SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 25: Tarik Skubal #29 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches against the San Francisco Giants in the bottom of the first inning at Oracle Park on September 25, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Tarik Skubal’s final regular season tuneup went about as well as he and the Dodgers could have hoped, with 10 strikeouts in seven scoreless innings on only 75 pitches, with no walks against the San Francisco Giants on Friday night. On the season the left-hander had a 2.72 ERA and 3.06 xERA in 158 2/3 innings, including a 2.61 ERA, 3.15 xERA, and 23.2-percent strikeout-minus-walk rate in 10 starts for the Dodgers.
“It’s awesome to be a part of something where the standard is winning a World Series. That’s the way everybody goes about their business, from ownership to president to GM to manager to players, and then you talk about support staff and the chefs in the kitchen, the flight attendants … They all go out of their way to make sure you have everything you need to go out there and perform. I feel like everyone in this organization is rowing in the same direction and everybody wants a World Series just as bad as the players do.”
Jarrett Seidler at Baseball Prospectus ranked all 30 MLB front offices and wrote many words about his hierarchy over the last few weeks. After writing about Nos. 21-30 and Nos. 11-20, Seidler on Thursday wrote about his top 10 front offices, with the Dodgers No. 2 overall, one of three teams in his top tier along with the top-spot Brewers and No. 3 Rays. From Seidler:
The Dodgers remain the best team around at trades, both buying and selling. They remain at or near the top in draft acquisition, player development, and research. They are going to be one of the best teams in baseball deep into the 2030s on an annual basis. They got Shohei Ohtani to sign with them. So there’s a lot going for them.
But I just don’t know how one can call the guys who signed the Kyle Tucker deal seven months ago—a deal that is currently trending towards being the literal worst contract in the history of the sport—the best front office in baseball, ultimately.
Other Dodgers minor leaguers named All-Stars at their level were James Tibbs III as designated hitter in Triple-A, third baseman Jake Gelof in Double-A, Davalan and pitcher Zach Root in High-A, plus third baseman Chase Harlan and outfielder Jaron Elkins in Class-A.
Triple-A end-of-season awards should be announced on Saturday, with the Triple-A title game coming at 7:05 p.m. PT in Las Vegas between PCL title-winning Oklahoma City and Rochester, the International League champs.
As the Vancouver Canucks continue to trim their roster, one familiar name remains. After missing most of the 2025-26 campaign with injury, defenceman Guillaume Brisebois is focused on becoming a full-time NHLer. The 29-year-old fan favourite has performed well through the pre-season and could be on the verge of making Vancouver's opening-night roster.
Brisebois's journey with the Canucks has been a roller coaster. The organization drafted him in 2015, but constant injuries have derailed any momentum he's tried to build at the NHL level. Over a decade since he was drafted, Brisebois remains motivated and ready to do whatever he can to impress the coaching staff.
"I approach it pretty much the same way," said Brisebois. I want to make the team and just trying to work hard and keep going. I've had some injuries. I've been battling some stuff. So feels good coming into this camp being healthy. So I don't have to really think about that anymore."
The injury issue has been a major problem for Brisebois. Since making the jump to the pros in 2017, he has played 306 AHL games and 30 NHL games, including just nine AHL games in 2025-26. As Brisebois explained, dealing with injuries is difficult, but his love for the game keeps him motivated to keep playing.
"It's been really hard. But at the same time, it's my passion for hockey. I love hockey, and I want to get better. So every time I come back from injury, that's what I'm trying to do. I'm trying to get better, and I try to persevere through it."
This past off-season, Brisebois signed a one-year extension with Vancouver. In fact, as of contract signing date, he is the longest-tenured player in the organization. When asked about his continued loyalty to the organization, Brisebois mentioned his bond with the Canucks new GM.
"Just the way they treat me and the way they've been treating me, especially through injuries. They've been there through those tough times. With Ryan Johnson also, I've been with him for the past 10 years that I've been here. We've had a really good relationship, and that's what keeps bringing me back. They help me get to the player I am and also the person, so I am really grateful for that."
If Brisebois is going to make the NHL lineup, he needs to impress not just Johnson but also his former Abbotsford Canucks coach, Manny Malhotra. The two had success in the AHL, including winning the 2025 Calder Cup. As Brisebois explained, Malhotra is not just a strong coach on the ice, but off it as well.
"He brings positivity to the group. He's an amazing leader. He's a great human. So I think the whole combination of being a good human, being a good like he's got really good hockey knowledge. So when you mix everything together, it's a really good mix, and especially for that group. I think it's going to be really beneficial."
As mentioned, Brisebois has become a fan favourite within the organization. Whether he is playing in the NHL or AHL, he receives a lot of support from Canucks Nation on social media. Brisebois is well aware of how fans feel about him with the constant support being one of the reasons he chose to re-sign yet again.
"I obviously appreciate it. I am very grateful for that, and I'm happy that they're behind me. It helps a lot. Especially through tough times, when they could say some stuff about the injuries and everything. But they've been really good to me, and everyone's been great in Vancouver. That's also a reason why I wanted to come back and make it through with them and not with another organization."
Overall, Brisebois has a simple goal this season. He wants "to play games" and wants "to be healthy". A player who is easy to cheer for, Brisebois will make an impact this year regardless of where he plays.
Dec 28, 2024; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Guillaume Brisebois (55) shoots during warm up prior to a game against the Seattle Kraken at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
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SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 12: Rafael Devers #16 of the San Francisco Giants hits a two run home run at Oracle Park on September 12, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Andy Kuno/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
The final weekend of San Francisco Giants baseball is upon us, and as we have spent the rest of the season picking the Player of the Week, I thought today we would make our picks for Player of the Year.
BUT, before we get started, there is to be no stat checking whatsoever. This is strictly based on your memory of the season that was. The time will come for player reviews and further introspections. This is not that time. This is the time for vibes.
So, based on my recollection of this season and having picked players every week of it, my pick absolutely has to be Rafael Devers. I don’t keep stats on how many times I pick players during the course of a season, but I know for absolute certain that I picked Devers more than any other player. He was a rare bright spot in a season of dark clouds. So he’s my guy.
