Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks has been suspended one game by the NBA following his 16th technical foul of the season, which happened in the second quarter of Wednesday night’s loss to the Thunder. After the game, Brooks doubled down with comments on the officiating.
“Yeah. He said I’m playing victim all the time,” Brooks said. “And when I don’t play victim, I’m the bad guy. Choose one. … If you’re going to be consistently bad, then be consistently bad throughout the whole game. Don’t try to fix it during the game. Don’t trying to be doing any of that or try to even out foul calls or whatever it may be. If you’re going to be bad, be bad the whole game.”
Despite the excessive number of technical fouls Brooks has drawn thus far, statistically, he’s having the best year of his NBA career, especially in the scoring category. Brooks is averaging a career-best 21.2 points in 49 games. The Suns finished last season 10 games under .500 (36-46). More than halfway through this year, Phoenix is nine games over .500 (32-23) and currently one game back of the Los Angeles Lakers for the sixth seed in the Western Conference.
Much of the team’s turnaround can be attributed to the season Brooks is having. Brooks takes on the role of the player who gets in his opponents’ heads on whatever team he’s played for and does it well. This has almost become routine for Brooks — it wasn’t his first suspension, and likely won’t be his last.
While Antetokounmpo, a 10-time All-Star, was originally selected to play for Team World, Fox, now a two-time All-Star, will join one of the two United States teams for the three-team, USA vs. World round-robin tournament.
Advertisement
Fox will be part of USA Stripes’ roster. A spot was freed up there once the NBA moved Miami Heat wing Norman Powell — who has ties to Jamaica — to Team World. Taking the place of Antetokounmpo, Powell will play alongside a bunch of the game’s top international stars.
Although Milwaukee has made the playoffs nine seasons in a row, it’s in danger of missing out on the postseason this time around. The Bucks are just 22-30 and are 12th in the East.
When he’s been on the court, though, he’s delivered his usual entertainment. The 31-year-old is averaging 28 points, 10 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game while shooting a career-high 64.5% from the field, including a personal-best 39.5% from 3.
His replacement on Sunday, Fox, will share the stage with Spurs teammate Victor Wembanyama, albeit on a different team.
Fox’s USA Stripes squad, though, is notably led by Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson.
The No. 5 overall pick in the 2017 draft, Fox has averaged 19.4 points, 6.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game during his ninth season in the league, and his second in San Antonio.
Golf legend Gary Player has quite the history at Augusta National. Over his lengthy career, Player won the Masters three times — the first of which proved to be a historic win. He’s spent plenty of time teeing off at Augusta, playing in the Masters a record 52 times.
But when Player wanted to get in one more round on the course, he was denied. Player, 90, said Augusta National denied his request to play fourball with his grandsons on the Masters’ course. Player said he accepted the decision, but was sad about it, per Golf Monthly.
“All the golf courses that have hosted the Open, the US Open and the PGA would oblige, but they won’t do it at Augusta.
“It is just this current management there, but these are the times we live in and I accept it, but I accept it with sadness.”
Player said he was hoping to tell his grandsons more about his playing days on the course. Player turned in a handful of excellent performances at Augusta National. He first won the Masters in 1961, becoming the first international player to win the event. Player was born in South Africa. He then won the Masters again in 1974 and 1978. In addition to those wins, he has 12 other top-10 finishes at the event. In 1998, Player became the oldest golfer to make the cut at the Masters. He was 62 at the time.
Advertisement
Player’s success in golf wasn’t just limited to the Masters. He won the PGA Championship twice, the U.S. Open once and The Open Championship three times. Those accomplishments made him — along with Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus — “The Big Three” of golf. In 2011, Augusta invited Player to join Palmer and Nicklaus as honorary starters at the Masters. Player has continued to serve in that role and was an honorary starter at the 2025 Masters.
Augusta National, however, has strict rules on who can play at the course outside of the Masters. In order to play a round at Augusta, you need to be a member at the club. Player is not a member, and it’s fairly rare for tour golfers to join Augusta.
