of Australia went on the injured list with right hip inflammation, suffered a setback and missed the rest of the season. He had a right elbow ulnar nerve transposition procedure in September and became a free agent in November.
Hendriks underwent treatment for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in early 2023 and made his debut that season on May 29 for the Chicago White Sox. But he pitched in only five games – going 2-0 with one save and a 5.40 ERA in five innings – before an elbow injury required Tommy John surgery and led to a lost 2024 campaign for rehabilitation.
For his career, Hendriks is 33-36 with 116 saves, a 3.88 ERA, 166 walks and 739 strikeouts in 663 2/3 innings over 490 regular-season games (44 starts) for the Twins, Kansas City Royals (2014), Toronto Blue Jays (2014-15), Oakland Athletics (2016-20), White Sox (2021-23) and Red Sox (2025).
From 2019 to 2022, Hendriks was selected to three All-Star Games and in the other year, 2020 with Oakland, he finished ninth in the American League Cy Young Award voting and 13th for AL Most Valuable Player.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - FEBRUARY 11: Cooper Kupp #10 of the Seattle Seahawks celebrates with fans during the Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl LX victory celebration and parade at Lumen Field on February 11, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As a child in Catholic school I was taught the difference between want and need. Needs: food, shelter, water, clean air to breathe. Wants were everything else, always tinged with a suspicion of selfishness. The implication was clear: wants were excessive, amoral, ungodly. So as a kid I never asked at a birthday party for the piece of cake I wanted, the one thick with frosted flowers; if the person cutting the cake handed me that slice, a tacit reward for being so altruistic, so agreeable, such a good girl, so be it, but I wouldn’t make my mouth say the words. I learned over time how to push down want and shape it into something acceptable, something that took just enough to satisfy a desire but didn’t dare ask for more.
But yesterday, standing in a rain of blue and green confetti, watching the Seahawks victory parade, that want surged up suddenly, an aching feeling in my chest that was so acute I literally had to breathe around it.
Because I want this for the Mariners. So badly. I want the streets to be full of Mariners jerseys. For confetti in Northwest Green. For MVP chants to follow Cal Raleigh down the street, carrying an award earned in a ballroom and not in the court of public opinion. I want that compass rose S, something that has signified so much pain over the years as we’ve watched it sink lower in the standings, flying from every flag on every building.
I want the Mariners players to get to wave from their own custom-wrapped double decker buses. For J.P. Crawford, who has seen this organization and fanbase through so much, has had the captaincy passed down to him, has grown into a husband and father here, to get to wave to his adopted city. For Julio Rodríguez, who has not always been treated kindly by the city he threw both arms around to adopt, to have a moment of pure, untarnished joy. For the core of young pitchers who put their bodies on the line every night and push past pain and exhaustion, who push each other to be better, to have a moment to relax and take it all in. I want Josh Naylor to feel like he made a good choice, signing himself in partnership with this city for the next half-decade.
And I want the Mariners front office and staff members and clubhouse attendants and nutritionists and mental skills coaches and all the hundreds of people who touch the on-field product without ever being seen to get their due praise other than the tepid applause of a hurriedly-read list of names on Opening Day. Justin Novak the bullpen catcher who has a t-shirt for each member of the roster, even if he has to special-order some of them from Etsy. Ally the nutritionist who curates game-day snack boxes and smoothie flavors of the day written in a sunny penmanship that tempt grumpy professional athletes into taking care of themselves. Kaz the manual therapist who trained with Cirque de Soleil, taking care of bent and battered bodies. Pete the beloved clubhouse attendant who brings in a bucket of his own personal Halloween candy the last series of the season. All these people deserve their flowers, and not just on Opening Day.
I want this for Jerry Dipoto and Justin Hollander, proof their plan has worked, that the gambles and risks they’ve taken—or not taken—have been correct. For ownership to be rewarded for making a financial investment in the team, to realize that winning baseball is profitable and fun. I want this for Dan Wilson and the fierce protective love he feels over his players, all that he pours into them with no expectation of getting anything back. For all the nights after losses we walked by his office and saw him sitting in his chair staring into the middle distance, processing but in pain.