Who is your pick for Player of the Year?
What time do the Giants play today?
The Giants play game two of this three game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers this afternoon at 1:05 p.m. PT.
DENVER, COLORADO - SEPTEMBER 20: Jake McCarthy #31 of the Colorado Rockies hits a triple in the sixth inning against the Seattle Mariners at Coors Field on September 20, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, Purple Row!
There are two games left in the 2026 season, and there is absolutely nothing left for the Rockies to settle in the standings.
There is, however, one oddly specific statistical chase still worth watching.
Jake McCarthy enters Saturday with 30 doubles, 13 triples, 15 home runs and 32 stolen bases. He needs two more triples over the final two games to reach 15 in all four categories.
Individually, none of those numbers jumps off the page, but putting all four together is rarer than you might think.
Corbin Carroll has done it this season and in 2025, accounting for the only two 15-15-15-15 seasons in the last 10 years.
That makes just eight such seasons by six players over the past 21 seasons.
McCarthy still needs two triples in two games, so it is very much an outside shot. But it gives the Rockies one more quirky statistical chase before the season ends.
Beyond Colorado, there are only three real races left in the standings.
In the American League, Houston and Texas enter Saturday tied atop the West at 79-81, with the Astros holding the tiebreaker. Cleveland also holds a one-game lead over Chicago in the AL Central.
In the National League, Arizona has stormed to within one game of the sputtering Phillies for the final Wild Card spot. The Diamondbacks have won six straight while Philadelphia has dropped three in a row.
There isn’t much left to the regular season, but there are still plenty of reasons to keep tuning in.
Thomas Harding digs into Colorado’s biggest offseason problem: a rotation that has spent the season near the bottom of just about every meaningful category and helped drive a brutal late-season collapse. The Rockies are expected to be aggressive in free agency and on the trade market, while also considering more creative ways to piece together innings with the pitchers already in the organization.
Sugano’s season gets a C-minus from Miguel Mike Medina, though the grade was handed out before he actually made his final start of the year. He then closed things out Friday by allowing four earned runs over 6.2 innings, putting the finishing touch on a season that had some legitimately strong stretches before falling apart late. The grade is a little harsher than I probably would have gone, but it is still a useful look back at Sugano’s uneven one-year run in Colorado.
Sam Phalen looks ahead to José Quintana’s return to the South Side, where the longtime White Sox starter could now complicate Chicago’s push for the AL Central. Quintana spent six seasons with the White Sox from 2012-17 and built a reputation there as one of baseball’s steadier starters before bouncing around the league, making Saturday a pretty fitting setting for what could be his final major-league start.
A brutal 7-28 finish makes the Rockies’ progress a tough sell, and Troy Renck argues that the biggest culprit is a familiar one: starting pitching. He also digs into Josh Byrnes’ support for Warren Schaeffer and a front office willing to rethink everything from rotation usage to unconventional pitching arrangements as Colorado searches for answers heading into 2027.
Anthony Volpe getting a look at third base could further squeeze former Rockie Ryan McMahon out of New York’s postseason plans. McMahon still brings value with the glove, but his offensive struggles have become increasingly difficult to overlook as the Yankees experiment with other options at the hot corner heading into October.
Johnny Flores Jr. puts the AL West’s mess into historical context: Houston and Texas are both 79-81 with two games remaining, meaning the division champion can finish no better than 81-81. That guarantees MLB will have its first playoff team from a full 162-game season without a winning record.
The Brewers reached 100 wins for the first time in franchise history and locked up the No. 1 overall seed. They did it in unusual fashion, too: Milwaukee became the first 100-win team in MLB history without a winning streak longer than five games, and now heads into October trying to avoid the early exits that have tripped up most recent 100-win clubs.
Just days after taking a foul ball to the face and suffering multiple fractures, Alex Bregman was already back in Chicago’s lineup Friday. He went hitless in four plate appearances, but simply getting through a full game was a big step for a Cubs team that will need him healthy for October.
Arizona just keeps applying pressure. Steve Gilbert breaks down the Diamondbacks’ sixth straight win, an 11-4 rout of San Diego that pulled them within one game of Philadelphia for the final NL Wild Card spot. Arizona still needs some help, but it owns the tiebreaker and has turned what looked like a long shot into one of the last real races of the regular season.
Congratulations to the Chicago Cubs for making the playoffs!
Best wishes to Taylor McGregor at ESPN!
Hooray for Bleed Cubbie Blue!!!
Okay. That’s enough. For now.
Just like with No. 39, Stolen Base No. 40 was easily swiped by PCA on the first pitch. As has been said, the only way that PCA wasn’t going to get to 40/40 was if he didn’t stop hitting home runs. But as hard as it could be to imagine, this accomplishment was just one of a number of them Thursday.
Matthew Boyd added yet another stellar performance in the Wild Card clincher. Boyd allowed one run on five hits and two walks in seven strong innings while having struck out three.
Going into the bottom of the fifth, down 1-0 to the Marlins, it was beginning to look like runs were going to be at a premium. Then Seiya Suzuki’s 26th home run tied up the game at 1-1.
The Marlins blinked again in the sixth, when Ian Happ hit a triple to right-center and was driven home on Nico Hoerner’s RBI single for a 2-1 advantage. Daniel Palencia and Ryan Zeferjahn teamed up for scoreless eighth and ninth innings to head to the playoffs.
Wednesday saw the Cubs lose their second straight to Miami, but that was after Kevin Gausman’s yeoman efforts on and off the mound. Gausman fired off 101 pitches in 5.2 IP, 67 by strike, having allowed two runs on six hits and a walk while having added seven strikeouts. On pitch 101, Gausman went to cover a vacant third base, took the throw from first and made an awkward tag for the putout. It is hopeful that the non-pitching shoulder soreness won’t delay his return next week.
Offensively between the two games, with only four runs scored, there weren’t any big numbers. But leaders were Suzuki, 3-for-7 with a walk and HR, and Happ, Hoerner and Pedro Ramirez all went 2-for-7. Happ had a walk, two runs scored, a double and a triple. Hoerner had the GWRBI. In addition, Michael Busch went 2-for-4 with a run scored, and Michael Conforto had a double, both on Wednesday.
