Former Mets starter Griffin Canning is officially off the board.
According to numerous reports, the right-hander has reached an agreement with the Padres.
Canning spent just one season in the Big Apple after signing a $4.25 million deal last offseason.
He was expected to serve as depth for the big league rotation, but injuries forced him into the group, and he ended up providing a tremendous boost before going down with a season-ending injury of his own.
The former first-round pick pitched to a 3.77 ERA and 1.37 WHIP over his 16 outings.
Perhaps his most impressive one came in early June, when he tossed six scoreless innings against the Dodgers.
After recovering from his ruptured Achilles tendon, Canning threw for teams earlier this month, and it didn't take him long before he found a soft landing spot in San Diego.
Some were hoping for a potential reunion in New York, but the Mets' up-and-coming young arms give them an immense amount of depth waiting in the wings.
With the World Baseball Classic beginning on March 5, participating players will soon depart their clubs' camps to gather with national teams. The 2026 regular season begins on March 25 with the San Francisco Giants hosting the Yankees.
Here's what to know for the opening days of spring training games:
UNITED STATES - NOVEMBER 30: The Apple II was designed and built by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak by the end of 1976. It was the first mass-marketed personal computer. The Apple II was a single-board computer like the Apple I, but the Apple II was much improved, going several steps further than its predecessor. The Apple II had the BASIC (Beginner's All Symbolic Instruction Code) programming language built in, and it had the ability to display text and graphics in colour. (Photo by SSPL/Getty Images) | SSPL via Getty Images
There are lots of projection systems that proclaim themselves the most accurate, the one that hits the target more often when talking about how a player will perform. It’s a tricky business because there are so many variables that go into a season that getting even half of the projection correct would be a boon to the system. This week, at Baseball Prospectus, they are celebrating PECOTA week, the one in which they reveal the projections about the teams and players based on their proprietary system PECOTA (Player Empirical Comparison and Optimization Test Algorithm).
Don’t ask me about their math and wizardry because I don’t know either.
What I do know is that theirs is the system I find to be most accurate when trying to determine how well a player is going to play in a given season, so when that projection is given, I like to spend some time with it. Go through all of the different percentiles, how things could shape up if player X performs well or underperforms. There is a lot of information to go through, but some things do stand out about them. These are just a few of the initial observations about PECOTA’s thoughts about the 2026 Phillies.
It does not like their chances of winning the division
The initial release of the expected standings based on PECOTA projections always brings some consternation. The system always believes in the Braves and never believes in the Brewers. For the Phillies, right now, they don’t seem overly optimistic of their winning the National League East for a third consecutive season.
Now, the thing about these projected standings is they are pretty fluid. They adjust things based on the news that is received during the day. For example, when these were initially released, the Braves had an extra two wins while the Phillies were a few tenths of a win behind their current 86 total. With the news that Spencer Schwellenbach is expected to miss a sizeable chunk of time, things were adjusted a bit.
One thing that should be encouraging is that for all the gnashing of teeth about the team’s moves (or lack thereof) this offseason, PECOTA still sees them as pretty comfortable playoff team. It just likes the Braves to be a division winner more than the Phillies, which is understandable to a degree. PECOTA always loves Atlanta and nothing much has changed there.
But the Phillies? Don’t plan on getting a replica division pennant flag on opening day in 2027.
Adolis Garcia rebound szn?
Perhaps the most controversial signing the Phillies made this offseason was bringing in Adolis Garcia to take over right field duties from Nick Castellanos. A one year deal like this one shouldn’t bring too much controversy with it, but the timing, the cost and the seemingly preventative nature of it caused many to sneer in derision at the mere reminder of the deal.
PECOTA is a bit more optimistic in its projection. Garcia hit .227/.271/.394 with 19 home runs last year, a sizeable step back from his previous seasons’ production. His DRC+ of 91 (Deserved Runs Created) was markedly better than his 83 wRC+, yet still a below average number.
However, take a bit more of a step back and something should be a bit rosier. Here is Garcia’s 2025 season compared to his 50th percentile projection from 2025:
PECOTA was pretty optimistic about Garcia at least being a .700 OPS hitter last season, though still saw his on-base percentage being an issue. It’s kind of scary how accurate they were with that projection actually.