I want this for Rick Rizzs. Before he retires, while he is still the primary play-by-play voice of the Seattle Mariners, and our remaining direct link to Dave Niehaus, who never got the privilege of calling a World Series game. I want it, too, for all the broadcasters who have to make a good broadcast out of a bad game. (And maybe, selfishly, for the media members who have to do the same.)
But really I want it for the fans. For the people who haven’t quit on this franchise despite years of ineptitude, frustrating losses, head-scratching decisions, embarrassing meltdowns by members of the organization. All the shame we’ve carried over the years with this team, on the field and off. I want this for the people who know baseball isn’t boring, who drag friends to games and make them care about our sport, and grow the fanbase one soul at a time. For Mariners fans to get to feel the connection Seahawks fans felt yesterday, united in joy, the crowd shouting as one, bouncing chants up and down the street on a cold winter’s day. Right now that kind of connection feels so precious, a way of being in the world that isn’t complicated or fraught but just joyful, being in community with each other.
Last year I was not sad about the outcome of the ALCS. No, that’s not right—I wouldn’t let myself be sad. Because sadness meant wanting more than I felt like I had the right to ask for. It was a historic run by one of the best Mariners teams we’ve ever seen. It was logistically implausible, considering where they started the season, and yet came so close to being possible. It was enough that they made it this far. It was enough.
Now I know. It was not enough.
That became clear during the post-season media meeting, where eyes were still wet and the pain was still palpable. It sharpened over Fan Fest, the collective low-grade fury over the way the season ended and the steely determination to do better. It honed into a clear point with the trade for Brendan Donovan, slotting in the missing piece in a game the Mariners are determined not to lose again.
It’s scary, wanting things. Wanting opens you up to being vulnerable, exposed, hurt and disappointed. It feels bone-deep selfish: who am I to want this more than anyone else? I have always believed in parity, in fairness. No one gets everything. Be happy with what you’re given by grace and don’t ask for a second serving.
But I want. Want is a noun and a verb that answers itself: the lack of the thing (want, noun) creates the need for the thing (want, verb). And it’s time to make peace with that, to reframe it not as greed, and not as something owed, but purely as an object of desire. At Fan Fest, George Kirby spoke about how he and his fiancee practice manifestation, speaking things into existence (George, I have a feeling, never had trouble asking for what piece of cake he wanted). Because that is how it starts: Naming a thing, and being honest about it, is the first step to bringing it to you, to making it yours.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 09: Zac Gallen #23 of the Arizona Diamondbacks reacts after striking out Freddie Freeman #5 of the Los Angeles Dodgers to end the fifth inning in Game Two of the Division Series at Dodger Stadium on October 09, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
San Diego Padres general manager A.J. Preller has found himself in a bind year after year when it comes to starting pitching, and every year he has managed to eke his way out. He traded for Sean Manaea just before the beginning of the 2022 season, signed free agent Michael Wacha in ‘23, traded for Michael King and signed Dylan Cease in ‘24, and signed Nick Pivetta in ‘25. Each time, Preller has found creative ways to attain reliable starting pitching. Unfortunately, he may be unable to swindle his way out of trouble this year.
With a lack of trade candidates (and an even greater lack of payroll flexibility), Preller could be out of options. That being said, the creative GM has never shied away from bold moves in the past and it’s unlikely he’ll stop now, even when faced with his thus far absent contract extension.
In light of the news that the Padres lost out on Chris Bassitt to the Baltimore Orioles, as well as veteran Justin Verlander to the Detroit Tigers, here are a few possible additions (from least to most expensive) Preller might make in the coming weeks prior to Opening Day.
Patrick Corbin
The 36-year-old veteran had a solid year with the Texas Rangers in 2025, finishing with a 4.40 ERA through 30 starts. What he lacks in elite stuff he makes up for in durability. Since 2017, Corbin has made 30 or more starts every year, apart from the shortened 2020 season. His ability to consistently take the mound is something the Padres desperately need.
Corbin was the definition of league average in ‘25, with a 1.36 WHIP and 131 strikeouts. He’s unlikely to give the Friars a flashy front-end starter, but he will give San Diego exactly what they are looking for: reliable depth in their starting pitching.
Right now, FanGraphs projects the Padres’ depth chart in starting pitching to be 26th in MLB based on WAR (wins above replacement), with only the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago White Sox, Washington Nationals and Colorado Rockies having worse projections. Those are not teams San Diego wants to grouped with if they’re seeking to contend in ‘26. They need solid depth, and Patrick Corbin can give it for a reasonable price.
