MINNEAPOLIS, MN - SEPTEMBER 16: Clarke Schmidt #36 of the New York Yankees looks on during the game between the New York Yankees and the Minnesota Twins at Target Field on Wednesday, September 16, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Michael Turner/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Injuries continue to plague the Yankees as they head into the final few games of the regular season, and this time the bullpen takes a hit.
The Yankees announced that reliever Clarke Schmidt was sent to the 15-day injured list with bicep neuritis, which means he will likely be left out of the postseason roster and unavailable for the upcoming Wild Card Series. They called up righty reliever Bradley Hanner from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to take his place for the time being.
This situation puts the bullpen in a tighter spot and raises more questions about who will be shuffled around to take on a relief role in the postseason. Will Warren is expected to be a healthy weapon who can make an impact, and Carlos Rodón has a lot of potential if he doesn’t end up in a starting role, so the outlook isn’t as bad as it seems. Ryan Weathers is still up in the air as an option; it would’ve been nice to see him get some reps before the postseason officially begins.
After recovering from Tommy John surgery that kept him on the IL for most of the regular season, Schmidt made his return against the Twins, striking out two batters and allowing two hits. He was initially poised to make his second appearance on Sunday against the Diamondbacks, but halted his warmup from the bullpen due to bicep soreness. It seems that his injury is lingering longer than both Schmidt and the Yankees anticipated.
The Yankees postseason begins next week with the Wild Card Series, and hopefully, despite missing Schmidt, the bullpen will provide enough assurance to shut down Boston.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - SEPTEMBER 23: The hot dog race in the fourth inning of game two of a double header between the Baltimore Orioles and the Toronto Blue Jays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 23, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s finally over. The chance of the Orioles reaching the postseason for the 2026 campaign is officially zero. They were done in not through any last failure of their own that occurred today, instead getting eliminated on an off day because their miracle path involved the White Sox losing their final four games against the Royals and then Rockies.
The Chicago club put that to bed on Thursday, blowing out the Royals in Kansas City to win their 82nd game. The Orioles cannot possibly win 82. That’s it. The party ended when some guy named John Rave grounded out, second base to the pitcher covering first. The White Sox are guaranteed at least a wild card spot. They might even win the Central division. That’s to be settled over the season’s final weekend.
There is no way to view this season as anything other than a disappointment. After the team flopped to a 75-87 record last season, largely resulting from a horrible April and May that got then-manager Brandon Hyde fired, we got a lot of noise from Mike Elias on down about how it would be different this year. The players who did not live up to expectations last year would be stronger for the adversity, they were going to do everything in their power to assess what went wrong and what they can do to fix it, and other such platitudes.
The front office did try to fix one of last year’s weaknesses – the lack of home run power – by trading for Taylor Ward and eventually signing Pete Alonso to a big contract. Alonso delivered many dingers here. Ward did not. They tried to stabilize the rotation in a way that wasn’t done last year with one-year signings of Zach Eflin and Chris Bassitt. Eflin went down with a torn elbow ligament in the middle of his first start. Bassitt was not very good, got back surgery, came back, and was fine enough.
Still, we did not get a lot of evidence as the season went along that much had been done to fix some of the other issues. The core players who were supposed to be fueling the multi-year period of great Orioles baseball spent substantial parts of the season riding the struggle bus. Elias’s big trade for Shane Baz brought back a pitcher who has been exactly league average; he gave up at least one prospect who seems like a huge loss and others who may yet hurt. A bullpen that was only lightly reinforced went through difficult patches as guys who are unproven tried to go from that to “proven to be good” rather than “proven to be bad.”
All of this built up to the developments ahead of the trade deadline, when a variety of players, some we were invested in more than others, were moved at a time when it seemed clear the team was not going to be in the race. Indeed, two of the trades they made, Ward to the Mariners and Dean Kremer to the Twins, reinforced teams against whom, at that point, the Orioles were notionally competing in the wild card race. As things have turned out, the Orioles will finish ahead of those teams.
There was, of course, the ultimate indignity of a recognizable Orioles star being traded to the Red Sox. Adley Rutschman getting dealt to Boston still hurts. More than one of the players who came back in that trade went on to make a nice first impression in the organization, but still: It’s the Red Sox, and the Orioles gave up on a season where they weren’t that far out of the picture by sending a player who was the face of the rebuild off when he still had this year and next year left with team control.
