Category: Baseball

Nick Castellanos already has a new home.

Castellanos agreed to a deal with the Padres for the veteran’s minimum, pending a physical, The Post’s Jon Heyman confirmed Saturday morning.

The Phillies, who were his home for four seasons, released Castellanos on Thursday with one year and $20 million remaining on his contract, which was initially for five years and $100 million.

The Yankees inquired about a potential trade prior to Castellanos’ release but receivd mixed reviews, according to Heyman.

His exit didn’t come without some fire.

The 33-year-old wasn’t shy about expressing his “disdain” for Phillies manager Rob Thomson and hitting coach Kevin Long

Additionally, he told his former teammates that he did not trust both of them since they never played in the majors — and it was not the first time he has aired that grievance.

In September, Castellanos explained he only wants to hear from those who have professional experience.

“The only opinions that I honestly care about are (from) the ones that have carried the stick,” Castellanos said during “On Base with Mookie Betts.”

“The ones that have put on the gloves and put on the cleats.”

The strain between the two parties is one of the biggest reasons Castellanos’ time ended early in Philadelphia.

Castellanos and Thomson often bumped heads, including when Castellanos brought a beer into the dugout after being removed for a defensive replacement and reportedly yelled at his manager in front of coaches and teammates.

Last season, Castellanos had a down year, hitting .250 with a .694 OPS — a significant dip from his last All-Star season in 2023 when he hit .272 with a .788 OPS.

He joins a Padres team that lost to the Cubs in the wild-card round.

While he played right field with the Phillies, the plan with the Padres is to rotate among the outfield, first base and designated hitter, according to Heyman.

The Padres already have an everyday right fielder in Fernando Tatis Jr.

Earlier this week MLB announced details of the ABS challenge system that will go into effect this season. If you missed it, here’s my article describing all those details.

There’s going to be another change you’ll notice on TV broadcasts of MLB games this year, and Jeff Agrest of the Sun-Times notes that change:

The strike-zone box, which has become as vital to baseball broadcasts as the first-down line is to football broadcasts, will remain on the screen but no longer will indicate whether a pitch was a ball or a strike. (In addition to showing the pitch speed and type, the box previously marked a strike with a filled-in circle and a ball with a hollow circle. Home viewers might never have noticed.)

The change was made because that box now will be used for the ABS system, and MLB is doing everything it can to ensure no one can exploit it. In fact, the box will be shown in just one place in the ballpark: the broadcast booth.

You know… he’s right. I never noticed that. Did you?

Here are two screenshots from games of the final weekend of the regular season at Wrigley Field, Cubs vs. Cardinals. Both are from Seiya Suzuki at-bats — I chose him because he might become one of the biggest beneficiaries of the ABS system.

Here’s a screenshot of a called third strike Suzuki took on the final day of the season, Sept. 28:

As you can see, that pitch was a strike. And the circle indicating the location and speed is filled in.

Now, here’s a pitch on which Suzuki walked on the previous day, Sept. 27:

Now, that pitch was exceptionally close. Some umpires might call that a strike, in which case it would probably be challenged with the ABS system. In this case it was ball four, and you can see that the circle indicating the pitch isn’t filled in.

With the ABS system, you’ll see the same indicator no matter whether the pitch is a ball or strike, along with the pitch speed. (Some TV channels also indicate what type of pitch it is. The White Sox channel CHSN does, as shown here (another Suzuki at-bat from the Crosstown Series):

Personally, I’d like to see Marquee Sports Network do that. Perhaps they will this year.

As noted by the Sun-Times article, you will still see the box if you are watching at home or on one of your devices. But at the ballpark, no one will see that box except in the broadcast booth:

That means players in the clubhouse and dugout and fans waiting in line for concessions won’t see the strike-zone box on nearby televisions. Technical teams from local and national outlets have spent a lot of time figuring out how to change the feeds they send through the park. It won’t affect home viewers.

Producers don’t expect ABS challenges to provide many dramatic moments to display, and they want to be careful not to overdo them. The challenge system might just blend into the game as quietly as the pitch clock has. But in big moments, those 14 seconds could provide some compelling sights.

As I mentioned in my article giving the details of the ABS system, MLB wants to get the box you see on MLB Gameday, the box you see on broadcasts and the actual box used for the ABS system to be the same. Presuming they do this, that will be a distinct improvement for what you’re watching at home, where the box on broadcasts will represent the actual ABS zone.

I’m a big fan of the ABS system and I believe that as players get used to it, there will be more challenges retained as teams and players pick the most important spots to challenge ball-and-strike calls. Hopefully, the feedback gained by this system will help umpires improve their calls, too.

As always, we await developments.

Dylan Ross had such a good year in the minors in 2025 that he put himself on the prospect map here at Amazin’ Avenue, ranking 18th on our list of the team’s top 25 prospects. And that was before the Mets’ trade that sent Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat to the Brewers, which effectively bumped nearly everyone on the list up a couple of spots.