Zack Littell
The journeyman righty found himself splitting time in 2025 between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Cincinnati Reds. Littell has been on five teams in only eight years of MLB service time. After spending the first five years of his career as a reliever, Littell converted to a full-time starter after being traded to the Rays during the 2023 season and exceeded expectations. He finished the year with a 3.93 ERA across 26 games (14 starts) in Tampa Bay. He has yet to post an ERA over 4.00 since converting to the starter role, finishing ‘25 with a career-best 3.81 mark.
Littell would likely be more expensive than Corbin, given his younger age and reliable track record as a starter. But it could be worth it to offer him a creative multi-year deal similar to how the Padres structured Pivetta’s deal last season.
If San Diego were to pick up Littell, he would represent a middle-of-the rotation starter who could take pressure off Joe Musgrove as he makes his return from Tommy John surgery. This addition would immediately give the club breathing room in their depth chart, giving Musgrove time to acclimate in his return to pitching.
Zac Gallen
This is the big one. The former ace who helped the Arizona Diamondbacks make it to the World Series in 2023. By his standards, Gallen is coming off a down year, which is the only thing making it even remotely possible San Diego signs him. He ended 2025 with a 4.83 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP, but the underlying metrics paint the picture that the ace that finished 5th in NL Cy Young voting in 2022 is still there.
While it’s incredibly (almost ridiculously) unlikely that the Padres sign Gallen, especially amidst rumors that his market is heating up and he’d like to return to the Diamondbacks, anything’s possible with Preller in the general manager’s chair.
Maybe Arizona moves on from Gallen or the Padres offer him a player-friendly contract with opt-outs like they did with King earlier this year. Perhaps Preller swings a trade at the last minute to free up payroll and then offers Gallen a short-term deal with a higher AAV.
The long and short of it is this, the Friars need quality pitching if they’re going to contend in 2026. As good as the bullpen is, they need consistent starters to cover five-plus innings each game. Otherwise relievers are going to get taxed fast, and pretty soon that bullpen — no matter how elite it is — will look sluggish from overuse. It’s hard to say where the Padres will go from here but one thing is for sure: they’re running out of time to make a move.
Nick Castellanos #8 of the Philadelphia Phillies looks on against the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park on August 31, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The Yankees were talked out of pursuing Nick Castellanos.
The team looked into trading for the Phillies slugger earlier this offseason, but backed off after receiving mixed reviews, according to The Post’s Jon Heyman.
Instead, the Yankees brought back Paul Goldschmidt, who will serve as a right-handed bat off the bench and spell the lefty-swinging Ben Rice at first base.
Nick Castellanos #8 of the Philadelphia Phillies runs back to the dugout out between innings during a baseball game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on August 15, 2025 in Washington, DC. Getty Images
Castellanos, who was released by the Phillies on Thursday after a turbulent 2025 season, could be a fit for the Padres, Jays, A’s, Rangers, Royals and Reds, per Heyman.
The veteran outfielder/designated hitter, who turns 34 next month, posted full-season lows with a .250 average and an on-base percentage of .294.
And he wasn’t exactly a model citizen in the locker room.
After his release, Castellanos admitted on Instagram to bringing a beer into the Phillies’ dugout after being removed from a game in Miami last June.
At the time, Phillies manager Rob Thomson said his benching in the next game had to do with an “inappropriate comment.”
In August, Castellanos appeared to call out Thomson, saying there was “no conversation” with his manager after he was pulled from a game for the slick-fielding Harrison Bader.
Shortly after the Phillies were eliminated by the Dodgers in the NLDS, Castellanos was rumored to be heading out of Philadelphia.
Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham now gets to add "team owner" to his resume.
Cunningham has purchased a minority stake in MLB's Texas Rangers, as reported by ESPN's Shams Charania. It was not clear how big of a stake in the team Cunningham has bought.
Born and raised in Arlington, Texas – home of the Rangers franchise since it relocated from Washington in 1972 – Cunningham grew up rooting for Texas teams and even threw out the first pitch at a Rangers game on July 2, 2025. The Rangers have been owned and operated by Rangers Baseball Express since 2011, with Ray C. Davis serving as the team's chairman and majority owner.