Despite all of the season’s problems, and despite that trade deadline decision seeming like the front office was giving up on the season, the Orioles played their way through August to finish the month in a wild card position. Colton Cowser’s walkoff home run robbery in Colorado did it. They finally reached .500 again and with a good September, they could sneak in to the playoffs.
Instead, the Orioles lost the next six games, including four in a row at home to those same Red Sox. That made the eventual elimination start to feel inevitable; later being swept by the Brewers at home made it extra inevitable. They kept their chances alive a lot longer than I expected in April, in July, or even on Labor Day. At last, it’s over. Maybe next year.
Good things happened this year! Pete Alonso will finish with no fewer than 41 home runs and 110 RBI in the first year of his five-year contract. He should win a Gold Glove. That signing has gone better than anybody could have imagined, and after seeing it in action, all of the stuff about Alonso being a great person and a good leader does seem to actually have something to it.
Alonso’s season combined with the unexpected rotation emergence of Brandon Young is probably what kept this Orioles campaign from being a truly irredeemable slog. You can certainly find other fun stories, like Blaze Alexander blossoming into an intriguingly good player, and Christian Encarnacion-Strand coming off the reclamation project scrap heap to look like he deserves to be a part of next year’s Opening Day roster picture.
It sure was a slog at times. Inexplicably bad defense, weird lineup decisions, bizarre pinch hitting decisions, reliever choices that seemed to be based more on hope than on reality, all of these things contributed to a variety of stupid losses for the season. New manager Craig Albernaz threw players under the bus in postgame pressers on more than one occasion. For long parts of the season, the vibes around this team were not far off from the 100+ loss disasters of the early Elias years. In the end, they will lose no more than 84.
That’s not good. It’s not terrible either. Fix the defense and shore up a few spots on the roster in the offseason instead of July or August and this Orioles team could be right back in it. Maybe. Its chief architect and its disappointing dugout leader are both coming back, so it’s fair to wonder how much things will really change. Those are problems for next year. For this year, it’s over.
This will be remembered as the Chicago White Sox team that made history for all the right reasons.
Two years after losing a Major League Baseball-record 121 games and one year after their third consecutive 100-loss season, the White Sox are going to the playoffs. Their startling resurgence was completed Thursday, Sept. 24 when they defeated the Kansas City Royals 9-1 at Kauffman Stadium to clinch at least an American League wild-card berth.
The South Siders are still playing for a bigger prize. They pulled within a half-game of the Cleveland Guardiansin the AL Central with the victory. The Guardians were scheduled to play at Boston later Thursday and close the season with three games against the Royals. The White Sox finish with three games against the Colorado Rockies, who were set to lose their 102nd game Thursday. The White Sox hold the tiebreaker against the Guardians.
Chicago has held first place for 82 games this year and most of the second half, until the Guardians took over Sept. 17. But the White Sox erased no doubt Thursday that they'd nail down a playoff spot.
They scored six runs in the first two innings, thanks to a pair of hits and two RBIs from Miguel Vargas, and after Kyle Teel's fourth-inning homer the rout was on, as right-hander David Sandlin held the Royals to one run over six innings.
Chicago's 82 wins are the most for a team coming off three 100-loss seasons, and second-most after just one 100-loss season. The White Sox also clinched a winning record for the first time since 2021, when they won 93 games and qualified most recently for the playoffs.
Those White Sox were beat in four games by the Houston Astros in the AL division series. These White Sox have a chance to win the division and receive a bye into the ALDS, where they'd face the winner of the AL West champion and No. 3 wild card.
They got here on the strength of several breakout performances and one MVP-caliber level-up from Vargas. Acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers in a three-team deal that also included the St. Louis Cardinals and sent Tommy Edman to the eventual World Series champions, Vargas put it all together this season, hitting 33 home runs, driving in 92 and posting an .842 OPS. He's also stolen 21 bases and needs just two walks to reach 100.
Rookies Tristan Peters and Sam Antonacci are hitting well above league average, with Peters providing 3.9 WAR thanks to excellent defense in center field. And with Teel returning from injuries, the return haul in the trade of Garrett Crochet to Boston is popping, with second baseman Chase Meidroth posting a .763 OPS and 4.3 WAR and Braden Montgomery part of a platoon in right field.