You can read all about the the 25-year-old right-handed pitcher’s backstory in Steve Sypa’s write-up of him during the prospect list countdown. The short of it is that the Mets drafted him in the 13th round in the 2022 draft. The team was aware that he was injured at the time, and a lengthy recovery delayed his professional debut until the 2024 season, and even that consisted of just a one-inning appearance.

Ross finally got the chance to pitch a full season in 2025, and started the season in High-A Brooklyn, got promoted to Double-A Binghamton in mid-May, and got bumped up to Triple-A Syracuse in late June. In total, he threw 54.0 innings with a 2.17 ERA over the course of 49 appearances with a 35.7% strikeout rate and a 14.7% walk rate.

Whether or not Ross can be an effective reliever at the major league level remains to be seen. It’s not impossible for a reliever to pitch well in spite of a bad walk rate, but it certainly doesn’t help to have one. And for what it’s worth, the projection systems published at FanGraphs generally have him hovering around an ERA of four in thirty-something innings at the major league level this year.

Jaylon Thompson talks to Alec Marsh, who was placed on the 60-day Injured List, about his setbacks.

Marsh dealt with right-shoulder tightness after the 2024 season. He worked to rehab from that injury but suffered setbacks along the way. Ultimately, Marsh missed the entire 2025 season while dealing with constant physical discomfort.

“Just impossible,” Marsh said of the setbacks he encountered. “I think it’s a good word for it, because you never expect anything like that to happen. Especially when you feel like you start figuring out some things about your game. … Yeah, just not having a healthy camp and the thing just kept steam-rolling and going downhill all year.”

David Lesky reacts to Seth Lugo wanting to throw more fastballs.

I think Lugo knows a lot more about pitching than I do. He deserves the credit he gets for that. I might suggest that instead of throwing more fastballs. He should throw fewer off-speed pitches…or maybe focus on throwing them better. I think we can ignore his splitter since he threw so few and look at his changeup. He threw 227 of them, which was 9.5 percent of his total pitch mix. And he allowed a .297 line with a .563 slugging percentage on them. The changeup was very effective for him in 2024, but less so in 2023. I know the changeup sets up the fastball, but if that pitch is struggling the way it was in 2025, I’d almost scrap it entirely. I really like his splitter when he throws it, so maybe there’s the answer.

Craig Brown writes about what to look for in spring training.

So Erceg lost a tick off his fastball from 2025. Big deal you say! Except it was a big deal for the reliever. The heat Erceg brings sets up his other three pitches he will feature. All of them were negatively impacted in unique ways last season. The whiff rate on his sinker went from 21 percent in 2024 to 8.4 percent in 2025. Opponents went from slugging .140 against his slider to .407. The average exit velocity on his change was 82.5 mph in 2024 to 86.1 mph in 2025. In other words, the decline in four-seam velocity led to him being much less effective than he was in 2024.

Of course he wasn’t entirely healthy last year. He missed time in the middle of the season with a lower back strain and then ended the year with a shoulder impingement. A healthy—and feisty—Erceg would be one of the lynchpins in the back of the bullpen and could even see a handful of save opportunities.

Bradford Doolittle evaluates what each team didn’t do this offseason.

I’m of two minds about the Royals as spring training begins. On one hand, they look like a clear playoff contender. I love the run prevention across the board, though the depth behind the pitchers likely to be on the Opening Day roster means some health luck will be needed. The other mind is that I’m just not sold on the idea that Kansas City’s offseason moves made it any better.

I liked the additions of Matt Strahm and Alex Lange to what looks like a fully stocked bullpen. But I’m not sold on the offense being markedly different with Isaac Collins and Lane Thomas on board and Jonathan India coming back.

This puts a lot of pressure on Jac Caglianone to make significant improvement, which he is certainly capable of doing. Having Carter Jensen around for a full season will also help. Neither of those situations is related to offseason transactions. Ultimately, I fear that too much has been pinned on the effects of moving in the fences at the K. It will help hitters and hurt pitchers — that’s just physics. But the key is whether those effects shake out in the Royals’ favor. Of that, I will believe it when I see it, so Royals fans have to hope that the math behind this bold decision proves to be spot-on.

Kevin O’Brien at Royals Keep considers whether the Royals should look at Nick Castellanos.

Jacob Milham at Kings of Kauffman considers a Kris Bubic contract extension.

Terrance Gore’s widow reveals he went for an appendectomy, but went into cardiac arrest afterwards.

The Cubs sign reliever Shelby Miller to a two-year contract.

The Brewers sign infielder Luis Rengifo.

Former Royals outfielder Nelson Velázquez could be a power source for the Cardinals this year.

Ben Clemens at Fangraphs looks at Boston’s offseason.

MLB is reportedly withholding revenue to teams in anticipation of a work stoppage.