Cunningham isn't the only active NBA player with a stake in a major sports team, with Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James owning a stake in Fenway Sports Group (owner of MLB's Boston Red Sox and the EPL's Liverpool FC) and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetoukounmpo owning a stake in MLB's Milwaukee Brewers.
Now in his fifth NBA season with the Pistons, Cunningham has made his second-straight All-Star Team and is looking to lead the first-place Pistons back to the NBA Finals for the first time since the 2004-05 season.
Those were Kiké Hernández's own words when he broke the news on his Instagram Thursday morning that he was re-signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The defending back-to-back World Series champions also announced a one-year extension of third baseman Max Muncy's contract. As had been mostly expected all offseason, the two stalwart veterans are re-joining the Dodgers just ahead of spring training.
In a corresponding move, the Dodgers placed right-handed pitcher Evan Phillips on the 60-day injured list.
"[Three] in a row has a nice ring to it," Hernández said in his post, accompanied by a picture of him at the Dodgers' World Series parade from November.
According to multiple reports, Hernández's deal is for one-year, $4.5 million. The longtime fan favorite at Dodger Stadium underwent surgery on his left elbow over the offseason and is not expected to be ready for Opening Day, which is part of the reason he and the Dodgers waited until spring to get the contract done. That way, the club could place him on the 60-day IL and keep a 40-man roster spot open.
The 34-year-old utilityman's numbers during the regular season declined in 2025 -- his .621 OPS was a career-low -- but the legend of "October Kiké" once again rose to the occasion. Starting in 17 postseason games, Hernández put together multiple clutch performances, including back-to-back multi-hit games in the Wild Card and a crucial two-run double as the Dodgers rallied to beat the Philadelphia Phillies in game one of the NLDS.
But his biggest moment -- maybe of his career -- came in Game 6 of the World Series when Hernández possibly saved the Dodgers season when he turned a game-ending double play with the bases loaded on a running catch in left field that he immediately threw to Miguel Rojas at second base to force a game seven.
“October Kiké is something pretty special,” manager Dave Roberts said at the time. “And the track record speaks for itself. Throughout history, he's one of the best throughout history of the postseason.”
Max Muncy contract details
Muncy, the longest-tenured Dodger, is now guaranteed through his age-37 season after agreeing to a team-friendly extension. He's set to earn $7 million in 2027 with a $10 million option for 2028. Muncy has long been open about his desire to remain with the Dodgers -- who signed him to a Minor League deal in 2017 after he was designated for assignment by the Oakland Athletics and has since turned into a shining model of the Dodgers' player development -- for the rest of his career, and this deal seems like it could get him there.
Muncy has played in just 173 games over the last two seasons due to injuries. But like Hernández, he played his best ball in October. His best moment came in the ninth inning of game two of the NLDS when he and Mookie Betts ran the wheel play to perfection to get Nick Castellanos out at third base.
In game two of the NLCS against the Milwaukee Brewers, Muncy took a fastball deep to straightaway center field for his 14th career postseason home run, breaking the Dodgers' franchise record. He would go on to hit two more in October, putting his mark at 16 for now.
"It means a lot to me," Muncy said in October. "The Dodgers are a franchise that has been around for a very, very long time. A lot of very successful players have played in this organization. And to be able to break that record is kind of huge for me."
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 06: Nick Castellanos #8 of the Philadelphia Phillies looks on after hitting a two-RBI double against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the ninth inning in game two of the National League Division Series at Citizens Bank Park on October 06, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Philadelphia Phillies have released outfielder Nick Castellanos, per multiple reports. Castellanos had one year left on the five year, $100 million deal he signed with the Phillies prior to 2022 season.
It had been a given that the Phillies were not going to open camp with Castellanos still on the team, and the only question was whether they could find someone to take Castellanos and pay a small portion of the $20 million he is owed in 2026, or if they’d end up simply cutting him. In his four seasons with the Phillies, Castellanos slashed .260/.306/.426 and put up a 1.3 bWAR.
