Category: MLB

PHOENIX –– Turns out, not everybody in baseball reviles the Los Angeles Dodgers’ record-breaking spending.

On Sunday morning, two of the game’s biggest veterans, Bryce Harper of the Phillies and ex-Dodger Manny Machado now of the San Diego Padres, were asked about trying to compete with the defending two-time World Series champions.

And rather than voicing the typical complaints –– about how the Dodgers are ruining baseball, and disrupting competitive balance with their $400 million-plus payroll –– the two sluggers struck a decidedly different, almost defiant tone.

“I f–king love it,” Machado told reporters at Padres camp. “I love it. I mean, honestly, I think every team should be doing it. They’ve figured out a way to do it, and it’s f–king great for the game.”

“I love what the Dodgers do, honestly,” Harper echoed at Phillies camp. “They pay the money. They spend the money. They’re a great team. They run their team like a business. And they run it the right way.”

In much the same way the Dodgers have downplayed external critiques over their roster construction in recent years, they didn’t indulge in Sunday’s contrasting comments from Harper and Machado, either.

“I don’t really pay any attention to that at all,” Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said later Sunday morning at Camelback Ranch. “We’re not looking externally. The validation is winning championships and putting out as good a team as you can each and every year.”

Still, the points Harper and Machado raised illustrate another perspective about the Dodgers that many in the sport quietly maintain.

Both argued that other teams (and, reading between the lines, ownership groups) have the capabilities to challenge the Dodgers better and replicate their organizational approach.

“I think every team has the ability to do it,” Machado said. “So, I hope all 30 teams can learn from that.” 

“Each team in baseball has an opportunity to do the same thing,” Harper added. “Maybe not at the upper echelon of money. But they can draft, they can develop, they can trade. I don’t know, I think a lot of teams can do that in baseball. And they should.”

Harper further highlighted the Dodgers’ developmental system, calling it something “people don’t look at” when complaining about the club.

“Their draft and their development is unbelievable,” he said. “Then they trade those guys for big-name guys, and they can spend the money. So I don’t know, it bothers me when everybody talks about, ‘The Dodgers are spending money.’ No, they draft, they develop, they do it the right way, they understand what it takes to be the best team in baseball.”

Gomes cited that kind of organizational harmony when reviewing the team’s latest blockbuster winter on Sunday. He said that while the team was “in the fortunate position to be able to acquire guys that fit really well” this winter –– referencing the arrivals of Kyle Tucker and Edwin Díaz –– he also noted “those guys being able to choose here, I think, speaks to (our) culture.”

The Dodgers were a topic elsewhere around the baseball world Sunday, including at Arizona’s spring camp, where Diamondbacks owner Ken kendrick was also asked about trying to compete with them as a National League West division rival.

Kendrick didn’t deny the Dodgers’ current standing atop the sport, calling them the “900-pound gorilla” in MLB’s current hierarchy.

However, he also sidestepped any criticisms over their spending, instead making the case that “the way it works in the jungle, the gorilla doesn’t win every fight.”

That, fittingly, is the same message the Dodgers have been preaching among themselves so far in camp. They know how the rest of the sport views them. They know they are expected to complete a World Series three-peat. But they also know they’re not invincible –– that for however much money they spend, baseball still offers no guarantees.

“I don’t know,” Gomes said when asked if he believes in so-called World Series hangovers. “I mean we did OK last year. I wouldn’t say we played our best baseball all year. But I think a lot of it is coming in, making sure our guys are focused. It’s incumbent upon all of us to continue to mind the little things and make sure that the attention to detail is there so there is no drop-off in intensity.”

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There’s only one real way to make the current situation work, and that involves the Astros giving in to Yordan Alvarez’ desires.

We have reached a point that seemed impossible to navigate all offseason. The Houston Astros have fully opened Spring Training and both Isaac Paredes and Christian Walker are still on the team.

It has been a foregone conclusion one of the two would have been traded for other needs on the roster by the time Spring Training expanded to more than just pitchers and catchers. Yet, here we are.

Throughout interviews, all of the Astros players who could potentially be impacted by the infield logjam have towed the company line, saying they are only focused on playing their best and that everything else is up to management. They also all want to play everyday, and based on the plans laid out thus far by manager Joe Espada that doesn’t seem to be feasible.

Unless… Yordan Alvarez gets his way and gets to play LF a lot more?

The Astros seem to be suggesting more DH days for Yordan Alvarez than Left Field this season.

When Jason Bristol asked if how he feels about playing less in the field changes as he gets further into his career, Yordan didn’t flinch:

“It depends how you look at it… I’ve never… pic.twitter.com/NHxYGxLS8u

— Kim Davis (@kimydavis) February 15, 2026

It’s a point that has been made many times by both myself and my show partner Shaun Bijani on AREA45 on Sportsradio 610. Yordan has never gotten hurt playing the field, and he WANTS to play the field.

