Dan Quinn’s crucial change could decide Commanders’ fate against the Lions
The Washington Commanders have been in a downward spiral over the past month, and they'll look to avoid their fifth consecutive loss when they host the Detroit Lions in Week 10.
Everything that could have gone wrong this season has, and injuries have played a significant part. Star quarterback Jayden Daniels is sidelined for the third different time, now with a dislocated elbow he suffered in the fourth quarter of Week 9's
In the meantime, Joe Whitt Jr.'s defense has been under heavy criticism, and adjustments are finally in order as the defensive coordinator will move down from the booth to the sideline. Head coach Dan Quinn will need to do his part to ensure the move pays off.
Dan Quinn needs to micromanage Joe Whitt Jr. as much as possible
It seems almost inevitable that the situation with Whitt is a last-ditch effort to save his job. It's worth trying anything possible, but no matter where he's calling the game from, it won't change his coaching strategy or make the players any better.
What can change, though, is that Whitt and Quinn will be able to communicate more effectively. That might be worth something, given Washington's head coach's successful pedigree from his time as a defensive coordinator with the Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys.
If Quinn's direct input is playing a bigger role in overseeing the Commanders' defense, the unit might not be totally hopeless. Better yet, having a constant voice in his ear may help teach Whitt valuable lessons that help him improve his craft.
The former Auburn University wide receiver had never been anything beyond a positional leader before taking his current job in Washington, so it's important to note he is still going through his own growing pains.
Patience is generally much lower with coaches in comparison to players, but we can't forget that they are human beings, too. Whitt has struggled, but that doesn't mean he can't turn it around — and this is the right way to let him do so before pulling the plug on his tenure as defensive coordinator.
Quinn and Whitt are close friends, so it's understandable that the former is hesitant to fire the latter outright. But unless he wants his own seat to start warming up, he needs to be as active as possible in ensuring the Commanders' defense is in good hands.
It's a last roll of the dice, and it has to go well.
Yankees Add 27-Year-Old Reliever to 40-Man Roster as Free Agency Begins
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Yankees manager Aaron Boone may have more relief options after adding Kervin Castro to their 40-man roster.
The New York Yankees cut Jonathan Loaisiga loose, and they may have found his replacement.
New York added minor-league right-hander Kervin Castro to its 40-man roster Thursday, keeping him away from free agency and securing his roster spot for 2026.
Loaisiga’s $5 million option was not picked up by the Yankees earlier this week, which opened a spot on the team’s 40-man roster. Castro spent his 2025 season in Triple-A with the Yankees and went 5-1 with a 1.53 ERA and four saves in 47 innings in 35 appearances.
Kervin Castro Has Not Pitched In The Majors Since 2022
Castro was an effective setup man for Scranton/Wilkes Barre in 2025, but he has earned the reputation as a 4-A pitcher.
The 26-year-old has a 1-2 record with a 4.91 ERA in 20 appearances in the majors but has not pitched in the bigs since his 10 2/3-inning stint with the Chicago Cubs in 2022.
Castro, a native of Maracay, Venezuela, came up in the San Francisco Giants organization. He signed as a 16-year-old free agent and climbed through their farm system and advanced to the majors in 2021 — after the minor-league season was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Cubs claimed Castro off waivers, but he struggled in the majors there in 2022. However, he found his form first in Triple-A with the Detroit Tigers in 2023, sporting a 2.30 ERA in 15 2/3 innings before the Houston Astros plucked him and added him to their 40-man roster.
Castro missed the entire 2024 season after having Tommy John surgery, and the Yankees claimed him in last year’s Rule 5 Draft.
Kervin Castro May Have A Role With The Yankees
The Yankees have done well with reclamation projects in the Matt Blake era, since their pitching coach has found the best ways to get the most out of journeyman relievers.
New York first converted Clay Holmes to an effective closer and turned Luke Weaver from a failed starting pitcher into a closer for the American League champions in 2024.
So the fact Castro was effective in Triple-A, and was added to the Yankees’ 40-man roster, bodes well for his potential to contribute this year, especially since he has big-league experience. Plus, Loaisiga is gone, and Weaver and Devin Williams are likely to depart via free agency.
One thing working against Castro could be his substandard fastball velocity, since he only averaged about 94 mph on his four-seam fastball when he last pitched in the majors in 2022, according to Baseball Savant.
Castro marries that fastball with a slow curveball and a cut-fastball that averaged about 89 mph, though he only threw his cutter 8 percent of the time in the majors
Darragh McDonald of MLB Trade Rumors spelled out the type of role Castro could play, which would put him in a role akin to that of what Yerry De Los Santos did for the Yankees in 2024.
“Castro is still young and has shown enough flashes when healthy to be worth keeping in the organization,” McDonald wrote. “It might take an injury or two, but he could factor in as a multi-inning reliever with the Yankees at some point this season.”