Advertisement
Palmer was a member and Nicklaus is a member, however, so there’s precedent for legendary players to get an invite to join the club. That’s the only way to become a member at Augusta. You need to be invited or recommended by a current member.
Unless that happens, Player seems unlikely to have his request granted. While it was assumed Player would serve as an honorary starter at the 2026 Masters in April, that could be up in the air depending on whether there’s any animosity between Player and Augusta following the decision.
The midseason exhibition will be played in Inglewood, California, at the Los Angeles Clippers’ Intuit Dome on Sunday.
Advertisement
The NBA first moved New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns to Team World last week, opening a 16th and final spot in the Team USA pool for this year’s All-Star Game.
Additionally, after Antetokounmpo was ruled out Thursday, the NBA moved Miami Heat wing Norman Powell — who has ties to Jamaica — to Team World.
Advertisement
Here’s the roster breakdown:
USA Stars
Head coach: J.B. Bickerstaff (Detroit Pistons)
Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors
Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons
Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons
Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder
Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks
Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers
USA Stripes
Head coach: Mitch Johnson (San Antonio Spurs)
Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks
Brandon Ingram, Toronto Raptors
Kevin Durant, Houston Rockets
LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers
Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers
De’Aaron Fox, San Antonio Spurs
Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors*
World
Head coach: Darko Rajaković (Toronto Raptors)
Deni Avdija, Portland Trail Blazers
Luka Dončić, Los Angeles Lakers
Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets
Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets
Pascal Siakam, Indiana Pacers
Alperen Şengün, Houston Rockets
Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks
Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
Norman Powell, Miami Heat
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks*
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder*
“*” denotes unable to play because of injury
How this year’s All-Stars were selected
Fans were responsible for 50% of the vote that picked each conference’s five starters. NBA players (25%) and a media panel (25%) accounted for the other slices of the vote.
NBA head coaches selected 14 reserves, namely James, who’s on an All-Star team for the 22nd consecutive season.
There were no positional requirements for this year’s All-Star lineups. That’s a first for the exhibition, which will soon be played in its 75th iteration.
Advertisement
Why are there 9 participating players on Team World?
Towns, who is Dominican through his late mother, was the first player shifted over to Team World. As a result, there were only 15 players in the Team USA pool. A minimum of 16 was required, hence the addition of Leonard.
When the format was rolled out, it was announced that Silver would have the ability to select additional All-Stars so that each group hit its number.
So that’s how Team World ended up with nine players initially, whereas USA Stars and USA Stripes both started with eight players. The additions of Şengün and Powell gave Team World 11 players, but only nine of them will be participating. Likewise, while USA Stripes will technically have nine All-Stars, only eight of them will play, including Ingram and Fox.
Advertisement
How this year’s All-Star Game will be played
In terms of the game itself, there will still technically be four 12-minute quarters — although each will be its own game. Each of the three teams will play twice during round-robin action. The fourth “quarter” will pit the two teams with the best records to decide a champion.
Point differential will be the post-round-robin tiebreaker if all three teams have 1-1 records.
A look at this year’s All-Star Game uniforms, court
The Clippers are hosting this year’s All-Star Game, so it’s fitting the hardwood honors their colorway, as well as the architectural design of the Intuit Dome, which opened ahead of the 2024-25 season and will be used during the 2028 L.A. Olympics.
Advertisement
The All-Star Game jerseys sport an L.A.-inspired script, and there are seven stars orbiting the wordmarks, representing the seven previous All-Star games the city has hosted.
The men’s ice hockey competition at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games has begun, and Team USA will play their first game in the group stage on Thursday, Feb. 12 at 3:10 p.m. ET, airing live on Peacock and USA. The U.S. will play Latvia, and while the majority of Team USA consists of professional players in the NHL, keep an eye out for a few familiar players on Team Latvia, too, including Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins, and forwards Zemgus Girgensons of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Teddy Blueger of the Vancouver Canucks.
Read on for a complete schedule of every U.S. men’s hockey game at this year’s games, a rundown of who is playing for Team USA, and how to watch all the action. And if you want to learn even more about every event at this year’s Winter Games, here’s a guide to everything you need to know about the Milan Cortina Games.