We had previously talked about the possibility of the Rangers taking a look at Castellanos as a potential platoon DH when he hit the market. However, this piece in the Athletic by Matt Gelb, where Gelb says that “many teammates had come to resent Castellanos for his attitude” even before he sat in the dugout in a June game in Miami drinking a beer while displaying his displeasure at being lifted for defense late in the game. Gelb also paints a picture of a player who views himself as a star and is unhappy if he is not being treated like one, and not wanting to accept a part-time role.
So yeah, thinking that’s a no on Castellanos for the Rangers.
TAMPA — It only took a day for the first injury concern of Yankees camp to pop up, even if they insist it is not much of a concern at all.
Cam Schlittler is dealing with mid-back inflammation that he is also feeling in his left lat, the right-hander said Thursday, though he described his level of concern as “zero” and claimed the Yankees are just being cautious by keeping him off the mound for a few days.
Last year’s breakout star indicated he has been dealing with the issue for a few weeks, but he will continue to throw on flat ground and hopes to get back on the mound for a bullpen session by next week.
“It’s just so insignificant,” Schlittler said at Steinbrenner Field. “It’s very minor. We’re just taking some precautions for a few days and that’s really it. … . I’ve been dealing with it for a little bit, so just want to make sure I’m on top of it and ready for Opening Day and that week in San [Francisco].”
Cam Schlittler throws during a workout on Feb. 12, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
The Yankees are already set to open the season with Carlos Rodón, Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt on the injured list, and while they say they feel good about their starting depth, they can ill afford to lose Schlittler on top of all that.
There have been some examples in recent years of the Yankees initially downplaying an injury only for it to turn into something more serious, so while back inflammation sounds harmless enough in the middle of February, it will bear watching in the coming days as Schittler tries to return to building up for the regular season.
The 25-year-old, who posted a 2.96 ERA in 14 starts last season before dazzling against the Red Sox in the American League wild-card series, recently got tests done on his back that came back with “good news,” manager Aaron Boone said.
“Just want to make sure we don’t turn this into something else,” Boone said. “He’s felt a little tweak here and there, but has been doing his lives. He’s already done two [innings] in lives, so I don’t think it’ll slow him that much.”
Boone and Schlittler both said the righty was already ahead of other pitchers in his progression, having faced hitters multiple times.
If he is able to get back on the mound by next week and advance without issues, he still should have plenty of time to start the season on time.
“That setback, it’s really minor in terms of the longevity when you’re looking to throw a full season,” said Schlittler, who has been working out here for about a month. “There’s really no concern or worries when it comes to that stuff.”
The Yankees are banking on Schlittler being a staple in their rotation and building off what he did last year after being called up midseason to make his MLB debut as an injury replacement for Schmidt.
He delivered beyond expectations, after having started the year at Double-A, and punctuated his season mowing down the Red Sox with a memorable 12-strikeout gem in the playoffs.
“I feel like I found my identity a little bit those last three outings I had,” Schlittler said. “It took two months up there to really figure out how I need to pitch and all that. For me, it’s just the routine and making sure I’m taking care of myself on and off the field. Going out there with what I learned at the end of last season and really taking off.”
The potential of having Schlittler pitch a full season is part of the reason why the Yankees are so high on what their rotation could give them this year, especially once Rodón and Cole return.
Now they just need this “minor” back issue to remain minor so he can have the chance to deliver on that promise.
“I came in here last spring training kind of as a no one, prospect, whatever it was,” Schlittler said. “But I was really trying to learn things. Come in here, get my work in. It was more of an experience last year. Now I feel like being over here, I’ve earned that role and I’m going to go out there, I know exactly what I need to do. When these games come up, I’ll work on things and prepare for the season.”
CLEARWATER, Fla. — The Philadelphia Phillies released outfielder Nick Castellanos on Thursday after the team was unable to make a deal to trade him. Castellanos then revealed he was benched last season after bringing beer into the dugout during a game.
The team wanted the situation resolved before its first full-squad workout at spring training, which is Monday.
Castellanos was benched last season after he made what Phillies manager Rob Thomson described as “ an inappropriate comment ” after he was pulled for a defensive replacement. Castellanos said in September that communication with Thomson had been “ questionable, at least in my experience.”
On Thursday, Castellanos posted a hand-written note on social media explaining an incident in Miami that preceded his benching. He said he brought beer into the dugout after being taken out of a game and complained to Thomson about team rules. He said teammates took the beer away before he drank any.
Afterward, he went into the office with Thomson and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski.