For 2026, the outlook is every so slightly rosier (50th percentile: .236/.295/.428, 23 HR, 74 RBI, 97 DRC+), seeing maybe some upticks in both his on-base and slugging percentages with his going to a better hitter’s park than the one in Texas. It does not predict the under the hood stuff, things like bat speed, chase rate and the like, but if we’re to guesstimate on that, seeing at least both of those numbers fall from 2024 to 2025 doesn’t exactly make one feel good. It’s still not great for the money that they allotted to Garcia for 2026, but at least on the baseball card stats, PECOTA thinks that maybe there is some improvement coming over what he did last year. If he gets to those 70th, or even 80th, percentile projections, well now we have something much better on our hands.
The offense as a whole?PECOTA still believes in you to produce
If you’re of a certain age and you have a couch or chair that is lower than normal to the ground, you know that getting older is not something that is enjoyable. Pay no mind to those commercials where people are out galivanting around wineries all day once they hit the age of 70, your body starts to betray you earlier and earlier it feels like. Try as you might, but Father Time remains undefeated against all challengers.
In baseball age, the Phillies are getting older, yet PECOTA is not really sure what to think of them. Looking at just the 50th percentile DRC+ projections, there is really only one that it sees taking a big step back. Kyle Schwarber is the biggest, but his DRC+ would go from the 154 to 127 this year. That shouldn’t be surprising as expecting him to repeat his MVP runner up season with something equal to it would be foolish. But the system still believes in Bryce Harper (120 DRC+ in 2025, 127 projection) and Trea Turner (103 in 2023, 109 projection). Surprisingly, it also doesn’t portend much of a cliff dive by J.T. Realmuto (91 in 2025, 99 projection)
The biggest one that I was surprised at was what it thinks about Brandon Marsh. Pockets of the fanbase don’t see him as more than a platoon bat and the front office would agree, going out of their way to mention Otto Kemp and others as potential partners to Marsh’s left handed bat. Yet PECOTA sees that if roughly 450 at bats, against who it does not know, Marsh would hit to a 102 DRC+, a ten point increase from what he accumulated in 2025. Wonder what more playing time against left handed pitching would do to help him improve against it. After all, how can you get better at the weakness if you’re never allowed to go against it?
Projection systems really like hitters that have produced well in the past. If you’ve done it often, it believes you can continue to do it over and over again, so long as there aren’t many major issues.
Yankees catcher Austin Wells didn’t see any signs of it as he caught Gerrit Cole’s first bullpen session in spring training on Friday morning.
Cole consistently sat in the mid-90s with his fastball, touching up to 96 mph.
“He looks great, he looks sharp, he looks like Gerrit Cole,” Wells told SNY’s Niki Lattarulo. “It was refreshing to see. That was my first time catching him since surgery -- I think he’s in full-season form and he could get outs right now if he needed to.”
Certainly an encouraging sign with Cole nearly a year removed from Tommy John surgery.
The right-hander's exact timeline for a return is still a bit of an unknown at this point, but the Yanks are hoping to be able to get him back headlining their starting rotation by May or June.
“The target is always between 14-18 months, that hasn’t changed,” Cole said Friday.
New York will obviously err on the side of caution as their ace progresses, though, as they can't afford to have him miss more time than expected with their pitching staff already banged up.
Along with Cole, Carlos Rodon is expected to miss the first few weeks of the season, Clarke Schmidt is expected to be sidelined until some point in the second half, and now Cam Schlittler is dealing with back inflammation.
If Schlittler doesn't have to miss time, he'll help hold down the fort alongside Max Fried, Luis Gil, Will Warren, and the newly acquired Ryan Weathers until Cole and the others are ready to return.
“‘Entertaining’ is easily the first word that comes to mind, and I don’t know if that’s going to change between now and the end of the year,” Vitello told Brian Murphy and Markus Boucher. “And obviously, there are other attributes he’s bringing to the table, but it’s been entertaining for sure. And, you know, you talk about him helping me or giving me advice …
“I jumped in on some PFP (pitcher fielding practice) yesterday — more than anything, because I kind of wanted to be in the middle of it to see how it was going and the differences and stuff like that — and he was all over me about my fielding technique. And so I think we’ve had fun and he’s had fun with the players, kind of giving each other some locker room humor, jabs back and forth. But also, I can tell you, he was very, very serious about me correcting my technique on a particular ground ball.”
That sounds like Washington.
