SEATTLE SEAHAWKS 9:47 AM | Updated: 6:56 pm It’s been roughly 16 months since Mike Macdonald took over as the Seattle Seahawks’ head coach News, notes and observations from Seahawks rookie minicamp the blockbuster Geno Smith and DK Metcalf trades how is the roster and team-building approach coming along on each side of the ball And what are reasonable expectations for the 2025 season NFL Network’s Gregg Rosenthal was posed those questions during an appearance last week on Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy The Seahawks’ defense is on the rise After some initial growing pains last year, the unit underwent a dramatic midseason turnaround Spurred by a midseason trade for linebacker Ernest Jones IV – along with other personnel changes a return to health from several key players and a growing sense of trust in Macdonald’s cutting-edge scheme – the Seahawks’ defense evolved into one of the league’s best units over the final nine weeks Seattle ranked fifth in scoring defense (18.4 points per game) tied for third in actual scoring defense (17.5 points per game excluding opponents’ non-offensive scores) fifth in defensive EPA and fourth in total defense (304.8 yards per game) “I think the approach on defense is obvious,” Rosenthal said You saw the vision of it down the stretch last year And that’s the thing that makes me the most excited about the Seahawks this year “They have a baseline of going into a second year with a really creative good defensive coach and a good defensive roster that you can have high expectations.” It’s a much different story on offense They let go of offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb and replaced him with Klint Kubiak They brought in longtime NFL assistants John Benton and Rick Dennison Seattle will have at least four new starters on offense along with a brand-new offensive coaching staff and system “It’s a lot of new talent trying to cohere together,” Rosenthal said because you are asking a lot of people that were not on the Seahawks last year to come together and make a cohesive group Listen to the full conversation with NFL Network’s Gregg Rosenthal at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story Tune in to Bump and Stacy weekdays from 10 a.m or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app Follow @CameronVanTil Chichester Festival theatreThe standup brings his easy stage command to the role of a penniless nincompoop who tricks his way into authority in Gregory Doran’s production The programme for Gregory Doran’s revival of Nikolai Gogol’s The Government Inspector (1836) includes a letter from a Ukrainian academic bemoaning Putin’s attempts to claim Gogol as Russian although the Kremlin dictator could not sit with any comfort through a play about the stupidity of rulers on local election day in England (May Day in Russia) Doran strongly brings out how power can be a confidence trick in which both sides consent The citizens of a provincial Russian town submit to the authority of a penniless nincompoop because guilt at their corruption has led them to think they deserve him who they falsely believe to be their governmental nemesis the play can also be seen quietly to question whether the reflex sending of inspectors – into schools prisons – is distraction rather than action can’t overcome the original’s blunt structure It has a setup of exemplary economy – the opening line announcing “a government inspector is on the way” – but the subsequent misunderstandings are linear with no twists only the Postmaster (brightly played by Reuben Johnson) behaves badly in a way that impacts the narrative If only more were made of the Head of Schools the Chief of Police or the Charity Commissioner Phil Porter’s adaptation always favours lighter jokes such as anyone speaking a long Russian patronymic being blessed for sneezing Khlestakov is an unusual central role in that the character is only on stage for the middle three of the five acts That means the actor must satisfy anticipation with his entrance and leave a tangible gap after exiting Tom Rosenthal brings the easy stage command of a practised standup to a performance of energetic inflections and physicality that suggests a route to Shakespearean and Restoration comedy clowns Miltos Yerolemou and Paul Rider double-act nicely as Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky landowners as interchangeable as Rosencrantz and Tweedledee for all the efforts of the director and cast darker plays that knowingly used Gogol: JB Priestley’s An Inspector Calls and Dario Fo’s Accidental Death of an Anarchist We now demand tougher inspection of government At Chichester Festival theatre until 24 May CHICAGO — The red-hot pitcher the Chicago Cubs will face on Saturday is one they tried to acquire in December The Cubs had a trade in place with the Miami Marlins for left-hander Jesús Luzardo but backed out after a review of his medical records Concerns over Luzardo’s back and elbow made the Cubs reluctant to pay the agreed-upon acquisition cost Details of the package the Marlins would have received are not known Following the collapse of the trade, the Marlins sent Luzardo and minor-league catcher/outfielder Paul McIntosh to the Philadelphia Phillies for two minor leaguers, shortstop Starlyn Caba and outfielder Emaarion Boyd. Caba, 19, is the No. 72 prospect in Keith Law’s Top 100 Both Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer and Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix declined comment Baseball’s collective-bargaining agreement prohibits clubs from disclosing medical information obtained during trade discussions unless the player gives his consent Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski without specifically commenting on Luzardo’s injury history “I’ve had plenty of players where one club hasn’t taken a player because of medicals and another club has “Our (doctors and athletic trainers) — and knock on wood because you never know what happens — have been very good at analyzing guys for us But they felt they would be able to keep (Luzardo) healthy.” was under club control for two seasons at the time of the trade The Phillies avoided arbitration with him for 2025 by settling on a one-year They can retain Luzardo for 2026 by going through the arbitration process again He was out from April 26 to May 11 with elbow tightness and did not pitch after June 16 due to a lumbar stress reaction The Cubs agreed to their trade for Luzardo after signing free-agent left-hander Matthew Boyd to a two-year they bolstered their rotation depth by signing free-agent righty Colin Rea to a one-year $5 million contract with a club option for 2026 Ace left-hander Justin Steele underwent season-ending elbow surgery last week suffered a recent setback in his recovery from a strained left oblique and is shut down is off to the best start of any member of the Phillies’ powerhouse rotation producing a 2.08 ERA in his first five starts while striking out 36 and walking only seven in 30 1/3 innings referring to a season in which he established career highs in starts (32) and innings (178 2/3) and finished with a 3.58 ERA the back obviously was a lingering problem every start It wouldn’t really let me get to where I wanted physically Informed that the Cubs backed off acquiring him because of medical concerns Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma contributed to this story (Top photo of Jesús Luzardo: Hunter Martin / Getty Images) should have addressed the double standard internally rather than taking to X to say who is not with the Atlanta Braves while recovering from a torn left ACL a highly successful manager and Braves lifer is that his star right fielder essentially stated a fact some will view this matter solely through the lens of race We can’t know for sure how much of a role that played Snitker vociferously defended Acuña when the Miami Marlins repeatedly drilled him in 2018 He continued playing Ozuna when many Braves fans booed him and wanted him released during his slow start to the 2023 season And Snitker hardly distinguished himself with his failure to bench Kelenic and his feeble responses to reporters’ questions about the incident the past two days Consider what Snitker said after benching Acuña That name on the front is a lot more important than the name on the back of that jersey We’re trying to accomplish and do something special here and personal things have to be put on the back burner You just can’t let your team down like that.” Snitker should have taken the same stance with Kelenic a struggling player who presented a much easier target than Acuña He very well could be the player sent to Triple A when Acuña rejoins the Braves Snitker created an opening for the team’s franchise player to question him But the issue raised by Acuña is the kind that might expose a rift in a team that is almost one-third Latin are remarkably successful at blending different cultures Most teams also experience occasional tensions Striking the proper balance over a six-month 162-game season can challenge even the most well-intentioned Snitker routinely draws praise for his even demeanor and stable leadership he generally prefers to handle sensitive matters behind closed doors The talk around the Braves should be about how they won back-to-back games for the first time this season Friday and Saturday and completed their sweep of the Minnesota Twins on Sunday was about whether he would retire at the end of the season Snitker led the Braves to six straight NL division crowns from 2018 to ‘23 seven straight postseason appearances and the 2021 World Series title no two lack-of-hustle situations are the same some if not all of his previous benchings resulted from an accumulation of base running lapses “I don’t look for him to not (run hard) because he plays with his hair on fire all the time.” considering Kelenic crossed directly in front of the Braves’ dugout while running to first The replay was shown on the video board at Truist Park Did no one in the Braves’ dugout bring it to Snitker’s attention What Kelenic did actually was not all that unusual Singles that should be doubles do not always get noticed The difference with Kelenic is that he got thrown out in a game that was tied in the sixth inning asked after the game if he had spoken to Kelenic “Was I supposed to?” He said after Sunday’s game he did not see the play until that morning and talked about it with Kelenic then said he was the one who initiated the discussion a conversation between Snitker and Acuña is forthcoming Snitker said he was aware of Acuña’s post and that it had been taken down The general consensus around the Braves in recent seasons was that he has matured But if there’s one thing players detest in managers Acuña can be forgiven for lodging an objection (Top photo of Acuña and Snitker in March 2024: Bill Streicher / Imagn Images) In baseball’s Age of Collaboration the hot seat for managers should be viewed more as an oversized sofa with front-office executives and statistical analysts all squeezing in Firing the manager when others bear responsibility for shaping rosters and influencing decisions often amounts to blatant scapegoating Perhaps that is one reason early dismissals are becoming less common Only three managers have been dumped before the All-Star break since 2018 The Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies went on to reach the postseason after making changes that year Teams take pride in removing emotion from decisions and loathe making moves that can be interpreted as reactionary have introduced new skippers since the end of the ‘22 season Clubs that never were expected to contend usually are disinclined to make a change before the All-Star break might view the possibility of cracking an expanded postseason field as justification for a dramatic move Here is a look at nine managers whose statuses could be in question After the Twins stumbled to a 12-27 finish last season, blowing a 92 percent chance of making the playoffs, president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said of Baldelli I believe in the partnership I have with him.” Falvey, like virtually everyone else interviewed for this column, declined comment, and for good reason. The Twins, fighting declining attendance and trying to sell a new direct-to-consumer streaming product, were perhaps the team most in need of a strong start. They changed hitting coaches. Baldelli took a firmer approach their malaise from the end of 2024 has extended into the start of ‘25 Fans are frustrated with the lack of commitment by the Pohlad ownership But for arguably the most talented team in the AL Central the Twins presumably want their on-field product to hold greater appeal Baldelli is in his seventh season as manager The end point in his contract is not known no matter how close he might be with Falvey using the 2025 season to transition from John Mozeliak to Chaim Bloom as their head of baseball operations It stands to reason Bloom will want his own man have made no secret of their desire to manage Both have done it in the Dominican Winter League and Molina will manage Puerto Rico’s World Baseball Classic team for the second time in 2026 The Cardinals, though, might not want to choose between two of their legends. And Bloom, after his experience with Alex Cora in Boston, will be especially careful with his choice. Friends of Bloom, who spoke on condition of anonymity in exchange for their candor, believe Cora was not as supportive of Bloom as he could have been another former Cardinal who was a member of Marmol’s initial staff in 2022 before leaving to manage the Miami Marlins Now working as a senior adviser to Texas Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young Schumaker would be the logical successor to Rangers manager Bruce Bochy Schumaker might prefer to accept an immediate opening rather than stay off the field another year Schumaker is close with Marmol as well as Cardinals coaches Daniel Descalso and Jon Jay It is not out of the question that if the Cardinals named Schumaker manager Descalso and Jay were Cardinals teammates with Molina and Pujols as well does anyone seriously believe he’s the problem The No. 1 problem is owner Bob Nutting, who runs the Pirates on the tightest of budgets who has not produced the pipeline of young talent necessary for a small-market team to succeed This is the sixth year of the Cherington-Shelton regime It will likely be their sixth straight losing season and the team’s seventh straight overall The Pirates signed Shelton to an extension in April 2023 would be the obvious replacement if the team chose to make a move who did not respond to a text message seeking comment knowing that as GM he’s the one responsible for dealing his manager a roster of spare parts Shelton has not extracted the most out of the team’s young hitters upper management might push Cherington to install a new manager Nutting seemed to fire a warning shot the day of the team’s home opener, telling the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette “I think that I’ve done everything that I can to provide the tools and resources to the team There is a point where it becomes execution.” Whether Nutting’s tough talk will translate to action is an open question Nutting said he expected a “meaningful step forward.” It didn’t happen — the Pirates finished with 76 wins same as in 2023 — and Nutting brought back Cherington and Shelton anyway As one former player told The Athletic in 2024 Hardly anyone seems comfortable posing the question: As the team skews younger is Black still the right person for the job The Rockies made the playoffs in Black’s first two seasons they’ve endured six straight losing seasons and at 3-12 are well on their way to their seventh The Rockies seem to operate in a separate universe from the rest of baseball it stands to reason the team would benefit from a fresh voice who managed at three levels of the Rockies’ organization from 2015 to ‘22 An in-season change seems almost out of the question and the Rockies continue to play hard for him But with Black’s contract expiring at the end of the season could be the Rockies’ version of Brandon Hyde taking over the organization at a low point and growing with his young players The Nationals are an example of how a rebuilding club can descend into a prolonged funk Martinez was in his second year as manager in ‘19 And the Nationals began their teardown in ‘21 trading Trea Turner and Max Scherzer to the Los Angeles Dodgers The franchise exists in a state of uncertainty as the Lerner family waffles on whether it wants to sell; the team currently is off the market The trade of Juan Soto in July 2022 greatly enhanced the club’s foundation of young talent they will need to be more aggressive in acquiring established veterans Martinez is in the last year of his contract The Nationals hold an option on him for 2026 and they recently took two of three at home from both the Arizona Diamondbacks and Dodgers give the look of a team that might be more competitive than expected They might need to be for Schneider’s benefactors team president Mark