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Matthew Trueblood (North Side Baseball): Powered By Departing Heroes, Cubs Clinch Playoff Berth in Last Chance Before Home Fans. “In what might have been his final home game as a Cub, Ian Happ hit a clutch triple and scored the winning run. The Cubs clinched a trip to the postseason, on a sun-splashed day that gave a valiant team a fitting sendoff as they prepare for the tournament.
Jordan Bastian (MLB.com): Cubs punch return trip to postseason on banner day for PCA. “No team is immune to trials and setbacks, but the 2026 Cubs were battered with injuries and obstacles that tested the group and created some drama when it came to finally punching the ticket to the postseason.”
Jordan Bastian (MLB.com): Cubs fall to Marlins, still in pursuit of elusive playoff spot. “The Cubs took the field Wednesday night with a chance to clinch their spot in the National League postseason field. They headed back into the clubhouse with uncertainty still hovering overhead, even as a trip to the playoffs remained the probable outcome.”
Tyler Courtney (LastWordOnSports): How the Cubs Playoff Rotation is Shaping Up. “With the MLB postseason race shaping up, the Chicago Cubs’ playoff rotation is becoming clearer.”
Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): Two Great Items on Pete Crow-Armstrong. “As we await his entry into the 40-40 club – and his eventual coronation as the most glaringly obvious NL MVP – I happened upon a couple great Pete Crow-Armstrong items I thought you might enjoy.”
Chris Pownall (DaWindyCity): Craig Counsell delivers concerning Alex Bregman injury update as Cubs face crucial stretch. “The Chicago Cubs desperately need Alex Bregman back in their lineup, but his recovery isn’t going quite as smoothly as they’d hoped. Craig Counsell delivered an injury update Thursday that included some encouraging progress at the plate, along with a lingering concern that could complicate his return.”
Jesse Rogers (ESPN): Counsell says Cubs at disadvantage after schedule change. “Cubs manager Craig Counsell was quick to point out the disadvantages his team faces this weekend after the league moved Sunday’s contest against the Boston Red Sox to Friday due to a poor weather forecast.”
Gaye Adegbalola was born on March 21, 1944, in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Adegbalola’s father, Clarence R. Todd, was the first Black school board member in Fredericksburg, as well as a jazz musician. Adegbalola’s occupations after college included being a technical writer for TRW Systems, a biochemical researcher at Rockefeller University, and a bacteriologist at Harlem Hospital where she was also the local union representative. She helped her father direct the Harambee Theater, sometimes acting in performances herself, until his death in 1977. That same year, Gaye began studying guitar.
Saffire – The Uppity Blues Women was first formed as a duo in 1984 by Adegbalola and her guitar teacher, Ann Rabson, with Earlene Lewis joining later to form a trio. Adegbalola later became a full-time blues performer and in 1990 the band recorded its first album for Alligator Records. During the 1990s, Adegbalola held workshops on various aspects of blues music and worked as a blues music reporter for the World Cafe program on National Public Radio. Her first solo album, Bitter Sweet Blues, was recorded in 1999. In addition to her own original compositions (“You Don’t Have to Take It (Like I Did),” “Big Ovaries, Baby” and “Nothing’s Changed”), the album had cover versions of songs by Bessie Smith, Smokey Robinson, Ma Rainey and Nina Simone.
Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.
PORTLAND, OR - DECEMBER 14: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Toronto Raptors against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center on December 14, 2018 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The NBA is a league defined by legacy. Who has a ring, and who doesn’t. Who beat who in what finals, and what makes them the real G-O-A-T. Fans don’t just care who the best player was at any given time, but rather, what they represented, what they meant to a city, and whether or not they stuck around for the long haul. If a player is lucky, the team invites them back when they’re old and grey to sit courtside and pose for photos, as younger men play in the colours they wore in decades past. If they’re luckier, when they go back to the stadium they sweat and bled in throughout their twenties and thirties, they’ll be able to look up and see a banner with their jersey number on it, maybe even the year they hoisted the Larry O’Brien for their team.
And if they’re the luckiest, then maybe, just maybe, their likeness will be immortalized in stone and granite in front of the arena, a monument to their greatness like they’re some kind of god of basketball. Or, if they’re really unlucky, they hire a sculptor who screws up their face, and people squint in the Miami sunlight trying to see if that really is them. Sorry D Wade.
TORONTO, CANADA – NOVEMBER 2 : Vince Carter speaks to media during a press conference before NBA basketball game between the Toronto Raptors and the Sacramento Kings at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on November 2, 2024. The Toronto Raptors will retire the No. 15 jersey of eight-time All-Star Vince Carter on November 2. (Photo by Mert Alper Dervis/Anadolu via Getty Images) | Anadolu via Getty Images
Toronto has never really had a player get to a point where that was a concern. Vince Carter was a young love who left the franchise too early for it to count. His jersey number hangs in the rafters of Scotiabank Arena, but there’s a threshold of meaning to the organization that he never quite crossed. DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry never got it done together, and while in time, they will both go on to receive those same honours, the Compton-Philly tandem did not immortalize themselves in the annals of basketball history. And then, there was Kawhi Leonard… Kawhi, who had the greatest single season with the greatest single team in franchise history, who brought the franchise its first championship before leaving for sunny California, and home. A few months ago, Kawhi Leonard’s legacy in Toronto would have been a confusing mess for the next generations of fans to parse out, before ultimately deciding that he was simply the one who got away, a “what if” who was no good dwelling on.
Obviously, things are different now.
Shams Charania has indicated that Kawhi Leonard believes he has reached the final destination of his NBA career. In other words? The Klaw will retire a Toronto Raptor.
“Mercenary” was a term thrown around to describe Leonard, selling his talents to the highest bidder (and in the case of the Aspiration accusations, perhaps taking the latter sentiment a little too literally). But, by coming home to Toronto, Kawhi is not merely ring chasing with an established core, but attempting to establish an undisputed legacy of service to a singular team. Toronto is a place of family ties for Leonard: his son was born here, and he has a Scarborough basketball court dedicated to him. And, the cheers of fans proved that the people of Toronto wants Kawhi in town just as much, if not more, than he does. Leonard, who left both San Antonio and Los Angeles under messy circumstances, might get to write an ending to his story where things don’t go up in flames. And Toronto might finally have a superstar that they didn’t draft or trade for, but rather, who chose them.