The 73-year-old is one of the more respected names in baseball, known for his blend of humor, seriousness and teaching abilities. Considering Washington has been in MLB since his playing career started in 1977, he is a perfect fit for the up-and-coming Vitello’s staff.
Vitello is learning as he goes. And having Washington, who just served as manager of the Los Angeles Angels, around helps the Giants’ new manager formulate his plan to make San Francisco one of the more enjoyable teams in MLB.
“So that’s the balance he’s got going on between having a lot of fun, but also bringing a lot of intensity to the ballpark. It’s one of the reasons why fans like Drew Gilbert is a player, why everyone loves Washington as a coach.
“And … when this year is complete, we like fans to reflect on the team and say, ‘You know what, it was a fun group, but they also played hard. They brought a lot of intensity to the ballpark every day.’”
Washington sure does bring “fun” and “intensity” to the Giants, as Vitello has experienced firsthand.
FREDERICKSBURG, VIRGINIA - SEPTEMBER 7, 2025: Eli Willits #13 of the Fredericksburg Nationals in action during a Carolina League game against the Carolina Mudcats at Virginia Credit Union Stadium on September 7, 2025 in Fredericksburg, Virginia. The Mudcats beat the Nationals, 6-3. (Photo by Rodger Wood/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Last July, the Washington Nationals made Eli Willits the youngest first overall pick ever. With more famous prospects like Ethan Holiday and LSU ace Kade Anderson available, it was a bit of a risky pick. However, after a strong pro debut, Willits’ stock is higher than it was on draft day. Despite ranking behind Holiday in draft rankings, he is now ahead of him in prospect rankings.
And by the way, Eli Willits ranks ahead of Ethan Holliday in the shortstop rankings for those who were so bent on July 13 during the MLB Draft. #Nats#NextGenNatshttps://t.co/wAtKLf79en
While Willits was considered a very well-rounded prospect, there was one part of his game that caused some concerns. That was his lack of raw power. It is important to note he was just 17 last year, but his exit velocities were still below average in his pro debut. When you looked at him, he still looked like a kid because well, he was a kid.
Entering this offseason, Willits knew he had to hit the weight room. He will never have James Wood power, but if he can get to average power, Willits has star upside. The rest of his game is so solid. He has elite contact skills and plate discipline as a hitter. In the field, he has smooth actions at shortstop. Willits is also a well above average runner.
Willits acted accordingly, and was in the weight room early and often. All offseason, you would see him posting videos lifting weights. When you saw him on the field, it was clear that Willits had room to add weight. He still looked like a baby out there. His goal this offseason was to add some man strength.
Eli Willits knows what he needs to do to improve. If he puts on some strength, there are no holes in his game pic.twitter.com/Oar4d6BpPO
It is not like Willits is tiny. He is listed at 6’1 and could still be growing. There is room to pack strength onto his frame. Willits’ pro debut showed all of his strengths and weaknesses. He hit .300 and had a great feel for the strike zone. However, basically all of his hits were singles. Out of his 15 hits, only two went for extra bases and none were home runs.
His slugging percentage was only .360, which is not very good. However, his .397 OBP allowed him to post a solid .757 OPS. For a 17 year old in pro ball, that is highly impressive. He adapted to pro ball like a duck to water, starting his career with a 9 game hitting streak. Most high school draftees either struggle or don’t even play in their draft year, but not Willits.
Eli Willits: 9-game hitting streak to begin his pro career 💥
However, the physical limitations were still clear. Willits’ 90th percentile exit velocity was the lowest of any top 100 prospect. As the youngest player on the list, that is easy to explain away though. We will still need to see that improve though. As you rise through the minor leagues, defenses get better and Willits will have to hit the ball with more authority to get hits.
I think we will see him hit the ball harder though. Willits looked noticeably bigger and stronger when he arrived to camp a couple days ago. His lower half was so much sturdier and it was clear he put in the work.
The before and after of Willits is pretty crazy. He truly developed from a boy into a man in one offseason. Given his age and bloodlines, this is not overly surprising. Most people get a lot bigger and stronger from that 17 to 18 mark. You start to gain that adult strength.
Another reason why I was confident Willits would add weight is just seeing his family. His brother Jaxon is the star shortstop at the University of Oklahoma, and actually a pretty good draft prospect. Jaxon Willits is listed at a sturdy 6’0 203 pounds. Eli looks like he might be close to 200 pounds after this offseason.