Shapiro and general manager Ross Atkins Shapiro’s contract expires after this season, Atkins’ after 2026. And, as reported last week some in the organization are expressing concern to rival peers that the team will need to reach the postseason to avoid a major front-office overhaul The Jays hold an option on Schneider for 2026 Shapiro and Atkins previously extended both John Gibbons and Charlie Montoyo at the outsets of their respective contract years During spring training, Shapiro told MLB.com that Schneider stood a chance of becoming a great major-league manager.” That might indeed be the case But a change in the front office inevitably could lead to a change in manager Is anyone ever safe under the Angels’ mercurial owner despite being the oldest manager in the majors He also is the Angels’ fifth manager since 2018 and coming off a 99-loss campaign in his first season Washington is working in the last guaranteed year of his contract with the Angels holding a club option on him for 2026 But Moreno last August extended general manager Perry Minasian through ‘26 with a club option for ‘27 Minasian during the offseason added a number of veterans with winning backgrounds The extension for Minasian was a step toward greater stability But with the season less than one-tenth complete it’s too early to declare Washington safe just yet The Orioles ended the 2024 regular season in a 34-38 swoon then were swept at home by the Kansas City Royals in the wild-card round But the similarities pretty much end there Consider the big picture as well: Since 2023 the Orioles are second in wins only to the Dodgers — and the next closest American League team But with eight Orioles pitchers currently on the injured list managed many of the Orioles’ younger players at Triple A the past three years before joining the major-league staff this season but Elias would be foolish to rush into such a move hitting and bench coaches all have less than two years of experience in their current roles no matter how badly the Braves continue to stumble This is Snitker’s 49th year in the organization He led the team to six straight division crowns between 2018 and ‘23 the year they became World Series champions The Braves will allow Snitker to determine his own fate The question is how long he wants to continue he will celebrate his 70th birthday this year He has said he will consider retirement at the end of the season but has been noncommittal about the possibility Fifty years in one organization would be an incredible accomplishment Snitker can achieve it even if he steps down as manager The Braves could name him a special assistant and he probably could hold that position for as long as he’d like — without the daily heartache of managing (Top photo of Derek Shelton: Joe Sargent / Getty Images) The biggest surprise of the Vladimir Guerrero Jr extension is not that he landed a $500 million deal from the Toronto Blue Jays without going to free agency the shocker is that the contract includes a $325 million signing bonus will receive the remaining $175 million in salary the Jays will pay out 65 percent of Guerrero’s contract in a signing bonus Both the bonus and salary will be distributed in varying annual amounts over the 14-year term of the deal The Blue Jays officially announced the extension on Wednesday, two days after it was first reported by The Athletic. “Through the entire process I was all-in on the business side said on Wednesday via translator Hector Lebron Asked if there was a turning point in the negotiations between Guerrero and the team despite Guerrero opening the season without an agreement Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said Wednesday that there was “not one.” “Every deal there’s so many different levers to pull,” Atkins said “It’s not just about the $500 million number There’s a lot of complexity to these deals And so we were fortunate to find one that worked for everyone.” Baseball’s collective bargaining agreement does not restrict the amount a team can include in a signing bonus is included in the calculation of a player’s average annual value for luxury tax purposes Guerrero’s annual luxury tax hit will be $35.71 million the benefit of getting the bulk of his money in a signing bonus would appear twofold Signing bonuses are allocated to an athlete’s state of residence he presumably will avoid paying state tax on the bonus The other benefit is that signing bonuses are not contingent on the performance of services Guerrero would receive his annual payout if Major League Baseball canceled games due to a work stoppage a possibility with the sport’s collective bargaining agreement expiring on Dec He also would receive it if the league canceled games for some other reason The benefit to the Blue Jays in paying out more in signing bonus than salary — if it exists at all — is unclear “There is benefit to the player that was attractive from a tax perspective and the guaranteed nature of it,” Atkins said Wednesday “And there’s benefit to the club from an accounting perspective.” Guerrero will receive an initial signing bonus payment of $20 million But because his deal runs from 2026 to ’39 that money will not count against the Jays’ luxury tax payroll this season The CBA states that a signing bonus only applies to the luxury tax payroll during the guaranteed years of the contract ‘Anywhere but Canada’: How a tax ruling could hobble pro teams north of the border In the other corner, standing 5-10 and weighing 175 pounds when fully nourished Which Los Angeles Dodgers superstar is the better athlete The Athletic posed the question to numerous Dodgers in recent weeks “Oh man,” infielder/outfielder Tommy Edman said “That’s a tough one,” third base coach Dino Ebel said The beauty of the question is that even as baseball players, Ohtani and Betts are so different Ohtani doesn’t play infield or outfield with a career slugging percentage 50 points higher with a sprint speed that ranked in the 70th percentile last season compared to Betts in the 31st percentile (Surprisingly and San Diego Padres’ 235-pound first baseman/outfielder were among the players who had the same average sprint speed as Betts) Ohtani’s career strikeout rate is 31.2 percent; Chris Sale led the majors last season at 32.1 percent while unable to pitch during his recovery from major elbow surgery all Ohtani did was become the first player in AL/NL history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season The latter total was helped by rules Major League Baseball introduced in 2022 to make it easier for players to steal bases Dodgers’ utility man Chris Taylor called him “one of the greatest athletes I’ve ever played with “I’ve never seen Shohei play other sports,” Taylor said You can pretty much put him on any field or sport and he can thrive at it.” Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman and third baseman Max Muncy also leaned toward Betts all citing his ability to excel at numerous sports “Sho might do some stuff that’s a little more unbelievable,” Muncy said you can’t simply look at the back of his baseball card.  Perhaps Topps should make him part of a different collection: “Multi-sport freaks.” There wouldn’t be many cards in the set Ohtani? He swam competitively at Hanamaki Higashi High. His baseball coach there said he was fast enough to represent Japan in the Olympics But his Dodgers teammates said the only sport they have seen him play is baseball “It depends how you want to define athleticism,” Dodgers catcher Will Smith said hand-eye coordination and playing other sports “I think if you define being athletic as picking up whatever sport and being good at it “But Shohei just has the freakish ability to be dominant Dodgers right fielder Teoscar Hernández didn’t see the question as particularly complicated perhaps no other player in baseball could win six Gold Gloves in right field then become an everyday shortstop the way Betts has the past two seasons Manager Dave Roberts was another who chose Betts because of his multi-sport prowess But then Roberts made an interesting point If the two were competing in a decathlon – the Olympic event considered the best overall measure of athletic ability – he would take Ohtani Ohtani probably would win all the running events – the 100 meters He also would win the strength events –the shot put Would you bet against Ohtani in any of those let’s hear who Betts thinks is the better athlete Betts nodded when informed that most of the Dodgers picked him marveling not just at his ability to move from position to position that’s kind of what God blessed me with,” Betts said “That’s the reason why I can move and play kind of any position If you can play any sport and understand how your body moves you should be able to put it in decent spots to be successful but it’s doubtful anything he said would have altered the conversation If Ohtani can’t beat out Betts for Best Athlete on the Dodgers he gladly would settle for the only title that seems to matter to him: The Windup Newsletter ⚾ | This is The Athletic’s MLB newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Windup directly in your inbox We all knew they were interested in each other Whether it was a sense of security or familiarity or if he really did just like playing for the only team in the country in which he was born (his dad played for the Expos Guerrero had expressed a desire to stick around This is now the second-biggest contract in the sport … in present value.Ohtani’s is a bigger number ($700 million) but it is so heavily deferred that it equates to $460.8 million in present value $500 million in present value was the asking price and allow other teams to drive up the bidding Guerrero would have hit free agency at just a year older than Juan Soto I have some useful leftover notes from Saturday’s broadcast of the Dodgers-Phillies game on FS1: At a time when the entire sport is trying to figure out how to keep pitchers healthy Nola’s durability is nothing short of astonishing He missed the final two months of the 2016 season with a strained right elbow and a month early in 2017 with a lower back strain leading the majors in both innings and games started since ‘18 Nola has said he was “blessed” to get hurt early in his career; his injuries forced him to become more attuned to his body Phillies players rave about his work ethic Bryce Harper talks about how Nola will quietly slip into the corner of the weight room and spend hours rolling on a lacrosse ball the same personal trainer and massage therapist he met after his freshman year at LSU The pace of Ohtani’s recovery from a second major elbow surgery is deliberate Ohtani seemingly does not want to do anything that might jeopardize his ability to do something only Babe Ruth has accomplished: pitching and hitting in the postseason even over two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell and $325 million man Yoshinobu Yamamoto He’s nearly back to his full weight after dealing with a nasty stomach virus that caused him to miss the Dodgers’ first two games in Japan Betts said he normally plays at 173-174 pounds he used that exact figure in our conversation He was so dehydrated in Japan that he needed an IV treatment with two liters of fluids The Phillies offered him an extension during the offseason Schwarber was content going year to year after turning down an extension with the Cubs early in his career And while he wants to stay in Philadelphia he’s also content playing out his free-agent year but surely would be in demand on the open market Here is a sentence I did not expect to write today: The San Francisco Giants (by a few percentage points) have the league’s best record the Dodgers were breaking a record for defending champs and the Padres had started theirseason 6-0 That undefeated duo may have obscured the fact that the Giants were hanging right in there with their lone loss coming in the second game of the season Sometimes a hot start is just what we expect give it a minute …” then watch the White Sox lose five straight And he wrote that between walk-off wins in their first home series of the year Maybe let’s just enjoy it and see where it goes More from Giants/Mariners: I don’t care that it came one batter before the Giants walked it off; when it happened this was a game-saving catch by Mariners outfielder Victor Robles Victor Robles exits the game after making an incredible catch. pic.twitter.com/uJb3XG7AFD — MLB (@MLB) April 6, 2025 about a conversation featured in the documentary “The Clubhouse: A year with the Red Sox” (out tomorrow) “I couldn’t deal with telling myself how much I sucked every f— day,” Duran said That’s when the documentary shifts to Duran on a couch in a team hotel on the road where he reveals his attempt to take his life “I didn’t want to be here anymore,” Duran says asks if he means “here” as in with the Red Sox or on Earth that was a really tough time for me,” Duran says Duran describes sitting in his room and attempting to take his life For reasons he says he still doesn’t understand “I took it as a sign I might have to be here for a reason,” he says “So that’s when I started to look at myself in the mirror do I want to be here or do I not want to be here?’ I was like ‘that happened for a reason and obviously you’re here for a f— reason so let’s f— be the way you want to be which was the first time he’d publicly discussed his mental health 📫 Love The Windup? Check out The Athletic’s other newsletters I know what you’re thinking: $500 million for a first baseman Blue Jays — didn’t have much of a choice with Vladimir Guerrero Jr homegrown talent and franchise pillar — would have devastated the Jays whether under this front office or another and Toronto fans can rejoice over the one who did not get away Get ready for a slew of anonymous quotes from rival executives criticizing the Blue Jays as irresponsible most fans — don’t care whether their team acts responsibly They care about keeping players who are faces of the franchise This deal accomplishes that. And with a $35.7 million average annual value over 14 years the Guerrero contract arguably is more logical than Juan Soto’s $51 million AAV over 15 years with the New York Mets rivals essentially just threw up their hands and said that’s Steve Cohen.” Rogers Communications is a company with Cohen-like financial muscle It is under no obligation to fret over the ripple effects of the Guerrero extension – which is worth about $40 million more than Shohei Ohtani’s free-agent contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers “Salary cap now!” the Guerrero deal is precisely why the players so vehemently oppose a firm restriction at the top of the pay scale The free market works quite well for elite talents And the middle class would not necessarily do any better under a cap system teams place a premium on players in their mid-to late-20s without throwing a single pitch in the majors landed his record $325 million deal for a pitcher entering his age-25 season Soto got his $765 million entering his age-26 season And none of those contracts include deferrals The Guerrero agreement is great news for right fielder Kyle Tucker the team that acquired Tucker entering his walk year so the deal he gets probably will not be as long his AAV figures to be at least $40 million Cubs owner Tom Ricketts already is weeping The price for the Mets to retain their own first baseman who at 30 is four years older than Guerrero struggled on the open market last offseason $54 million contract he signed with the Mets includes an opt-out after this season one Alonso is certain to exercise if his hot start is the prelude to a monster year Alonso will continue to face questions about his defense and athleticism But Guerrero and Soto faced those questions If rival clubs want to complain about the Guerrero contract, their most valid argument would be that the Jays should have locked him up for less money long ago.  