February 2026

There were 1,487 posts published in February 2026 (this is page 67 of 149).

Padres sign GM A.J. Preller to long-term extension after two straight playoff appearances

After a couple of rough years early in his tenure, A.J. Preller has built the San Diego Padres into a consistent contender. He was rewarded for those efforts Monday, agreeing to a long-term extension with the franchise, the team announced.

The finances and length of Preller’s contract were not disclosed. Unlike player contracts, front-office deals aren’t always made public. 

Preller called San Diego a special place and said in a statement that he is excited to bring a championship to the city. 

“San Diego is a special place, and I’m proud of the progress we’ve made over the last decade while knowing there’s still more work to be done. I’m excited for the Padres’ future and fully committed to bringing a championship to our fans and this city.”

Prior to the extension, Preller was set to enter 2026 with one year left on his contract. When asked about his status Sunday, multiple Padres players showed support for the team’s general manager. Both Manny Machado and Michael King went to bat for Preller, with King saying he re-signed with the Padres due to Preller. 

The Padres were always expected to work out a new deal with Preller, who was hired in 2014. In October, team CEO Erik Greupner said he was optimistic Preller would be the team’s general manager beyond the 2026 MLB season. It might have taken a few months to work out the particulars, but Greupner’s comments turned out to be accurate.

Preller engaged in a pretty lengthy rebuild upon taking over as GM. The Padres failed to make the playoffs in his first five seasons with the team. But the team made strides during that period, trading for Fernando Tatis Jr. and signing Machado to an 11-year, $350 million contract. 

Both moves helped the Padres get back into contention. Since 2020, the team has made the playoffs in four of six seasons. Making deep postseason runs in October, however, has proven difficult. The Padres advanced to the NLCS just once in those four chances, losing to the Philadelphia Phillies in five games in 2022. 

During his tenure with the Padres, Preller has built a reputation as a general manager who is willing to make bold moves. In addition to signing Machado, he spent $280 million on shortstop Xander Bogaerts. He has also traded for Blake Snell and Juan Soto. Preller later traded Soto to the New York Yankees once it became clear the Padres wouldn’t be able to re-sign the outfielder. 

Compared to those moves, it was a relatively uneventful offseason for Preller and the Padres. The team’s biggest move was bringing King back, though recent additions such as Griffin Canning and Nick Castellanos could prove impactful. 

The Padres could certainly use one more addition or two, as the team is projected to win 80.7 games this season, per Baseball Prospectus. That would put the Padres on the cusp of the postseason but not firmly in a playoff spot. Based on how Preller has approached previous seasons, the Padres can be confident he won’t sit idly by if the playoffs are within grasp as the season progresses.

Nick Castellanos talks about Phillies split after signing with Padres: ‘I let the emotions get the best of me’

Nick Castellanos is turning the page on his time with the Philadelphia Phillies. The outfielder — who was signed by the San Diego Padres on Saturday — reflected on the ending of his Phillies tenure Sunday, saying he didn’t handle his outburst in Miami well.

While Castellanos overall stood by the way he approached things with the Phillies, he admitted the “Miami Incident” — in which he brought a beer into the dugout and berated coaches after being removed from a game in the eighth inning — could have been handled better. 

Castellanos said he “let the emotions get the best of me” in that moment, per CBSSports.com.

“I said I will learn from this,” Castellanos said. “I let the emotions get the best of me in the moment. [Going forward] possibly if I see things that frustrate me or I don’t believe are conducive to winning. [It’s about] not letting things just pile up over time so when I address it, it’s less emotional.”

That moment proved to be the beginning of the end for Castellanos in Philadelphia. While he spent the rest of the season with the team, it quickly found a replacement in the offseason, signing outfielder Adolis García.

With Castellanos out of a job, the Phillies looked for possible trade partners, but none materialized. Eventually, the team told the veteran outfielder to not report for spring training. Shortly after that, Castellanos was released by the Phillies. He quickly found another job with the Padres. 

Castellanos, 33, will now look to rebuild his value after experiencing declining numbers in his final year in Philadelphia. He said he is glad to have another opportunity and is looking forward to competing with the Padres. When asked about his new club, Castellanos complimented the Padres while potentially taking one more shot at the Phillies on his way out, per ESPN.

“They don’t cut corners as far as what they do to prepare and win. And also, what reputation they have on how they treat their players and how they have their backs. Even if something goes a little bit awry, they still stand with them and they don’t deviate from their commitment to them as a person.”

Castellanos will have to prove he has something left in the tank after hitting just .250/.294/.400 last season. He registered a -0.8bWAR in 2025, marking the second time since 2022 that he finished the season with negative WAR. 

The Padres, however, aren’t on the hook for much if he falters. The team will pay the veteran the minimum this season, with the Phillies still paying Castellanos’ $20 million salary. 

With the Padres, Castellanos is expected to serve as designated hitter, occasionally appear in the outfield and maybe mix in at first base, a position he has never played in the majors.

Stephen Curry says he’ll return to NBA 3-point competition in 2027

The best 3-point shooter in NBA history is ready to return to the 3-point contest … in 2027. Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry said Sunday that he wants to participate in the 3-point contest next season. 

Curry made the announcement during an appearance on NBC. When asked whether he felt he needed to return to the competition after watching Damian Lillard win his third 3-point contest, Curry said, “One hundred percent.”

He added, “I already scheduled it.” And said he was looking to make sure Lillard and Curry’s former teammate Klay Thompson took part in the festivities. 

Curry was motivated by the fact that Lillard, who is recovering from Achillies surgery, joined an elite group with his third 3-point contest victory. Curry has won the event twice — in 2015 and 2021. It sounds like he wants to match Lillard, or at least see if he can take him down.

Thompson also has a 3-point contest win under his belt, in 2016.

Curry, the league’s all-time leader in 3-pointers made, is still playing at a high level 17 seasons into his career. The 37-year-old is averaging 27.2 points this season, his highest total since the 2022-23 NBA season. 

That performance was enough for Curry to be named a starter at the 2026 All-Star Game, but the Warriors’ star sat out of the event due to a knee injury. 

Despite sitting out, Curry seemed to have a great time during the festivities. In addition to his announcement, Curry also hit a shot from the NBA Showtime desk and was one of the biggest cheerleaders during the various All-Star games Sunday. 

Though Curry continues to play at a high level, the Warriors are once again fighting for a playoff spot in the Western Conference. Entering Monday, the team sits at 29-26, good for eighth place in the West.