Bad Bunny offered to pay for insurance for Puerto Rican ballplayers during the World Baseball Classic.

Feds say Emmanuel Clase participated in a rigged pitch scheme during a playoff game.

MLB is considering partnerships with prediction markets.

Teams are preparing for the new ABS challenge system coming to MLB games.

NBA star Cade Cunningham purchases a stake in the Texas Rangers.

U.S. figure skater Ilia Malini falls twice in a stunning eighth-place finish.

Chris Paul retires after 21 seasons in the NBA.

Nevada sportsbooks saw their lowest wager totals on the Super Bowl in a decade.

How the Easy-Bake Oven revolutionized the toy industry.

People at farmers’ markets are selling a box that gives you free illegal streaming from every channel.

Your song of the day is Jim Croce with I Got A Name.

Good morning everyone and happy Valentines Day! A quick reminder that if you’re in the Seattle area, Kate is hosting a Heated Rivalry watch party/trivia night today at Kate’s Pub in Wallingford (now known as The Rebel) at 5pm. If you don’t have any plans today, go join some friends to enjoy drinks and good times!

Now, onto the baseball news.

In Mariners news…

• Bryan Woo revealed that he was offered a spot on the Team USA roster for the World Baseball Classic but turned it down so he can prepare for the 2026 season, with a goal of surpassing 200 innings pitched this year. Only three pitchers reached that mark in 2025.

Around the league…

• Right-handed starter Zac Gallen is returning to the Diamondbacks on a one-year, $22.05M deal, which is the exact value of the qualifying offer that Gallen declined earlier this offseason.
• Righty pitcher Shelby Miller signed a two-year, $2.5M contract with the Cubs.
• Longtime Mariners opp Luis Rengifo signed a minor league deal with the Brewers.
• The Astros pulled a classic Jerry Dipoto, re-acquiring outfielder Joey Loperfido from the Blue Jays for outfielder Jesús Sánchez.
• Rangers right-hander Nabil Crismatt will undergo UCL surgery, which is expected to cost him the entirety of the 2026 season.
• Rockies outfielder Zac Veen opened up about his recent experience with substance abuse and how he got back on his feet.
• Dodgers pitcher Alex Vesia broke his silence four months after the death of his newborn daughter (which happened during the team’s World Series run), saying he is thankful for the outpouring of support he and his wife have recieved.
• Even with the ABS being implemented in MLB games this year, Braves left-hander Chris Sale says he will “never” challenge a pitch call.
• Ben Clemens at Fangraphs recapped the total overhaul of the Red Sox roster this winter.
• Colin Evans at The Philadelphia Inquirer reported on MLB’s RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) initiative, talking about how the program is not currently supporting those who need it most in Philadelphia.

Anders’ picks…

• In a heartbreaking Winter Olympics result, superstar male figure skater Ilia Malinin — who has spent the last four years transforming the sport and had not lost an individual competition since 2023 — collapsed under the pressure during yesterday’s free skate performance and ultimately placed 8th.

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

Following a snow-filled winter, we’re starting to feel that baseball buzz back in the air. Pitchers and catchers have reported to the Yankees spring training complex, and based on recent social media posts, a significant contingent of the position players are already down in Tampa as well. Earlier in the week, we surveyed fans on a pair of questions, asking whether they approved of general manager Brian Cashman as well as their overall impression of the Yankees’ offseason.

Let’s take a look at the results of those polls now that spring training is here. First, we’ll start with Cashman’s approval rating.

Yankees fans overwhelmingly disapprove of the job Cashman in doing, with roughly one in six voters lending their approval. The GM always tends to poll poorly when we put these surveys out throughout the season, but it is rare to see his approval rating sink this low. The lingering disappointment over the Yankees’ early exit from the playoffs surely plays a part, as does the somewhat self-satisfied approach to the offseason.

In largely running it back from last season, Cashman has adopted a ‘good enough’ stance toward the roster: the team as constructed both last year and this was and is good enough to make the playoffs and that’s good enough for him and ownership. It’s a direction they are entitled to take while also acknowledging that it falls well short of the attitude many fans wish they would take toward running the team.

We also asked voters to assign a letter grade to the Yankees’ offseason. Like with Cashman, it appears the fanbase is unimpressed.

Based on the distribution of letter grades, I think it would be fair to say that Yankees fans would give the team a D+ on their offseason business. The majority of voters assigned them a D or worse while only eleven percent feel satisfied with the moves they made.

The decision to run it back is certainly defensible — the Yankees boasted the best offense in baseball (119 wRC+, 5.24 runs/game) last season and while expected to take a step back, are still projected as a top-5 offense in baseball (4.72 runs/game). What’s more, FanGraphs projects them to win the division with 86 wins, while PECOTA pegs them for the third-best record in the AL (88-74) behind the Mariners and Blue Jays.