HARRISBURG, PA - JULY 19: Devin Fitz-Gerald #3 of the Harrisburg Senators looks on during the game between the New Hampshire Fisher Cats and the Harrisburg Senators at FNB Field on Sunday, July 19, 2026 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Kyle Mace/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
Devin Fitz-Gerald is one of the more fascinating prospects in the Nationals system. The switch hitting infielder is the 5th ranked prospect in the system according to MLB Pipeline and 4th according to Baseball America. Out of the 5 prospects the Nats received in the MacKenzie Gore trade, Fitz-Gerald looks like the best one at the moment.
However, there is more to Devin Fitz-Gerald than just the baseball player. This has been a difficult year for the Fitz-Gerald family. Devin’s mother, Colleen was diagnosed with a brain tumor and told she has about 18 months to live. This layer of personal tragedy has hung over the 21 year old’s season.
As Devin Fitz-Gerald became a top-100 prospect, his mom was diagnosed with brain cancer and told she had ~18 months to live.
Dad is searching for a way to pay for treatment. Mom is stuck at home. And Devin?
Fitz-Gerald, also known as DFG, has said he is playing for his mother this year and forever. To have this going on while also going through a professional baseball season is a major challenge for anyone, let alone a player in a new organization. For those curious, the Fitz-Gerald family has set up a Go Fund Me.
Now that we have discussed this very important context, I wanted to dive into Fitz-Gerald’s season on the field. It was an up and down year for DFG, who had a great start and great finish to the season. However, he faced some bumps along the way in the middle.
Fitz-Gerald is a second baseman who can do a little bit of everything. He is not the biggest, strongest or fastest, but DFG gets the most out of his tools. A big reason for that is because of his baseball IQ. That high level of on field intelligence comes from being the son of a high level high school baseball coach. His dad coaches at Stoneman Douglas High School, which has produced several big leaguers such as Roman Anthony, Coby Mayo and Jesus Luzardo.
Now the son of the coach is looking to be next in line. Despite not having jaw dropping raw power, Fitz-Gerald still found a way to put up 20 home runs this season between High-A and Double-A. He does a great job consistently elevating the ball and that allows him to outslug his average raw power.
THIRD-straight game with a homer for devin fitz-gerald 🙂↕️
DFG also has a very solid hit tool to go with that power. On the season, he struck out just under 22% of the time. He struggled with strikeouts early in his AA stint, but he gradually improved, as did his overall play.
In the beginning of the season, DFG took the prospect world by storm. In April and May, he was lighting it up with Wilmington. There was a stretch where Fitz-Gerald homered on a near daily basis. In that insane May, DFG homered 9 times.
However, when the calendar turned to June and the youngster got promoted to Harrisburg, he went ice cold. Fitz-Gerald struggled on the baseball field in a way I doubt he ever had before in his life. He went 10 for 88 in 22 games that month. Between the off field tragedy and struggling on the field, that must have been a very difficult time for him.
That tough month made him show resilience though. The turnaround did not happen overnight. In July, Fitz-Gerald was better, but still only hit .250 with a .639 OPS. By the time August and September rolled around, Fitz-Gerald had figured out his new level and was rolling. Seeing that growth after being dominated early on in AA was very encouraging to see.
Devin Fitz-Gerald’s month by month progression at Double A has been a joy to witness. Outside shot of making his debut in late 2027 at this rate, and a good chance at becoming a regular by 2028 pic.twitter.com/bzKnm08eJ7
By September, DFG was back in his flow state. He homered 4 times in 9 games to end his season. Even while going through an extended slump, Fitz-Gerald still put up solid numbers in his first year in the Nationals organization. He hit .251 with a .780 OPS and hit 20 homers while stealing 15 bases.
I still think the best is yet to come for Fitz-Gerald. The 21 year old will likely start next season in AA, but if he gets off to a fast start, I could see him getting promoted to AAA quite quickly. We will see if he can reach the big leagues in 2027, but I do not think it is impossible.
However, I think the most likely outcome is an early 2028 debut. Once Fitz-Gerald arrives, I think he has a good chance of making second base his long term home. I do not see super star potential, but he can be one of those players who quietly hits 15-20 homers, hits about .260 and plays solid defense. That is not a flashy profile, but it can get you to 3 WAR pretty easily.
Chase Meidroth of the White Sox is a player who I think profiles pretty similarly and he has 4.4 fWAR this season. Overall, Fitz-Gerald is a quality ball player and seems like a quality young man as well. Given his story, I will always be rooting for DFG.