The story between Kawhi Leonard and the Toronto Raptors can be best understood as a burning romance a-la The Notebook. There are moments of passion, and long periods of distance, and people hurt, and are hurt in turn. But ultimately, the storybook ending for Leonard’s career could only really happen in Toronto, where he won his most important championship. And the Raptors, while they certainly could have ascended to the heights of the National Basketball Association without him, are both advantaged by Leonard’s return, and might very well have some psychological scars from 2019 finally healed. Leonard gets a real legacy rooted in a single place, and Toronto (maybe) gets a championship, but certainly gets the gratification of knowing they were chosen by the player who seemed like he never would.
Welcome to Inside the Suns, a deep down analysis of the current Phoenix Suns team in which the Fantable — a round table of Bright Siders — give their takes on the Suns’ latest issues and news.
Fantable Questions of the Week
Q1: This Monday is Media Day. What are the top 3 questions you would ask IF you were guaranteed to get 100% honest answers to them?
zenzino: Oooh! 100% honesty? Who shot JR? Where’s the beef? The mind boggles. (Yeah, I’m an 80s kid)
This is actually pretty tough. 100% honesty doesn’t help if they honestly don’t know the answer. You can’t ask about how players will work out. Most things they’ll just try and see.
Here’s my try at it:
Jordan Ott: What are the key things you learned from your first season as a head coach, and what are you changing this season based on that?
Mark Williams: Why do you keep breaking? Jordan Ott: Do you think Maluach and Fleming are ready to make significant contributions this season? If not, what do they need to show you, and what is the projected timeline?
Devin Booker: You’ve been dedicated to the Valley your whole career, and Mat Ishbia says he is ride or die with you. Is there any reasonable situation where you would consider asking to be traded?
Ashton: To start, I hope it is live-streamed on YouTube, as the comment section can be hilarious and stupid at the same time. Also, I hope that BSotS is well represented in this one and can get a question in or two. But Monday is going to be softball week for questions with long Mat Ishbia dialogues. I like the fact that this question asks for 100% honest answers and that could make me as ruthless as a reporter with a hypodermic syringe full of CIA-grade truth serum under the bright media lights. Ah, who am kidding? I would just need a bucket of water and a towel.
But I would not do that (I think), but I am sure the commentators might. Let’s get the softballs out of the way.
Coach Ott: Do you see a scenario where your starting line-up includes Collin Gillespie?
Coach Ott (again): Now that we know that Mark Williams will miss most of the season, what is the strategy for the front court? Will there be smaller lineups?
Devin Booker: The modern NBA has shifted to more of a three-point shooting offense. Where do you see yourself in this offense? As a 3pt shooter or a ball-moving facilitator?
The entire room: I actually want this one answered with a pre-and-post truth serum injection. You get the softball answer, and then after the truth serum, you give your real answer. Let’s include media in this as well.
How many games do you honestly expect the Suns to win this season?
BSoT writers, I hoped it helped, but you should just pull a Dave King-like article asking the board for questions.
Rod: First off, I’d like to state that I wouldn’t waste one of these questions on Mat Ishbia. A lot of the things he says sound like pure hype, but I’m not at all certain that he doesn’t actually believe them himself and, as with anyone, what people actually believe is true isn’t always factual. I believe Jordan Ott’s views of this team would be the most realistic.
To Ott: What do you see as the most realistic goal for the Suns this season?
Also to Ott: Do you think a Jalen Green/Devin Booker backcourt has a real chance of actually working out well?
To Book: How does this team compare to the 2020-21 Suns team that went to the NBA Finals?
Q2: Preseason games start in just over a week. What are you most looking forward to seeing in the first game?
zenzino: SUNS BASKETBALL!! Next question.
Between NBA and NFL, I think preseason is getting increasingly pointless, with starters often being mostly or even completely held out. I would like the new-look starting lineup to get some minutes together in preseason rather than start to work it out as the season begins.
What I hope I see is the Suns play at least the first half of each preseason game as it matters. I’d like to see an old-school preseason so the Suns can hit the ground running when the regular season starts. I don’t think they (or any team in the West) can afford a slow start while they figure things out.
That being said, I’m looking forward to seeing the young guys getting minutes with full NBA players to see if they can continue what we saw in Summer League.
Oh, and no injuries!
I’m looking forward to seeing the new-look starting lineup and how they mesh together. And Oso making some free throws.
It would be interesting to see if he can take that year-two leap into being a starting center.
Ashton: After Mark Williams’ injury, my attention completely pivoted to the C position. I normally would have inserted Miles Bridges into the starters here (my Fantable peers will cover me), but now I am looking at the Big Men in Oso and KM. I would not mind a two-fer as an answer to this question with split minutes between them both, but I will take Khaman Mulauch as the one to watch.
It would be interesting to see if he can take that year-two leap into being a starting center.
Rod: I want to see how well Book. Green, Brooks, and Bridges mesh in the starting unit. Obviously, we still have no idea whether Oso or Khaman will be the 5th starter yet, and whichever one does start will have an impact on how well the starting unit plays together, but due to injuries, we never really got a good look at how well a Booker/Green backcourt would work together, and the addition of Bridges adds yet another new wrinkle.
And while the starting unit is weak in three-point shooting, I wouldn’t call it “bad”…but it is something to be concerned about. Seeing how they play as such will be something I’ll keep an eye on. They’ve got some guys who can get hot from three in the starting unit, but will they rely on the uncertainty of that happening and fire away from three or concentrate on getting to the basket more?
Q3: To keep Doup Reath on the regular season roster, the Suns would have to waive Bouyea or Highsmith OR one of the two-way contract players (Brea, Huntley & Spencer). If they decide to keep Reath, who would you waive to create a roster spot for him?
zenzino: This would be super easy to name a knee-jerk person.