The Jays had numerous chances to do just that particularly after the San Diego Padres awarded Fernando Tatis Jr making one offer after another that Guerrero deemed insufficient And after the Soto contract – one the entire sport saw coming if not quite to that magnitude – they found themselves in a corner from which they could not escape Guerrero wound up with a guarantee almost four times the career earnings of his father, Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero Sr., who played from 1996 to 2011 just as franchise values keep going bonkers no owner – is going broke in an industry that last season generated $12.1 billion in revenue The Guerrero agreement is no more insane than Alex Rodriguez’s initial $252 million free-agent deal with the Texas Rangers in 2000 And Giancarlo Stanton’s $325 million extension with the Miami Marlins And Mike Trout’s $426.5 million extension with the Los Angeles Angels But the current system will not remain intact without a fight Players already are bracing for a lockout commissioner Rob Manfred all but promised when the current collective-bargaining agreement expires after the 2026 season The parties can address issue of payroll disparity A first baseman getting $500 million without going to free agency figures to only heighten tensions a last-ditch effort by a desperate franchise to retain a superstar it could not bear to lose But try telling the players the system is broken the Toronto Blue Jays reached an agreement Sunday with first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr sources briefed on the terms told The Athletic The contract does not include deferrals, giving Guerrero in present value the second-largest guarantee in major-league history $765 million deal with the New York Mets ranks first $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers is massively deferred lowering its present value to $460.8 million according to Major League Baseball’s calculations Unlike Soto and Ohtani, Guerrero secured his guarantee — and a $35.71 million average annual value the 11th-highest ever — without hitting the open market He was not eligible to become a free agent until the end of the season but said repeatedly he wanted to remain with the Jays who signed him out of the Dominican Republic in 2015 when he was 16 The loss of Guerrero would have been a major blow to the Jays’ embattled front office Soto and other high-priced free agents the past two offseasons securing the Jays’ franchise cornerstone through 2039 but also was born in Canada while his father The deal came together in recent days, despite Guerrero opening the season without an agreement. The Jays, after failing to find common ground with Guerrero before his initial, self-imposed deadline of Feb. 18, finally yielded to his desire for $500 million in present value The Blue Jays had several chances to lock up Guerrero for a lower guarantee earlier in his career And when the Mets signed Soto to his $765 million contract in December the market for elite young hitters changed Guerrero accepted a deal for $265 million less than Soto He would have been a year older than Soto as a free agent and is not as consistent or accomplished a hitter Neither player is a particularly skilled defender or baserunner — unlike Chicago Cubs right fielder Kyle Tucker the next position player in line for a monster deal Just as Soto’s deal inflated the price for Guerrero the Guerrero contract almost certainly will have profound implications for the Cubs with Tucker who remains eligible to hit the market this offseason seem unlikely to make the effort the Blue Jays did to keep Guerrero After talks in February broke down Guerrero told reporters he was open to reviving discussions with the Jays “I won’t close the door if it’s a realistic offer.” He kept the door open (Top photo of Vladimir Guerrero Jr.: Sam Hodde/Getty Images) Welcome to the week; our pets’ heads are falling off. Plus: Reckoning Day in Texas the Nats are interesting again and — an outfield logjam Given the outfield troubles this year for the Braves (now 15-18 after their nightmare 0-7 start) you wouldn’t think there would be any complicating factors Acuña will be in the lineup and starting in right field as soon as he’s ready Michael Harris II’s job as everyday center fielder does not appear to be in the least bit of danger That leaves one outfield spot — left field And a couple of journeymen are making it a harder decision than anyone would’ve thought especially after the Braves lost Jurickson Profar (suspension) and Jarred Kelenic (minor leagues) carrying a career OPS of .742 in 800 games before this season (White’s was .568 in 171 games) Who would have thought there could be an outfield logjam in Atlanta Profar and Bryan De La Cruz (since DFA’d and claimed by the Yankees) in the offseason then added Verdugo and Eddie Rosario after the season began and maybe even a hard decision to make between Verdugo and White when Acuña returns Well, Chris Young wasn’t kidding. On Tuesday, Texas’ general manager expressed frustration about his team’s offense to the Dallas Morning News are less than two years removed from their first World Series title But they dropped from third in the majors in scoring in 2023 to 18th in ‘24 to 30th entering Sunday “After lengthy discussions and deliberations we feel now is the appropriate time to provide our hitters with a new voice as we pursue goals of winning the division and reaching the postseason,” Young said in announcing Ecker’s dismissal The Rangers lost hitting coach Tim Hyers to the Braves during the offseason who worked with Ecker in San Francisco in 2020 and ‘21 Young acquired Burger and signed Joc Pederson as a free agent during the offseason Burger was batting .190 with a .561 OPS at the time of his demotion good for an .094 batting average and .334 OPS is another Ranger whose offensive performance went awry During the past week he lost playing time in center to Kevin Pillar a 36-year-old veteran the team signed to a minor-league deal in late February When the Rangers placed him on outright waivers Sunday Any team that claims Taveras by Tuesday would assume the balance of his $4.75 million salary he can elect free agency and forfeit his remaining money If he chooses to stay with the Rangers under those circumstances he will be removed from the 40-man roster and report to the minors considering the roles both Taveras and Ecker played for the ‘23 club and the fact that Bruce Bochy had never made an in-season change to his coaching staff But Young clearly determined it’s not early anymore More early AL West struggles: Angels GM Perry Minasian: “We’re going to roll with what we have.” Phillies and Braves still built for dominance But the Nationals (16-19) have the makings of a quality core of young players — and the Juan Soto trade is starting to pay off Consider this: going into yesterday’s 4-1 win over the Reds, the Nats’ top three players in bWAR were 22-year-old James Wood (1.2) 26-year-old MacKenzie Gore (1.2) and 24-year-old C.J Abrams (1.1) — three of the six players Washington received from San Diego in return for Soto in August 2022 (Soto has been worth 1.1 bWAR for the Mets so far this year.) Wood, in particular, is starting to look the part of a star, primarily by hitting the absolute mess out of the ball, as Tyler Kepner outlines here The other three: 23-year-old Robert Hassell III (currently batting .294 (.733 OPS) in Triple A), 21-year-old Jarlin Susana (0-1, 4.30 in Double A) and Luke Voit (last seen: Quintana Roo Granted, 23-year-old Dylan Crews has struggled to start the 2025 season, but he was the 2nd overall pick in the 2023 draft and was on Keith Law’s Top 100 prospects list (No There are still a couple of slow years ahead and likely some deft maneuvering at the trade deadline(s) to move veterans like Nathaniel Lowe Trevor Williams or recently signed Andrew Chafin (who seems to get traded every deadline these days) team physicians and trainers have been kept incredibly busy several of them feel like they lead into each other: At least Garrett Crochet (line drive to the nose) and Matt Mervis (uhh … this) somehow avoided injury Rustin Dodd talking to Negro Leagues Museum president Bob Kendrick? That’s gonna be an instant click from me Chris Kirschner’s review of the Austin Wells “favvurito” may have done a better job cooking than the Yankees Stadium concessions stand that sold it I have absolutely no idea what Keith Hernandez was thinking, but now that he mentions it, I would watch a crossover episode of RuPaul’s Drag Bunt Most-clicked in our last newsletter: Jim Bowden’s April All-Star teams Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More PORTLAND – A new fossil museum inside Portland High School opened its doors Wednesday evening The Rosenthal Museum of Natural History’s exhibits include ammonoids Portland High School dedicated the museum to Sam Rosenthal a former student and fossil collector of 25 years “This is an opportunity to impact our current students but also many generations of our future students,” said Eric Begonia Rosenthal said the idea came as he was trying to figure out what to do with his fossil collection eventually settling on putting them in a public place.  and I can tell the second I mentioned it to him the two worked for over five years in building the museum Rosenthal said has collected 250 fossils from across the U.S Rosenthal said he’s happy the museum is making kids curious and wanting to learn more about science and natural history “This is stimulating the next generation to have an interest in science,” said Rosenthal This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Broadway Off-Broadway Off-Off Broadway Cabaret Dance Opera Classical Music Minneapolis / St. Paul Connecticut Atlanta Chicago Los Angeles Central New York WEST END UK Regional Canada Australia / New Zealand Europe Asia Latin America Africa / Middle East TV/Movies Music that of being ‘a government inspector’  You’re greeted with a mix of obsequiousness and fear that creates a bubble of power that is seductive and dangerous - at least it was to me “Where can I get a cup of coffee?” become loaded with an ethical weight about whether expenses can cover a double cappuccino with oat milk or just the Maxwell House thank you” to a question about the hotel induces panic that you might be inadvertently soliciting a bigger tab on the room service And that’s when you’ve got nothing to hide… the local administrators of a provincial Russian town have plenty to hide: bribery; arbitrary justice; punishment beatings far from the eyes of the Tsar’s men in the faraway capital the grift pays for plenty but also fosters a complacency a sense that the seat on the gravy train is theirs forever When rumours emerge that a government inspector is due to visit When a St Petersburg man is found to have taken a room for the last two weeks and may already be reporting back full scale panic sets in as damage limitation mode is activated the young man at first bemused by his preferential treatment but who eventually cottons on to the misapprehension and exploits it to extort roubles from the rubes But those inheritors of Gogol’s acid tongue and comic eye only highlight a key issue for the play his snobbish insecurity an inevitable consequence of a society that was set up to thwart the ambitions of the lower middle class but had no malevolence in his soul and a self-deprecating charm that saw him navigate life with his hat permanently cocked on the side of his head Nineteenth century Russia was neither Torquay nor Edwardian Mayfair, but it’s hard to laugh at characters so bereft of sympathy. Lloyd Hutchinson is a stock blowhard as The Mayor who orchestrates the skimming but there’s an audible gasp when a townswoman shows the scars of the public flogging he did not just sanction Khlestakov doesn’t just take money from those who can afford but also from those who won’t eat as a result leaving one man to venture home with no shoes - in the snow Exaggerated immorality crossed a line into gangsterism Miltos Yerelmou and Paul Rider channel their inner Chuckle Brothers as the garrulous Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky, but the joke wears thin long before a rare moment of poignancy is introduced. Sylvestra Le Touzel goes for a Mrs Slocombe vibe as the Mayor’s lascivious spouse but the character is more pantomime dame than neglected wife an outcome drained of humour by its inevitability and cruelty Is it too much to ask that regional accents (which make perfect sense in the context of this out-of-the-way rustic locale) not be used quite so often as the foundation of a laugh line Your reviewer is not averse to leaning into his own for comic effect but the unsophisticated Northerner seems to be one of the last stereotypes allowed on stage as a shortcut for comedy characterisation And this production is by no means the only one to do so Of course, all of these gripes fade into the distance if the laughs drown them out, but there just are not enough to sustain the run time, the script short of zingers, the slapstick not as spectacular as one might expect in a big show like this, and the casual cruelty regularly wiping the smile from one’s face. That said, Francis O'Connor’s set lends a handsome period authenticity to the production and Darren Ware does some fine work on wigs hair and make-up to complement the beautiful costumes It’s all lovely to look at if not to witness I fell about four short - and I was not alone The Government Inspector at Chichester Festival Theatre until 24 May Photo images: Ellie Kurttz The historic Saville Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue is set to return to live performance for the first time in over half a century, following planning approval from Camden Council. Super show that lightens a very dark subject (corecive control), but does not diminish it Check out photos from the Manchester Opera House gala night featruing a performance from the company of A KNIGHT'S TALE THE MUSICAL. Check out photos from the evening. Equity members have overwhelmingly re-elected Paul W Fleming to serve a second term as General Secretary of the performing arts and entertainment trade union.  function closestickysocial(){document.getElementById("foxsocial").style.display="none";}@media(max-width:1024px){.most-popular,.video-row{display:block;margin-top:25px}}Videos and exclusive discounts on tickets to your favorite shows © 2025 - Copyright Wisdom Digital Media, all rights reserved. Privacy Policy We have the address for the funeral home & the family on file If you're not happy with your card we'll send a replacement or refund your money Born during the Great Depression, as a youth Bob formed associations with others through sports in the Fresno, California area. Even past middle-age he continued to be an athlete. Being an only child and having parents who split up when he was... View Obituary & Service Information The family of Robert Eugene Rosenthal created this Life Tributes page to make it easy to share your memories Boyden Gray Professor of Health Economics and Policy with the Marianne Wessling-Resnick Memorial Mentoring Award The Alice Hamilton Award celebrates a female faculty member for her impact in public health and future promise. It honors the memory of Hamilton a pioneer in the fields of toxicology and occupational health and the first woman appointed to the faculty at Harvard “As we gather today to celebrate the legacy of Alice Hamilton, we also honor those who carry forward her pioneering spirit,” said Shoba Ramanadhan associate professor of social and behavioral sciences She cited Kenney’s groundbreaking research which seeks to identify efficient and cost-effective strategies for modifying children’s environments to make the healthiest nutrition choices the easiest choices “Her contributions to public health nutrition and her unwavering commitment to mentorship make her a truly deserving recipient of this honor,” said Ramanadhan Kenney began her remarks by acknowledging that this is a difficult time for public health and encouraged audience members to reflect on what brought them to the field “We’re here because we want to save people’s lives and achieve a vision of a world where everyone has dignity and justice as it says on the banners outside of our School,” she said Much of Kenney’s research focuses on child nutrition Many food preferences are formed in early childhood making this an important stage for interventions that may ultimately help reduce the chronic disease burden in adults Improving kids’ nutrition isn’t just about educating parents about healthy choices because food decisions are shaped by a complex web of factors including cost and cultural preferences Kenney takes a multipronged approach to addressing this challenge by working to identify the root causes of poor nutrition evaluating public health nutrition policies and studying their implementation and collaborating with community partners on interventions that improve children’s food environments Marketing plays an important role in shaping kids’ food preferences noting that now—because they spend so much time on digital devices—it is harder to get an accurate measurement of what they are being exposed to Kenney tapped parents of kids under 11 for a pilot study They took regular screenshots of their kids’ devices to document what they were seeing and then accessed the same games and videos to count the ads and product placements The researchers found that some kids were seeing as many as 74 ads for unhealthy food and beverages a day with kids in lower socioeconomic households seeing the most ads Kenney and her colleagues are now analyzing the results of a different study of preteens and teenagers who recorded what they were seeing on their device screens Older kids are being exposed to even more ads for unhealthy foods than younger kids with much of it coming in the form of branded videos from influencers “Kids are marinating in marketing all the time,” Kenny said Other work Kenney spoke about during her talk included studies evaluating the effects of federal nutrition policies on childhood obesity and investigating ways to improve the implementation and utilization of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women and Children (WIC) to ensure more children can benefit Adrianna McIntyre presented the Marianne Wessling-Resnick Memorial Mentoring Award to Rosenthal The award honors the memory of Wessling-Resnick and recipient of the 2019 CAWF Mentoring Award McIntyre quoted from nomination letters colleagues submitted on Rosenthal’s behalf which highlighted her ability to provide honest and strategic advice and to foster an inclusive and supportive environment.  “The best part of my job has been working with these brilliant junior faculty and students here I take no credit for your success.” She added And I hope to see you out there in the fight.” Harvard Chan Magazine; Senior Writer in the Office of Communications we offer highly targeted executive and continuing education Stay connected with newsletters on climate communication — and the latest from Harvard Chan School Editor’s note: A previous version of this article and an accompanying chart misstated the dimensions of the “buffer zone” used to evaluate umpires before this year That buffer zone should have been described as 2 inches on all sides of the plate Major League Baseball negotiated a seemingly simple change in how home-plate umpires are graded and evaluated its impact on balls and strikes has players asking questions about what they believe is a tightened strike zone — and searching for ways to adjust to a new wrinkle they say caught them by surprise which was part of a new labor agreement with the Major League Umpires Association significantly decreased the margin of error for umpires in their evaluations — and has resulted in fewer called strikes off the edges of the plate through the same point as last season “Everybody’s zone has shrunk,” Angels catcher Travis d’Arnaud told The Athletic The actual number of pitches affected is relatively small pitching coaches and analytics-driven front offices — has been anything but They say the shift in how balls and strikes are now called is already having an impact on game-planning evaluation models and even roster construction umpires were working with a “buffer zone” that gave them 2 inches of leeway — on all sides of the plate just off the strike zone — when they were graded on how accurately they called balls and strikes from 2 inches on all sides to just three-quarters of an inch on all sides inside and outside the strike zone (1.5 inches total) according to league sources briefed on the change but not authorized to discuss the matter publicly An MLB official confirmed that the buffer zone had decreased in size The intent of the buffer zone change is simple: to call the rulebook strike zone more accurately But the real-life impact seems to have caught pitchers and catchers in particular off guard even though the definition of the actual strike zone remains the same “I was unaware of that,” Phillies reliever Matt Strahm said of the change. “I thought everything was going to be normal after spring (training, when MLB tested an electronic ball-strike challenge system) I guess I wasn’t aware that the (buffer zone) has shrunk.” “The rulebook strike zone has not changed and we have not instructed umpires to call a different strike zone In response to consistent player and club desire to have umpires evaluated more closely to the rulebook strike zone we agreed with the MLB Umpires Association in their new CBA to reduce the size of the ‘buffer’ around the border of the strike zone which essentially protects an umpire from being graded ‘incorrect’ on extremely close misses “We informed the GMs and Field Managers that we were seeking this change during the offseason,” the official said “and again informed the Clubs when the umpire CBA was ratified Overall ball-strike accuracy in 2025 is the highest it has ever been through this point in the season.” The data shows that this season’s strike calls are the most accurate since Statcast began tracking pitches in 2015 players interviewed about this change say the strike zone feels noticeably smaller in the past week to get their impression of how balls and strikes are now being called — and to ask when they learned about the umpiring changes No players interviewed could recall being informed before the season that this was coming — by their teams found it puzzling that no one had communicated more details about this new approach to the strike zone before the season started they say they found themselves dealing with the change in real time I do think we should be told that it’s smaller and that the buffer zone might be smaller,” Giants pitcher Logan Webb said Several players relayed conversations they’ve had with umpires in the early going who like some other players and team employees requested anonymity in order to speak freely said an umpire asked him early this season: “What do you think of the new strike zone?” His response: “What new strike zone?” this strike zone is not “new.” Its dimensions remain the same as described in baseball’s official rules But pitchers told The Athletic the impact of the smaller buffer zone has affected at-bats umpires know how they’re now being evaluated Umpires are continually graded by the league on the accuracy of their calls — particularly when working the plate Those grades affect whether they’re given postseason assignments and could even result in termination if their scores are low enough awareness of the buffer zone has always had an impact on ball-strike calls If an umpire calls a pitch a strike that misses the plate but hits that buffer zone the buffer means he isn’t penalized for an incorrect call As umpires adjust to a narrower buffer zone the practical effect has been fewer strikes in that area that shadows the plate but before this season they had regularly been called strikes There are other reasons this year’s zone feels to players as if it’s gotten tighter who have more experience calling the rulebook strike zone while working with the Automated Ball-Strike System (ABS) in the minor leagues The other is MLB’s experiment this spring with the ball-strike challenge system which veteran umpires have told players caused their zones to tighten as the spring went along The result is that pitchers and catchers said they noticed so many pitches just off the plate being called balls “We pulled the numbers of strikes that were called balls in the first week of the season this year versus last year,” d’Arnaud said (we found) like 550 at the same point in time Major League Baseball’s position is that it was players who told the league that they would like to see the strike zone be called more closely Players The Athletic spoke with did not share the view that the impetus for this change came from their side Baseball’s big-picture offensive numbers so far would suggest that the change to the buffer zone has not had a major statistical impact League batting average is up compared with March/April 2024 it’s within the range of common year-to-year fluctuations All of those developments are positives for a sport in which it has gotten tougher than ever to hit coaches and data-driven front offices say the change in how balls and strikes are being called has been felt inside clubhouses and analytics departments throughout the game A high-ranking executive in one front office told The Athletic that for the past two weeks his team has been “trying to figure out what’s going on.” He said his team believes the decrease in called strikes on the edges will have ripple effects that include “personnel decisions everything.” If he had known this was coming maybe his club would have adjusted and built a more patient lineup — since in a world with fewer called strikes patience would seem to be more valuable than ever hitters surveyed by The Athletic had far fewer issues with the change than pitchers even though they consistently said they had no idea this new more hitter-friendly buffer zone was coming Asked if this is what hitters want — for the strike zone to be called more like the rulebook strike zone — Astros first baseman Christian Walker replied “That’s what we’re doing out there,” he said We all get frustrated when we feel calls don’t go our way These guys are throwing nasty pitches at nearly 100 mph so I think some forgiveness around the zone is totally understandable.” What is less clear-cut is why all the players The Athletic interviewed said they were caught off guard by this change The league is adamant that the managers and front-office execs were informed that front offices were updated on the specifics of the umpires’ labor agreement in writing and that there was no intent to keep anyone in the dark According to league sources briefed on the matter MLB officials spoke to all 30 managers about the change at December’s Winter Meetings Those sources also said that MLB talked about this change with all 30 club front offices at the general managers’ meetings in November — and then distributed a memorandum to every team in mid-December after the agreement with the umpires was completed They said the league has had regular communication with the players’ union as well they said MLB normally relies on clubs and the union to keep players updated on such matters But more than two dozen people from all of those groups — managers front-office executives and sources with ties to the union — told The Athletic they had no recollection of the league briefing them on this change Sources tied to the players’ union dispute the notion that the league briefed them on the buffer zone changes before the season A spokesperson for the Players Association declined to comment further and instead released a statement: “We’ve heard from players on the topic and we’re closely monitoring this year’s strike-zone trends including via those discussions with players the umpires and the commissioner’s office.” inquiries to seven club officials found none who said they had any prior knowledge of the tighter buffer zone until they began noticing a shift in ball-strike calls once the season started And none of six managers interviewed could recall this change being communicated by MLB during the Winter Meetings “I don’t remember having any communication with anybody at any point in time saying we’re going to tighten it up,’” Padres manager Mike Shildt said I try to pay attention during the meetings … I would have thought it would grab my attention I would probably share that with (his coaches).” I didn’t know that,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Asked if he remembered being told about this at the Winter Meetings Reds manager Terry Francona said: “I don’t believe so That doesn’t mean they didn’t because I can barely remember yesterday Shildt said that if he’d known about this change he would have made a point to prepare his players before the season Most of the managers surveyed did say that they had no problem with any move intended to help umpires call a more consistent version of the strike zone “I think that’s a good thing,” Roberts said “I think that there is just so much gray with the strike zone whatever adjustments for the umpiring there’s been behind home plate I’ve been really pleased with the consistency.” League sources say that players and coaches have pushed for a smaller buffer zone and more consistent accurate ball-strike calls for years — and have been in more agreement on that position than on any other on-field issue in the game a player on baseball’s competition committee who requested anonymity in order to speak freely said that if there was a request from players it didn’t come from players on the committee And multiple sources connected to the committee speaking anonymously because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly said this was never a topic before the change was made and that it never came up at a scheduled January meeting of the competition committee the first after the umpires’ agreement was ratified “If (players were) going to make a proposal on changing the strike zone it’s going to happen in the competition committee meeting,” one of those sources said The competition committee’s next meeting is Friday and it’s expected that there will be a deeper discussion of the change and its impact According to Statcast data from Baseball Savant the change in how balls and strikes are being called averages out to about one fewer called strike per game But pitchers still believe that’s not an insignificant number “when a call makes a difference in a win or loss.” Players and clubs also have pointed to the number of pitches no longer being called strikes in what Baseball Savant refers to as “the shadow zone,” an area around the strike zone that is the width of a baseball (The shadow zone is similar to the buffer zone but not the same — Statcast uses the former and umpires the latter.) The drop in called strikes in that area is the largest While numerous players expressed frustrations over the lack of communication from the league no one accused MLB of intentionally keeping players out of the loop simply: If balls and strikes are going to be called differently it puts pitchers at a disadvantage if they don’t know that going into the season “As a competitor … you just have to learn to deal with whatever the new goal posts are,” said one veteran pitcher “But I would say that any time we choose to change the goal posts just let us know so we can prepare for it.” Sam Blum and Chad Jennings contributed to this report (Top image: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; Photo: iStock) Pete Crow-Armstrong was 9 when his father Matt threw down the gauntlet after hiring Theo Epstein as president of baseball operations and Jed Hoyer as general manager But they’re going to be good eventually,” Matt recalled Matt said Pete originally rooted for the Boston Red Sox growing enamored with the team during its run to the 2004 World Series title Pete would pluralize Johnny Damon’s last name “I’m convinced there was some part of him that was — I won’t say sadistic but he wanted to screw with me as much as possible,” Matt said Little did either of them know how the story would turn out is now one of the breakout stars of the 2025 season playing electrifying defense in center field using his dynamic blend of power and speed to serve as an offensive igniter captivating fans with his charismatic personality… and doing it all for the Chicago Cubs Crow-Armstrong’s journey could have been quite different The New York Mets selected him out of Harvard-Westlake H.S in Los Angeles with the 19th pick of the 2020 draft Entering 2021, Crow-Amstrong’s first full pro season, The Athletic’s Keith Law ranked him the 94th best prospect in the game and the Mets’ fourth-best infielder Ronny Mauricio and right-hander Matt Allan Baseball America and MLB Pipeline rated Crow-Armstrong slightly lower excluding him from their top 100 and the Mets’ top four Crow-Armstrong underwent season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder sought help from the Cubs at the trade deadline Crow-Armstrong was rehabilitating at their spring-training site in Port St “His defensive numbers would have been great Crow-Armstrong was not the Cubs’ initial target who recently had undergone Tommy John surgery viewing Allan as a future top-of-the-rotation starter then a corner infielder and outfielder at Triple A was another player the Mets and Cubs discussed who worked for the Boston Red Sox from 2004 to 2020 carried his old team’s preferences to his new one The Red Sox liked Vientos but questioned Crow-Armstrong’s bat “Only two clubs ever brought his name up,” Scott said about Crow-Armstrong The Cubs were pushing for a different prospect (Allan) and were mixed on PCA.” had at least one strong advocate in the Cubs’ organization — assistant GM Jared Banner who joined the Cubs in December 2020 after serving more than two years as the Mets’ farm director The Cubs did not have a player with Crow-Armstrong’s defensive and baserunning skills making him more appealing than Vientos and others Crow-Armstrong was three draft classes behind Vientos but the two became close at the Mets’ Instructional League in the fall of 2020 After COVID-19 canceled the minor-league season it was Crow-Armstrong’s introduction to the organization both Crow-Armstrong and Vientos sensed they were involved in trade talks the friends made a pact: If either got moved (more) pertaining to him,” Crow-Armstrong said “We all thought it was going to be Vientos Crow-Armstrong’s parents visited him in Port St Crow-Armstrong was driving to meet them for lunch when the news broke “I had a friend text me and he said the Cubs just traded Javy Báez you think your kid might be involved in that?” Matt Armstrong said He’s not on anybody’s radar right now.’ I send that text and 30 seconds later my phone starts exploding.” “He didn’t say anything,” Crow-Armstrong said “Then in the background — he’s in the clubhouse in Syracuse — I just heard someone say Crow-Armstrong’s first favorite was Andrew McCutchen, whom he emulated as a power-hitting center fielder. But by the time he was in high school, he fancied Báez, too. He patterned his game after Báez’s seeking to play with the same energy and flair A post shared by MiLB Players (@milb_players) Hoyer said the Mets relented on Crow-Armstrong only after the Cubs included right-hander Trevor Williams and cash to cover a portion of Báez’s remaining $3.96 million salary direct communication between Hoyer and Scott helped The two knew each other well from their days with the Red Sox Hoyer hired Scott as a baseball operations intern in 2004 was not what anyone envisioned at the time Allan underwent two more major elbow operations, going nearly six years between pitching in games before resuming his career at the Mets’ Low A affiliate in April Vientos overcame a difficult start to his major-league career last season by hitting 32 homers for the Mets And Crow-Armstrong is emerging as much more of an offensive force than most in the industry expected Crow-Armstrong is batting .275 with six homers and an .840 OPS and is second in the majors with 12 stolen bases He also leads the majors in Outs Above Average and is tied for the lead in Defensive Runs Saved “Báez was great and Williams was outstanding for (the Mets) in ’22,” Scott said “But it was obviously a big ‘L’ for future value and we may be starting to see that value realized four years later.” Scott, who became the founder and CEO of a consulting firm, Four Rings Sports Solutions “When the Cubs win the division and Jed (Hoyer) gets a contract extension Matt Armstrong’s reaction to the deal was not necessarily what one might expect from a lifelong Cubs fan My parents have always been really good about keeping it here,” Crow-Armstrong said “They wanted me to process whatever I needed to and kind of be there for me.” That it was the Cubs was kind of like this insane wrinkle.” most of his friends in the Chicago area were more excited Crow-Armstrong would be a Cub than he was He and Ashley were mostly happy that their son would be in Arizona for the rest of his rehabilitation and spring training Crow-Armstrong describes his father as “a big fantasy baseball guy Matt is in his ninth year serving as the director of theater arts and an English teacher for high school students at the Sierra Canyon School in Los Angeles when faculty can conduct a seminar on anything that interests them “We dove into advanced metrics while watching entire games or moments in games compared players from different eras using old-school stats vs “It was pretty cool for them to see while Johan Santana wasn’t Koufax he attended Game 4 of the World Series at Wrigley Field Friends invited him to attend Games 6 and 7 in Cleveland as well Matt had just started teaching at Sierra Canyon and didn’t want to miss work he ended up watching the Cubs win the Series with Crow-Armstrong “That was a moment I wouldn’t trade for anything,” Matt said “I hugged him and I cried on his shoulder like a big old baby it would have been cool to be there for Game 7 I would rather have had that moment with Pete than with 50,000 strangers.” Matt said at times he will think to himself “This isn’t real.” It happened in spring training when he saw Crow-Armstrong talking to Cubs Hall of Famer Billy Williams and had a flashback spotting Rick Sutcliffe Matt recalls attending a clinic at Wrigley as a child listening to Sutcliffe and former Cubs pitching coach Billy Connors Other kids now look at Crow-Armstrong the same way “P-C-A!” leaving Cubs manager Craig Counsell puzzled “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Counsell thought The fans could spot an original: A kid who held out rooting for his father’s favorite team only to end up playing for that team himself “I did it out of spite,” Crow-Armstrong said The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma and Will Sammon contributed to this story (Photo: Matt Dirksen / Chicago Cubs via Getty Images) The team that brought us pitching chaos last season is now playing hitting roulette Just know the Detroit Tigers are finding the right combinations again the Tigers own the best record in the American League They’re 18-8 since getting swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers in their opening series when they played not at the old Tiger Stadium Those records are all the more impressive considering the Tigers’ injured list includes their primary catcher four outfielders and seven pitchers of varying importance But few go about it as imaginatively as the Tigers General manager Scott Harris built his team to be deep and versatile following an injury to Manuel Margot on top of the spring-training losses of Matt Vierling the Tigers were scrambling to put together an outfield who started every playoff game for the Tigers last season at third base only to become the team’s most frequently used right fielder in the early going who began the season with only 16 2/3 innings of outfield experience as a professional and lately has made regular starts in center 1 pick of the 2020 draft who hit 31 homers in 2023 but he entered spring training without an obvious path to a starting job Now he leads the team with eight homers and is second with an .896 OPS giving the Tigers the production they thought they might get with third baseman Alex Bregman who signed with the Boston Red Sox instead The Tigers seek every possible matchup advantage on the offensive side pinch hits and occasionally uses his entire bench The willingness of veterans like McKinstry and especially Báez to stay flexible is paramount to the Tigers’ success figures to resume his super-utility role now that Kerry Carpenter has returned to the outfield after dealing with a mild hamstring strain McKinstry has even batted third in a number of recent games which will happen when you’re carrying a team-high .902 OPS when injuries helped limit him to 80 games and the Tigers made their stunning run to the postseason mostly without him “How can I help the team win?” He will serve as a part-time bridge in the outfield until Vierling and Meadows return and continue playing multiple infield spots as well Their 2.86 team ERA leads the AL and ranks third in the majors And once their injured players return – Meadows had an .840 OPS after Aug the Tigers will keep spinning the roulette wheel But it isn’t just luck that they’re hitting on the right numbers again the Seattle Mariners’ season took an early turn for the worse Right fielder Victor Robles suffered a dislocated left shoulder in San Francisco including all three on a trip east to Cincinnati Their other series triumphs were at home against AL West rivals Houston and Texas the Mariners are succeeding with a patchwork lineup The injury to Robles and season-ending loss of second baseman Ryan Bliss to a left biceps tear forced the team to recalibrate So did the move of Jorge Polanco from third base to designated hitter which initially was triggered by a minor oblique strain and also has prevented him from batting right-handed The early disruptions figured to be detrimental to a club that last season ranked 21st in runs the Mariners are getting production from unexpected sources at a time when their best offensive player a Gold Glove utility man last season who is second on the team in OPS if he had enough plate appearances to qualify would be second only to Aaron Judge in OPS+ Catcher Cal Raleigh is tied for the major-league lead with 10 homers Crawford is hitting the way he did in 2023 Regression is inevitable for some Mariners but the team’s walk rate is 2 percent higher than it was last season and its strikeout rate is down 3.4 percent from its league-high mark in 2024 Right-handers Logan Gilbert (elbow flexor strain) likely is out until June and George Kirby (right shoulder inflammation) won’t be back much before then But fill-in righty Emerson Hancock is coming off back-to-back impressive starts on the road against Cincinnati and Boston The Mariners also feature the hottest closer in the game — Andres Muñoz who is 10-for-10 in save opportunities and has yet to allow a run in 14 innings The Cubs last season scored the fifth-fewest runs at home During one series against the New York Yankees in September they produced only two runs in three games Craig Counsell knew something had to change he emphasized to his coaches the importance of adjusting both to the wind blowing in and the wind blowing out where can we create advantages for our group of players?” Counsell said There are 13 position players and 13 pitchers Wrigley was at its most unpredictable during the Cubs’ recent eight-game homestand The wind was blowing out during the Cubs’ wild 13-11 win over Arizona and their electric back-to-back one-run victories over the Dodgers some Cubs players told Counsell they had never seen the wind blow in from left field that hard even if they are disincentivized to pursue it It’s baseball without a home run,” Counsell said And maybe if the other team doesn’t completely embrace that So far, so good: The Cubs are 9-5 at Wrigley, averaging six runs per game. For more on how the Cubs are adapting to their home park offensively, here’s a story from The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney it’s a shame San Francisco Giants designated hitter Wilmer Flores is still probably best known for the trade that wasn’t evolved into one of the game’s most respected veterans He also developed into an underappreciated hitter who began the week leading the majors with 28 RBIs and easygoing teammates I’ve ever been around,” former Giants manager Gabe Kapler said “Give me my choice of right-handed hitters give me a big moment with everything on the line — and he’s right there shoulder to shoulder with the biggest stars in the game the Mets agreed to send him to the Milwaukee Brewers News of the deal — Flores and Zack Wheeler for outfielder Carlos Gomez — leaked out while the Mets were playing at Citi Field but remained in the game because the deal was pending the standard medical review The Mets backed out due to concern over a hip issue with Gomez spent three more seasons with the Mets and one with the Diamondbacks before joining the Giants as a free agent in 2020 But after a difficult 2024 — Flores underwent season-ending knee surgery in August — he is again a force While Flores will never be a Statcast darling — his average exit velocity is better than only 14 percent of all hitters his bat speed only 3 percent better — he draws raves for his situational hitting “He’s a pro’s pro,” Giants manager Bob Melvin The quality of his at-bats are just off the charts.” The Tampa Bay Rays are 6-2 since promoting rookie center fielder Chandler Simpson including five straight road wins against NL West powers Arizona and San Diego Simpson, who considers himself the fastest man in baseball is a high-contact phenom who aims to hit like Luis Arraez while offering more speed and better defense This is only his third year of playing outfield but he is excelling defensively as well as sparking the Rays offensively with a .400/.455./.433 slash line and three stolen bases in his first eight games It’s possible he will rob more home runs than he hits over the course of his career But five of his 12 hits have met the hard-hit standard it actually can be beneficial because he runs so well Simpson’s sample is much too small for anyone to draw conclusions about whether he can succeed in the majors But after playing only 78 games at Double A and 17 at Triple A (Top photo of Spencer Torkelson: Nic Antaya / Getty Images) Texas Rangers general manager Chris Young took dramatic action Thursday to shake up his team’s sluggish offense demoting one of his biggest offseason acquisitions the Rangers are promoting Triple-A first baseman Blaine Crim who is batting .313 with seven homers and a .930 OPS according to league sources briefed on the move The plan is for Burger to “reset” and rejoin the team soon Young indicated Tuesday that a shakeup might be imminent, telling the Dallas Morning News The Rangers entered Thursday ranked 28th in the majors in runs per game then lost their series finale at home to the Oakland Athletics costing the team three prospects in a trade with the Miami Marlins whom the Rangers traded to the Washington Nationals Burger is batting only .190 with a .561 OPS Manager Bruce Bochy has altered his lineup in an attempt to ignite the Rangers’ offense dropping second baseman Marcus Semien out of the leadoff spot and benching Leody Taveras for Kevin Pillar in center field He is too old to be considered a top prospect Young warned that he was ready to start looking for alternatives in the minors we obviously will have to consider,” Young told the Morning News I believe in this group and their baseball cards And I believe they are going to turn some of their seasons around On Wednesday, November 6, 2024 Alan Rosenthal of Bethesda, MD. Beloved Husband of Phyllis Sarkin Rosenthal; Devoted father to Dr. Kenneth Rosenthal, Gary (Lynda) Rosenthal, Jeffrey (Rachel) Rosenthal, Bruce (Janet) Harrington, Brenda (Randy Budihas) Huss; Caring brother of the late Herbert Rosenthal and Clair Hyde; Loving grandfather to Ana Grace, Graham, Maxwell, Alexa, Hannah, Adam, and Drew Rosenthal, Leanne (James) Alexander, Sam, Jessica Harrington, Steven (Kristin) Huss, and Gabrielle Budihas; also five great grandchildren. Private interment at Garden of Remembrance, Clarksburg, MD In lieu of contributions, we ask that you set aside a day to perform acts of kindness toward neighbors, coworkers, service people, and strangers in Al’s memory.  NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah and Gregg Rosenthal talk to ESPN's Mina Kimes about the traits that make Penn State tight end Tyler Warren so compelling as a prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft class. Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker The writer, producer and host of Somebody Feed Phil talks about eating ants in Tokyo, the legacy of Anthony Bourdain and the best shawarma he’s ever had. Shanghai has a fun food scene I’d love to explore. I’ve seen it depicted in movies and shows, and it looks so great and romantic — t­his big Chinese city with dishes from all over the world. I’ve never been to Greece and I can’t wait to go to Turkey. But the new season is coming out in June, and I go to some places I’ve never been, but I can’t tell you what they are yet! I went to a Palestinian woman’s restaurant in Dubai and she gave me food that made me cry. The world will tell you that we’re not supposed to be friends, right? I’m a Jewish man, this is a Palestinian lady. We bonded instantly. She was so sweet, warm and lovely — it’s in the show, you can see it. She made a raw lamb dish with all kinds of herbs and spices, from her mother’s recipe. We’ve stayed in touch ever since, all through the troubles. Stockton University 101 Vera King Farris Drive Galloway, NJ 08205-9441 (609) 652-1776 Maps, Directions & Parking Accessibility Statement Additional Locations Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here according to sources briefed on the first baseman’s contract negotiations with the Toronto Blue Jays The team’s last offer before Guerrero’s Feb. 18 deadline, according to the New York Post was around $500 million with significant deferrals that would have reduced the present value to between $400 million and $450 million Guerrero, who turns 26 on Sunday dropped his resistance to deferrals as his deadline neared as long as his present value landed at $500 million A contract of that size would be the second largest in major-league history ahead of Shohei Ohtani’s massively deferred $700 million deal which carries a present value of $460.8 million Yet, Guerrero’s ask is still $265 million below the 15-year, $765 million free-agent deal Juan Soto signed in December, amounting to less than two-thirds of that guarantee. Guerrero told ESPN last week he was “looking for 14” years $500 million deal would be $35.71 million — more than $15 million below Soto’s AAV and 11th all-time Guerrero broke off talks with the Blue Jays before the team’s first full workout of spring training He told reporters that day he was open to reviving the discussions “I won’t close the door if it’s a realistic offer.” The difference in present value between his ask and the Blue Jays’ final proposal is between $50 million and $100 million — or between $3.57 million and $7.14 million per season over 14 years Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins did not immediately respond to a request for comment eligible for free agency at the end of the season would be a year older than Soto was on the open market Guerrero still would be relatively young for a free agent Hitters in his age range and Soto’s rarely hit the open market and that is part of what makes them so appealing with a career OPS-plus 60 percent above league average compared to Guerrero’s 37 percent Neither player offers significant defensive value While Guerrero rates as below-average at perhaps the least valuable defensive position Soto also occupies a less-than-premium spot and is not a particularly skilled corner outfielder Soto’s deal can grow larger still: His deal with the New York Mets includes an opt-out after the 2029 World Series that the team can negate by increasing his 2030-39 salaries from $46 million to $50 million annually the total value of his deal would increase to $805 million The Blue Jays made a run