Now, Yordan does not grade well as an outfielder because he has very limited range, however he does have a strong and accurate arm. If the team was willing to try to live with Jose Altuve in LF, surely it can live with Yordan Alvarez in LF?

There are some caveats here are well. Notably, current projected CF Jake Meyers can run down anything, and is well versed in helping cover for whomever the Astros may have in LF on any given day when necessary. Having Cam Smith or Zach Cole in RF would also allow Meyers to be more concerned with LF because either of those 2 in RF can cover a lot of ground as well. Therefore, the team can mitigate the fact that Yordan has limited range.

Also, there is an offensive side to the coin. Yordan is a career .297 hitter, with a career .389 OBP and career .961 OPS, but his numbers are even better when he plays LF.

When Yordan plays LF, he is a career .330 hitter with a .415 OBP and a 1.046 OPS. That sample is over 769 AB and 896 PA, so it is a well represented sample size.

Is it possible the Astros listen to their superstar slugger and let him grab his glove a lot more often?

Alvarez playing LF opens up the DH slot for whichever among the infielders is getting the day off from their regular position. This would allow Paredes to DH, play 1B with Christian Walker at DH, play 3B with Carlos Correa at DH, maybe even play 2B with Jose Altuve at DH.

Whether or not Paredes can still play 2B at the MLB level is a legitimate question. He last played the position in 2023, and the metrics were not kind to him. Overall, he has started 53 games at 2B in his career, and the metrics overall show he’s been passable. It is unlikely he will be a better 2B than Jose Altuve, but if he is, Altuve hit his best last season in the DH role (.816 OPS at DH, .759 at 2B, .742 in LF).

Being able to rotate the DH spot would allow Espada to give days off without losing guys bats, and with players all saying how they want to play every day and play 150 games, this would be the most likely path to that happening.

While Yordan playing LF doesn’t necessarily change the fact the Astros are still very right-handed offensively, they do have the option of playing both Zach Cole and Joey Loperfido against righthanded pitchers to help balance the lineup out, and both of those players are capable of playing CF. It is also possible they make a deal for another lefthanded OF bat without surrendering anyone major from the lineup, and can play three lefty bats in the OF and maybe one at DH to have a highly balanced lineup. A trade like the one theorized by David Schoenfield of ESPN of Jake Meyers to the Angels for Josh Lowe would give the Astros three lefthanded OF bats (Cole, Loperfido, and Lowe) and two righthanded OF bats (Smith, Dezenzo) in addition to Yordan, creating lineup opportunities of 5 righties and 4 lefties in the lineup.

It is also possible that the team doesn’t want to listen to Yordan, but a deal for either Paredes or Walker doesn’t materialize, and they find themselves in a situation where they need to find a way to get all their best hitters in the lineup as much as possible. Giving Yordan more time in LF would certainly help them accomplish that goal. They could be forced to listen to Yordan because the other alternatives are just too inferior.

The Astros also start the season with 24 games in 26 days. It would likely be a pretty good idea to have a way to keep everyone fresh early, and not overplay someone into an injury due to fatigue. Correa has a long injury history, Altuve has a recent injury history and is about to enter his age-36 season, Walker has been plagued by oblique injuries in recent years and is about to enter his age-35 season, and Paredes is coming off a torn hamstring so not needing to push those guys hard early would be ideal.

Yordan has never played more than 56 games in LF in a season, and that was in 2022, a season he finished 3rd in MVP and helped lead the Astros to a World Series Championship. He played 53 games in LF in 2024, and it is his only other top-10 MVP finish. Perhaps Yordan is on to something? Perhaps playing him 80-90 games in LF would be a benefit to the team and to Yordan’s production?

If the Astros haven’t been able to find a viable trade for Paredes or Walker yet, maybe they should try listening to Yordan?

Let us know in the comments if you agree with Yordan and would let him play more in LF?

PEORIA, AZ — Nick Castellanos spoke calmly, evenly, almost emotionless Sunday after signing with the San Diego Padres, says there are no hard feelings for the way his tenure ended with the Philadelphia Phillies.

He also has no regrets.

Castellanos, released by the Phillies after attempting to trade him all winter, apologized in an open letter to Phillies’ fans for bringing a beer into the dugout during a game against the Miami Marlins in June after being pulled from a game.

"What I will learn from this is just letting my emotions get the best of me in a moment," Castellanos said. “Possibly if I see things that frustrate me, or I don’t believe are conducive to winning, to speaking up when I see it instead of letting things just pile up over time. Then, finally when I address it, it’s less emotional."

Yet, he has no remorse over publicly venting his frustrations.

“In the moment, I felt how I felt and I spoke from the heart," Castellanos said, “and I was honest in every word that I said. You know, it’s not like I was outwardly ever displaying that, like I kept it all inside. But when I was asked a question [by Phillies’ beat reporters in September], I shot straight.