It seems like most people think Bouyea would be the obvious choice. But I say, “Not so fast!” Bouyea got his chance on a roster loaded with guards because of injuries. The Suns are still loaded with guards, but not as much as it appears. We lost GA and gained Kennard. While the 3-point bump was improved, the rest of what GA brought will be mostly missing. I don’t see Kennard bringing the versatility GA brought.
Granted, Kennard filled in admirably for the Lakers in the playoffs, but that is a small sample size against a team missing their best facilitator and best scorer. And, as soon as they put Thompson on him, he was shut down.
While many are high on Spencer (I also think it was a good signing), I still think Bouyea is a proven asset within this system and with these players. Especially if we get the pre-concussion version.
Unless health is an issue, I am not swapping Highsmith for Reath. Nope. A healthy Highsmith is the 3-and-D this team needs off the bench.
That leaves the two-way spots. I’m sure we’ll see some Spencer in pre-season. I’m not sure about Brea and Huntley. Brea was so good shooting in college; I would love to see him find the range in the NBA. Especially since the Suns offloaded almost half of their 3-point shot-making and replaced them with one shooter who barely shoots 4 a game. I suspect there will be more than a few games this season where the Suns die by the 3.
Because of Huntly’s injury, we didn’t get to see him in SL. I have no idea where he’s at with his development or how much runway he’s going to get.
To sum up: No for Bouyea and Highsmith. If Reath does really well in camp (and preseason?), I’d like to see him on a 2-way. I’ll let the coaches decide whose spot he gets.
Ashton: I am really not sold on any of the names given and wouldn’t lose sleep if any of them were waived. I would say keep Highsmith for size, and Bouyea is just a fan favorite all around. I have not seen enough of Spencer to have any type of judgment, and maybe I should have made him the focus of Q2 as the Suns will need 3pt shooting, badly.
When it is all said and done, I guess Huntley is the odd-man out, as I hold out hope the Brea’s long-range shooting percentages increase.
Rod: Since Mark Williams will likely return about the time a two-way player’s eligibility would run out, I’d prefer that the Suns waive one of the two-way players and sign Reath to a two-way contract. If it was done that way, I’d waive Brea to open up a spot for him. Out of all the possibilities, Brea has just impressed me the least and would likely not be missed…even by the Valley Suns. It’s also possible that they could bring Brea back on a G League contract to play for the Valley Suns as they did with Huntley last season.
If they want to get him on a standard NBA contract, the decision becomes a little harder. I think Highsmith might be the more valuable player overall, but I’d hate to lose the PG depth by waiving Bouyea…but then the Suns also have Spencer on a two-way contract, so the need to hang on to Bouyea might not be as great as some might think. All things considered, I suppose I’d go with waiving Bouyea, unless Highsmith’s still not back to 100%.
As always, many thanks to our Fantable members for all their extra effort this week!
Suns Trivia/History
On September 27, 1972, Al McCoy called his first game for the Phoenix Suns, a 128-102 preseason win at the ABA’s Utah Stars to move to 3-0 following 2 wins vs NBA teams in Puerto Rico. The game was played under ABA rules, which included the three-point line __ years before the NBA adopted it. Utah was 0-10 from 3 with the Suns not even attempting a shot from downtown.
On September 27, 1983, the Suns signed Paul Westphal as a free agent to a 2-year contract. Three years earlier, Westphal had been traded by Phoenix to Seattle for Dennis Johnson. He would play only one more season with the Suns before being waived and subsequently retiring.
On September 28, 1993, Phoenix signed 30-year-old power forward A.C. Green as an unrestricted free agent. Green, who played his first 8 seasons for the Lakers, played 3.5 seasons for the Suns and averaged 10.6 ppg and 7.7 rpg while starting 162 of 273 games played.
On October 1, 1991, the Suns traded Xavier McDaniel to the New York Knicks for Jerrod Mustaf, Trent Tucker, a 1992 2nd-round draft pick, and a 1994 2nd-round draft pick. McDaniel had been acquired by Phoenix the previous season from the Seattle SuperSonics for Eddie Johnson, a 1991 1st round draft pick, and a 1994 1st round draft pick.
On October 1, 1997, as part of a 3-team trade, the Phoenix Suns traded a 1998 1st round draft pick, a 1999 1st round draft pick, a 2000 2nd round draft pick, a 2001 1st round draft pick and a 2002 2nd round draft pick to the Denver Nuggets and then sent Tony Dumas and Wesley Person to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavaliers sent back a 2005 1st-round draft pick, and the Nuggets sent Antonio McDyess to Phoenix.