Advertisement
How to watch Team USA vs. Latvia ice hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympics
For $17/month, you can upgrade to an ad-free Premium Plus subscription, which includes live access to your local NBC affiliate (not just during designated sports and events) and the ability to download select titles to watch offline.
Where to watch ice hockey on TV:
The Team USA men ice hockey game against Latvia airs on USA at 3:10 p.m. ET, which you can stream on DirecTV, Hulu + Live TV and more. A re-air will also be broadcast on USA at 11 p.m. ET.
How to watch Olympic ice hockey free without cable:
Who is on the Team USA men’s hockey team?
These are the athletes on Team USA’s men’s team, including their hometowns and professional teams:
Advertisement
Jake Sanderson (Whitefish, Mont./Ottawa Senators)
Brock Faber (Maple Grove, Minn./Minnesota Wild)
Matt Boldy (Millis, Mass./Minnesota Wild)
Kyle Connor (Shelby Township, Mich./Winnipeg Jets)
Jack Eichel (North Chelmsford, Mass./Vegas Golden Knights)
Jake Guentzel (Woodbury, Minn./Tampa Bay Lightning)
Noah Hanifin (Northwood, Mass./Vegas Golden Knights)
Connor Hellebuyck (Commerce, Mich./Winnipeg Jets)
Jack Hughes (Canton, Mich./New Jersey Devils)
Quinn Hughes (Canton, Mich./Minnesota Wild)
Clayton Keller (St. Louis/Utah Mammoth)
Jackson LaCombe (Eden Prairie, Minn./Anaheim Ducks)
Dylan Larkin (Waterford, Mich./Detroit Red Wings)
Auston Matthews (Scottsdale, Ariz./Toronto Maple Leafs)
Charlie McAvoy (Long Beach, N.Y./Boston Bruins)
J.T. Miller (East Palestine, Ohio/New York Rangers)
Brock Nelson (Warroad, Minn./Colorado Avalanche)
Jake Oettinger (Lakeville, Minn./Dallas Stars)
Jaccob Slavin (Erie, Colo./Carolina Hurricanes)
Jeremy Swayman (Anchorage, Alaska/Boston Bruins)
Tage Thompson (Orange, Conn./Buffalo Sabres)
Brady Tkachuk (St. Louis, Mo./Ottawa Senators)
Matthew Tkachuk (St. Louis, Mo./Florida Panthers)
Vincent Trocheck (Pittsburgh, Pa./New York Rangers)
Zach Werenski (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich./Columbus Blue Jackets).
2026 Team USA Olympic men’s ice hockey Schedule:
Thursday, February 12
Group C: Team USA vs. Latvia: 3 p.m. (Peacock, USA), re-air at 11 p.m (USA)
Saturday, February 14
Group C: Denmark vs. Team USA: 3:10 p.m. (USA, Peacock), re-air at 11 p.m. (USA)
Sunday, February 15
Group C: Germany vs. Team USA: 3:10 p.m. (USA, Peacock), re-air at 11 p.m. (USA)
Nate Tice & Charles McDonald dive into the 2026 NFL Draft with 6 prospects who are flying up draft boards so far. Nate highlights OT Max Iheanachor, OT Monroe Freeling and CB D’Angelo Pool, while Charles breaks down EDGE Rueben Bain Jr, DL Caleb Banks and QB Garrett Nussmeier. Nate also touches on a fascinating wide receiver class that stands to make big moves in Indianapolis at the Combine.
Advertisement
Later, Nate & Charles break down a few players with shakier draft stock, including OT Kadyn Proctor, QB Ty Simpson, EDGE Akheem Mesidor and DL Peter Woods.
(6:50) – Stock Up: Rueben Bain Jr.