As we know, there are some potential downsides to adding too much muscle. It can come at the expense of your quick twitch athleticism. Hopefully that will not be the case with Eli. I do not think it will because his frame had room to add good weight before this offseason.
Even if he does lose a little bit of twitch, it would be a fine trade off. Willits needs the strength to reach his potential. With his feel for hitting, he will be able to maximize the power he has. It will never be light tower power, but he could hit 15-18 homers one day.
As long as he is able to stick at shortstop, the strength will be a good addition to his game. Even if he does lose half a grade of speed, I am still confident in his ability to field. The best part of his defensive game is his IQ and hands. Willits is so fundamentally sound that he does not need to be a hyper-athlete to be a good defender.
That also applies to the basepaths. He will be able to maximize all the speed he has due to his IQ and his ability to get good jumps. Willits loves trying to take the extra base and is a true grinder. He combines that hard scrabble style with elite talent. That is what made him the first overall pick.
Willits’ baseball IQ allows him to make the most of his tools. However, you can only do so much without power. Willits clearly spent this winter trying to add power. Given how he looks, I think the mission was a success. He is already the 13th ranked prospect in baseball, so it is scary to imagine his ceiling if he starts hitting for power.
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.
Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos (8) hits an RBI single driving home Philadelphia Phillies first base Bryce Harper (3) gives the Phillies the lead in the 10th inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
The Yankees inquired about a potential trade prior to Castellanos’ release but receivd mixed reviews, according to Heyman.
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.
Nick Castellanos of the Phillies hits 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. Getty Images
“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.
BRADENTON, FL - FEBRUARY 14: New York Yankees Senior Vice President, General Manager Brian Cashman talks to the the media during the 2025 Grapefruit League Spring Training Media Day at Pirate City on Friday, February 14, 2025 in Bradenton, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
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.
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.
HARTFORD, CT - MAY 18: Dylan Ross #31 of the Binghamton Rumble Ponies pitches during the game between the Binghamton Rumble Ponies and the Hartford Yard Goats at Dunkin' Park on Sunday, May 18, 2025 in Hartford, Connecticut. (Photo by Ryan Desantis/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
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.
DETROIT, MI - AUGUST 24: Seth Lugo #67 of the Kansas City Royals pitches against the Detroit Tigers during the second inning at Comerica Park on August 24, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
Oct 17, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners pitcher Bryan Woo (22) throws a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays in the sixth inning during game five of the ALCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images | Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images
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.
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.
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.
PHOENIX, AZ - NOVEMBER 01: Jordan Montgomery #52 of the Texas Rangers celebrates in the clubhouse after winning against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 5 of the 2023 World Series at Chase Field on Wednesday, November 1, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
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.
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.
The Mets have plenty of intriguing non-roster invites in camp this season.
There are some exciting young prospects like Carson Benge and Ryan Lambert trying to earn their opportunity, and then you also have veterans such as Craig Kimbrel, who is trying to find his way back to the big-league level.
Kimbrel, of course, joined the club on a minor league deal just two weeks ago.
It remains to be seen whether or not the 37-year-old closer has anything left in the tank, but he is coming off an awfully encouraging season in both the majors and minors.
Because of that and his past experience, the Mets decided to take a chance.
“We’re excited to have Craig,” David Stearns said this week. “This is someone who has an incredible amount of experience and success pitching in the backend of bullpens -- we saw him have success in Triple-A and the majors towards the end of last year.
“He certainly looks like he has the ability to get major league hitters out, and we value the wisdom he brings -- having someone like that in camp and potentially on our team, it made a lot of sense to give it a look and give him a chance.”
Kimbrel posted a 3.00 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and 51 strikeouts in 39.0 innings between Double-A and Triple-A last season.
He also put together a scoreless frame in his lone big-league appearance during his brief stint back with the Braves, and allowed just four runs over 13 outings for the Houston Astros down the stretch.
If he can find that same success during Grapefruit League play, perhaps he’ll be able to carve out a role for himself in the Mets’ bullpen to start the season.
Kimbrel certainly feels he has a little something left in that right arm of his.
“I want to go out there and compete and be part of that,” he told MLB.com's Anthony Dicomo. “I’m getting excited just talking about it -- the fact that I still want to do that, there’s no reason for me to be at home watching the game.”
According to Dicomo, Kimbrel added a changeup to his arsenal last year, which piqued the interest of Mets officials.
