Lenny Dykstra finds himself in legal trouble again
Former Mets and Phillies outfielder Lenny Dykstra was a .285/.375/.419 (120 OPS+) hitter across his 12-year career. Dykstra proved popular quickly, with a fearless, no-quit approach to playing the field and a stubborn, fiery personality that earned him the nickname “Nails” early in his career. Teammates embraced his scrappy and aggressive approach to playing each day.
While Dykstra saw success on the field — three All-Star appearances, a Silver Slugger Award, and multiple seasons in which he received MVP votes (including finishing second in voting in 1993 after leading the NL in plate appearances, runs scored, hits, and walks) — many off-field issues arose throughout his career. The list of legal issues Dykstra has faced since retiring is even more extensive.
May 1991. Dykstra crashed his car into a tree following teammate John Kruk’s bachelor party. Police report his blood alcohol level at nearly double the legal limit. Dykstra suffered broken ribs, a broken collarbone, a broken facial bone, and second-degree burns to his arms and back. He’d miss nearly two months of the season. Teammate Darren Daulton was also in the vehicle but walked away mostly unscathed.
October 1999. Dykstra is arrested and charged with sexually harassing a teenage girl who worked at a carwash he owned. Criminal charges would be dropped a month later.
April 2005. Dykstra is sued by a former business partner who claims Dykstra admitted to using steroids during his playing career and placing bets on the Phillies during the 1993 season. Dykstra vehemently denies the allegations.
July 2009. Dykstra files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, claiming he is more than $30 million in debt.
October 2009. Dykstra sells his 1986 World Series ring at auction for $56,762 to help pay his debts. A month later, the courts converted his Chapter 11 bankruptcy to a Chapter 7 filing, allowing for his remaining assets to be liquidated to pay creditors.
June 2010. Dykstra’s request to the courts discharge his bankruptcy filing is denied after officials determine he had lied under oath and failed to disclose assets.
December 2010. Dystra is accused in an interview of hiring a former adult entertainment star and paying her with a bad check.
January 2011. Dykstra is accused of sexual assault by his housekeeper.
April 2011. Dykstra is charged with grand theft in Los Angeles for attempting to purchase a stolen vehicle. The next day, a federal complaint is filed charging him with embezzling from a bankruptcy estate. Prosecutors accuse Dykstra of selling or destroying more than $400,000 worth of property without permission.
May 2011. Dykstra is ultimately charged with 13 counts related to embezzlement, fraud, and obstruction of justice. He is placed under house arrest while court proceedings are pending.
June 2011. Dykstra is arrested and charged with 25 counts of grand theft auto, identity theft, filing false financial statements, and drug possession. He will plead no contest to the charges of grand theft auto and filing false financial statements in return for the drug charges being dropped. Dykstra was sentenced to three years in California state prison in May 2012.
August 2011. Dykstra is charged with indecent exposure after exposing himself to several women he had interviewed for a potential housekeeper job.
July 2012. Dykstra pleaded guilty to federal charges of bankruptcy fraud, concealment of assets, and money laundering. He was sentenced to six months in prison, 500 hours of community service, and ordered to pay $200,000 in restitution.
May 2018. Dykstra is arrested for drug possession and making terroristic threats after allegedly pulling a gun on his Uber driver.
That might seem like more than enough controversy for any one individual’s lifetime, but according to a report from Geraldine Gibbons at Scranton’s The Times-Tribune, Dykstra once again found himself in legal trouble as the calendar turned to 2026. Pennsylvania state police stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation shortly after midnight on January 1 outside of Scranton, PA, where Dykstra now lives. Per a TMZ report, the driver was arrested for driving under the influence. Dykstra was a passenger in the vehicle, but authorities discovered “narcotics and narcotic-related equipment” in his possession.
Gibbons’ report did not specify what drugs were found in Dykstra’s possession, but state police intend to charge the 62-year-old.
Dykstra rarely shied away from speaking his mind throughout his playing career. He’s remained opinionated on social media in recent years, and at least to some extent, has been turning some things around in his life — posting in mid-December that he’d “gone 2,764 consecutive days without getting arrested” — before this latest incident.
Brewers prospect Frank Cairone hospitalized
Frank Cairone, Milwaukee’s 2nd round pick in last summer’s draft (pick no. 68 overall; a compensation pick the team received for failing to sign 2024 2nd-rounder Chris Levonas), remains hospitalized following a serious car accident on Friday near his home in Franklinville, New Jersey (located roughly midway between Atlantic City and Philadelphia). The Brewers released a statement on Saturday confirming that Cairone was recovering, but no other details were provided.