It’s also defensible to wish the team had more ambition when it comes to building the roster. Plenty of impact starters were available this winter via free agency or trade, yet the Yankees took a conservative approach to reinforcing their injured rotation, Cashman predictably likening the returns of Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón from elbow surgeries to big ticket trades. The bullpen also lost two of its highest leverage arms, replaced by a Rule 5 lottery ticket (Cade Winquest) and a borderline DFA candidate (Angel Chivilli).

There is a lot of pressure on Cody Bellinger and Trent Grisham to repeat their top percentile outcomes from last season, each now a year older. There is no telling whether Anthony Volpe’s shoulder injury was the culprit for the plummeting in defensive ability, while we also have three straight seasons of poor offensive production. And perhaps most puzzlingly, the Yankees reunited with Paul Goldschmidt despite Ben Rice emerging as one of the most promising slugging first basemen in baseball. Cashman lauded Goldschmidt’s presence as creating flexibility for Rice to play backup catcher. However, you would think the best road forward for Rice’s development would be to get him the most reps at first as possible rather than split time with a platoon partner while also sparing him the wear and tear of playing catcher.

It is disheartening to see how few of our surveyed fans are particularly excited heading into the 2026 season. However, I cannot help but feel a palpable sense of anticipation now that I am seeing pictures and videos of the team down in Florida, and it is those positive feelings of renewed hope that I choose to focus on now that baseball is back.

Good morning, LSB.

Evan Grant says “Not so fast, my friend” and write that Sebastian Walcott could still maybe possibly see the field in 2026.

Grant also writes about the homecoming of Jordan Montgomery in what could turn into a Rangers Hallmark movie.

Kennedi Landry also writes about Montgomery’s return and how happy he is to be back in Texas.

Elsewhere Grant writes about a Rangers waiver claim catcher making a big impact with his “Austin Hedges personality.”

Wyatt Langford will not be in the World Baseball Classic.

FanGraphs has updated its 2026 MLB draft rankings.

And finally, Doug Melvin is the latest guest on the new episode of Evan Grant’s SportsDay podcast.

That’s all for this morning. Have a great weekend!

Nick Castellanos, whose career appeared to be in some jeopardy after revelations regarding his split with the Philadelphia Phillies emerged, will join the San Diego Padres, the New York Post first reported.

Castellanos, 33, is owed $20 million in the final year of his five-year, $100 million contract. But the Phillies will pay all but the pro-rated minimum salary after they released him.

The two-time All-Star fell out of favor in Philadelphia as his four years there progressed, coming to a head in 2025. The low point: His one-game benching after confronting manager Rob Thomson when he was removed from a game in Miami.

Shortly after his release, Castellanos revealed in a lengty handwritten note posted to social media that he'd brought a beer into the dugout. Teammates interceded and Phillies special assistant Howie Kendrick took the bottle from Castellanos.

His handwritten screed was intended to get ahead of a story in The Athletic detailing that incident and the growing rift between player and team.

Castellanos had a league average 100 adjusted OPS in his four seasons, and reached an apex there in 2023, when he made the All-Star team and hit four home runs in the Phillies' NLDS vanquishing of Atlanta.

In San Diego, he will fold into an odd mix of outfield/first base/DH types, presuming he makes the team. The club recently signed Miguel Andujar and also has lefty-swinging Gavin Sheets penciled in to take significant DH at-bats.

If nothing else, Castellanos provides more quality outfield depth behind the starting trio of Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill and Ramon Laureano.

Spring training has some definite patterns, particularly when watching from afar. First, there’s the huge enthusiasm for a few days as pitchers and catchers report and the sound of baseballs popping into gloves and off of bats rings around the Tigers’ Lakeland complex. Then there’s first full squad workout day, which takes place on Sunday for the Tigers. Then the anticipation of the first Grapefruit League games. Typically, what follows is a growing mixture of annoyance and impatience as many games aren’t televised and March arrives and the proceedings start to drag. Injuries occur, and typically by mid-March everyone is just desperate to get the show on the road as the starting pitchers start to get fully stretched out for the beginning of the regular season.

This season, we’ll get some big events to break things up at least. The World Baseball Classic will have pool play underway from March 3 to March 11. Those early games are fun, but it’s not until the quarterfinals start on March 13 that full attention will start being paid. From that point until the championship game on March 17, the WBC will take center stage, and the last two editions have been an absolute blast. We’re all looking forward to that, if only to break up the monotony of the middle period of spring camp.

On Friday, March 20, the final week of camp will kick off with the Tigers-Pirates matchup in the Spring Breakout series. The Tigers prospects will square off against the Pirates farm system in what has become a really fun event now entering year three. Tigers shortstop prospect Bryce Rainer announced his presence in the 2025 edition, drilling a couple of high velocity line drives in the first at-bats we’d seen from him since the Tigers took him with their first round pick of the 2024 draft.