“And then people perceived it how they wanted to."

When asked if he wished things had ended differently in Philadelphia, he shook his head, citing only the failure to win a World Series championship.

“I mean, I think winning solves everything," Castellanos said. “So, I think the one thing that I wish would have ended up different that we would have won."

Castellanos, 33, who was in the final year of a five-year, $100 million contract, was labeled as a malcontent, with several teammates privately calling him selfish in a report by The Athletic. When he openly criticized Phillies manager Rob Thomson for his lack of communication, the Phillies decided they didn’t want him back, and told every team that he was available.

A.J. Preller, Padres president of baseball operations, said he spoke frequently with Phillies president Dave Dombrowski about acquiring Castellanos beginning last November, while knowing that he likely would be released if he wasn’t traded. They stayed patient, and pounced Thursday when he was released.

The Padres immediately set up a Zoom call with Castellanos. Preller, GM Josh Stein and rookie manager Craig Stammen spoke to him, and determined that whatever problems he might have had in Philadelphia, he’d be just fine in the San Diego clubhouse.

“We did a lot of homework," Preller said. “We were just trying to get a grasp of exactly what happened. So we talked to a ton of people that have history with Nick, teammates, coaches, people have been around him. ... It was more about the clubhouse dynamic, getting information about work ethic and the love of the game and what kind of teammate he is."

Preller admits he was originally unaware of the beer incident. So, yes, they talked about that, too

“Obviously, everyone’s got their side of the story," Preller said, “but I think for us it was most important about getting face-to-face with him, hearing his thoughts."

Castellanos’ explanation was convincing enough for the Padres to go ahead and sign him.

“You know, I’ve made many mistakes on this job," Preller said, “and ultimately when people own up to those mistakes – and he did that in our call – it’s about giving guys another opportunity. He gets a fresh start here and a fresh opportunity."

Said Stammen: “You know, we just laid out expectations. He wants the truth. He wants to be direct. He's a direct person. And I think the more that I can be that way for him, and the Padres can support him in that manner, the better off we’ll be."

Preller convened with Padres chairman John Seidler and president Eric Gruepner, while also getting the blessing from several of their veterans – including third baseman Manny Machado – before offering Castellanos a job. Machado, a childhood friend of Castellanos growing up in Miami, immediately gave his blessing.

“I really don't know the details of what happened over there," Machado said. “Don't really care. Honestly, I'm just happy we got him for what we got him for, and he's going to improve our team tremendously. That's all that we care about, you know.

“At the end of the day, we want him to come out here and ball out. I know that he's a baller. He can play the outfield, play a little bit at first base. He can hit with the best of us in the big leagues. So, you know, to have him in our lineup is going to be huge. …

“I got my guy here with me, and it’s going to be a fun year playing together."

Castellanos, who has hit 250 homers with 920 RBIs and a .785 OPS in his 14-year career, says he’s looking forward to proving that he still is an everyday player. He has been to the postseason five times in the last six years, but has never won a World Series, believing that winning a title with Machado would be the ultimate dream.

And while Castellanos says San Diego is a perfect fit and is his son’s favorite city, he brought up the Padres’ close-knit relationship with players, believing that his deteriorating relationship with Thompson or coaches wouldn’t happen in San Diego.

“How they treat their players," Castellanos said, “and how they have their backs. Even if you know something goes a little awry, they still stand with them. They don’t deviate from their commitment to him as a person. So all those things come into account."

The way the Padres figure it, they’re adding a two-time All-Star who still hit 17 homers and drove in 72 runs, for virtually nothing. They are paying Castellanos just the $780,000 minimum salary with the Phillies picking up the remainder of his $20 million contract. (“I mean, talk about getting a $20 million player for pennies on the dollar," Machado said).

So, if Castellanos doesn’t perform well, turns out not to be a fit in the clubhouse, the Padres could easily dump him. No harm, no foul, and no risk.

“They’re giving me an opportunity, that’s all I can ask for," Castellanos said, “to be able to come here, be myself, work hard, make a club, earn my playing time, and just help really in any that I can ….

“I think this is a very talented team. There’s a lot of veterans here. And the city of San Diego has never won a World Series. So however I can contribute to that and help this team accomplish that goal, I’m more than willing to do so."

Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nick Castellanos Padres contract is fresh start after ugly Phillies divorce

Bryce Harper is not using Dave Dombrowski’s assessment of his play last season as motivation for 2026, but the Phillies first baseman still thinks it’s “wild” that the team president went public last October with claims that the two-time MVP was not “elite” last season.

“I don’t get motivated by that kind of stuff. For me, it was kind of wild the whole situation of that happening,” Harper told reporters at Phillies training camp in Clearwater. “I think the big thing for me was when we first met with this organization it was, ‘Hey, we’re always going to keep things in-house, and we expect you to do the same thing,’ so when that didn’t happen, it kind of took me for a run a little bit, so I don’t know. It’s part of it, I guess. It was kind of a wild situation.”