at Soto before he signed with the Mets, offering a total guarantee of less than $700 million, according to SportsNet a native of Canada and a homegrown Blue Jay carries far more meaning to the Toronto franchise And he has expressed a desire to stay with the Jays at a time when many free agents are shunning the club Guerrero would be perhaps the most attractive hitter available next offseason Chicago Cubs right fielder Kyle Tucker is a superior all-around player New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox are among the clubs that might be in the market for a first baseman The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal did exactly that with his assessment of the situation Monday morning But the issue raised by Acuña is the kind that might expose a rift in a team that is almost one-third Latin." For those who were enjoying Easter weekend instead of the Braves' first sweep of the 2025 regular season, Kelenic admired a hit during the sixth inning of Saturday night's game The problem for the Braves outfielder was the hit bounced off the right field wall instead of landing over the fence Kelenic was safe at second on a close play which turned the play into a very embarrassing moment for the outfielder it's an embarrassing moment for Braves manager Brian Snitker Snitker told reporters he didn't see Kelenic not running hard it was Kelenic holding himself responsible for the running mishap Kelenic told reporters he went into Snitker's office Sunday morning to apologize for the error Acuña called out Snitker for having a double standard they would taken me out of the game," Acuña wrote in a tweet that has since been deleted Snitker benched Acuña in 2019 for nearly the same play -- not running hard right out of the batter's box and settling for a single on a fly ball that hit off the right field fence Rosenthal mentioned Snitker has benched other players for similar base running mishaps -- Ender Inciarte in July 2018 and Marcell Ozuna in June 2023 The race of those four players was likely not a factor in Snitker's management of each situation Even putting the Kelenic mishap in a vacuum "Snitker routinely draws praise for his even demeanor and stable leadership. Coming from the Bobby Cox school, he generally prefers to handle sensitive matters behind closed doors. This time, though, he looked out of touch. And short-term, the timing could not be worse," wrote Rosenthal If I was to nitpick one aspect of Rosenthal's argument I'd actually say the timing could have been worse It would have been much worse had this happened a week ago There's a chance for this controversy to blow over because the Braves are now playing their best baseball of the young season Had the Braves lost Saturday in part because of Kelenic's error or lost another series over the weekend But Rosenthal's point is still well warranted The Braves have a potential locker room issue on their hands as the result of Snitker's failure Acuña's tweet exacerbated the situation publicly But the issue was going to exist regardless Continuing the weekend's winning streak Monday would be a start DAVE HOLCOMB The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application He is survived by daughter Ann (Tim) Davis He was preceded in death by his parents and former spouse MO to Russell Lee Rosenthal and Anna May (Moellmann) Rosenthal he attended Catholic school and served as an altar boy.  Russell enlisted in the United States Marines from 1964 to 1968 He was recognized with such awards as National Defense Service Medal Russ married Sherry Walrath and they had two children He was very involved with Ann and Russ Jr's activities a United States Marine and could often be found hanging out with him at the NCO club Papa had to make sure she had the biggest and best of everything.  Over his life Russ was quite the business entrepreneur and had many businesses including car dealerships and transportation companies Russ was always a jokester and the life of the party Everything he did was big and over the top Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors but her two favorites that she adored the most were tending her garden and playing all sorts of games with her family and friends She is preceded in death by her dear husband Randy She is survived by her son Randall II and his wife Teri; her daughter Candice; her brothers and sisters Cheryl Lisa and many nieces and nephews; her granddaughters Skylar Abby and Elli; and her great-grandchildren Aeriella The family will be holding a private inurnment at a later date Parkinson's FoundationWeb: https://www.parkinson.org/ NY – New York State Senator Pete Harckham and Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal announced today that they have introduced legislation that will exempt first-time homebuyers from paying the mortgage recording tax that municipalities impose for legally recording a deed mortgage or other documents related to a loan for a home purchase With the first-time homebuyer market share falling sharply in recent years because of high real estate prices and other factors, the new legislation (S.4488 / A.5350) addresses the significant financial impacts on first-time homebuyers and an exemption on the mortgage recording tax promises substantial savings the median sale price of a home in New York in 2024 was $642,500 would save a first-time homebuyer $5,780 in costs for a one percent mortgage recording tax “Homeownership is a big part of the American Dream but for many New Yorkers the high upfront costs in these tough times have pushed the dream farther out of reach,” said Senator Harckham “By exempting first-time homebuyers from paying their mortgage tax we’ll be making this milestone achievement more affordable while also re-energizing our communities.” “New York State’s homeownership rate falls far below the national average and with home costs soaring around the nation many New Yorkers fear that owning their own home may simply be unattainable,” said Assemblymember Rosenthal chair of the Assembly Committee on Housing. “Our new legislation to create a mortgage recording tax exemption will provide first-time homebuyers with relief on their closing costs helping to put homeownership back within reach for many households community and stability that people feel when buying their first home should be accessible to all and passing this legislation will be a great step in achieving this.” Mortgage recording tax rates vary statewide with most municipalities charging about one percent of the mortgage the mortgage recording tax in the 40th Senate District is currently between 1.05% (Putnam County) and 1.3% (both Rockland and Westchester counties the mortgage tax is 2.05% for mortgages less than $500,000 and 2.175% for mortgages more than $500,000 A portion of the mortgage recording tax collected in New York City and seven neighboring counties goes to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority According to the State Comptroller’s office New York has the lowest homeownership rate in the U.S. with only 53.6% of the population owning a home in mid-2022 versus 65.8% nationally the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported in November 2024 that first-time homebuyers decreased to a historic low of 24% in 2023 The first-time homebuyers were older as well and their median household income was $97,000 Some of the factors that are making first-time homeownership less attainable include a shortfall in housing inventory The average interest rate of a 30-year mortgage was 6.87% Chief Executive Officer and Executive Vice President of the Building & Realty Institute (BRI) of Westchester and the Mid-Hudson Region “This new bill addresses a significant financial barrier making homeownership more attainable for many New Yorkers it encourages individuals to invest in their future and strengthens our communities We commend Senator Harckham and Assemblymember Rosenthal for introducing this bill and urge its swift passage to promote economic growth and housing stability in our region.” a Licensed Real Estate Associate Broker with Houlihan Lawrence in Katonah “Anything that helps buyers with some relief at a closing on their first home would be welcome.”  2025 President of the Hudson Gateway Association of REALTORS® “First time homebuyers in New York today face a housing inventory shortage and significant financial hurdles not the least of which is New York’s nation leading closing costs A large part of these upfront costs are real estate transaction taxes including the mortgage recording tax. The Hudson Gateway Association of REALTORS® and the New York State Association of REALTORS® strongly support Senator Harckham and Assemblymember Rosenthal’s legislation that will enable more first-time homebuyers the opportunity to achieve the American dream of homeownership.” Call them the Soto Dominoes, the free agents that will fall once free-agent outfielder Juan Soto picks his next team. The impact of the Soto signing will be profound and far-reaching not only for the bidding clubs but practically every segment of this year’s market Anthony Santander and Teoscar Hernández, ranked ninth and 11th on The Athletic’s Top 40 Free Agent Big Board, currently are on hold while the Soto negotiations continue The five known Soto bidders are the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers. Like Soto both Santander and Hernández rejected qualifying offers so any team that signs them will be subject to draft-pick compensation But most if not all of the Soto losers figure to pursue them The best guess with Hernández is that he will return to the Dodgers on a three-year deal for more than $60 million. But with Soto the Dodgers are doing what they often do with elite free agents seeing if the ball somehow falls into their hands Soto almost certainly would reject the same type of short-term almost certainly would ensure Guerrero’s departure after next season unless the Jays are willing to carry two monster contracts Santander, 30, is a switch-hitter coming off a career-high 44 home runs, and two years younger than Hernández. Teams left without a power-hitting outfielder will be willing to overlook Santander’s deficiencies, starting with his career .307 on-base percentage. His defense is another question — Baltimore Orioles manager Brandon Hyde raved about Santander’s play in right field but the metrics painted a less glowing portrait could look at adding a left-side infielder along with free-agent first baseman Christian Walker and additional pitching “we can build a more complete team without him and for less money.” And while it sounds like loser’s talk considering Soto is a once-in-a-generation talent there might be some merit to that argument Both Bregman and Adames, however, are drawing attention outside of the Soto market. The Houston Astros are continuing their efforts to re-sign Bregman The team is staying in contact with Adames and has expressed interest in another free agent In the case of Adames, if the Astros are going to spend that kind of money, why not invest it in Bregman, a face of their franchise? The same logic would apply to a possible trade for Arenado, as The Athletic’s Chandler Rome recently mentioned Adames would be a better fit for the San Francisco Giants, who desperately need a shortstop. As The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly reported the Giants anticipate a reduction in payroll Perhaps Ha-Seong Kim would be a more suitable fit coming at a lower price as he recovers from shoulder surgery and without the additional cost of a draft pick (both Adames and Bregman received qualifying offers) would not make as much of an offensive impact as Adames Just as the shortage of quality hitters could spur teams that miss out on Soto to pivot quickly so might the shrinking supply of quality starters The team that lands Soto might want to add one of the above pitchers as well The teams that strike out on Soto and adopt more of a portfolio approach also will be in the market The Sox’s biggest need is a top-of-the-rotation starter. If they come away with Soto, they might prefer to complement him with a trade for the Chicago White Sox’s Garrett Crochet who will earn a projected $2.9 million in arbitration and remain under club control through 2026 But wouldn’t the better flex be to hold their prospects and pursue Burnes or Fried certainly would meet the definition of “full throttle.” The Blue Jays, meanwhile, have been down this path before. In December 2019, they pursued free-agent right-hander Gerrit Cole but ultimately signed another Scott Boras client lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu.  It would not be surprising to see them follow the same blueprint if they failed to land Soto adding Burnes or Fried as well as Hernández or Santander The Baltimore Orioles were in on Snell and Kikuchi pitchers who were particularly attractive to them because they were not tied to qualifying offers and could be signed without losing a draft pick Eovaldi and Flaherty fall into the same category. Fried, Manaea, Luis Severino and Nick Pivetta, all of whom received (and rejected) qualifying offers, do not. Signing any of them would cost the Orioles their third-highest draft pick who already hold the 19th overall selection stand to gain two picks in the 30s if Burnes and Santander depart and each of their free-agent contracts exceeds $50 million Three picks in the top 40 would be quite a coup for a team that under general manager Mike Elias has drafted well the Orioles could lose one and still have two in the top 40 it seems doubtful the Orioles will outbid the Soto also-rans extending offers to multiple free-agent starting pitchers It’s conceivable the Orioles could land two starters each at average annual values of more than $10 million But such an outcome is not particularly likely The market for starters is highly competitive and the Orioles also are looking to add a right-handed hitting outfielder and backup catcher With all the money the Dodgers are spending why didn’t they just extend a qualifying offer to free-agent right-hander Walker Buehler In part because Buehler likely would have said yes to the one-year $21.05 million arrangement — and perhaps not all that happily Clubs generally operate under the principle that there is no such thing as a bad one-year contract But the Dodgers did not want to force the issue with Buehler who had a 5.38 ERA in 16 starts in the regular season before completing the playoffs with 10 scoreless innings The qualifying offer would have damaged Buehler in the market leaving him with almost no choice but to accept only would have received a pick after the fourth round if he rejected Buehler can negotiate a multiyear deal with the team of his choosing Several clubs looking for a left-handed hitting DH are intrigued by Joc Pederson, who in 449 plate appearances for the Arizona Diamondbacks last season hit 23 home runs and produced a career-high .908 OPS The Diamondbacks want Pederson back. The Tampa Bay Rays also could use him, though it’s doubtful any free agent with options will choose to play at a minor-league ballpark in the summer Florida heat. The Texas Rangers are a more intriguing fit the Rangers ranked third in OPS against right-handed pitching and their .683 OPS represented more than a 100-point dropoff from the year before A native of Palo Alto, Calif, Pederson seemingly would prefer to stay west of the Mississippi. In previous stints as a free agent, he signed with the Chicago Cubs the San Francisco Giants twice (once by accepting a qualifying offer) and the Diamondbacks The question with the Rangers is whether owner Ray Davis will gain enough clarity on the team’s future local TV revenues to approve an increase in payroll later in the offseason who was coming off Tommy John surgery and expected to be out for most of 2024 Re-signing Eovaldi is the Rangers’ top priority José Leclerc and Andrew Chafin all hitting the open market After trading for Carlos Santana and Justin Turner the past two deadlines the Seattle Mariners want to acquire that type of veteran presence for an entire season and Santana just won his first Gold Glove at first base Pete Alonso or Christian Walker would better fill the Mariners’ need at that position but it would be an upset if Seattle emerged as the high bidder for either The Philadelphia Phillies’ Alec Bohm Teams view him as a good but not great player Bohm stands to earn a projected $8.1 million in arbitration with only one more year of club control remaining after that (Top photo of Juan Soto and Anthony Santander: Greg Fiume / Getty Images) Complete your personal information for a more tailored experience for the best life sciences journalism in the industry By Bob Herman and Tara Bannow Bob Herman Bob Herman covers health insurance, government programs, hospitals, physicians, and other providers — reporting on how money influences those businesses and shapes what we all pay for care. He is also the author of the Health Care Inc. newsletter You can reach Bob on Signal at bobjherman.09 Tara Bannow You can reach Tara on Signal at tarabannow.70 The suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO appears to cite two prominent critics of the U.S health care system in his handwritten manifesto — journalist Elisabeth Rosenthal and filmmaker Michael Moore — although neither of their works focused on the insurance company His note also does not single out the health insurance industry explicitly and instead criticizes how “expensive” the broader system has become “Obviously the problem is more complex, but I do not have space, and frankly I do not pretend to be the most qualified person to lay out the full argument,” the suspect, Luigi Mangione, wrote in the document, which was posted online in its entirety by the journalist Ken Klippenstein “But many have illuminated the corruption and greed (e.g.: Rosenthal decades ago and the problems simply remain.” Rosenthal is a senior contributing editor at KFF Health News and its former editor-in-chief. Moore has produced films including the 2007 documentary “Sicko,” which criticized the U.S He also filmed “Bowling for Columbine,” which examined the country’s gun violence problem STAT requested a copy of the manifesto from the Manhattan District Attorney’s office but did not receive a response. Excerpts of the document posted by other news outlets match the text posted by Klippenstein. The New York Times also reported that police have Mangione’s notebook that has “more detailed plans for the shooting.” Unpacking the business — and secretive inner workings — of the U.S Rosenthal is the author of “An American Sickness: How Healthcare Became Big Business and How You Can Take It Back,” a best-selling book published in 2017 that chronicles how health care companies have exploited the trust of sick Americans for profit She was unaware of the manifesto’s contents until STAT inquired Tuesday and it shouldn’t have happened,” Rosenthal said in an interview I’ve basically spent the last decade of my life hearing from and reporting on patients who are deeply frustrated and angry with a health system that doesn’t serve their needs.” She pointed to the “Bill of the Month” feature from KFF Health News and NPR that highlights people’s medical bills and how they reflect broader problems with health care prices and coverage gaps Rosenthal said the project has received nearly 10,000 submissions over its six-plus years The reason they feel poorer is because of how much they’re paying for their health insurance or how much they’re paying hospitals and providers if they don’t have health insurance Rosenthal’s book details the history and modern business practices within each major sector of the health care industry — insurance The book mentions UnitedHealthcare only once noting that the company “paid laboratories between $17 and $618 for vitamin D tests” in 2014 “is in some ways the original sin that catalyzed the evolution of today’s medical-industrial complex,” as coverage evolved from mechanisms to help people with lost incomes when they were hospitalized to the comprehensive plans we have today Rosenthal wrote how “the money chase was on” among all actors in the system and that “no one was protecting the patients.”  I kind of had an illusion that I would write this and everything would get fixed,” Rosenthal said Moore did not respond to an interview request, but he weighed in on the shooting in a Dec. 6 Substack post in which he said America’s health insurance industry makes money by denying people care The post directs readers to a clip from “Sicko,” which Moore said underscores his points “It’s one of our most awful and ugly truths — truths that we don’t really want the rest of the world to see,” Moore wrote “Because no other industrialized country on Earth so willingly and heartlessly lets a few large corporations literally decide who shall live and who shall die — a decision that is based solely on profit motive.” “Sicko” only makes passing references to UnitedHealthcare in lists of insurer profits and CEO salaries It features heartbreaking interviews with the families of people who died because insurers denied coverage for tests and procedures but none of them had UnitedHealthcare insurance Much of the documentary focuses on Americans traveling internationally for care and insurers denying coverage to patients because of pre-existing conditions a practice that’s now prohibited because of the Affordable Care Act “Sicko” focuses more attention on another insurer spotlighting one of its former medical reviewers says she was directed to deny at least 10% of requests for coverage Mangione faces charges in both Pennsylvania and New York tied to CEO Brian Thompson’s death. He appeared in court Tuesday and was denied bail. New York prosecutors have attempted to bring Mangione to New York, but his attorney said he would fight the extradition, according to Gothamist By Mario Aguilar By Megan Molteni By Daniel Payne By Helen Branswell Reporting from the frontiers of health and medicine Memorials may be made in care of Dementia Society of America Wheelan-Pressly Funeral Home and Crematory the daughter of Henry and Mabel (Thompson) Rosenthal She was employed by HUD for 28 years before retiring in 1998 Carol was a beloved mother and grandmother She raised three daughters and was a devoted to her five grandchildren and great-grandson Her greatest joy was spending time with her family Those left to cherish Carol’s memory include her children Tracy (Mark) Ogden and Ashley (Jeff) Dooley; grandchildren Carol was preceded in death by her parents and siblings Online condolences may be left for the family on Carol’s tribute wall Rosenthal's installment as president of the Association of Reform Jewish Educators sends a message of inclusion to all Jews; for others it maintains a distinction between types of Jews Stacy Rosenthal speaks at January’s conference for the Association of Reform Jewish Educators and Early Childhood Educators of Reform Judaism “All of you are welcome here,” Stacy Rosenthal began her speech at January’s conference for the Association of Reform Jewish Educators and Early Childhood Educators of Reform Judaism I am humbled and deeply honored to step into the role of president of this extraordinary organization.” Rosenthal officially took office as president of the Association of Reform Jewish Educators on Sunday and was about to reveal — for the first time in a public forum — that she had converted to Judaism She is believed to be the first person to do so to take office as president of a major Reform organization while others debate if it is news at all.  Do I know enough?” Rosenthal told eJewishPhilanthropy or that I didn’t learn to read Hebrew until I was 35 years old Will they think that I am not capable of holding a role in leadership?” prefers the term “Jew by choice” to describe herself “A convert is someone who is in the process of change,” she explained “Jew by choice is what happens after conversion.”  Rosenthal decided that in order to cultivate a culture of belonging at the organization Rosenthal felt like an outsider at church camp she still felt like an “imposter” because she never attended Hebrew school or Jewish summer camps But she spent her nights translating texts and gained confidence and met people who believed in her she realized “You will have to work twice as hard Jews by choice are often put under a microscope by people born Jewish who is director of American Jewish University’s Miller Introduction to Judaism program “As someone who grew up in a very traditional house [my family] would always have one eyebrow up at the person who converted to make sure they’re doing things right because [someone born Jewish] probably would mess half of those things up but they forgive you because you’re Jewish.” Rosenthal has a long list of service in the Reform Jewish community: She was religious school director at Congregation Beth Israel in Scottsdale She is the director of programs for Gesher Disability Resources and accommodations coordinator for Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion where she received a master’s in religious education in 2013 She has also taught Intro to Judaism classes for the Union for Reform Judaism for the past two years Prior to becoming president of the Association of Reform Jewish Educators she served as first vice president for the past two years “This is not a story,” Rabizadeh said of Rosenthal’s appointment It goes against Jewish tradition to remind someone that they converted The Talmud states you are not allowed to ask someone whether they converted especially ones who may not look stereotypically Jewish speak with Yiddishisms laced through their sentences or have Ashkenazi last names Not only did Rosenthal put in the work to become Jewish she’s gone above and beyond to become a leader in the community She pointed out that most people wouldn’t dedicate 80% of their time to working for Jewish causes [She] really fell in love with it,” Rabizadeh said The journey to becoming a leader in a professional organization “tends to be a long ramp-up,” Rabbi Stacy Rigler executive director of the Association of Reform Jewish Educators The organization needs to “celebrate all of our firsts so that all of our members see that they can find their place in our organization,” she said adding that it was Rosenthal’s decision to talk about it One of Rosenthal’s strengths is that she sees people as individuals She recognizes people’s strengths and what support they need or their child has a B-mitzvah next week… It’s not surprising to me that Stacy’s first initiative as first vice president was to call every single member on their birthday because she thinks that everybody deserves to be noticed and connected to.” pledging herself to the world of Reform Judaism is exactly what she was meant to do Her passion is a testament to the teachers who inspired her “I’m a person who doesn’t watch a movie twice I’m drawn to reading the Torah over and over again each year,” she said wanting to find “what are the sparks that are going to excite [other] lifelong Jewish learners.” During a period when Jews feel alone and need allies putting a Jew by choice in a leadership position can cultivate opportunities to reach people the community may not traditionally bringing a new perspective to outreach and connecting with “our non-Jewish pals in the world.” They can also bring the passion and empathy that helped them fall in love with Judaism to their positions “He was the only one who grew up in the palace but also knew that he was an Israelite because his mother was his nurse and fed him as a baby… a real leader is someone who speaks both languages the language of their heritage and the language of… the society.” Rosenthal also sees herself as “bilingual,” she said you speak English and Hebrew.’ And it’s like Although Rosenthal worried people would see her as less Jewish if they knew she wasn’t born Jewish the discrimination she felt was self-inflicted “I try to live a very authentic Jewish life,” she said “And I surround myself with people who value my contributions I certainly appreciate that there are lots of different ways to be Jewish doesn’t jive with their way of being Jewish There is no way to actually be sure if she is the first Jew by choice in such a high position “We don’t actually ask people [their] Jewish background it wasn’t clear to me that anecdotally we would actually know.” There has been an explosion of conversions post-Oct. 7 Celebrating Rosenthal “says to the Jewish world ‘there’s not a two-tiered membership of the Jewish people As much as Rosenthal wonders what took so long for a Jew by choice to reach such a position “The pride that I feel and of wearing the mantle in these really challenging and complicated times I’m not sure that that is any different than someone who was born Jewish,” she said The reaction to her January speech has been “fantastic,” Rosenthal said She watched emotions surge through the audience and was rushed with an outpouring of support especially from others who had family members who chose Judaism Copyright © 2025 · eJewishPhilanthropy · All Rights Reserved The philanthropy news you need to stay up to date Enter your email to gain access to our exclusive contentDon’t worry if you are already subscribed you won’t receive our newsletters twice Lee Rosenthal to Be Presented ALI’s Distinguished Service Award The American Law Institute is pleased to announce that Judge Lee H Rosenthal will be presented with the Distinguished Service Award at the 2025 Annual Meeting The Distinguished Service Award is given from time to time to a member who over many years has played a major role in the Institute accepting significant burdens as an officer or project participant and helping keep the Institute on a steady course as the greatest private law-reform organization in the world Rosenthal currently serves as the 1st Vice President of ALI where she also serves as an Adviser on the Conflict of Laws Restatement and the Constitutional Torts Restatement She was an Adviser for the project to revise the Model Penal Code sections on sexual assault as well as the Employment Law project and for the Transnational Rules of Civil Procedure project "Lee has been an invaluable and long-term leader of The American Law Institute,” said ALI President David F “As Chair during some of the most challenging debates concerning revisions to the Model Penal Code: Sexual Assault and Related Offenses discussions and insight in managing the debates and guiding them toward resolution her leadership of our discussions helped to keep the debates focused and moving forward toward resolution often by consensus Beyond her remarkable contributions to ALI Lee’s legal career is exemplary—she is a highly respected jurist with a distinguished record of service to the judiciary and the legal community It is our great honor to present her with the Distinguished Service Award in recognition of her immense contributions to the ALI." Rosenthal was appointed to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas she was a partner at Baker & Botts in Houston where she tried civil cases and handled appeals in the state and federal courts She received her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Chicago and served as law clerk to Chief Judge John R United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit In addition to serving as a district court judge for more than 22 years she has been invited to sit by designation with courts of appeals around the country Chief Justice Rehnquist appointed Rosenthal to the Judicial Conference Advisory Committee on Civil Rules in 1996 She served as chair of the Class Actions subcommittee during the development of the 2003 amendments to Rule 23 Chief Justice Rehnquist appointed Rosenthal chair of the Civil Rules Committee in 2003 Chief Justice Roberts appointed Rosenthal to chair the Judicial Conference Committee on the Rules of Practice and Procedure which coordinates and oversees the work of the Advisory Committees for the Civil concentrating on topics in complex litigation and civil procedure including class actions and electronic discovery She has taught Federal Courts at the University of Houston Law Center and lectured or taught recently at Yale and international judges at Duke University School of Law Rosenthal is the 2012 recipient of the Lewis F Award for Professionalism and Ethics given by the American Inns of Court and is a 3-time recipient of the Trial Judge of the Year Award from the Texas Association of Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists she was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Rosenthal and her husband have four daughters The Distinguished Service Award will be presented to Lee H Sign up to receive our email newsletter in your inbox a stalwart of Illinois Democratic politics and a progressive voice.. 