“We aired out our differences and the conversation ended with me apologizing for letting my emotions get the best of me,” Castellanos said, adding that he was benched the next game as punishment.
Castellanos, who turns 34 on March 4, hit .250 with 17 homers and 72 RBIs in 147 games for the NL East champions last year. He was going into the final season of a $100 million, five-year contract, but Dombrowski said Monday the Phillies were talking to other teams about him.
Adolis García is expected to replace Castellanos in right field after he signed a $10 million, one-year contract with Philadelphia in December.
After Castellanos’ release was announced by the team, the veteran outfielder acknowledged bringing a beer into the dugout after being removed from a game in Miami last June.
That led to Castellanos being benched the following game by Phillies manager Rob Thomson, who said at the time the outfielder was being punished for an “inappropriate comment” in the dugout, something the 33-year-old Castellanos addressed Thursday.
He sectioned this part of the note, “Miami Incident.”
Nick Castellanos is pictured during the Phillies’ Aug. 15 game. Getty Images
“As a veteran of the game of baseball, there are rules, and I broke one in Miami,” Castellanos posted on Instagram. “After being taken out of a close ball game in front of my friends and family, I brought a presedente [sic] into the dugout. I then sat right next to Rob and let him know that too much slack in some areas and too tight of restrictions in others are not conducive to us winning. Shoutout to my teammates and Howie [Kendrick, assistant GM, who was in the dugout] for taking the beer out of my hands before I could take a sip. (I appreciate you guys).”
His benching made headlines at the time, in part, because Castellanos had a 236-game starting streak prior to the incident. He also grew up in the suburbs of Miami.
Castellanos, who has played 13 years in the majors, has one year and $20 million remaining on a five-year, $100 million deal he signed after coming off a career-best year in Cincinnati in 2021.
Castellanos also played parts of seven seasons with the Tigers.
His time with the Phillies didn’t go well, although he was an All-Star in 2023.
Castellanos’ production fell off sharply following that season and his departure from Philadelphia was almost a foregone conclusion, especially when the team signed Adolis Garcia this past offseason.
Team president Dave Dombrowski said of Castellanos during the offseason “sometimes a change of scenery can be beneficial for people.”
He was reportedly told not to report to spring training and there was no locker for him at the team’s spring training facility in Clearwater, Fla.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - AUGUST 07: Dominic Canzone #8 of the Seattle Mariners hits an RBI single to win the game in eleven innings against the Chicago White Sox at T-Mobile Park on August 07, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. The Seattle Mariners won 4-3 in eleventh innings. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images) | Getty Images
At two on the ante meridium, you’ll find me asleep.
Most nights, this is no guarantee. Fiddling and futzing, filming and flamming, the unobserved hours of night offer me nourishing ease for my brain’s constructive efforts. It’s your fault, really, and Dominic Canzone is one of you, to be so damned compelling that in the decades I’ve determined my own bedtime that I’m rarely able to quell my mind until most of my world is at rest. But I’ve endeavored, dare I say vowed, to sleep soundly tonight. And for this, Canzone must be confronted on his terms: over the heart of the plate, in the light of day.
It’s a terrible gameplan for retiring the 28 year old Buckeye, whose outstanding second half caulked the corner outfield gap left by the injury-ridden seasons of Victor Robles and Luke Raley, as well as the better-the-sooner-we’re-rid-of-him Leody Taveras experiment. Canzone’s zone of influence is over the plate’s inner half, where his lean, wristy swing can deliver maximum impact with his whiplash hacks. Five of his 11 big flies came middle-in last year, and seven were on the inner half overall – just a single one was on the outer third of the plate. When Canzone connects, it’s thunderous.
Julio’s seemingly-annual second-half surge was a massive part of Seattle’s blistering finish to the season, but Canzone’s scalding September and solid season overall played a mighty role as well. Expected to take a strong-side platoon, if not near-daily role in the 2026 lineup between DH and corner outfield, Canzone was on the outside looking in (with glasses) at this time a year ago. Defensively limited, Canzone was a bat-first platoon man who wasn’t batting. A series of adjustments to his stance and approach, as well as improved health and the opportunity provided by the injuries to Victor Robles and Luke Raley were all necessary to put Canzone back into Seattle’s plans.