Harper, who has six seasons remaining on a 13-year contract worth $330 million, posted an .844 OPS — his lowest since 2016 — with 27 home runs and 75 RBIs in 580 plate appearances last season.

Shortly after the eight-time All-Star also went 3-for-15 with zero RBIs in a four-game elimination by the Dodgers in the NL Division Series, Dombrowski described Harper’s 2025 performance as substandard.

Bryce Harper says it was kind of “wild” the way Phillies President Dave Dombrowski made his comments about Bryce’s season and that it was not elite.

Bryce says he is always available to anyone with the team and he had an understanding that everything would be kept “in house”… pic.twitter.com/MdzkjVII0l

— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) February 15, 2026

“Can he rise to the next level again? I don’t really know that answer,” Dombrowski said. “He’s the one that will dictate that more than anything else. I don’t think he’s content with the year that he had.

“Again, it wasn’t a bad year. But when I think of Bryce Harper, you think elite, you think of one of the top 10 players in baseball, and I don’t think it fit into that category.”

Harper, who missed about a month last season with a wrist injury, acknowledged Sunday that he “obviously didn’t have the year … or postseason that I wanted.”

“My numbers weren’t where they needed to be,” he added. “I know that, and I don’t need to be motivated to be great in my career or anything else. So that’s just not a motivating factor for me. For Dave to come out and say those things, it’s kind of wild to me still.”

The 33-year-old Harper has a .280 career batting average with 363 homers and a .905 OPS over 14 seasons in MLB, seven with the Nationals and the last seven with the Phillies.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Padres fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

Spring Training is a time for players to reconnect with their organizations, coaches and teammates as they prepare for the upcoming season. Spring Training will be all that this season, but it will also be a time for players to prepare for the World Baseball Classic. The tournament is played every three to four years and brings players and countries together to compete on a global stage.

The WBC provides competitive games with thrilling plays and legendary matchups, but it also means participants are competing at a level that is comparable to a postseason game. With this type of effort and intensity, players can be more susceptible to injury and for many fans, it means they run the risk of missing time with their MLB club.

Fans of the San Diego Padres seem to have the same concerns. In this week’s Padres Reacts Survey respondents were asked how they felt about players from the San Diego roster competing in the WBC. Respondents were not unanimous in their position, but the majority said they hate that players from the Padres are competing in the WBC.

Everyday players third baseman Manny Machado and shortstop Xander Bogaerts have regularly played for Dominican Republic and Netherlands. Right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. and closer Mason Miller will make their first WBC appearances with Dominican Republic and USA. This group is joined by relievers Wandy Peralta, Alek Jacob and Yuki Matsui as well as minor league pitchers Victor Lizarraga and Omar Cruz who will all compete for their respective countries.

Baseball fans who like the WBC point to the matchup between Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani from the 2023 WBC final. Trout stepped to the plate to face Ohtani in the top of the ninth inning with two outs and Japan holding a 3-2 lead over USA. Trout would ultimately strikeout to end the game, but the baseball world was captivated by the intense and dramatic moment.

Baseball fans who do not like the WBC will point to the 2023 WBC as well and say Edwin Diaz, who was then the closer for the New York Mets, tore his patellar tendon in his knee while celebrating a WBC win that caused him to miss the entire 2023 MLB season. The statement was often made that he was injured in a game that did not count and the Mets suffered as a result.

There is no question the WBC creates great theater, and the tournament has supporters and detractors. The players seem to enjoy it and most of them enthusiastically accept the opportunity to play for their country, but the potential for injury is always an underlying concern… especially for fans.

The Arizona Diamondbacks have claimed RHP Grant Holman off waivers from the Athletics. The 25-year-old Holman was originally a 6th-round pick by (then) Oakland in the 2021 draft, and made his major-league debut in August of 2024. He has made a total of forty appearances in the big leagues since, with an ERA of 4.66, and a K:BB of 33:18, across 38.2 innings, and a FIP of 4.34. Last year, he also made eight appearances for Triple-A Las Vegas, allowing just one hit across 9.1 scoreless innings, with one walk and nine strikeouts. However, his season ended after his appearance on June 11, due to rotator cuff tendinitis.

He has just over one year of service time, so won’t reach arbitration until 2028 and is under D-backs control until 2031. Grant also threw a no-hitter for California in the 2013 Little League World Series – the only time since 1979 a 7-inning solo no-no has been pitched in LLWS history. Mind you, considering the game recap says Holman was 6-foot-4 as a thirteen-year-old… He’s only two inches taller now. To make room on the 40-man roster for the new arrival, LHP A.J. Puk was placed on the 60-day injured list, as he continues his recovery from left ulnar collateral ligament surgery. The D-backs’ 40-man roster remains at 40.