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Jan Schakowsky will not seek 15th term, capping a career of progressive advocacy Residents launch community organization for downtown Evanston Local crafters, shoppers connect at Maker’s Market Todd Rosenthal is a Tony Award-winning set designer and an experienced artist of his craft He has made over 150 set designs for theaters and operas as well as 12 commercial exhibition designs Rosenthal has been a Northwestern Jaharis Family Foundation Professor of Theater since 2003 cultivating the next generation of designers This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity The Daily: How did you initially find your passion for theater set design Todd Rosenthal: I took a year off from college after my freshman year and my mother was on the board of a theater in Massachusetts called Stage West and I went up to this man named Daniel Culhane who went on to be president of the United States Institute of Theater Technology “I want a job.” And he said to me “You know what a flat is?” And I said I think he liked the idea that I had no preconceptions about what theater was I became the student technical director of the theater The Daily: You received a Tony Award for “August: Osage County.” Can you tell me more about the process and the result of that project Rosenthal: I remember that it was a very short timeline because (Tracy Letts) was still writing it so we had to crank that design out really fast I remember he just wanted an entire house on stage in terms of audience access to these interior spaces so we created a real house and then just started ripping it apart It became this gothic dollhouse that was very skeletal so the audience could see inside of it The fact that it wasn’t replete made the design more compelling The Daily: Why did you choose to pursue teaching in addition to your set design career I was on the fence on whether or not I really wanted to be a teacher for a myriad of reasons I was designing up to 20 productions of the year I was also wondering if I really had anything to teach “I’m going to give it a shot and try it out.” I loved it Having to explain your process to someone else who’s less experienced just makes your process more refined being a designer is like being a nomad — you’re on the road a lot you’re working with different people all the time and you aren’t really part of any community I think that that’s also one of the reasons I wanted to teach to be part of a community of other teaching artists The Daily: How is being a professional set designer influenced how you teach Rosenthal: I bring my experiences into the classroom I think one of the reasons why people who teach design are also professional designers is they’ve journeyed down the avenues that the students are currently exploring and I think that that’s really important I’ve made every possible mistake you can make “That’s not really going to work,” it’s not because I’m super smart The Daily: What do you find the most rewarding about being a professor Rosenthal: Teaching is more nudging than lecturing You nudge them in the right direction until they get their own steam and all of a sudden they’re off and running To be there in the classroom when that light bulb goes off and a student does something that’s fully original — it’s so gratifying to see that We’re not here to create little clones We want to bring out their personality as an artist Email: [email protected] — Q&A: Emmy Award-winning Prof. Craig Duff brings journalism skills to Chicago theatre scene with ‘The Tragedy of Macbeth’  — Q&A: Tony-Award-winning Prof. KO reflects on theatre industry mental health, leave from Broadway  — Q&A: Mia Van De Mark talks role in “Women Beware Women,” bringing clarity to projected theater career The Seattle Mariners’ position on trading right-hander Luis Castillo is simple according to sources briefed on their discussions: We’ll do it but only if the return makes the team better That’s a high bar when discussing a pitcher of Castillo’s caliber, but the Mariners are not interested in simply dumping his contract with the goal of applying the savings elsewhere Castillo’s full no-trade clause further complicates matters enabling him to efffectively pick his next team Interest in Castillo increased significantly after the New York Yankees signed free-agent lefty Max Fried to an eight-year is owed less than one third that amount — $68.25 million over the next three years a trade of Castillo might leave them perilously thin Some reports have indicated that if the Mariners move Castillo, they will make a strong push for free agent Christian Walker would face significant competition for Walker and might not view a first baseman who will play next season at 34 years old as the wisest investment of their money creating a path for Shaw at third and making it likely they will keep Hoerner The way salaries for starting pitchers are escalating, left-hander Jeffrey Springs should prove a relative bargain. Springs, acquired Saturday by the A’s from the Tampa Bay Rays is earning $10.5 million in each of the next two seasons His contract also includes a $15 million club option for 2027 holds the greatest potential value of the actual players the Rays received — if he learns to throw strikes 240-pound Notre Dame product did it in three eye-opening starts when he made his major-league debut at the end of the 2023 season walking 40 in 47 2/3 innings and finishing with a 6.42 ERA The Rays generally excel at fixing such pitchers But the rest of their package they negotiated is a hedge against Boyle failing to hold down a spot as either a starter or reliever According to sources, free-agent righty Jack Flaherty is one fallback option for the Orioles if, as expected, they fail to re-sign Corbin Burnes. The Red Sox also can not be ruled out for Flaherty. They liked him last offseason, only to see him sign with the Detroit Tigers Flaherty, 29, underperformed for the Orioles after they acquired him from the Cardinals at the 2023 deadline. Baltimore officials, however, recognized he was worn down Flaherty already had thrown 109 2/3 innings after combining for only 154 2/3 the previous three seasons due to injuries The Orioles were not necessarily surprised when he stumbled to a 6.75 ERA in 34 2/3 innings Part of Flaherty’s appeal in free agency is that a team will not lose a draft pick for signing him; his trade from the Tigers to the Los Angeles Dodgers last season made him ineligible for a qualifying offer he is a California native who might prefer to play out west The San Francisco Giants are perhaps the leading possibility for Burnes, and it is not known whether they would pivot to Flaherty if that pursuit backfired. The Los Angeles Angels have been unwilling to go beyond three years for a starting pitcher who departed for the Giants as a free agent Athleticism at second became even more valuable when the league banned defensive shifts prior to the 2023 season A second baseman can range to his right for a grounder and get an out with a strong throw; a shortstop cannot always do that was first in defensive runs saved at second last season If Turang stays at second, the Brewers can play Ortiz at short and potentially go with a combination of the newly acquired Caleb Durbin and Oliver Dunn at third The 5-foot-6 Durbin might not have enough arm for third scrappiness and contact skills will fit their style of play He set a single-season Arizona Fall League record with 29 stolen bases his fall *The consensus among a small sample of rival executives is that the Houston Astros did quite well for one year of Kyle Tucker, supplementing their major-league club with Isaac Paredes and righty Hayden Wesneski while also acquiring a top prospect, Cam Smith under club control for the next three seasons is a notorious pull hitter and perfect fit for Minute Maid Park is the kind of pitcher the Astros routinely maximize is more likely to end up at first base or right field than third One other thing to consider: Fangraphs estimates that the Astros are within about $16 million of the luxury-tax threshold made him a qualifying offer and gone over the threshold all they would have received as compensation was a pick after the fourth round — the same they will get for Bregman after exceeding the threshold last season *As one might suspect, the budget-conscious Brewers are open to moving first baseman Rhys Hoskins who will earn $18 million next season and also is owed a $4 million buyout on a mutual option for 2026 the Brewers might need to both add cash and attach a prospect *The way the catching market evolved, the Angels’ signing of Travis d’Arnaud to a two-year $12 million contract looks more reasonable than it did when the deal was announced on Nov Age likely accounted for part of the discrepancy — d’Arnaud will play next season at 36 (Top photo of Luis Castillo: Alika Jenner/Getty Images) None of those outcomes is particularly likely according to sources briefed on the Jays’ discussions The Jays are in talks with Guerrero about a long-term extension that would buy him out of his final year of arbitration and free agency And they are at least on the periphery of the Bregman sweepstakes The perception within the industry remains that the Jays are desperate to do something big Club president Mark Shapiro is in the final year of his contract General manager Ross Atkins has just two years left And the team is coming off a season in which it finished last in the AL East and won only 74 games That’s only one year older than Soto was as a free agent leading the majors in OPS+ at 67 percent above league average in 2021 and finishing sixth at 66 percent above in 2024 $330 million free-agent deal as a right fielder) Cabrera’s deal extended from his age-33 to age-40 seasons two years older than Guerrero and a superior all-around talent is eligible for free agency at the end of the season A $400 million deal would be barely half of Soto’s A deal in the $500 million to $600 million range excessive as it might sound to the average fan the Jays would need to pay a premium for preventing Guerrero from testing the market their already disgruntled fan base might revolt Eight days ago, the Jays acquired Andrés Giménez seemed more likely to occur in 2026 than ‘25 If the Jays lose him as a free agent and exceed the $241 million luxury-tax threshold — they are within $13 million according to Fangraphs — all they would receive as compensation is a pick after the fourth round the Jays do not appear to be shopping Bichette under club control for only one more season and set to earn $16.5 million in 2025 He also ended the season with a broken finger that required surgery but is expected to be ready for the start of spring training The Yankees appear increasingly likely to go with a more inexpensive option at first base than Alonso or Walker according to sources briefed on their pursuits One of the lesser free agents likely could be signed for a comparable or lower salary — and without the loss of prospects a trade would require or the loss of two draft choices that would result from the addition of Alonso or Walker The Yankees sacrificed their second and fifth-highest picks, as well as $1 million in international bonus pool space, for signing free-agent left-hander Max Fried The signing of Alonso or Walker would come at the additional cost of their third and sixth-highest selections As pointed out by MLB Trade Rumors the last time the Yankees signed multiple free agents who rejected qualifying offers was in 2013-14 The situation remains fluid. The Yankees can also add an outfielder and play Bellinger at first, or leave the possibility open for Ben Rice to win the first-base job in spring training The Athletics are in agreement with free-agent third baseman Gio Urshela according to sources briefed on the discussions Urshela, 33, was a February signing by the Detroit Tigers last offseason, and the team released him on Aug. 18. The Atlanta Braves signed him two days later and his .711 OPS with them the rest of the way was nearly 100 points higher than it was with the Tigers The A’s would be Urshela’s sixth team in the past five seasons He remains an above-average defender at third (Top photo of Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.: John Fisher / Getty Images) During Fox Sports’ Sunday night broadcast of Game 2 of the Division Series, I spoke about an emotional meeting Manny Machado led in the San Diego Padres’ dugout The huddle followed a tumultuous seventh inning in which fans at Dodger Stadium threw baseballs and beer cans onto the field “Manny Machado has taken a lot of criticism in his career,” I said For being the kind of player you don’t want to build around that was the most visible and powerful act of leadership in his career Ah, if I only knew then what we learned after the game and during Monday’s workout at Petco Park. That Machado threw a ball toward the Dodgers dugout. That it struck the netting in front of Dodgers manager Dave Roberts That the throw was forceful enough for the carom to carry out toward home plate Flaherty almost certainly did not hit Tatis intentionally leading off the sixth inning Machado all but volunteered after the game that his act was retaliatory When informed that the Dodgers thought he threw the ball hard “Did Flaherty throw the ball hard at our guy?” Perhaps only Machado could explain how the two acts equate livid as the Dodgers were —  and are — not even they believe Machado was actually trying to hit Roberts While Roberts called the third baseman’s act “unsettling and disrespectful,” several Dodgers people said they thought Machado was trying to send their team a message Still, Machado’s stunt was inappropriate, and not particularly smart. The Athletic viewed video of the incident that is clearer and separate from what is currently in the public realm.  Third base umpire Tripp Gibson approached Machado moments after his Sinister Sling Machado almost certainly would have been tossed for being an instigator Tossed from a postseason game with his team leading by three runs but trailing in the series Where fans agitated by the indefensible conduct of some of their Dodgers counterparts Sunday night are certain to be in a frenzy one thing seems clear: The Padres aren’t just a heck of a team Teams often take on the personalities of their leaders Machado is entirely willing to engage in conduct some might consider unbecoming The best way for the Dodgers to deal with him is to beat him Machado is far from the Padres’ only irritant. Fernando Tatis Jr. is a smiling, dancing peacock. Jurickson Profar is the kid who pulls the fire alarm at school and then asks Yet this is a far more cohesive group than it was last season a fully functional unit instead of a mere collection of stars difficult as this might be for some to believe has demonstrated growth from the player he once was And let’s not forget Machado’s heel turn with the Dodgers in the 2018 National League Championship Series, when he twice slid questionably into Brewers shortstop Orlando Arcia in Game 3 and clipped first baseman Jesús Aguilar running out a grounder in Game 4 He also generated controversy during that series for explaining his failure to run out a grounder by telling me in an interview on FS1 I’m not the type of player that’s going to be ‘Johnny Hustle’ and run down the line and slide to first base … that’s just not my personality I wrote a column for The Athletic the night before the interview in which he took responsibility for his inconsistent effort and vowed to improve None of his shenanigans hurt him when he became a free agent that offseason replacing the final six seasons of his previous deal In my column on the “Johnny Hustle” interview he needs to give people less reason to question him If he wants true appreciation for his greatness he should create attention only with his performance.” Machado barely reacted when Flaherty cursed him after striking him out with two on in the sixth and later praised Flaherty for winning the battle The old Machado might have charged the mound The team meeting in the dugout offered further testament that Machado is the emotional center of the team But the Sinister Sling demonstrated again that Machado remains all too eager to play the villain (Top photo of Manny Machado giving his dugout speech on Sunday: Daniel Shirey / MLB Photos via Getty Images) food the "Somebody Feed Phil" host tries a matzah dish with Noa Tishby and her sister that changes his mind about the Passover staple In the hit Netflix show “Somebody Feed Phil,” Phil Rosenthal creator of “Everybody Loves Raymond,” samples food from all over the world But there’s one food Rosenthal hasn’t really learned to love yet host and writer tells Israeli actress and activist Noa Tishby about his early memories with the flat bread usually eaten on Passover Phil has hinted over the season of the show “We think it came from an antisemitic cookbook,” Rosenthal jokes on screen before saying that even the cat refused to eat it Tishby recruits a special guest to help Rosenthal get over his matzah-phobia — her sister a pastry chef who helps them cook a Passover classic from Noa’s youth: matzah chocolate cake decorated with her son Ari’s favorite sprinkles Anyone who has ever had matzah “cake” knows that if done right, the texture of the matzah becomes melt-in-your-mouth tender and infused with the flavors of the cake (Kveller’s funfetti matzah cake was the first time I experienced that revelation.) Tishby’s sister shows Phil how to make the sweet chocolate treat we’re friends again,” Phil exclaims at the end of the video It’s clear Michal was scared for a moment that the rift between Phil and matzah aka “the bread of affliction” was too great for her to bridge Rosenthal told Michal: “The one part I’m not sure about: The matzah.”) The chocolate matzah cake recipe is fairly simple then layer it between layers of the Passover staple after immersing each layer of matzah in milk and a little alcohol (specifically here They then frost the whole thing in chocolate and it becomes a square chocolate cake fit for Then comes the moment of truth when the food-lover tastes the fruits of their labor “It’s actually great,” he tells a triumphant Michal the matzah becomes a little chewy and it’s not cracker-y in any way and the flavor of the chocolate is the main thing so the matzah is just a vehicle for chocolate Lior Zaltzman is the deputy managing editor of Kveller By submitting I agree to the privacy policy.