So the calendar is pretty full, with more to look forward to than the usual Grapefruit League action. For once, we might actually be in danger of losing sight of the key questions that need answers in spring camp for the Tigers. There will be all kinds of smaller issues to keep an eye on. How is Riley Greene moving in the outfield after losing a step and appearing pretty banged up at times in 2025? How is 43-year-old Justin Verlander moving and throwing in camp? Is Matt Vierling finally past the shoulder issues that cost him pretty much all of the 2025 season?

We can go on and on, but the overall theme circles around health. We all know a big spring at the plate or on the mound doesn’t necessarily mean anything, but a few players will get us excited, while a few will look like they’re struggling.

Beyond the ever present injury risk, there are five big issues on the table all throughout camp to keep tabs on.

Can Parker Meadows turn things around?

The status of center fielder Parker Meadows is obviously a crucial point of concern. When he’s healthy and making good contact, he’s one of the most dynamic outfielders in the game. Gifted with power and speed, and high end defensive ability, the 26-year-old center fielder doesn’t even need to be that good a pure hitter to be a very valuable player for the Tigers this year. Still, he’s been incredibly streaky so far in his major league career, with some abysmal slumps mixed in, and the strange nerve injury in his right biceps suffered on the first throw he made in Grapefruit League action last spring set him way back and he never got right once he was back on the field full-time.

Through 656 plate appearances, basically one full season spread out over parts of three seasons from 2023-2025, Meadows has 16 home runs, a 95 wRC+, and a slashline of .232/.308/.386. As long as he can continue to give the Tigers that much, he’ll be in center field most days as a 3-4 WAR player because his defensive ability is so valuable. But with his raw power and speed, we’d love to see more.

Without Meadows, this is a signficantly worse team defensively, and they don’t really have any great options to replace him until top outfield prospect Max Clark is ready, presumably later on this summer. A good, healthy camp for Meadows would go along way to boosting confidence in the position player group to start the season.

How does Colt Keith look at third base?

Colt Keith has shown himself to be a productive hitter through his first two seasons in the league, but certainly nothing special. He put up above average numbers in his second year, but basically in a strong side platoon role where he rarely faced left-handed pitchers. He also hasn’t really found a steady position. He broke in as a second baseman, but Gleyber Torres has taken that position for 2025-2026. Keith was told to work at first base more last offseason, but Spencer Torkelson finally put together a more consistent season, leaving Keith with only third base and some DH days as options for playing time.

Now 24 years old, still younger than many players who will debut this season, but now a third year player, it’s time for Keith to seize the day. His work at third base last year left plenty of room to be desired, but perhaps finally knowing where to focus his offseason work will help him settle in at third base, the position he was drafted at out of high school. We’ll be looking for greater comfort and fluidity in handling pop-ups on the other side of the infield, and how his arm looks making those longer throws.

It would also be nice to see a little more power from him at the plate this year.

Which of the Tigers depth starters will move to the bullpen?

The signings of Framber Valdez and Justin Verlander, along with season-ending shoulder surgery to Reese Olson, shuffled the deck for the Tigers rotation already. At the same time, nothing has changed for their depth options. Troy Melton, Drew Anderson, Keider Montero, Sawyer Gipson-Long, and a finally healthy Ty Madden will all be trying to find their role in spring camp. Gipson-Long’s quest to return from 2024 Tommy John surgery is already setback by an oblique strain, illustrating the attrition that usually occurs in February/March as pitchers start ramping up their workload.

The core of the Tigers’ bullpen is currently Will Vest, Kenley Jansen, Kyle Finnegan, Tyler Holton, and Brant Hurter. So there are already three jobs available from the start. Probably one or two at most will go to a dedicated relief only option, and the Tigers have collected a big pool of relievers on minor league deals to compete for those spots. But the starters who don’t end up in the rotation will play a big role there as well. Who ends up back in Toledo to stay stretched out as reserves for the rotation? Who slots in best as a relief option?

Drew Anderson is here on a major league deal, so if everyone is healthy, he’s almost certainly starting the season in the pen. Melton is the best arm among the group, but hasn’t quite mastered his splitter as a third pitch yet. The Tigers won’t want to give up on him long-term as a starter, but he may fit best in the bullpen from the start. He has all his options remaining, while Montero has just one left and showed out somewhat in saving the Tigers’ bacon last fall and in the postseason when options were running scarce. Gipson-Long and Madden both have options remaining as well, but after the injuries they’ve suffered, stretching out in Toledo might be best for both until they find their footing and the Tigers have a better idea of their long-term utility to the club.

However it shakes out, pitching depth is hugely important, so this group will be worth tracking throughout spring camp.

Can Kevin McGonigle and Max Clark make a big impression?

