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MLB in brief: Mark Shapiro should stay | We need to talk about Cade Horton

Mark Shapiro set to stay

Word on the street is that a contract extension is on the way for the president.

The Blue Jays bullpen has been rising for a week now

And it feels good.

The shortstop controversy

The Yankees have a problem on their hands and the manager has to deal with it.

Improving the rotation

This is an important goal in Atlanta.

Bad behavior toward women at Tigers?

There are charges involved.

We need to talk about Cade Horton

Is he the National Rookie of the Year?

Who will rise again?

In 2026, some will have to give more.

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Who Killed the Montreal Expos: documentary to be released on October 21

Even though it’s been over 20 years since the Expos left the game, they haven’t been forgotten. You can see it in the many Expos caps in ballparks across America… and in the passion of fans here at home.

There are so many people who ensure that the club’s collective memory never dies.

But now Netflix is getting in on the act. You may have known that the platform was planning to release (in French) a documentary on the Expos’ departure… and now details have emerged.

The documentary will be available on October 21. It’s called: Qui a tué les Expos de Montréal?

If the answer to the question isn’t “Jeffrey Loria” at the end of the documentary, it will be interesting to understand why… even if, in reality, several people are to blame in this story.

Pedro Martinez, Larry Walker, Vladimir Guerrero and Felipe Alou will be in the cast. David Samson too.

Netflix announces that the documentary will go behind the scenes of the controversial decisions, setbacks and missteps that led to the Expos’ move to Washington for the 2005 season.

The documentary is directed by Jean-Francois Poisson.

We wonder, of course, if there’s any prospect in all this. Will the documentary end on a positive note for baseball in Montreal, or on a more sombre one?

Because at the moment, things aren’t looking too good for the Expos’ comeback…

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Anthony Rizzo retires in Cubs uniform (and will be honored)

Anthony Rizzo, who was in the stands last night at Yankee Stadium, has had a very successful career.

The man who beat cancer played with the Padres (briefly, admittedly) before joining the Cubs, where he rose to fame and was able to win the World Series. He also played with the Yankees for a few seasons.

But now the main man involved, who wanted to return in 2025 but was unable to find a job, has announced that he will retire from Major League Baseball.

He will sign a one-day contract to do so in the colors of the Cubs, who will honor him on Saturday in Chicago.

Note that he will subsequently be an employee of the Cubs. The honorary “captain” of the Cubs during the franchise’s heyday will act as an ambassador for his beloved team.

It’s good to see him return to Chicago, since that’s obviously where he had the best time of his career. He had been traded because his club was heading for a rebuild… which is precisely what is coming to an end.

Rizzo played for 14 years, 10 of them with the Cubs. He played four years in New York and started (in 2011) with the Padres. He produced 965 points, slammed 303 long balls and collected 1,644 sure hits in his career.

He is known as a leader of men and was appreciated by his teammates. I can’t wait to see where life takes him.

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“The Yankees are not a good team” – Buck Martinez

The New York Yankees collapsed in the seventh inning of their game against the Detroit Tigers last night (Tuesday), due in part to a rare bad outing by reliever Fernando Cruz. Mark Leiter Jr. didn’t fare much better, and the duel ended 12-2 in favor of the Tigers.

Meanwhile, the Toronto Blue Jays hosted the Houston Astros, beating them in ten innings. And during the broadcast of their team’s 4-3 victory, Toronto announcers looked at the scoreboard and saw Detroit taking a healthy lead over New York.

This inspired commentator Buck Martinez, who felt the need to come down hard on the Bombardiers, listing all the reasons why they’re simply not a good team.

You know, the Yankees, they’re not a good team. I don’t care about their record. They have a lot of bad pitches, they make a lot of mistakes in the field, they don’t run the bases very well. If they don’t hit home runs, they have no chance of winning.

Of course, these facts are not wrong. But to say that a Major League Baseball team with an 80-64 win-loss record, who just won a series against the Blue Jays and are only three games behind them in the standings, is not a good team is a bit of a stretch.

If the playoffs began today, the Yankees would have to face the Boston Red Sox in a best-of-three Wild Card series. In the event of a win for the Bronx representatives over their Massachusetts rivals, they would have to face the Jays in what would probably prove to be an epic encounter.

We look forward to October.

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Circuits: Aaron Judge ranks 5th in Yankees history

The New York Yankees began a three-game series against the Detroit Tigers last night (Tuesday). While the seventh inning ultimately proved fatal in a 12-2 defeat, one positive event did emerge from the thrashing, as Aaron Judge climbed into a special category in the Bombers’ record book.

With a home run in the first inning, Judge has now compiled 359 during his time in New York, surpassing legendary catcher Yogi Berra for fifth place in franchise history.