The itinerant offseason of Ben Rortvedt continued on Sunday, as the catcher was claimed off waivers by the Mets, and a case of unfortunate timing for the Dodgers.

After September injuries to both Will Smith and Dalton Rushing, the Dodgers liked trade deadline acquisition Rortvedt enough to start him 19 times in 25 games down the stretch, including each of the first four games of the postseason until Smith was ready to fully return from a broken bone in his hand.

The Dodgers liked Rortvedt enough to sign him for $1.25 million in November to avoid salary arbitration, but since he is out of options and the club is invested in Rushing as Smith’s backup, Rortvedt can’t be kept around on the 40-man roster unless he’s active. So they tried to sneak him through waivers to be kept around as depth, twice, but in November the Reds claimed Rortvedt and three months later New York claimed him.

Timing cost the Dodgers in two ways in Rortvedt’s second stint on the roster. The first was less under their control, as Rortvedt became available soon after Cincinnati designated the catcher for assignment with the signing of Eugenio Suárez on February 3.

Even had the Reds waited a few days to place Rortvedt on waivers, the latest he would have been available was February 10, two days before pitchers and catchers officially reported to Dodgers camp at Camelback Ranch. So the Dodgers couldn’t yet place someone on the 60-day injured list to make room for a new player. In claiming Rortvedt, the Dodgers decided to designate Anthony Banda for assignment, then traded the southpaw reliever to the Twins on Thursday.

The second case of unfortunate timing was more in the Dodgers’ control. They could have kept Rortvedt on the 40-man roster through spring training as a hedge against potential injury to Smith or Rushing. After all, in a best-case scenario Rortvedt wouldn’t need to be sent to the minors until opening day anyway. There’s also the game theory of trying to find the ideal time for Rortvedt to clear waivers. Rather than wait until later in spring, they opted to do so at the beginning of camp for most teams. The Mets, for instance, placed pitcher Dedniel Núñez on the 60-day injured list on Sunday to make room for Rortvedt.

Rortvedt was designated for assignment by the Dodgers this time around when the Dodgers signed Evan Phillips on Wednesday. Had the Dodgers waited a day or two to sign Phillips, they could have placed Brock Stewart on the 60-day injured list to make room, though his exact timetable after October shoulder surgery isn’t yet known. They already placed Phillips on the 60-day IL on Friday when they signed Kiké Hernández, who himself is expected to be out until midseason after left elbow surgery, general manager Brandon Gomes told reporters on Sunday in Arizona.

The Mets with Rortvedt have four catchers on the 40-man roster, so it’s entirely possible that with five and a half weeks remaining until opening day that Rortvedt might become available yet again this spring. Nothing is set in stone, after all.

Reports came out late Friday that the Cubs had signed right-hander Shelby Miller to a two-year deal.

Sunday, the team officially announced the deal, which includes a team option for 2028. To make room for Miller on the 40-man roster, the Cubs designated infielder Ben Cowles for assignment. (Which begs the question, why did they add Cowles to the 40-man in the first place? He’ll likely clear waivers and remain in spring camp.)

Miller’s not expected to pitch this year as he recovers from his second Tommy John surgery, so this is a “let’s have a reliever in hand for 2027” move. The team does not announce contract terms, but it has been reported that this deal is for $2.5 million, so it’ll likely cost $1.25 million to the Cubs’ CBT level for 2026.

The Cubs now have two players — Miller and left-hander Justin Steele — who can be placed on the 60-day injured list at the time the team needs a 40-man roster spot. That likely won’t be until closer to Opening Day, when they might need a spot or two for one or more of the non-roster guys in camp. Notably, that includes Dylan Carlson, who has a reasonable chance of making the Opening Day roster as a backup outfielder.

The first Cubs full-squad workout is tomorrow (Monday) and the Spring Training opener is this Friday, Feb. 20 at Sloan Park against the White Sox at 2:05 p.m. CT.

Hearts manager Derek McInnes: "Obviously disappointed because we came here to get a positive result. Regardless of how the game plays out, we still feel there's so much optimism for the season ahead.

"We showed good courage in the game. Our biggest downfall was losing three goals out the four when we had possession of the ball in their half.

"When we were set and in our shape, Rangers didn't cause us too many problems. Where we were susceptible and looked like losing goals was exactly when we had good possession of the ball and we had too many bodies forward.

"The crowd helped the Rangers team. The longer we stay in front then that becomes more difficult and challenging for the Rangers player. We didn't allow that. We allowed the crowd to get behind the team.

"Rangers have spent £40m-50m in two windows trying to put this squad together so there's no shame for us losing this game, there's just disappointment that we put so much into it.