Apr 12, 2026; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli (19) looks to pass as Boston Bruins center Mark Kastelic (47) trails the play during the first period at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russell LaBounty-Imagn Images
Russell LaBounty/IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Columbus Blue Jackets re-signed center Adam Fantilli to a six-year, $82.5-million contract.
Fantilli was a restricted free agent and missed the first week of training camp as the two sides worked on a deal. He becomes the Blue Jackets’ highest-paid player with a contract that averages $13.75 million per year.
The 21-year-old Canadian was the third overall pick by Columbus in the 2023 NHL draft after winning the Hobey Baker Award as the top player in college hockey at the University of Michigan.
Fantilli was second on the team with 24 goals and was third in scoring with 59 points last season. He is the third player in franchise history with multiple 20-goal campaigns before turning 22.
“Adam Fantilli has all of the tools you look for in a player — speed, size, skill — along with a competitive drive to succeed,” general manager Don Waddell said in a statement. “He is one of the most exciting young players in the NHL and a big part of what we are building in Columbus, so this is a very exciting day for our organization and our fans.”
Chicago’s Connor Bedard and Anaheim’s Leo Carlsson — the top two picks in the 2023 draft — both signed five-year contracts. Bedard’s averages $15 million while the Ducks matched an offer sheet from the Philadelphia Flyers that had an $18 million per season average.
San Jose’s Will Smith was picked fourth overall but remains on the final year of his entry-level contract.
Fantilli is expected to center Columbus’ top line with Kirill Marchenko and Valeri Nichushkin. Marchenko led the Blue Jackets with 27 goals while Nichushkin was acquired from Colorado during the offseason.
Defenseman and reigning Norris Trophy winner Zach Werenski has two years remaining on his contract as the Blue Jackets look to get to the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
The Sabres sustained two injuries to their defense corps during Tuesday’s preseason game, with Mattias Samuelsson now week to week with a lower-body injury and Olen Zellweger in concussion protocol.
With those absences comes an opportunity for some of the defensemen in tonight’s lineup to solidify a potential spot in the opening night lineup. Zach Metsa and Dennis Gilbert would figure to be the two frontrunners for the job, having both spent camp practicing with the NHL group. Metsa excelled in his role as Buffalo’s seventh defenseman last season and led the team in ice time during Monday’s preseason game.
Radim Mrtka and Ryan Johnson are two more names to watch. The two defensemen opened camp with the AHL practice group but joined the NHL squad on Wednesday with Samuelsson and Zellweger absent. Johnson has 47 NHL games on his resume; Mrtka is entering his first pro season after being drafted ninth overall in 2025.
The Sabres have had 14 forwards in their NHL practice group throughout camp. Assuming they stick with three goalies to begin the regular season, they’ll likely only be able to carry 13 forwards on their 23-man roster for opening night.
Tyson Kozak and Justin Danforth – both in tonight’s lineup – have been the extra forwards at camp thus far. Kozak performed well in a fourth-line role with Buffalo last season; Danforth is healthy after missing most of 2025-26 with a broken kneecap.
Assuming the line stays together, tonight will be a chance to see how it fares against outside competition – and a possible preview of a look we’ll see during the regular season.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 22: Bryson Stott #5 of the Philadelphia Phillies fields a fly ball with Brandon Marsh #16 the fourth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Citizens Bank Park on September 22, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Here are the lineups for the final game against Milwaukee. Let’s discuss!