The most fun part of this spring camp is the fact that the Tigers have the best hitting prospect in baseball in camp, along with the consensus best outfield prospect in the game. McGonigle and Clark are good friends at this point, drafted in the same year and moving up through the minor leagues together along with fellow top 100 prospect, C/1B Josue Briceño. None of the group has spent much time at the Double-A level yet, and the Tigers probably would like to see them both exposed to the ABS challenge system and a more experienced brand of pitching at the Triple-A level before they arrive. Still, they’re not far away, particularly McGonigle, who looks like he could adapt to major league pitching with only a month or two of experience.

Clark is waiting in the wings to take over in center field later this year should Meadows struggle. Ideally, Meadows does fine and Kerry Carpenter spend a lot more time in the DH role while Clark provides plus defense in the corners, particularly in right field where his strong, accurate arm would play nicely.

The big question in camp for this pair is where McGonigle fits into the roster. A shortstop by trade, who has repeatedly said he’s doing everything possible to improve and stick there, his modest arm strength and occasional difficulty making plays to his right side means he’s got to convince the Tigers to play him there. McGonigle played some third base in the Arizona Fall League, and is taking balls at both positions so far this spring. We’ll see if the 21-year-old’s offseason work to improve his footwork and release pays dividends, both in terms of how he looks in both positions, and where the Tigers seem to be emphasizing his role in Grapefruit League action.

The fun part, is going to watch McGonigle facing major league pitching a lot more in camp than he did last year. The most precocious young hitter the Tigers’ farm system has boasted since at least the 70’s, he’s still pretty young and has some things to learn. Still a monster camp is going to have A.J. Hinch begging the front office to take him north. The dynamic duo have some boxes to check yet, and scrutiny will be fierce this time around, but they’re going to be a lot of fun to watch this spring.

Battle for the final roster spot

While not the most exciting feature of spring training, the fight for the last spots on the bench is always a crucial component of spring camp. Things often get a bit overwrought, as who lands the final spots is often fiercely debated, only to change mere weeks into the regular season anyway. Still, with much of the roster pretty well set for now, it’s only natural for the roster battles to get a lot of attention.

Right now, the Tigers have a group of 10 players who are pretty well locked in.

Riley Greene, Kerry Carpenter, Parker Meadows, Spencer Torkelson, Gleyber Torres, Javier Báez, Zach McKinstry, Colt Keith, Dillon Dingler, Jake Rogers.

That leaves three more spots up for competition. Sure, a really bad camp from Meadows or even Keith could force the Tigers’ hand, but it would have to go pretty badly to alter that top 10.

Wenceel Pérez and Matt Vierling will both be fighting for time in the outfield, with Vierling probably still getting some work at third base as a possible pinch-hit alternative at the position for Keith. Jahmai Jones was the Tigers lefty masher of choice last season and should have an inside track to that role once again.

There’s your most likely starting 13 on the active roster. That doesn’t mean they’re locks, however.

Minor league deals brought Austin Slater and Corey Julks in as right-handed hitting outfielders to try and compete for one of those spots. Tigers farmhand Trei Cruz is a versatile switch-hitter who can play anywhere, including center field and shortstop in a pinch. Infielders Trey Sweeney and Jace Jace will be trying to position themselves to find a role again after failing at the major league level in their first looks. Finally, infield prospects Hao-Yu Lee and Max Anderson are currently at the Triple-A level, trying to crack the roster at either second or third base.

It may take an injury to really open a spot for any of that group, but we’ll have to see how the next six weeks plays out. A big camp for someone, and a real struggle for one of the likely starting 13, could certainly change the equation.

Catcher Luis Campusano has been in the San Diego Padres system long enough to be out of options. He has to make the roster out of Spring Training if he wants to remain in San Diego. Each of the past two managers, Bob Melvin and Mike Shildt, seem to have soured on Campusano during their time with the Padres. Under new manager Craig Stammen, Campusano gets his best opportunity to succeed at the MLB level. The question is simply, Will he take advantage of the opportunity, or will he be put on waivers for all of MLB to claim? Cheri Bell of Gaslamp Ball says she is hoping Campusano takes his last best chance and runs with it.

Padres News:

• Freddy Fermin came to the Padres at the 2025 deadline. He had to learn the pitching staff on the fly as the team engaged in a pennant and postseason race in the final weeks of the season. Fermin enters the 2026 season as the top backstop on the Padres roster and has had all of season to work with and get to know his pitchers. Hopes are high for Fermin and what he can do in his first full season as a starting catcher at the big-league level.
• Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported that most of the San Diego roster is in camp. The first weeks are critical to build chemistry between teammates before the players competing in the World Baseball Classic must leave to report to their respective countries for the tournament.
• The top three spots in the San Diego rotation are set with personnel, but when they are deployed is completely unknown to anyone but Stammen at this point. The ability to mix and match Michael King, Nick Pivetta and Joe Musgrove will be key in keeping arms healthy and getting players rest as the season progresses. Randy Vasquez is expected to take the No.4 spot, but the fifth and final spot in the rotation is wide open.