(15:00) – Stock Up: Max Iheanachor
(19:45) – Stock Up: Garrett Nussmeier
(24:20) – Stock Up: Monroe Freeling
(30:00) – Stock Up: Caleb Banks
(37:10) – Stock Up: D’Angelo Pool
(43:20) – Shaky Stock players
BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA – OCTOBER 11: Garrett Nussmeier #18 of the LSU Tigers looks on prior to kickoff of a game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Tiger Stadium on October 11, 2025 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Derick E. Hingle/Getty Images)
The North Carolina Tar Heels lost more than a game in Tuesday’s 75-66 loss to the Miami Hurricanes. North Carolina freshman forward Caleb Wilson will be out with a fracture in his left hand, according to the team. The Tar Heels do not have a timetable for Wilson’s return.
He suffered the injury in the first half of Tuesday’s loss to the Hurricanes. The 19-year-old returned to the game in the second half after initial X-rays were negative, but X-rays after the game revealed the fracture.
Wilson leads the team in points, rebounds, steals and blocks, averaging 19.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.4 blocks. Wilson set the UNC freshman record by scoring in double figures in each of his 24 games. He has also posted 17 20-point games this season. Wilson has also been projected to be a lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Advertisement
The loss of Wilson comes at a pivotal stretch in conference play. North Carolina has seven regular-season games remaining before the ACC tournament. The Tar Heels are 19-5 overall and 7-4 in conference, good for seventh in the ACC.
Without Wilson, expect the team to rely on Henri Veesaar and Jarin Stevenson in the frontcourt. Veesaar has averaged 16.4 points and 9 rebounds, while Stevenson has added 7.2 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. Tar Heels guard Seth Trimble is also expected to have an increased role.
LIVIGNO, Italy — At the top of the halfpipe, seconds away from destiny or disappointment, Chloe Kim took a long pause and a deep breath.
For an hour, it seemed like Kim was cruising toward a third straight gold medal and Olympic history for any snowboarder, man or woman. And then, out of nowhere, a metaphorical thunderbolt pierced through the snowy night sky.
Advertisement
It was 17-year-old Gaon Choi, whose body had been twisted and bruised by two gnarly falls, standing up and stomping a run that had taken the lead and put Kim in a position she hadn’t experienced very often in her forever career.
This time, the coronation was off. The pressure was on.
Kim couldn’t help but think about the symmetry of her first Olympics eight years ago, a 17-year-old about to introduce herself to the world.
“I was in very similar shoes once upon a time,” she said. “It’s such a full circle moment.”
Not that Kim expected or wanted to lose. But she’s 25 now; a grown woman who’s seen and been through a lot. One of Team USA’s greatest Winter Olympians. A marketing machine who can spend the rest of her life doing whatever she wants.
Advertisement
In other words, as she stared down the barrel, she was free to make a choice: She could try to add some juice to the run that initially gave her the lead or she could try to win the gold medal by bashing down the door.
“I wanted to make history, and in that way,” Kim said. “I wanted to go for it because that’s what I do.”
At the bottom of the hill, the crescendo of expectation started to build. Some fans started chanting, “USA! USA!” but not many others joined in. The moment felt heavy, almost surreal.
Choi, despite a pedigree that included an X Games gold medal as a 14-year old, had on this night come out of nowhere. Her first two runs had looked so scary, so painful, nobody would have blamed her for packing up and heading home.
Advertisement
Just a few moments earlier, as a bevy of riders slid and crashed into a halfpipe that had been rendered sticky by the steady snowfall, it seemed there was little chance of anyone putting down a run that would threaten Kim’s crown.
It was not immediately obvious, as Choi crossed the flat bottom, that she had taken the lead. It was a good run, to be sure. But a winning one? After a quiet minute, the score flashed on the scoreboard: 90.25, bettering Kim’s 88.00 that had held up for 18 straight runs.
“I was a bit shocked then,” Choi said. “And my knees hurt so badly I was kind of out of it.”
The crowd was equally shocked: A gasp, then a pall. The party would have to wait.
Advertisement
And then, it never came.
Kim committed to go for it, but we never saw what might have been. Her second hit turned out to be her last. Kim’s cab double cork 1080 — a standard trick — never landed. In the blink of an eye, a grab for gold turned into a skid for silver.