Boston, MA - August 31: Boston Red Sox center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela smiles after making a diving catch in the sixth inning. The Boston Red Sox played the Seattle Mariners at Fenway Park on August 31, 2026. (Photo by Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images
Keep those fingers crossed, but it looks like we may have dodged the worst case scenario in the Ceddanne Rafaela injury department. Ceddy spoke after the game last night and downplayed the severity of the incident, saying the he only experienced a little cramping, possibly due to dehydration. “Every time I get pulled out of the game, I’m not happy,” Rafaela said. “But hopefully it’s just something minor.” (Ian Browne, MLB.com)
Rafaela did undergo an MRI today, but everything must have come back clean, as he’s already back in the lineup:
Tonight’s lineup for Guardians @ Red Sox:
1. Nick Sogard 1B 2. Mickey Gasper DH 3. Adley Rutschman C 4. Wilyer Abreu RF 5 Caleb Durbin 3B 6. Ceddanne Rafaela CF 7. Jarren Duran LF 8. Trevor Story SS 9 IKF 2B
Speaking of injury scares, Aroldis Chapman returned to the mound last night for the first time in 10 days, as he’s been battling a sore lat. It took him only 12 pitches to end the game, so it looks like he’s all good. “I felt good,” said Chapman through a translator. “I was happy to be able to go out there. I felt like my pitches and my stuff were very good today, so I’m happy to be back.” (Sean McAdam, MassLive)
There was speculation that, with a doubleheader scheduled for tomorrow, the Sox may attempt to use their extra roster spot to get Garrett Crochet into a game before the playoffs start. That’s not going to happen, but he is going to throw another bullpen session this weekend before the team decides what to do with him. “What is he able to give you?” Chad Tracy said. “Can he give you two games? Can he give you multiple innings? Can he go back to back? All those questions have to be answered, not only for his own health, but for our team and what puts us in the best position.” (Tim Healey, Boston Globe)
If the Sox do make it to the World Series, Sonny Gray will have played a big part in it. And, in doing so, he’ll have proved a lot of people who thought he couldn’t hack it in Boston wrong. “When I left New York in 2018, I told myself that I’m going to go back to a big market at some point in my career. Especially after learning what I learned and having the experiences that I had [in New York], I knew I could [succeed] anywhere after that. So I always told myself that I was going to [pitch again in a large market].” (Alex Speier, Boston Globe)
Gregg Popovich coaches the San Antonio Spurs in a preseason game against the Houston Rockets on Oct. 18, 2023. (Darren Abate / Associated Press)
Gregg Popovich coached the San Antonio Spurs from 1996 to 2025, winning a league-record 1,390 regular-season games, 170 postseason games and five NBA championships.
For four of those championships and quite a few of the other victories, one of Popovich’s assistant coaches was his new wife’s ex-husband.
Popovich, 77, married Mary Barth Budenholzer on Sept. 16, the Bexar County, Texas, clerk’s office has confirmed.
Budenholzer is a 61-year-old native of Corpus Christi, according to multiple media outlets, and was once married to Mike Budenholzer, who was a Spurs assistant coach under Popovich from 1996 to 2013. He went on to become the head coach of the Atlanta Hawks, Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns, winning an NBA championship with the Bucks in 2021.
The Budenholzers are said to share four children and to have divorced in 2016.
Popovich was married to Erin Popovich for four decades until her 2018 death at age 67. They have two children and multiple grandchildren.
On Nov. 2, 2024, Popovich suffered a stroke before a game at Frost Bank Center, the Spurs’ home arena. Assistant coach Mitch Johnson was named interim coach. That title became permanent on May 2, 2025, when Popovich stepped down after 29 years as San Antonio’s coach.
A member of the Spurs’ front office since 1994, Popovich currently serves as the team’s president of basketball operations. He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2023.
ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 22: Atlanta right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (13) reacts after fouling a ball off his leg during the MLB game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Atlanta Braves on September 22nd, 2026 at Truist Park in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Ronald Acuña Jr. is back in the Braves lineup and ultimately missed just one game after fouling a baseball off his knee during night’s contest against the Cincinnati Reds. Acuña is batting second in the order — sandwiched between Drake Baldwin and Matt Olson — and is playing in right field, an even more encouraging sign that he is feeling better after receiving treatment on his knee the last 36 hours. Here’s hoping Ronald continues to mash baseballs the way he was before exiting Tuesday’s game.
As for the rest of Atlanta’s lineup, Baldwin is serving as the DH with Sean Murphy set to catch Tyler Mahle. Mike Yastrzemski is back in there after sitting the past few nights against left-handed starters. Austin Riley finds himself batting eighth as he continues to battle his strikeout issues.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 17: The sneakers worn by Max Shulga #29 of the Boston Celtics during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2025 NBA Summer League game on July 17, 2025 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. 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 2025 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
It appears that fans across the NHL do not hate the Vancouver Canucks. In a new survey conducted by HockeyStats.com's co-founder, JFresh, the Canucks did not appear a single time on a "Most Hated Teams Survey." The survey featured 3,043 votes, in which fans of each team were asked to rank their three most-hated teams in order.
Overall, the Canucks ranked pretty low on the most-hated team list. They received 0% of the first-place votes, 2% of the second-place votes and 2% of the third-place votes. In the end, Vancouver finished 23rd amongst the 32 NHL teams.
JFresh also released a list called "I Don't Think About You At All". The list ranked the most one-sided hatred in the fan vote. The Canucks and Oilers ended up on the list, as 61% of Vancouver fans said they hate Edmonton, while only 14% of Oilers fans feel the same way about the Canucks.
