The MLB offseason has given way to Spring Training, which means baseball is really, truly back. And yet, there is still a lot of unsettled business, from free agent stragglers to last-second trade candidates.
Here is all the latest buzz from around the league, as Baltimore ponders future moves, Atlanta receives a rare positive update, and the Yankees take stock of a dodged bullet.
Yankees entertained Nick Castellanos trade prior to 'mixed reviews'
The Philadelphia Phillies made the rounds this offseason in an attempt to trade veteran right fielder Nick Castellanos. In the end, his $20 million salary was too rich for interested suitors. And, apparently, his attitude was a bit much, too.
There is no shortage of negative reporting around how Castellanos was viewed inside the Phillies clubhouse last season. He apparently never wanted to sign there to begin with, and it seems that he took a rather selfish approach to competing for a World Series. It seems some of this bad buzz trickled over to the New York Yankees ahead of time.
According to NY Post's Jon Heyman (as written by Dylan Svoboda), the Yankees "looked into trading for the Phillies slugger this offseason," but pivoted to Paul Goldschmidt as a veteran righty off the bench after receiving "mixed reviews" on Castellanos. Frankly, based on the current vibes, it feels like those reviews were not so mixed.
This is probably a wise move for New York, all things considered. Goldschmidt can still hammer lefties and he's a far more dependable defender, even if he's a bit more positionally limited. Castellanos was the worst outfield glove in MLB last season. The Yankees would've presumably made him Ben Rice's backup and platoon partner at first base, but Casty's propensity for strikeouts would not map well onto New York's most recent postseason shortcomings.
For comparison: Castellanos posted a .680 OPS against left-handed hitters last season, compared to Goldschmidt's .981 OPS against southpaws. It does not feel like this should've been a hard decision, but clearly the Yankees were interested — perhaps hoping that a change of scenery and the hitter-friendly confines of Yankee Stadium could inspire a Castellanos revival of sorts.
Alas, we shall never know what could've been, as Castellanos joined the Padres on a minimum contract after Philadelphia severed ties.
Braves could get Ha-Seong Kim back sooner than expected
Atlanta Braves fans are all-too-familiar with unexpected and untimely injury news after the last couple seasons, but the latest update from Alex Anthopoulos is — and this is truly shocking — positive! Granted, this is a positive update after a bizarre non-baseball injury to Atlanta's most expensive offseason signing, so you take the good with the bad.
Ha-Seong Kim appeared in 24 games for Atlanta last season after being claimed off waivers. He re-signed on a one-year, $20 million contract this winter, only to suffer a torn tendon in his finger after falling on ice in Korea. The general line from Atlanta fans when Kim's four-to-five month recovery timeline was announced: 'Here we go again.'
In a pleasant turn of fate, however, Alex Anthopoulos told reporters Kim could return in early May (h/t Mark Bowman), which would mean he avoids the 60-day IL — and helps Atlanta avoid a protracted stint with Mauricio Dubón and Jorge Mateo cobbling together starts at shortstop.
Anthopoulos says there is hope shortstop Ha-Seong Kim (right middle finger) returns in early May. Initial reports were he could miss 6-8 weeks. So, he's on schedule and maybe even slightly ahead.
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) February 13, 2026
Kim didn't light the world on fire, but he's a 15-home run, 30-stolen base threat in a good year and he's one of the best middle infield gloves in MLB. The Braves' shortstop situation last season was extremely dire. If Kim can rekindle even 80 percent of his pre-2024 production, before injuries started to take their toll, it would represent a huge stabilizing presence for a Braves lineup itching to break through.
Orioles could put Ryan Mountcastle, Coby Mayo on trade block
There's a chance both Ryan Mountcastle and Coby Mayo are on the Baltimore Orioles' Opening Day roster, as Jackson Holliday is slated to miss time with a broken hamate bone in his right hand. Mayo would presumably play third base, bumping Jordan Westburg to second. Mountcastle figures to operate as a depth option behind Pete Alonso and Samuel Basallo.
That said, the Orioles "continue to explore trades for both Mountcastle and Mayo," per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. Once Holliday returns, there just won't be enough infield spots to go around — especially with Mountcastle, Mayo, Westburg, Alonso and newcomer Blaze Alexander all hitting from the right side. Baltimore needs to consolidate its core pieces.
Mountcastle, 28, is entering his final year under contract. Mayo, 24, hasn't even reached arbitration yet, and The Athletic's Keith Law named him one of the 20 best prospects in baseball last winter. Mayo hasn't quite found his footing yet in the Majors, but the upside is considerable. Mountcastle put up a .653 OPS and 83 OPS+ last season, although it's fair to expect positive regression: he finished with an OPS above .700 and an OPS+ over 100 in five straight seasons prior.
The O's can get the most for Mayo, but his ability to man either third base or first base — as well as his relative youth and cheap, controllable contract — could mean Baltimore is willing to take a lesser return for Mountcastle, whose future probably lies elsewhere at this point.
The Alonso signing and Baltimore's overall slate of offseason moves did a nice job building up the roster for immediate contention without dissolving a deep pipeline of up-and-coming talent. That said, the O's have clear needs — starting pitching, outfield depth, left-handed infielders — and could view a Mountcastle trade as the most logical avenue to such additions. If Mayo ends up on the block, then it probably means the Orioles are aiming high, whether it's for more prospect depth or an immediate contributor.