Important Future Dates
Sept. 28 – Media Day Sept. 29 – Training Camp opens Oct. 5 – Suns @ Pistons (preseason) 4:00 PM Oct. 7 – Suns @ Bulls (preseason) 5:00 PM Oct. 10 – Suns vs. Spurs (preseason) 7:00 PM (ESPN2) Oct. 14 – Suns @ Spurs (preseason) 5:00 PM Oct. 16 – Suns vs. Jazz (preseason) 7:00 PM Oct. 20 – 2026-27 NBA Season Begins Oct. 24 – NBA G League Draft Oct. 26-Nov. 5 – NBA G League Training Camp Nov. 6 – NBA G League Tip-Off Tournament begins Dec. 15 – Most players signed to new contracts can be traded Jan. 5 – 10-day contracts may now be signed Jan. 10 – All NBA contracts are guaranteed for the remainder of the season Jan. 15 – All players signed to new contracts can be traded Feb. 11 – Trade Deadline Feb. 19-21 – NBA All-Star 2027
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - SEPTEMBER 22: Mickey Gasper #30 of the Boston Red Sox runs after hitting a home run during the eighth inning of a game against the Cleveland Guardians on September 22, 2026 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As sleuthed out by our own Jacob Roy prior to last night’s game, the Red Sox-Cubs series has officially been moved to Tampa. Despite the fact that the teams flew out last night, though, the final game of the season won’t take place until Sunday at 3 PM, maintaining MLB’s recent practice of all 30 teams playing the final game of the season at the same time. (Jordan Bastian, MLB.com)
While Sunday’s game will be played at the Trop, it will technically be a Red Sox home game. And the Rays stadium production crew is going to do it’s best to make it feel like one. “The Rays staff will handle the in-game production and present it like a game at Fenway Park, so expect to hear the odd-for-the-Trop sounds of “Sweet Caroline” playing during the game and “Dirty Water” and “Tessie” afterward if the Sox win. ‘We’ll have some fun with it,‘ Rays CEO Ken Babby said. (Marc Topkin, Tampa Bay Times)
But the more important scheduling news to come out of yesterday’s action was the fact that the Sox and Yankees officially locked themselves into a Wild Card Series battle. We’ve known this was coming for a while now, of course, and the players sound up for it. “You can definitely tell there’s just a different level of buzz with [Red Sox-Yankees], just with the atmosphere of the stadium and everything going on,” said Red Sox catcher Adley Rutschman. “So definitely, it’s a little bit more elevated, and I’m sure in the playoffs, it’s going to be even more than that.” (Ian Browne, MLB.com)
And while it might seem like a case of deja vu with the Sox and Yankees meeting each other in the first round two years in a row, there has been a lot of roster turnover in the last 12 months. (Daniel Chavkin, NESN.com)
Unfortunately, the Sox are going to have to take on the Yankees without one player who became one of the most surprising stories of the season. Mickey Gasper suffered a biceps injury on a swing during the first game of yesterday’s doubleheader and the subsequent MRI didn’t look good. It sounds like he’s done for the year. “At this point, it looks like a significant biceps injury,” said Chad Tracy. “He’s gonna still be seeing more doctors and stuff like that. “We’ll get a final conclusion, but it’s a pretty significant biceps injury. It’s probably gonna take him out.” (Kayley Brown, Boston.com)
Alex Bregman nearly missed this Red Sox series with a series injury of his own — a facial fracture. But he really wanted to make it back in time to play in Fenway again. “So many lifelong friends and just memories and friendships that are all cherished forever,” Bregman said. “And obviously, playing here is so special. Love playing here. Fans here are awesome. So, great experience.” (Tim Healey, Boston Globe)
CLEVELAND, OHIO SEPTEMBER 1: Angel Martínez #1 of the Cleveland Guardians hits a fly ball to right center field for a two-run home run in the eighth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Progressive Field on September 1, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. Cleveland leads 6-1. (Photo by Russell Lee Verlinger/Cleveland Guardians/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Guardians came out on top in a back and forth high scoring thriller to maintain their one game lead in the Central.
After a 40 minute rain delay neither starter could settle in. Walks were being handed out left and right and it was an absolute battle for the first 4 innings.
The Guardians would strike first on a 2 run single by Angel Martínez in the first inning with the bases loaded, but the Royals would answer right back after a walk to Bobby Witt Jr and an absolutely scalded RBI double from Jac Caglianone. The Big Rig would avoid giving up and further damage thanks to a baserunning blunder by Caglianone, and a clutch K by The Big Rig.
In the 2nd inning the Guardians wouldn’t wait long to respond as Austin Hedges would lead off the inning with a solo shot to left center field, making it a 3-1 Guardians lead! KC would not be kept down. Carter Jensen would do the damage for the Royals with a 2 run bomb tying the game at 3 in the bottom half of the inning.
After a quiet 3rd inning for both teams, the Guards would get something going in the 4th with a leadoff walk from Hedgey and a single lined up the middle from Brayan Rocchio. Steven Kwan would move both the runners up with a sac bunt, and it would be José Ramírez with the clutch fly ball to right field just deep enough to score Hedgey from 3rd. But the Royals would have a response again in the bottom half. A leadoff walk and a sac bunt would put a runner in scoring position, and that would be the end of the day for The Big Rig (Final line 3.1 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 4 K) as Stephen Vogt would go to Tim Herrin to try and finish off the inning. After a stolen base to get the runner to third base it would be Carter Jensen again getting the Royals a sac fly of their own to knot it back up at 4. But the Royals weren’t done yet. With 2 outs Bobby Witt Jr. would single then steal 2nd and score on an RBI single from Jac Caglianone. The Royals, now up 5-4, would go on to run themselves out of the inning on a soft grounder to José where Caglianone got caught a little too far off second after rounding the base.
The Guardians would once again have an answer. Jo Adell would lead off with a double, and then it would be David Fry’s turn to be a hero as he absolutely smashed a 2 run bomb to left field, putting the Guardians back on top 6-5. They weren’t done yet. After Bazzana ended up on 2nd on a botched attempt to catch a flyball in right field he got to third on a grounder by Hedgey, and scored on a RBI groundout by Brayan Rocchio.
Now armed with a 7-5 lead the Guardians bullpen would lock things down. Shawn Armstrong, Daniel Espino, and Erik Sabrowski would combine to pitch the next 3 innings and only give up 1 hit, walking none, and striking out a pair.
The Royals would not go quietly. After a lead off single then a spectacular double play on a flyball to deep left field where Kwan and Rocchio combined to double up Michael Massey at first it looked like the Guards were ready to roll into the 9th. But a 2 out single by Kyle Isbel would pave the way for Carter Jensen to crush his second 2 run homer of the game, making it a 7-7 game.
The Guardians’ patience would come to their rescue in the 9th when the Royals bullpen lost the ability to throw strikes. The Royals would walk 6 of the first 8 hitters in the inning including 3 with the bases loaded. The Guardians now up 10-7 would get one more clutch 2 run double from Angel Martínez, before turning to Matt Festa to get the final 3 outs of the game.
Festa had a rocky 9th, but one that was good enough to get the job done. He gave up an ultimately inconsequential 2 out 2 run homer to Salvador Perez then got the final hitter of the game to weakly ground out to first giving us our final score of 12-9.
The Guards look to take the series and lower their Magic Number to clinch the division to 1 tomorrow at 7:10 Eastern. It’ll be Tanner Bibee on the mound for the Guards up against Michael Wacha with Kansas City.
Around MLB:
The White Sox handled the Rockies with ease, both the Astros and Rangers lost, and the Phillies are now only one game ahead of the Diamondbacks with two to play for the last wildcard.