In that moment, Kim’s mind turned to history. She has become an icon like the riders who inspired her greatness, and in a way, it was only right that another mega-talent who once idolized her grabbed the baton.
Kim knew that’s the outcome Choi’s run deserved.
“She took a heavy slam, got back up and won the damn thing,” Kim said. “That’s badass.”
Advertisement
Only in the aftermath of it all, as Kim beamed on the podium with her silver medal, did it sink in that she was merely the co-protagonist of the story Thursday. The toughness of Choi to come back from those falls, those bruises, and find power in legs that could barely stand, had proven worthy of standing not just beside Kim but one step above her.
That’s the way it should be, from one all-time great to the next.
“Chloe said she’s retiring now and seemed really happy about it,” Choi said.
If that’s true, it’s no surprise. Kim had been drifting away from the sport since 2022. This always felt like a last hurrah.
Advertisement
In a career like hers, there aren’t many what-ifs. But perhaps one will be what might have happened if she had been fully prepared for this event, if she hadn’t banged her shoulder last month in Switzerland. Kim and her team managed it as best they could, but she revealed it’s going to require surgery.
Maybe as much as the gold medal, Kim wanted to land a 1440 — a four-rotation trick she had pulled off in practice but never in competition. She had planned to try it on the second run Thursday, but never made it that far.
“There was a lot of conversation happening about the three-peat and whatnot,” Kim said. “And I think I was thinking about it, for sure. But the minute I injured myself, I was like, ‘That doesn’t matter anymore.’ Let’s just get there and see how far we can go. So this feels like a win for me because a month ago, it didn’t seem too possible.”
Still, she was agonizingly close to something special, something only Shaun White had done winning the halfpipe in 2006, 2010 and 2018. Her family, including her NFL star boyfriend Myles Garrett and her father Jong Jin Kim, who sacrificed so much to launch her into this career, were there at the bottom waiting to celebrate.
Advertisement
And in the end, they did. But they didn’t celebrate the color of the medal. They celebrated her — an end to 12 years of snowboarding greatness and a beginning of whatever’s next. Just as it should be.
“I’m here walking away with my third medal!” she said, her voice rising with pride. “What the hell? This is so sick!”
Our offseason grades continue with the AL Central, a division rarely associated with the kind of high-dollar signings or splashy transactions that seize headlines during baseball’s down months.
For the most part, this winter was no different. Until Detroit’s recent pitching payroll surge — some voluntary, some via Tarik Skubal’s historic victory in arbitration — no division had spent less combined in free agency than the AL Central, with the last-place White Sox surprisingly spending the most. On the trade market, the White Sox and Royals swung a few interesting deals, but most of the offseason’s biggest swaps occurred elsewhere around the league.
Advertisement
Before we fully turn the page on hot stove season, let’s evaluate what these five Midwestern clubs have accomplished since last season concluded.
Significant outgoing free agents: RP Jakob Junis, OF Lane Thomas, SP Ben Lively
Major moves:
Extended 3B José Ramírez on a 7-year deal
Re-signed C Austin Hedges to a 1-year deal
Signed RP Shawn Armstrong to a 1-year deal
Signed RP Connor Brogdon to a 1-year deal
Signed RP Colin Holderman to a 1-year deal
Selected RP Peyton Pallette from White Sox in Rule 5 Draft
Offseason grade: D+
Division champs in three of the past four seasons and postseason participants in seven of the past 10 campaigns, the Guardians have proven to be one of the most reliably competitive teams in baseball. But the offseason is decidedly not when this franchise shines, and this winter was another glaring example of Cleveland’s unwillingness to raise its payroll beyond the absolute basement of the league — the Guardians’ current payroll ranks 29th ahead of only the Marlins — or be aggressive on the trade market in search of more cost-efficient upgrades.
Advertisement
While the club’s decision to extend the face of the franchise, José Ramírez, was a commendable effort to ensure their best player will be a Guardian for life, paying someone who was already under contract for three more seasons did not make the 2026 club any better. It’s a move that can and should be celebrated in the context of Ramírez’s commitment to the organization and the team’s investment in Ramírez in return. But it did little to advance the club’s stated goals of returning to the World Series and ending the longest active championship drought in MLB.