On Monday, the NY Post reported that New Jersey police concluded that Cairone was not at fault for the accident. Another vehicle had sped through an intersection, crashing into Cairone’s vehicle. That driver, Cairone, and his girlfriend, who was a passenger in his car, were all transported to an Atlantic City hospital following the accident.
Cairone has yet to make his pro debut for the Brewers. The left-hander spent the summer working at the club’s developmental complex in Arizona following the draft. He just turned 18 in September.
France’s top team makes a bold addition
Outfielder/first baseman Ryosuke Nishikawa was well-regarded coming out of high school, enough so that he was the fifth-overall pick in the 2020 NPB Draft. That offensive potential failed to develop, however, as Nishikawa struggled over three seasons with the Chiba Lotte Marines’ minor league affiliate before stepping away to join the independent Western League’s Kufu Hayate for the last two years. Across five seasons, he’s combined to hit .213/.265/.325 with 73 2B and 25 HR.
Despite the limited success, Nishikawa has signed with the Rouen Huskies — the most dominant team in France’s Division I, with 18 titles in the last 22 years — for the upcoming season, per a report from Japan’s Nikkan Sports. The Huskies are hoping that Nishikawa can find the power stroke he displayed during his high school career (55 homers over four seasons), while “adding his immense respect, passion, and work ethic” to the clubhouse.
Coaching/personnel moves
Kansas City announced a three-year contract extension with manager Matt Quatraro on Sunday. The Royals initially hired him after the 2022 season, replacing Mike Matheny, and 2026 had been the final season remaining on his original contract. The extension, plus a club option for a fourth season, could now keep him in his role through the 2030 season.
The Royals lost 106 games during Quatraro’s first season, but they have played above .500 each of the last two seasons (and even won one of the AL Wild Card spots in 2024). The team is 224-262 (.461 winning percentage) under his leadership.
Philadelphia announced on Monday that Don Mattingly had officially joined Rob Thomson’s staff as the team’s bench coach, a move that has been expected for much of the offseason. Shortly after the World Series concluded, it became apparent that Mattingly would not return to the Blue Jays dugout, where he’s spent the last three seasons as John Schneider’s bench coach. Speculation immediately connected Mattingly to the Phillies. He and Thomson have a prior history from their time working as coaches in the Yankees’ minor league system. Mattingly’s son, Preston, also serves as Philadelphia’s general manager.
In addition to his several coaching roles, Mattingly had two separate stints as a manager in the majors, leading the Dodgers to a 446-363 (.551) mark from 2011-15 and the Marlins to a 443-587 (.430) record from 2016-22.
Changes within teams’ scouting departments often happen without much attention; it’s rare for a scout to become a household name in any sport. Still, with the international amateur signing period set to open on January 15, the Yankees do not appear to have anyone in charge of their international scouting department. Longtime scouting director Donny Rowland was dismissed in November. Rowland had spent 23 years in the Yankees organization, including the last 15 as the team’s international scouting director. While he was responsible for overseeing the signing of several high-profile players — including Jasson Dominguez, Roderick Arias, Luis Severino, and others — the club has felt underwhelmed by the results they’ve seen in recent years. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told reporters in November that Rowland’s contract had expired and they simply felt it was time to move in a new direction.
No replacement has been named by the Yankees in the two months since, but reports emerged on Monday that Rowland’s top assistant, Edgard Mateo, has also been let go. This leaves the franchise without any experienced leadership in its international scouting department. It remains to be seen if this will impact any plans to sign amateur free agents in the coming weeks.
Korean closer Woo-Suk Go re-signs with Detroit
Woo-Suk Go closed out 139 games over his seven seasons with the LG Twins. The right-hander was among the top closers in the KBO during that stretch, recording more saves than any other pitcher in the league from 2019 to 2023.
Go wanted to pursue an opportunity to pitch in MLB following the 2023 season (following his brother-in-law, Giants outfielder Jung-hoo Lee, to the U.S.). He agreed to a two-year, $4.5 million deal with the San Diego Padres that offseason. Go struggled in his first spring training with the Padres before beginning the season with their Double-A affiliate. In early May, San Diego would trade him (alongside first baseman Nathan Martorella, outfielder Dillon Head, and outfielder Jakob Marsee) to the Marlins for infielder Luis Arraez.
Go reached Triple-A with the Marlins’ organization, but never reached the majors before Miami released him last June. He spent the remainder of the 2025 season with Detroit’s Triple-A affiliate, where he will return to start the 2026 season. Jee-ho Yoo of Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reports that Go signed a new minor league contract with Detroit in December. Rather than return to Korea (one has to assume he had offers, though Yoo doesn’t mention the possibility), Go will continue to push for an opportunity in MLB.