Can Anthony Davis stay healthy long enough to help the Wizards this season? | Getty Images
The big things that came to mind when I sat down to analyze Anthony Davis were negatives: he misses a lot of games, and he’s aging — he’ll turn 34 in March.
As Southern Utah University sports economist and author of Wages of Wins David Berri has written, NBA players age like milk.
A few other things stand out about Davis, though — mainly how frigging terrific he is when he does play. For example, Davis has six seasons with a PPA of 200 or higher. That’s six more than the Washington Wizards/Bullets franchise has posted since 1977-78.
Can Anthony Davis stay healthy long enough to help the Wizards this season? | Getty Images
Reminder: PPA is my all-around statistical production metric, which accounts for rule, pace, and defense. In PPA, average is 100 and higher is better. A score of 200+ for a full season in PPA would typically merit All-NBA honors and make the individual an MVP candidate. Davis, by the way, is five-time All-NBA, five-time All-Defense, and likely would have another of each if he’d been healthier in his final season with New Orleans.
Has Davis been great? You bet. Will he continue to be? That’s a tougher question. Athletes at Davis’ age tend to do two things reliably: get worse and get hurt. Davis got the jump on the whole “getting hurt” thing. And, he has been getting worse too — his last 200+ PPA season was 2019-20, though he did get close in 2022-23 (195) and 2023-24 (188).
Last season, his PPA was 157, which is very good. He managed just 20 games and 626 minutes, though he likely would have returned to the court if he’d been with a team that had any inclination to attempt winning. Which was not the Wizards, of course.
The Wizards want to compete this season, and their hope is that Davis will be able to show The Way to Alex Sarr. And it might work if Davis is healthy and motivated enough to practice, play in most of the games, and travel with the team regularly.
When I ran Davis’ 2025-26 season through the Statistical Doppelganger Machine, I confess that I hoped to get a few throwbacks. I wanted Robert Parish, who posted a 170 PPA at age 39 and didn’t play fewer than 72 games in a season until his age 43 season, or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (184 PPA at age 38), but neither showed up high on Davis’ similar list. I do really like some of the comps Davis did get from The Machine.
Here’s the top five:
Pau Gasol | 2013-14 | Los Angeles Lakers | Age: 33 — At this point in his career, it looked like Gasol — who was a great and criminally underrated player — was in the age-related decline portion of his career. He posted a 205 PPA at age 30, a 171 at 31, and then followed it with injury-riddled years — 126 (and just 49 games) at 32 and a 138 in this comp season (only 60 games). And then, 189, 179, 166, and 165 from ages 34-37. Not bad at all.
LaMarcus Aldridge | 2018-19 | San Antonio Spurs | Age: 33 — This was effectively the end of the road for Aldridge, who’d been very good throughout his career (though a bit overrated, in my opinion). His health and production fell off a cliff after this season.
Derrick Coleman | 1999-00 | Charlotte Hornets | Age: 32 — Talented power forward who had questionable attitude and commitment and never really achieved his full potential. This was one of his better seasons (151 PPA). His best had been 6-7 years previous when he was with the New Jersey Nets. He had a couple more better than average (though not by a lot) seasons at ages 34 and 35.
Tim Duncan | 2009-10 | San Antonio Spurs | Age: 33 — I LOVE this comp for Davis, in part because Davis can have a similar defensive impact, and in part because what Duncan was able to do in his mid-to-late 30s. Duncan posted a 219 PPA in this season, which is one of five 200+ PPA seasons past 30 years old. He also posted a 199 PPA at age 32, at 197 at 34, and a 191 at 35. His last 200+ season was at 38. In full, Duncan produced 10 200+ PPA seasons, plus another six of 190 or better. He had three seasons below 190 — rookie year (187), age 37 (186), and age 39 (161). Davis isn’t of that stature, but he isn’t that far off.
Kevin McHale | 1989-90 | Boston Celtics | Age: 32 — Well, I wanted a 1980s era throwback. For the kids out there, look for some highlights on YouTube. McHale was a postup wizard — he had exquisite footwork, superb moves, counters to what defenders would typically do, and then counters to the counters. He was also a great shot maker with a killer jump hook. He even exhibited some three-point shooting later in his career. McHale was a seven-time All-Star, six-time All-Defense, two-time Sixth Man of the Year winner, and joined Davis on the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team. This season was also near the end of the line for McHale — he posted a 158 PPA at 32 (playing in all 82 games), a 140 in 68 games the following season, and then a 106 and a 72 to round out his career.
The honorable mentions are a similar mix of good-to-great players at various stages of their age-related decline, and include 0ver-age-30 seasons from Al Jefferson, David West, Rik Smits, Dirk Nowitzki, Zach Randolph, and Kevin Garnett.
Media reports indicate the Wizards will wait to engage Davis in contract extension talks. That’s smart. Smarter would be to showcase a healthy Davis for half a season and trade him for player assets with a future rather than awarding him a major contract. His injury history suggests the next contract will be painful for the team. Plus, the Wizards have a young Davis type already on the roster (Sarr) who may be able to benefit from the example and then thrive in the role.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - MAY 12: Stephon Castle #5, Carter Bryant #11 and Dylan Harper #2 of the San Antonio Spurs stand for the National Anthem before the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves during Round Two Game Five of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 12, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Stephon Castle was asked in an NBA2K interview about which teammate he’d rate a “99” for various skills and personality traits. When asked who the best scorer on the team is, Castle immediately named Julian Champagnie agreeing that he should have made the NBA’s list of best three-point shooters.
He stated the biggest on court trash-talker was Dylan Harper adding that “he gets into a lot of altercations.” As for off-court trash-talking, Castle pointed to Kelly Olynyk.
The 2025 NBA Rookie of the Year also praised Carter Bryant for his music diversity as well as for his sense of humor naming him the class clown on the Spurs roster.
The Silver & Black Scrimmage is just eight days away. The Gregg Popovich Coach the Coaches Clinic taking place earlier that days still has some available spaces for those who want to study with Spurs staff member. Registration is available HERE.
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Teoscar Hernández celebrates after hitting a solo home run in the second inning of the Dodgers' 2-0 win over the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on Friday night. (Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images)
This is the 60th anniversary of the 1966 World Series, in which the losing team did not score for the final 33 innings of the series.