Cleveland’s list of external additions consists primarily of new bullpen pieces on one-year deals, with veteran righty Shawn Armstrong’s $5.5 million pact the most prominent of the bunch. Adding relief depth makes sense as the organization continues to ponder life without closer Emmanuel Clase, but none of the newcomers jump off the page. As for meaningful upgrades to an offense that ranked 28th in wRC+ last season, there weren’t any, with respect to the minor-league deals to Stuart Fairchild and Carter Kieboom. Given an overflow of young position players either at or nearing the major-league level, the Guardians decided not to block any of them with more proven pieces and are instead banking on internal steps forward to fuel an improved offensive unit.
Of course, pessimism surrounding Cleveland’s offseason inactivity does not preclude optimism that the Guardians can once again be relevant characters in the AL Central race; counting them out prematurely would be foolish. But Ramírez will be an MVP candidate for only so long, and with limited reinforcements joining from the outside, there’s substantial pressure on the inexperienced in-house personnel to form a worthwhile supporting cast around Ramírez sooner rather than later.
Detroit Tigers
Significant outgoing free agents: SP Chris Paddack, INF Andy Ibanez, RP Jason Foley, RP Tommy Kahnle, RP Alex Lange
Advertisement
Major moves:
Signed SP Framber Valdez to a 3-year deal
Retained 2B Gleyber Torres via qualifying offer
Signed RP Kenley Jansen to a 1-year deal
Signed RP Kyle Finnegan to a 2-year deal
Signed RP/SP Drew Anderson to a 1-year deal
Signed SP Justin Verlander to a 1-year deal
Offseason grade: B-
For the first three months of the offseason, the Tigers were awfully quiet. A major bit of business was taken care of quickly when second baseman Gleyber Torres accepted the qualifying offer in November, and Detroit bolstered its pitching staff with some modest moves in early December, re-signing Kyle Finnegan, adding veteran closer Kenley Jansen and bringing in rotation candidate Drew Anderson after a stellar stint overseas.
Suddenly, the Tigers boast an outstanding rotation and a payroll well above $200 million, leaps and bounds above their AL Central peers. Both are undeniably encouraging for a franchise that hasn’t claimed a division title since 2014. But without any upgrades whatsoever to a lineup that was roughly average in the 2025 regular season and sputtered badly in October, it’s tough to give Detroit too favorable a grade for its winter activity. Like the rival Guardians, Detroit is counting on the hitters already on the roster — and the ultra-talented prospects on the way — to take the necessary steps forward to enable a more productive offense in 2026. Whether such a strategy will work remains to be seen, but completely neglecting the opportunity to add better bats this winter deserves a demerit on an otherwise solid grade.
Can the Royals or White Sox surprise in the low-spending AL Central?
(Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports)
Kansas City Royals
Significant outgoing free agents: OF Mike Yastrzemski, RP/SP Michael Lorenzen, INF Adam Frazier, RP Hunter Harvey, OF MJ Melendez, OF Randal Grichuk
Advertisement
Major moves:
Extended 3B Maikel Garcia on a 5-year deal
Extended C Salvador Perez on a 2-year deal
Acquired OF Isaac Collins, RP Nick Mears from Brewers for RP Angel Zerpa
Acquired RP Matt Strahm from Phillies for RP Jonathan Bowlan
Signed OF Lane Thomas to a 1-year deal
Signed RP Alex Lange to a 1-year deal
Offseason grade: B-
Are you sensing an AL Central theme? Here’s another club with some contender-like qualities, but an offensive unit that severely lacks the depth to warrant a bullish forecast. The Royals’ outfield in particular has been problematically awful in recent seasons, even as Kansas City has returned to relevance in the AL. It’s no surprise then that the team made multiple moves this winter to try to address that shortcoming, signing bounce-back candidate Lane Thomas and acquiring unlikely rookie breakout Isaac Collins in a swap with Milwaukee.