Canzone’s quality improved last year with some good fortune: a .354 BABIP that is the dream of the shift-banners, rewarding a hitter who seeks to pull the ball with authority. But accomplishing this task also came on significant strides in his approach. Those mechanical changes seem to have made major strides, with Canzone improving his average bat speed on his swing while lowering the length of his swing. That’s not unheard of, but broadly speaking, bat speed is its best in longer swings, a give and take of impact authority in exchange for adjustability – e.g. Giancarlo Stanton constantly leads the league in average bat speed, but is an infamous whiff risk when contact is not made.
Ryan explored Canzone’s numbers in depth earlier this winter, which I implore you to read, because it gets at why Canzone is not like Stanton, nor even a more comparable feast or famine slugger in the same bat speed range: Teoscar Hernandez. Despite eschewing free passes to a deleterious degree, Canzone is able seemingly to better dominate the inner half of the zone while at least getting a piece of pitches he needs to spoil. In 2025, the slugger who will anchor a plucky Team Italy roster in the World Baseball Classic in less than a month struck out less than the league average, and whiffed barely a tick above the median.
In a slightly more ideal roster, Canzone could be confidently slated to DH for the Mariners heading into 2026. There’s not much sugar-coating Dom’s defensive shortcomings. He runs slowly, has a strong but inconsistent arm, and looks like a student of Randy Arozarena more than Julio or Victor Robles in his routes. In 2025, Canzone was dependent on the performance of others to have a chance at playing a role in the big leagues. This year, a major role has been earned, but the shape of it remains to be seen, ranging from platoon bat to full-time DH/RF given the small gains Canzone showed against southpaws.
Canzone will likely have to see what Robles can deliver this spring, as his fellow 28 year old is unequivocally a defensive superior who can allow Julio to better shade to cover his DH-worthy compatriot in left. Wherever he plays, however, Canzone has earned his way back into the center of the plan, well lit and looking forward.
Nick Castellanos' time with the Philadelphia Phillies came to an end on Thursday, Feb. 12 with his release as the team began to gather for spring training.
The former Phillies outfielder wasted no time in penning a four-page handwritten letter, which he shared on his Instagram account, following the news of the release.
In the letter, Castellanos addressed Philadelphia fans and made an admission about the events that led to his eventual release, which he called the "Miami incident."
"As a veteran of the game of baseball, there are rules, and I broke one in Miami," Castellanos wrote. "After being taken out of a close ball game in front of my friends and family, I brought a Presidente (beer) into the dugout. I then sat right next to Rob and let him know that too much slack in some areas and too tight of restrictions in others are not conducive to us winning."
Castellanos said his teammates prevented him from taking a sip.
Nick Castellanos posted a goodbye on IG to Philly fans as well as an explanation of the “Miami incident” with Rob Thomson when he was benched. pic.twitter.com/6HGWT7ULaf
The incident Castellanos refers to happened on June 16, 2025, in a game against NL East rival Miami Marlins. During a 5-2 Phillies win over the Marlins, manager Rob Thomson removed Castellanos in the eighth inning for defensive replacement Johan Rojas.
With Castellanos being from Davie, Florida, being just over 20 miles from Marlins Park, he took exception to being removed from the game. The next day, Thomson and the Phillies announced Castellanos was being benched for making an "inappropriate comment."
"One of the many things about Nick that I love is that he's very emotional," Thomson said. "He loves to play, and he loves to play every inning of every game. I just thought last night he made an inappropriate comment after he came out, and so today, he's not going to play. And I'm going to leave it at that."
Castellanos revealed on Feb. 12 that it was not only his comments, but also his actions that led to his benching.
Despite the troubles near the end of his Phillies career, he showed an appreciation to the city and the fans in part of the letter he shared on social media.
"To the people of city, thank you for showing up for the past four years," Castellanos wrote. "Applauding or booing, you were there."
Feb 10, 2026; North Port, FL, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Spencer Strider (99) works out during spring training workouts. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
The good news for the Atlanta Braves as we continue to progress through the early portions of spring training is that two days of camp have come and gone and the Braves haven’t had anybody else go on the 60-Day IL. Here’s hoping that this continues long into spring training, the World Baseball Classic and the regular season as well, since the last thing this ballclub needs is a repeat of the injury struggles that this team has gone through for the past couple of seasons now.