That losing team was the Dodgers. Over the final three games of the series, Jim Palmer, Wally Bunker and Dave McNally of the Baltimore Orioles each pitched a complete-game shutout.
That art of pitching is not in style today. Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched two complete games last October, but he cannot pitch every game, even if he left that impression upon the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Dodgers’ clearest and cleanest route to a three-peat nonetheless rests upon the four shoulders of Yamamoto, Tarik Skubal, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow. If the four aces can do to October opponents what the 1966 Orioles did to the Dodgers, or some reasonable 21st century facsimile, we’ll see you at the parade.
Skubal scattered three hits and struck out 10 in seven scoreless innings, which would have gone for naught without the Hernández and Pages home runs. Given that the Dodgers were playing the Giants and the remains of their depleted roster, it was something of a warning sign: this could happen against a postseason team.
No team can plan to score a lot of runs against the Dodgers’ starters. The opposing game plan would be to neutralize them and keep the game close enough to where one or two big swings can make the difference. The Giants, who have the National League’s second-worst record, almost pulled it off.
“When you get to the postseason, they’re going to try to eliminate Shohei and try to make other guys beat you,” Roberts said. “So it always sort of comes to the middle to the bottom of the order, where you’ve either got to get guys on base or get hits, get big hits.”
In October, Hernández is who you want at bat. He has homered in six of the seven postseason series he has played for the Dodgers, including each of the last five. In 33 postseason games for the Dodgers, he has driven in 25 runs.
For most players, offensive production drops in October, when batters face the best pitchers from the best teams. For Hernández, his career OPS is .796 in the regular season and .792 in the postseason.
Andy Pages, right, is congratulated by Dodgers teammate Kiké Hernández after hitting a home run against the Giants in the second inning Friday. (Jeff Chiu / Associated Press)
And, for all his summer struggles, he is batting .354 this month, with an OPS just shy of 1.000. He’ll be, as the league-issued hoodies used to say, October ready.
For Pages, however, last October was cruel.
This October was not looking particularly promising, either. Pages missed 27 games because of a broken hand, leaving him the final six games of the regular season to get his swing back into rhythm.
“You think that you take five weeks off,” Roberts said, “that your timing is going to be off a little bit.”
So far, so good: five hits in 12 at-bats, including the home run Friday.
Pages ended the regular season last year with four hits in his final 28 at-bats. That, Roberts said, tells him this October will be different for Pages.
“I think the one thing is the confidence, how he went into last October really scuffling, and it sort of bled into October,” Roberts said, “where I think right now he feels really confident, swinging the bat well, and the hope is that this one bleeds into October as well.
“So, I think it’s definitely a different result going into October, and then also his headspace. There’s a lot more confidence this year.”
In 2025, when the Dodgers won the World Series, they ranked second among the 30 major league clubs in runs scored, and in home runs. In 2024, when they won the World Series, they ranked third in runs scored, and in home runs.
The Dodgers rank fourth in runs scored this year, and seventh in home runs. The offense is down some, if not much. In all the national postseason hype, the Dodgers projections will boil down to one sentence: Can anyone stop those starters?
“I think at first glance that’s what you see in our ballclub,” Roberts said. “But we have a lot of talented, really good hitters and I hope they work hand in hand and not just our pitching and defense carry us.”
For the Dodgers, the postseason opens one week from Saturday. If the Dodgers roll out the 1966 playbook, their October stay will be short.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 25: Cristopher Sánchez #61 of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches in the second inning during a game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Citizens Bank Park on September 25, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Another streak of strikeouts by a Phillies starter was created last night by Cristopher Sanchez, this one a bit shorter than what Zack Wheeler had. Sanchez struck out the last seven hitters he faced, three short of the ten Wheeler started his start off this week with.
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 30: The scoreboard is seen with the message "Thanks for Coming" after the suspension of Game One of the American League Division Series due to weather between the New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers at Yankee Stadium on September 30, 2011 in the Bronx borough of New York City. The game was called due to rain. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A good chunk of the East Coast is getting slammed by a nor’easter this weekend, so if you’re in the area, we hope you stay safe! Since this current Yankees series against the Orioles is meaningless aside from the obvious goal of staying healthy, the game originally scheduled for today was played yesterday in a straight doubleheader. They’ll take a beat today and try to play tomorrow (rookie Elmer Rodríguez is announced as the probable starter for New York in a cameo), but if it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out. We may just have a 161-game regular season.
Anyway, the postseason looms on Tuesday! Monday’s league-wide offday is the calm before the storm, but we’ll have plenty of material coming up then so consider today our personal Pinstripe Alley calm before the storm. It’s not all quiet though, as I’m on the Rivalry Roundup, Nick is celebrating the 101st (!) birthday of the oldest living Yankee, and Michael is discussing how the Yankees’ low-minors teams fared in 2026.
Today’s Matchup:
Game preemptively moved up to yesterday for a twin bill, so it’s an offday with Game 162 tomorrow
Questions/Prompts:
1. Assuming Carlos Rodón is not in the Wild Card Series rotation, what do you think is the best spot to potentially deploy him out of the bullpen?
2. Think the Phillies continue their collapse and let the Diamondbacks steal the last NL Wild Card spot from them?
Tyson Fury says Anthony Joshua is ‘trying to pull out’
Promotional tension blamed for late jeopardy
Frank Warren believes the proposed fight between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua will still take place in Cardiff in December despite widespread concern on Saturday that the bout could be on the brink of collapse yet again. Warren, who has promoted Fury for years, told the Guardian: “It will still happen because the Saudis will sue the arses off them if it doesn’t. The Saudis are putting up the money. They’re the paymasters and so I think it will happen.”
On Saturday morning, Fury had suggested that the fight was in serious jeopardy: “Breaking news. Anthony Joshua and Eddie Hearn are trying to pull out of this fight. They’re saying they’re not gonna fight now. It’s mainly to do with Eddie Hearn’s ego. He’s making up a million different things and threatening ‘we’re not gonna fight, we’re not gonna fight, we’re not gonna fight’. He’s cost us the biggest fight in boxing history. Clown.”