Thomas is coming off a completely lost season due to injury but has a solid track record of offensive output. Conversely, Milwaukee’s trade of Collins could be interpreted as a sell-high maneuver, suggesting some regression could be in store for him as a sophomore. Perhaps Thomas and Collins can solidify the Royals’ outfield in supporting roles behind the stars at the top of the lineup, but there are questions with both.
Advertisement
Otherwise, the Royals didn’t do much. Extensions for breakout third baseman Maikel Garcia and franchise anchor Salvador Perez were both nice to see, but they don’t overshadow the complete lack of free-agent spending. Only the Nationals gave out less guaranteed money to major-league free agents this winter than Kansas City’s $6.15 million to Thomas and reliever Alex Lange. That’s disappointing considering the Royals’ recent willingness to occasionally splurge in the middle tier of free agency for guys such as Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha.
But the Royals did get better this winter. The outfield additions, plus a reliable lefty reliever in Strahm to backfill the loss of Zerpa, put this roster in position to compete in this mediocre division. It was an uninspiring but respectable winter for Kansas City.
Minnesota Twins
Significant outgoing free agents: C Christian Vazquez, RP Genesis Cabrera
Advertisement
Major moves:
Hired Derek Shelton as manager
Signed 1B Josh Bell to a 1-year deal
Signed C Victor Caratini to a 1-year deal
Signed RP Taylor Rogers to a 1-year deal
Acquired C Alex Jackson from Orioles
Acquired 1B Eric Wagaman from Marlins
Acquired OF Tristan Gray from Red Sox
Offseason grade: D
Yikes. Despite heavy rumors that the dramatic deadline teardown would continue this winter with the offloading of star veterans such as Joe Ryan, Pablo López or perhaps even Byron Buxton, Minnesota held on to all of its main pieces. That would be fine if the team had decided that July’s roster overhaul was a temporary measure and that this winter would be spent reinforcing the parts of the roster that were diminished with those trades. Instead, the Twins did next to nothing to backfill the depleted bullpen and failed to make other additions that would inspire confidence while payroll sank to troubling lows. To top it off, the club parted ways with longtime front office head Derek Falvey at the end of January, extremely unusual timing for a transition of power to take place in baseball operations.
The lack of cohesion or direction appears to be the result of what’s going on at the ownership level. The Pohlad family’s decision not to sell the franchise after initially announcing their intention to do so has led to a change in leadership structure involving Tom taking the reins from his younger brother, Joe. That turbulence at the top has left the roster and the fan base in a state of unease entering 2026, as there’s just enough talent in place to squint and see a competitive team but such an unstable infrastructure that it’s difficult to feel certain this team will be good enough to avoid another painful sell-off in July. There are some really good players on this roster, but few teams, if any, had a more concerning winter than the Twins.
Advertisement
Chicago White Sox
Significant outgoing free agents: OF Mike Tauchman, RP Tyler Alexander, SP Martin Perez, SP/RP Bryse Wilson
Major moves:
Signed 1B Munetaka Murakami to a 2-year deal
Signed RP Anthony Kay to a 2-year deal
Signed SP/RP Sean Newcomb to a 1-year deal
Signed RP Seranthony Dominguez to a 2-year deal
Signed OF Austin Hays to a 1-year deal
Signed SP Erick Fedde to a 1-year deal
Acquired SP Jordan Hicks, SP/RP David Sandlin from Red Sox for SP Gage Ziehl
Acquired UTL Luisangel Acuña, RP Truman Pauley from Mets for OF Luis Robert Jr.
Selected SP Jedixson Paez, RP Alexander Alberto in Rule 5 Draft
Offseason grade: B+
We conclude this AL Central offseason wrap-up with some shockingly good vibes on the South Side. While the rest of the division largely lay dormant this winter, the White Sox were busy making a series of moves focused on building for the future but also raising the floor of the present-day club. By surrounding its promising position-player core with reliable veterans on both sides of the ball, Chicago has put itself in position to put a far more respectable product on the field in 2026 than the abysmal displays of the past two seasons.