That is especially true for the starting rotation, which suffered some astonishing bad luck during last year’s regular season campaign. There’s already been a bad omen of that bad luck lingering into this season after we got wind of the news earlier this week that Spencer Schwellenbach will be starting the season on the 60-Day IL. A fully-healthy rotation would’ve gone a long way towards bringing the Braves back into relevancy as far as the Postseason is concerned and already they could be missing Schwellenbach for who-knows-how-long.
As such, the need for some more starting pitching has come under the magnifying glass once again. Earlier this week, Sam Peebles talked about some outside-of-the-box trade options that the Braves could pursue when it comes to fortifying their rotation. That’s certainly a route the Braves could go down, especially considering that there’s a bit of a murky idea as to just how much the Braves are going to be willing to spend as the season gets closer and closer.
As of right now (according to FanGraphs), the Braves are currently committed to paying $264 million towards their payroll in 2026, which would be good for a Top 10 payroll in all of baseball and sixth place, to be exact. Atlanta was pushing for a Top Five payroll and as of right now, they’re going to come up short as they trail the Blue Jays and Phillies, who are spending $281 million and $284 million, respectively.
While we know that they’re not going to go into Dodgers/Mets territory any time soon (the Yankees, Mets and Dodgers are the only teams currently spending over $300 million, with the Dodgers being closer to $400 million. Phew.), there is a question as to how much the Braves are going to spend over what they’re already planning on spending right now. MLB Insider Ken Rosenthal recently went on Foul Territory TV to discuss the situation for the Braves from a financial standpoint and he didn’t seem to indicate that the Braves were going to be super aggressive in adding to their rotation going forward.
“I don’t know if it changes anything for them financially,” said Rosenthal when he was asked about the Braves potentially hitting up the free agent market for a starter. “They were going to spend what they were going to spend, and the guys out there right now were only going to get a certain amount.” He did mention that one of the options for Atlanta was Zac Gallen but he also made sure to mention that the fact that Gallen comes alongside the potential penalty of the Qualifying Offer as a potential stumbling block to the Braves going after him.
“The one thing that is a little bit different with them, and they’ve been unwilling to deal with this due to the qualifying offer situation, is the loss of a draft pick,” stated Rosenthal. ”The pick they would lose is No. 26 overall, that’s kind of a high pick to lose, and they’ve been reluctant to do that. They would do it for the right pitcher. I don’t know if Zac Gallen on a short-term deal is that pitcher and I still expect him to go back to Arizona.”
Lucas Giolito is also still out there and he was previously linked to the Braves along with Chris Bassitt — though Bassitt is now off of the table after the Orioles snapped him up on a pretty reasonable deal. Whether the Braves decide to pursue Giolito, they actually decide to say [bleep] that pick and go for Gallen or if they potentially trade for a. hurler, the point is that Atlanta’s going to need to take some action here.
I’m not trying to pick on Bryce Elder here but again, things will probably not be going well around here if Elder is among the team leaders in innings pitched. Of course, things could go well for the Braves from a health standpoint but that’s a pretty big “if” for this ballclub right now. Chris Sale has always been an injury risk, Spencer Strider is still trying to figure things out after coming back his most recent elbow surgery, Reynaldo López certainly has questions about his durability and all we can do is hope that Grant Holmes will remain steady as he returns from elbow issues of his own — and it’s not even a guarantee that Holmes will be a starter going forward.
– Grant Holmes is back to 100%. Says rehab went great. Spent it here in Florida. Went to the beach a lot. – Ozzie is 100%. Has something to prove. His fish are doing great. – Drake Baldwin enjoyed rookie of the year off-season. Very locked in.
The starting rotation sure could do with some fortification and maybe we’ll have to see the Braves either dip into the free agency market or swing a trade somehow. Either way, the Schwellenbach injury could serve as a wake-up call to make sure that the front office knows that the job’s not done yet when it comes to making sure this team will be solid going forward.
I’m sure they’re working hard and keeping their eyes peeled for anything that may materialize (and this front office with Alex Anthopoulos at the top still deserves the benefit of the doubt based on past achievements and transactions) but time’s of the essence. Let’s hope that this rotation gets fortified soon and in a way that’s conducive to the club’s success going forward.