Baseball News:

• Zac Gallen will return to Arizona and re-join the Diamondbacks after signing a one-year contract with his former team Tuesday. Gallen will make $22.025 million for the 2026 season.
• The Toronto Blues Jays and the Houston Astros lined up on a trade that sent Jesus Sanchez to the Astros and Joey Loperfido.
• The Milwaukee Brewers and infielder Luis Rengifo agreed to a one-year, $3.5 million contract.

Edwin Diaz’s defection to the Dodgers still isn’t quite adding up for Steve Cohen.

The Mets’ owner was asked during an interview with longtime radio voice Howie Rose about the star closer bolting for the two-time defending World Series champions in free agency this winter after seven years in Queens. 

Cohen still seemed to be searching for an answer for how things worked out, as Diaz signed a three-year, $69 million contract with Los Angeles.

“I did find that one perplexing,” Cohen said.

“I’m not sure exactly how Edwin arrived at that decision. Obviously, it’s a personal decision on his part and I thought we made a pretty respectable bid.”

The Mets offered the 31-year-old Diaz $3 million less but reportedly had “wiggle room” to go higher.

The three-time All-Star said during his introductory press conference with the Dodgers that his decision wasn’t about the money. 

“It wasn’t easy. I spent seven years in New York — they treated me great,” Diaz said. “I chose the Dodgers because they’re a winning organization. I’m looking to win, and I think they have everything to win, so picking the Dodgers was pretty easy.”

Diaz and the Mets reached the postseason just twice during his seven years there, including losing to the Dodgers in six games in the 2024 NLCS.

The Mets were prepared if things did not go their way with Diaz, having already signed closer Devin Williams to a three-year, $51 million pact.

Cohen praised David Stearns, his president of baseball operations, for his forward thinking.

“When it was getting hot and heavy when this was coming down,” Cohen said, “I felt pretty good about the fact that we had signed Devin Williams. I described it to David, that was pretty clever because it was a really good hedge in case it was an unfavorable outcome with Edwin.”

Diaz was among the best closers in Mets history and was coming off a season with a 1.63 ERA and 28 saves, even as the team collapsed and missed the playoffs by one win.

His departure was part of an overhaul of the team’s roster after that disappointing finish.

Stearns did not re-sign Diaz or Pete Alonso and traded away Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil.

Cohen, like most Mets fans fell some of the uneasiness of breaking up the core of the franchise.

“I felt it too, by the way,” Cohen said. “The players that left were the players that I started with in my ownership, Day 1. And so I had developed pretty close relationships with some of these players. From a personal standpoint, I really felt it. First time I’ve ever been through something like that. That creates anxiety when people leave.”

Meet the Mets

Come on, Superman, say your stupid line: Francisco Alvarez is in the best shape of his life as spring training begins.

Christian Scott is very confident as he makes his return from Tommy John surgery.

Unlike past springs, Jonah Tong is now firmly in the spotlight for the Mets.

Steve Cohen spoke to Howie Rose about the various departures the Mets experienced this offseason and the outlook on the 2026 squad.

As we inch closer to the start of baseball, here is another roster projection for the 2026 opening day Mets.

Around the National League East

Several people with the Phillies offered their thoughts about Nick Castellanos’s acrimonious departure from the organization.

Spring training camp has begun, yet the Braves are still seeking to add a playoff-caliber starting pitcher.

To the surprise of no one, Sandy Alcántara will be taking the mound for the Marlins on opening day.

The Nationals’ spring training stadium has leaped into the 21st century.

Around Major League Baseball

One of the biggest name free agents remaining on the market is now off the board, as Zac Gallen is returning to the Diamondbacks on a one-year deal.

Milwaukee has filled an infield hole on their roster by signing Luis Rengifo to a one-year deal.

The Blue Jays and Astros have swung a trade, with Jesús Sánchez heading to Toronto and Houston receiving Joey Loperfido in return.

Shelby Miller will likely miss the entire 2026 season, but the Cubs are signing him to a two-year deal to secure his place on their 2027 squad.

Gerrit Cole is feeling good as he seeks to make his return to the mound this season following last year’s elbow surgery.

Alex Vesia offered an emotional statement to the media in response to his missing the World Series last October due to the death of his infant child.

Which teams had the biggest WAR improvements over the course of the offseason?

We still have a ways to go until opening day, but the college baseball season has begun with a splash, i.e. three grand slams from one player.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue

We asked the community to provide their prediction for the 2026 NL East standings.

Brian Salvatore examined Christian Arroyo, one of many depth options the Mets have with them in spring training.

This Date in Mets History

Mets legends José Lima (RIP) and Liván Hernández were signed on this day in 2006 and 2009, respectively.