"Credit to Rangers, they've won a big game. I still think there's a big fight ahead of us for us all. We're not too despondent because I see enough courage, I see enough in the performance and I still feel with the fixtures we've got between now and the split, particularly so many at home, that we can win games that can keep the whole thing moving along for us.

"These lads give everything for the shirt. We're not going to go along away quietly. We're top of the league. It takes a lot of good things for a team to be here where we are in the league and hopefully there's a bit more in it. I do think there'll be a lot of twists and turns yet. We've just got to manage our performances now and try and make some hay."

That Atlanta Braves have taken another blow to their potential starting rotation with news this afternoon that starting pitcher Hurston Waldrep had an MRI after experiencing discomfort in his elbow while throwing batting practice. The MRI showed “loose bodies” but no ligament damage.

Hurston Waldrep had some elbow discomfort this week. A MRI showed loose bodies, but the ligament seemed fine. He will see Dr. Meister this week. The Braves don’t know how long he might be out.

— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) February 15, 2026

Braves manager Walt Weiss met with the media and gave some additional details on Waldrep’s status. Weiss said Waldrep will be meeting with doctors on Monday. The assumption is that some type of procedure will be needed.

BREAKING: After Hurston Waldrep through live BP the other day he had some pain. MRI revealed loose bodies in his elbow. It’s likely he will need some type of a procedure to clean things up. Waldrep is meeting with doctors in the next couple days to decide next steps. pic.twitter.com/ECvWfK9U1L

— Alison Mastrangelo (@AlisonWSB) February 15, 2026

Waldrep had a strong showing after joining Atlanta’s starting rotation in August 2025. Because he had options available, and other starting pitching options like Bryce Elder, Grant Holmes and Joey Wentz do not, it would have been possible Waldrep would have started the season at Triple-A to preserve the organization’s roster flexibility even if he would have otherwise been part of the Opening Day rotation.

Now is seems likely Waldrep will not be an option for the Opening Day rotation regardless.

Many of the Tigers position players have already been in camp since Wednesday, but Sunday marks the first official full squad workout where everyone has reported. Now baseball is really back. The Tigers beat writers on hand picked up some interesting notes over the past two days, so let’s run through a few things.

A.J. Hinch mentioned on Sunday that Colt Keith will be focused on third base, while getting some reps at first base as well. The Tigers had him prepping for first base last year with Spencer Torkelson still not fully established as the everyday first baseman. Looks like they’re keeping a few left-handed hitters involved at the position anyway just in case. Hinch mentioned that they don’t expect Keith to play second base at all except in a pinch.

Meanwhile, former prospect Jace Jung, who has stalled out the past two seasons in a few looks at the major leagues, is also preparing to play first base. Of course, he’ll have to finally start hitting. Jung did make some swing adjustments, lowering his hands and trying to be shorter and quicker to the baseball. He came out of the All-Star break hot, cooled in August, but finished September with a 1.162 OPS and three home runs for the month in 14 games. Still only 25 years old, Jung’s story may not be written just yet, but Triple-A pitching does tend to get pretty thin down the stretch as well. He needs to do something big this season.

Hinch addresses the full squad

As always, the first full gathering of everyone in major league camp is an opportunity for manager A.J. Hinch to set the tone for the season. The only player not in attendance was Justin Verlander, who got a week of work in with the club before bowing out for a few days for a family commitment. Hinch expressed his enthusiasm for the club, but as always cautioned everyone that what they’ve done before is now in the past, and they have to lean back into the day-to-day grind to get better. He’s made a consistent habit of emphazing the need to stacking success bit by bit over the course of a the long season to reach their goals, and the message didn’t change on Sunday.

A.J. Hinch's message to the 2026 #Tigers on Day 1 of full-squad workouts in spring training:

"We're back at the bottom of the mountain again, with clear goals." pic.twitter.com/zh8ELHSHPL

— Evan Petzold (@EvanPetzold) February 15, 2026

Riley Greene focused on his approach

Riley Greene spoke to reporters on Saturday, talking about his monster first half of the 2025 season and the deep slump that followed him down the stretch and into the playoffs. His take on it was that he’s was swinging the bat so well and running so hot that he started feeling like he could crush anything near the zone. That was true for a while, but once pitchers started staying away from him, recognizing that he was swinging a ton, Greene’s confidence got the best of him as his plate disicpline fell apart. His take on this, which is also A.J. Hinch’s take, is that he just needs to take a breath and be more conscious of situations, recognizing when a single will do and when pitchers are just going to stay out of the zone against him out of concern for his power.

The key quote from Cody Stavenhagen’s piece on Greene for The Athletic Detroit sums it up. “If you have two strikes and a runner on second base, maybe try not to hit a ball 5,000 feet.”