Vancouver and Edmonton will have plenty of time to renew their rivalry as the Pacific Division foes battle three times in the next week. The first game is a pre-season matchup followed by a home-and-home series to kick off the regular season. Puck drop for Thursday's pre-season battle is scheduled for 6:00 pm PT at Rogers Arena.
Jan 17, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Liam Ohgren (92) checks Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid (97) in the first period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 10: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks walks off the court after the game against the San Antonio Spurs during Game Four of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 10, 2026 at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. 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(Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Ah, training camp. Finally back into the swing of things with basketball. It really is a lot more peaceful as defending champions, isn’t it?
Let’s see what’s going on as Media Day nea-
Reporting for NBA Today — extension negotiations have stagnated between the reigning champion Knicks and All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns: pic.twitter.com/JbeNpz9TJP
Ah, I guess we were overdue for something negative.
Karl-Anthony Towns is eligible for a contract extension this offseason. It’s been assumed, especially after a championship, that Towns and the Knicks were going to be tied at the hip going forward, but the complicated mechanisms of the salary cap and second apron will of course serve as a boogeyman for roster building.
Now, what Shams has reported seems to be a bit dramatic based on what several Knicks reporters have said about the situation, but the consensus seems to be that the two sides are not nearing any sort of agreement as of yet.
As we know, Towns is eligible for a four-year, $276 million extension, but he will not receive that figure. It’s nothing personal, he could absolutely argue he’s worth it considering guys like De’Aaron Fox and Trae Young make north of $200 million, it’s just not practical for roster construction.
With James Dolan seemingly adamant about not exceeding the second apron, this negotiation will be walking a tightrope. The Knicks undoubtedly want to chop down the $61 million that Towns is currently due on a player option in 2026-27 because that figure would make things extremely awkward next offseason.
By current projections, the Knicks have $221.3 million on the books in 2027-28 if we assume KAT opts into his player option, they pick up Josh Hart and Tyler Kolek’s team options, and decline Pacome Dadiet’s. That would put the team $12.5 million beneath the second apron with five mandatory roster spots to fill. There is a way to do that; it would just ensure that Deuce McBride walks, and the team can’t use anything other than a vet min.
Cutting that number to, say, $50 million (Ian Begley suggests that’s on the table) for a new extension would give them $23.5 million in space beneath the apron, giving the team significantly more flexibility. Anything lower? They’d feasibly be able to give McBride a market-value extension.
So you can see what the vision is for Leon Rose and company to keep this contention window open, but Towns is going to have to play ball.
From his vantage point, why should he play ball? He’s an NBA champion, was arguably the most important piece of the team’s 13-game playoff winning streak, and played exceptional defense on Victor Wembanyama. Why should he have to be cut the same checks as Trae Young and De’Aaron Fox, two guys who’ve shown they can’t be winning players?
Jalen Brunson taking his pay cut may have opened an organizational Pandora’s Box, expecting everyone to take less, but it has nothing to do with him or the team, it has everything to do with the aprons.
It’s simple. The only way to have a sustainable winner in this CBA is to have a plethora of draft capital and high draft picks, or have guys take pay cuts. Option 1 closed as soon as Brunson got to New York and ended any potential tank talk, so there’s only one option.
If the two sides can’t hash anything out by October, it’s not the end of the world. They can agree to terms at any time; there’s no deadline like there is for rookie-scale extensions, but you get concerned because in-season extensions for All-Stars are rare. If we get to Opening Night with no deal, this might just bleed into next summer, something that you want to avoid.
Next summer, Towns has a player option. Now, many times when a player has the option to opt into a huge salary like that, they take it, but there’s a chance he doesn’t. After all, he could sign a deal of up to $264 million across four years in free agency next summer with someone else, or could even get as much as a baffling five-year, $357.3 million supermax in a sign-and-trade or extremely late extension. That’s a lot of cash, all of which the Knicks can’t feasibly match.
The risk that you take is that a team with cap space next offseason can just try to scoop up Towns next offseason, but how much of a risk is that? After all, stars rarely change teams in free agency anymore. Who even has cap space?
That’s more teams with room than usual, but $50 million gets you a lot less than it used to. As of right now, only the Nets have true max salary space, with the Bulls and Clippers close behind. None of those teams are competitive, so signing there indicates you just want a bag and don’t want to win. I know KAT loves New York, but I don’t think he loves Brooklyn that much.