As you may know, MLB will use an automated ball-strike system in nearly all games this season. Teams only get two of these in the first nine innings of a game, which isn’t nearly enough. If an umpire misses less than five ball-strike calls in a game, it’s a very good effort. So they probably have a strategy for using their challenges. They will need one to use it effectively. We already know how Chris Sale feels on the subject. He’s borrowing a page from a Braves pitcher from yesteryear.

I feel that emotion and it may play into what the Braves want to do. He’s going to (A) let the catcher to decide on a close call and (B) bank those calls for later in the game. What I think you want to avoid from a pitching standpoint is having a third strike being called a ball and having it immediately hurt you. Did the Braves benefit from this situation last year? Yes, twice it happened where the Braves hit a home run. This is Drake Baldwin on the Fourth of July.

Then later:

The second was Matt Olson on September 26. Statcast had this a ball, but it didn’t appear egregious.

And on the next pitch:

The Braves had 88 third strikes called a ball. They yielded two home runs. If you think you have the hitter struck out, that would be a good time to ask. 88 times over the course of a year would be 27% of your challenges. But that’s if you spot every error. In reality, your odds of overturning may be closer to a coin flip. So that’s over half your challenges. I would run the query the other way (Braves pitching versus opponent hitting) but it’s a tougher task. That is, until I can quit being lazy and fully upgrade my data collection.

Notice here that we’re not considering the game’s leverage here. In a close game late, a challenged third strike feels like a given. But trying to grab an out, whenever you can get, it seems like a good idea too. What we’re also not doing is considering how the Braves use innings and score instead of leverage when it comes to bullpen selection, and that might extend to this as well.

There’s lots more to consider. But there’s 400 of my words. So how will the Braves employ ABS this season? I yield back the balance of my digital ink to the commentariat.

Let’s assume for a second that Nick Castellanos finds gainful employment this offseason. It’s a likely supposition since he was still an above average hitter by wRC+ not long ago and likely would be unburdened of the yoke of outfield defense by whatever team decides to sign him. Wherever he goes, he will ultimately be compared to the player that is replacing him in Adolis Garcia. Together, the Phillies are spending ~$30 million on that position this year, paying one to stay and one to go away.

They will be linked all season, so let’s put our guesstimation hats on. Who will have the better season by WAR: Castellanos or Garcia? It’s going to be something worth following all year, from up close and from afar, to see if the money spent was done so wisely.

With Opening Day only 40 days away, we are winding down on what has been a busy Orioles offseason. Punctuated by the big-money signing of slugger Pete Alonso, the 2026 offseason has seen the O’s bring in Alonso, Ryan Helsley, Chriss Bassit, Zach Eflin and Leody Taveras through free agency, while trading for Taylor Ward, Shane Baz, Andrew Kittredge and Blaze Alexander. Mike Elias & Co. haven’t always met Birdland’s hopes and expectations with these moves, but no one can say they haven’t been busy.

The front office pulling the trigger on the Ward and Baz trades may signal an increased willingness to be aggressive in the trade market. Previously, Elias had been accused of clutching too tightly to the prospects he drafted/acquired, instead preferring to make trades using low-level prospects for players with lower upside. Even the hallmark acquisition of his tenure in Baltimore, the trade for Corbin Burnes, cost relatively little in terms of prospects.

The recent trades certainly paint a picture of a bolder, more “win-now” Mike Elias. Acquiring Ward came at the expense of starter Grayson Rodriguez, formerly the top pitching prospect in all of baseball and the presumptive future ace of the Orioles, who missed all of 2025 with shoulder and elbow injuries. The trade for Baz saw the O’s send away four Top 30 prospects, including two of Elias’ top four picks from the most recent draft.

Should the Orioles dip back into the trade market to bridge the gap between “playoff hopeful” and “true contender,” determining who is off limits in trade talks in now harder than before. Gunnar Henderson, as the Orioles’ best player and Top 20 player in all of baseball, surely isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Samuel Basallo and his $67M contract would also undoubtedly be on the no-trade list. The same goes for the recently-signed Alonso.

But are there truly any other no-brainer, must-be-included candidates for an Orioles’ no-trade list? A year ago, it would have been unfathomable to consider trading Adley Rutschman. However, after his battles with injuries over the last 18 months, and the major financial commitment to Basallo, is that still the case? Infielders Jordan Westburg and Jackson Holliday have both shown flashes of All-Star potential. And yet, with Westburg’s own mounting injury concerns and Holliday’s general inconsistency, it’s also hard to label them truly untouchable.

In the outfield, Colton Cowser and Dylan Beavers are the players with the most long-term upside, but is their potential high enough to keep them far away from the trade block? And while I’d personally love to see Kyle Bradish and Trevor Rogers spend the rest of their careers in Baltimore, the front office may not be so steadfast in their admiration for the Orioles top two pitchers.

So we turn it over to Camden Chat’s best would-be GMs. Who are the Orioles you would never trade, no matter what the offer was?