This checks out to me. Greene is one of the game’s more dangerous hitters, ranking 25th in wRC+ across 2024-2025. Excessive tinkering may screw up everything that turned him into that hitter. Modest adjustments to his approach and better situational awareness may be all that’s required to get him into that top tier. He was already there until crumbling for long stretches after the All-Star break. Taking his rips early in counts is a must, but so is settling down and just putting the bat on the ball deeper in counts and with runners in scoring position. Now 25 years old, hopefully the Tigers slugger can just mature that approach somewhat. He’s in for a huge year if he can.

Odds and ends

Evan Woodbery with MLive has the story of Jack Flaherty’s decision to opt-in for 2026. Sounds like he had more guaranteed money available to him in free agency, as you’d expect. But he’s comfortable in Detroit and knows they have a chance to win. That was apparently worth more than another uncertain look at free agency, and Flaherty is perhaps one good season from finally getting the type of offers he was expecting last offseason.

Evan Petzold of the Freep has a story on Reese Olson explaining his shoulder injury and why they tried to rehab it again before finally acquiescing to surgery. Essentially, he was going to miss all of 2026 whenever he had the surgery, so it was worth trying to rehab it fully and avoid going under the knife.

Minimal injury news

Everyone is rehabbing their hips and elbows, everyone is advancing on their return to play progressions

#Tigers medical update: pic.twitter.com/ST1whdzdKI

— Evan Petzold (@EvanPetzold) February 15, 2026

Russell Martin turns 43 today.

Drafted by the Dodgers in the 17th round in 2002, Martin reached the majors in 2006. By 2014, he’d already played for three MLB teams and made the playoffs seven times—enough to earn any player, but especially a catcher, a reputation as a winner.

In 2014, the Blue Jays already had a perfectly adequate catcher in Dioner Navarro, who hit .274/.317/.395 with a 2.5 bWAR and was under contract for 2015. Most of us expected the team’s off-season focus to be elsewhere. Yet, true to his reputation as a ‘ninja’ GM, Alex Anthopoulos surprised us all by signing Martin.

Martin signed a five-year, $82 million contract, which was back-loaded. He was to get $7 in 2015, then $15 million and $20 million a year for the next three seasons (I see in a post I suggested Max Pentecost would be “looking for playing time” by the third year of the contract. It wasn’t the first time I was wrong). The press conference announcing his signing was peppered with the words leadership, chemistry, and ‘changing the culture.’ About ten days later, Alex would trade for Josh Donaldson. There were several moves that winter. Adam Lind was traded for Marco Estrada. We picked up Justin Smoak. Anthony Gose was traded for Devon Travis. And J.A. Happ was shipped to Seattle for Michael Saunders.

Martin’s signing drew plenty of debate. Committing five years to a 32-year-old catcher is always a risk, but most fans were happy to have a good Canadian boy leading the team. Our poll: 66% liked the deal, 15% disliked it, and 20% were neutral.

That spring, Minor Leaguer, some friends, and I went to Montreal for the Jays’ exhibition games at Olympic Stadium. It was a love-in for Russell. He got a standing ovation every time he came to the plate, and his dad played the national anthem on saxophone before the first game..

In 2015, Martin hit .240/.329/.458 with a career-high 23 home runs in 129 games, good for a 3.2 bWAR (FanGraphs was even higher at 4.5). He made his fourth (and final) All-Star appearance, threw out 44% of base stealers, and looked athletic behind the plate. His pitch framing didn’t look as good as in the past, but, to be fair, he was sometimes catching pitchers with little idea where their pitches were going. It’s easier to frame a pitch that hits its target.

Trivia: On April 19th, Martin caught Jeff Francis to form the first All-Canadian battery in team history.

Whether due to leadership, play, or both, the Jays made the playoffs for the first time in ages. Martin struggled at the plate—3-for-15 in the five-game win over Texas, 1-for-11 (with 3 walks) in the six-game loss to Kansas City—but he was at the center of the most bizarre play I’ve ever seen: In Game 5 of the ALDS, his throw back to the mound hit Shin-Soo Choo’s bat, allowing Rougned Odor to score. The umps initially called it a dead ball, but by rule, it wasn’t. Chaos ensued, but the Jays prevailed.

Martin’s 2016 season at the plate wasn’t as strong: .231/.335/.398 with 20 homers in 137 games (2.0 bWAR). His strikeout rate jumped to 27.7% (from 20.9% the year before). He started the year with a sore neck and finished in a slump—catcher’s aches and pains, most likely. His caught-stealing rate plummeted from 44% to 15%, yet he remained a steady presence defensively. Offensively, he again struggled in October: 3 hits (1 homer) in 33 postseason at-bats.

In 2017, Martin played just 91 games, hitting .221/.343/.388 with 13 home runs. He threw out 20% of would-be base stealers and played 77 innings at third base.

Again, he could have had a better time with the bat in the playoffs. Counting the Wild Card game, he had 3 hits (with 1 home run) in 33 playoff at-bats.