Advertisement
Let’s be real, though: this winter was all about landing Munetaka Murakami. That his market collapsed to such a degree that the White Sox were involved is obviously a red flag, but the monumental upside remains for the 26-year-old slugger. His arrival will single-handedly bring to spring training a level of anticipation that few other camps will feature, and his transition to the majors will be one of the biggest stories of the season. He has enormous questions to answer at the plate, but credit to Chicago for jumping at the unexpected opportunity to add a rare talent capable of energizing a fan base, even with the concerns attached.
That said, let’s not celebrate this winter of wheeling and dealing too much. This team still projects to be one of the worst in baseball, and no team playing in Chicago should have a payroll that ranks 28th in the sport, no matter where the club is in its competitive window. Still, for the first time in a while, there are things to look forward to with this team, and this offseason featured a more cogent and intentional roster-building strategy. The squad on the South Side is noticeably more compelling because of it.
Nick Castellanos’ time with the Philadelphia Phillies has come to an end. Less than 24 hours after it was revealed the team told Castellanos not to report to spring training, the outfielder was released by the club.
On his way out the door, Castellanos decided to post two handwritten notes, the first of which thanked Phillies staff members and players who supported him during his four years with the team.
Advertisement
The second note focused on something Castellanos deemed “The Miami Incident.” That incident led to a one-game benching for Castellanos, who was in the midst of a streak in which he started 236 consecutive games.
At the time, the team said Castellanos’ benching was the result of an “inappropriate comment.” Castellanos revealed the real reason for his benching, and it involved alcohol.
“OK, apparently I need to address The Miami Incident. As one of my friends on the team has informed me, there is an article waiting to come out without my consent or comments about this situation. So I’m going to just share myself.
“As a veteran of the game of baseball there are rules and I broke one in Miami. After being taken out of a close ball game in front of my friends and family, I brought a Presidente into the dugout. I then sat right next to [Phillies manager Rob Thomson] and let him know that too much slack in some areas and too tight of restrictions in others are not conducive to us winning. Shoutout to my teammates and [Phillies special assistant to the general manager Howie Kendrick] for taking the beer out of my hands before I could take a sip. (I appreciate you guys). After the game, I went into the office with Dave & Rob. We aired out our differences and the conversation ended with me apologizing for letting my emotions get the best of me. I would like to note, that I was ready to share the details of the incident in its entirety to the media the next day, but was instructed not to by management. The punishment I received for my actions was the benching the following game.
“I love this game, I love being a teammate and I am addicted to winning. I will learn from this.”
Presidente is a brand of Dominican beer.
The game in question was June 16 vs. the Marlins. With the Phillies ahead 3-1 in the bottom of the eighth, Castellanos — who has posted poor defensive metrics throughout his career — was removed from the game in favor of Johan Rojas, a superior defensive player. Castellanos took issue with the move, particularly because he grew up in Florida and had friends and family at the game.
Advertisement
The following day, Castellanos was absent from the Phillies’ lineup, ending his consecutive games started streak.
Despite that incident, Castellanos remained with the Phillies the rest of the season. His numbers declined, as the veteran slashed just .250/.294/.400 with 17 home runs in 589 plate appearances. In late August — after again being removed from a game in favor of a defensive replacement — Castellanos admitted it was frustrating to deal with reduced playing time.
The team signaled it was ready to move on from Castellanos in the offseason, signing veteran Adolis García to a one-year, $10 million contract. García is expected to open the season as the Phillies’ starter in right field, Castellanos’ primary position.
Despite being out of a starting job, Castellanos remained on the Phillies’ roster for the rest of the offseason. Things came to a head Wednesday, when it was reported that the team told Castellanos not to report for spring training. With the Phillies seemingly out of options, they decided to release Castellanos on Thursday.
Advertisement
While the veteran has some limitations at this point in his career, he posted an OPS better than league-average as recently as 2024. That could result in Castellanos signing with another team during spring training.
But given how his tenure with the Phillies ended, Castellanos will have to prove himself with a new franchise.