Obviously, a sign-and-trade would be the most likely thing to happen if the relationship deteriorates that much, but things just shouldn’t go there. A big reason why this Knicks team succeeded was because of the good vibes that persisted in a team that always believed in each other. Ego is the downfall of every good team, and the Knicks can’t afford that.
That’s the bigger risk of letting this bleed out than the risk of losing Towns. I’d be utterly stunned if an extension wasn’t eventually agreed to, whether today, tomorrow, or in June 2027, both sides need it.
Towns deserves to be a Knick for the rest of his career and see his No. 32 lifted into the rafters, but the two sides are going to have to find a middle ground. There are non-negotiables here, both with Towns getting a max and the Knicks getting him to take a ridiculous pay cut.
The staring contest will continue, but someone has to blink. Neither side can afford eye drops.
DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 18: Brock Rodden #90 of the Seattle Mariners prepares for the pitch in the fourth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on September 18, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The final series of the season for the Seattle Mariners will be without one of their rookie utilitymen. INF Brock Rodden was placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to September 23rd, with left patella tendon inflammation. Correspondingly, Seattle activated INF Leo Rivas to fill the role for the final weekend of the regular season.
The move concludes what’s been a difficult debut for Rodden. After a spark of hot initial play on Seattle’s brutal August road trip, the diminutive switch-hitter cooled at the plate and struggled to compensate defensively. Despite impressive power in the minors, Rodden didn’t manage to get the barrel to the ball consistently in Seattle. His year concluded with a .197/.306/.279 line, a 77 wRC+ and -0.4 fWAR in 72 plate appearances and 30 games. Good plate discipline and switch-hitting helped him run a healthy walk rate, but he’ll enter his age 27 season in 2027 trying to find better timing against big league arms.
Much of what’s been said of Rodden could apply to the 28 year old Rivas in 2026. A good showing in Seattle a season ago did not translate forward, with the M’s sorely needing depth he struggled to provide early in the year. Losing favor to several debuting youngsters, Rivas was more competent in his return to the bigs back in August, but will likely receive sporadic play at most in the final few games of the regular season.
Finally playing their first home game of the 2026 preseason, the Philadelphia Flyers will debut many of their NHL regulars, as well as a few prospects pushing for a roster spot, in a rematch against the Boston Bruins at 7 p.m. at the Xfinity Mobile Arena on Thursday night.
Rookie forwards Jett Luchanko and Cole Knuble will be playing in their third preseason game, while Helge Grans interestingly gets another chance to prove himself with fellow prospects David Jiricek and Oliver Bonk sitting out on Thursday night.
In the wake of Dan Vladar's injury, Joseph Woll will get the full game against the Bruins, with Aleksei Kolosov backing him up once again.
A chance at revenge, of course, after a 5-1 beating at the hands of the Bruins on Tuesday.
Also of note, Nikita Grebenkin makes his preseason debut after recovering from a lingering upper-body injury that ended his season and held him out at the start of training camp. With Denver Barkey out injured, this is a prime opportunity for Grebenkin to re-establish himself as a lineup staple for the Flyers with his size and agitating style of play.
Flyers lines vs. Bruins
Porter Martone - Trevor Zegras - Travis Konecny
Tyson Foerster - Christian Dvorak - Matvei Michkov
The Bruins will be trotting out a mostly AHL-centric lineup, sprinkling in a few NHLers, most notably top prospect James Hagens, star defenseman Charlie McAvoy, and Mikey Eyssimont and Henri Jokiharju.
For the Flyers, it's a good opportunity for their more established players to begin adjusting to a real game setting with less than a week to go before the start of the regular season, which will open on a back-to-back against Pittsburgh and New Jersey, respectively.
It seems unlikely that any roster battles will be won or lost during this particular contest, though Barkey's injury does open the door for players like Luchanko, Grebenkin, and Knuble, especially if he'll have to miss any time heading into the regular season.
Player to Watch
Jett Luchanko has quietly enjoyed a strong preseason and training camp to date, and as I wrote in our most recent Flyers depth chart, he has been proving that he can support more talented players with his style of play down the middle.
While it is still unlikely he makes the team out of camp for a third straight year, the one thing I had hoped to see from the 2024 first-round pick was to just make it a difficult decision for the Flyers.
That he has, as he gets ready to skate in his third consecutive preseason game, with just one left to go on Saturday.