2018 saw Martin step back from full-time catching: just 71 games behind the plate (Luke Maile caught 66, Danny Jansen 29, Reese McGuire 11), plus stints at third (21 games), short (3), and even left field (1). He hit .194/.338/.325 with 10 home runs—a career-low 1.3 bWAR. At 35, he looked every bit the veteran catcher. As I’ve said, smart GMs back-load big contracts, knowing the odds are the player won’t finish as a regular (sometimes I get it right).

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It is also Álex González’s 49th birthday.

To clarify, this is the Álex González who played half a season at shortstop for the Jays—nicknamed “Sea Bass” for reasons unknown—not the other Alex Gonzalez who spent eight seasons as a shortstop for the Jays.

This Álex signed with Toronto as a free agent before the 2010 season and surprised us by hitting .259/.296/.497 with 17 home runs in just 85 games. Midseason, the Jays traded him, Tim Collins, and Tyler Pastornicky to the Braves for Yunel Escobar and Jo-Jo Reyes. The less said about Jo-Jo, the better. Escobar went on to spend three seasons with the Jays, batting .272/.335/.373 in 338 games before departing as part of the Marlins megadeal.

González played 16 years in the majors, eight of them with the Marlins, and finished with a career .245/.290/.395 line and 157 home runs.

Happy Birthday, Álex.

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Elvis Luciano turns 26 today.

You’ll remember Elvis as the Jays’ Rule 5 pick before the 2019 season. That meant he had to stick with the big-league club all year, and he did, appearing in 25 games with a 5.35 ERA.

He spent 2021 and the start of 2022 with New Hampshire. He’s played in Japan the last couple of years.

Happy Birthday Elvis

There have been seasons in White Sox history so dire that this question couldn’t be asked with a straight face. Arguably, 2024 or 2025 could be among them.

But now, hey, there’s a rebuild in apparent motion and a young core of players who are ready to step forward into possible stardom. Will everyone in that core, among them Colson Montgomery, Chase Meidroth, Edgar Quero and Kyle Teel, improve in 2026? Perhaps not, but the law of averages (and 2025’s promise) would indicate someone on the roster will move into star status.

Or perhaps you think someone among the veterans (Munetaka Murakami, Miguel Vargas, Austin Hayes, Andrew Benintendi among them) is going to break out. And if you’re really dour on the current roster (or high on a prospect), perhaps your pick is Braden Montgomery, Noah Schultz or Hagen Smith breaking camp with the White Sox or making a stirring leap into the majors early in the season.

So, who’s your pick for the White Sox player with the brightest 2026 ahead?

Cavan Biggio is following in his father's footsteps.

The son of Astros legend Craig Biggio signed a minor league deal with Houston on Sunday.

The contract includes an invitation to spring training as a non-roster player.

Biggio spent 2025 with the Kansas City Royals, though he only played in 37 games and made just 83 plate appearances. His best season came during his rookie year with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2019, when he recorded 16 home runs and 48 RBIs over 100 games.

The 30-year-old Biggio has a career average of .223 to go along with 52 homers and 190 RBIs across seven seasons with the Royals, Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves.

Biggio's main asset during his big-league career has been his defensive versatility. He's played at every position except pitcher and catcher, including 219 starts at second base and 104 combined starts at all three outfield positions.

Craig Biggio, 60, spent 20 years with the Astros during his Hall of Fame career.

The Astros will play their first spring training game Feb. 21 against the Washington Nationals.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cavan Biggio contract: Astros sign Craig's son to minor league deal

It’s hard to process just how complicated it must be to be a two-way professional baseball player. There’s a reason, after all, while the list of those who have successfully pulled it off in the modern age consists of Shohei Ohtani and literally nobody else.

So, when you look at what Sheng-En Lin pulled off during the 2025 season in the Cincinnati Reds system, you’ve got to view it through the lens of a player who’s been trying to both pitch and hit since signing with the club at age 17.

The 2025 season for him also featured a series of notable twists. First, he stopped being a position player mid-year after being promoted to Class-A Daytona of the Florida State League after slumping to a .172/.348/.310 line in his third trip through Arizona Complex League play. But when he got to the Tortugas, he picked up pitching again in actual games for the first time since signing with the Reds as an international free agent, and immediately hit the ground running with a 3.06 ERA and 61/15 K/BB in 47.0 IP.

In one season he dropped being a hitter for the first time, returned to pitching in games after a two-year hiatus, and got promoted to A-ball mid-season, yet still found a way to thrive. And now that he’s going to focus solely on pitching, there’s sincere hope that he’ll both gain velocity back that he’d shown earlier in his career and continue to dazzle, as that’s what we’ve seen from him already in a very short stint.

Sheng-En Lin is the #19 prospect in this year’s Community Prospect Rankings, earning that honor by the narrowest of margins in the latest round of voting.