This is an incredible feat, as Judge becomes the first player to rank in the top five of the Yankees’ long ball list since 1957. The captain now trails only Hall of Famers Joe DiMaggio, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle and Babe Ruth for the most home runs in Yankee history.

Judge is nowhere near Gehrig, Mantle and Ruth, but he should overtake DiMaggio for fourth place in franchise history before the end of the current campaign, needing just three more home runs to do so. There are 18 games remaining in the regular season.

The 33-year-old has time to reach the top-3 by the end of his career, but he’ll need to continue playing at a high level for several seasons before he comes close.

As mentioned above, this historic long ball didn’t help the Yankees to victory, however, as the Toronto Blue Jays mounted a ninth-inning comeback to run away with the win against the Houston Astros. As a result, the Blue Jays now hold a three-game lead at the top of the American League’s East Division.

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In the race for second best, the Texas Rangers are still a game and a half behind the Seattle Mariners.

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50 circuits in 2025: Kyle Schwarber joins Cal Raleigh

Kyle Schwarber is having quite a 2025 season. The Phillies slugger, who is just a few months away from independence, has chosen the right moment to enjoy his best season ever, as he is on track to set personal bests in a number of statistical categories.

Of the lot, circuits, while his 49 long balls were already a personal career high. But with three weeks still to go on the calendar, Schwarber wanted to reach the 50 plateau.

Because, after all, saying you’re a 50-homer hitter sounds pretty good when it comes to negotiating a new contract, you know.

Schwarber had been pretty quiet for a few days… but last night, he finally broke through: he hit his 50th Schwarbomb of the season.

And he really, really didn’t miss.

Schwarber became only the second hitter in Phillies history to hit 50 home runs in a single season, joining Ryan Howard (58 home runs in 2006, the year he won the MVP award). He is also the second to reach the 50 long ball plateau this season, after Cal Raleigh.

In fact, it’s only the 14th time in MLB history that two guys have hit 50 long balls in a season. And we know that Shohei Ohtani (48), Eugenio Suarez (45) and Aaron Judge (44) still have time to join them.

And of course, seeing Schwarber do it in front of his fans made the moment even more special. We know how much he’s loved in Philly (where the fan base is pretty… intense), and the folks there gave him some love.

And deservedly so.

Fans were also able to celebrate their team’s 9-3 victory over the Mets, with the Phillies now nine games clear at the top of the division.

Barring a historic catastrophe, they’ll win their division.

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A big feat for Schwarber, then, who reaches the 50-home-run plateau in a season for the first time in his career, cementing his place as a real MVP candidate in the Nationals.

And when you look at the reaction of the fans in Philadelphia, it’s hard not to think of Schwarber’s agent, who must be smiling as he sees all the leverage he’ll have at his disposal during the upcoming contract negotiations.

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  • A 30-30 season for Juan Soto.

  • Anthony Rizzo attended yesterday’s Yankees game. So did Gleyber Torres (who plays for the Tigers)… and he received a standing ovation before batting for the first time.

  • Luis Garcia was injured in a setback against the Blue Jays.

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MLB in brief: Wander Franco needs help | Interviews in Washington

Wander Franco needs help

Family seeks help over concerns about former Rays player’s well-being.

Brewers in the playoffs tonight?

Could be.

Juan Soto plays like an MVP

Can he take the Mets to the next level?

Interviews in Washington

Who will be the next GM?

The Rays in Orlando?

Not likely.

More than ever, Vladdy needs to stand up

He’s on fire right now. It’s got to keep going.

Connelly Early with the Red Sox

He’s been recalled. Dustin May is injured.

Kyle Tucker injured

Tough blow for Chicago.

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One question per team in the race for the playoffs : National League

There are only three weeks left in the Major League Baseball regular season. And in both leagues, there are questions to be asked (by the teams in the running) about what’s next.

After the American, here’s the National.

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Brewers: will they survive the playoffs?

The Brewers are a machine this season, and barring a catastrophe, they’ll have the tie-breaking edge all the way to the playoffs. But this club isn’t used to winning in October…

Phillies: is their confidence level high?

The fact that Aaron Nola got off to a quality start against the Mets gives confidence. However, without Zack Wheeler and on the heels of injuries to Trea Turner and Alec Bohm, questions are being asked.

Dodgers: what’s going on?

The bosses have put together a club to be in a position to win in October. Things haven’t been going so well over the past few months, and the club is in danger of having to play best-of-second games. But if the guys step up at the right time, everything will be fine.

Cubs: where’s the early-season club?

Kyle Tucker and Pete Crow-Armstrong have been showing signs of slowing down for several weeks, and the club hasn’t done everything it needs to do to win in 2025 at the deadline. The lack of experience is starting to show.

Padres: can they catch the Dodgers?

The Padres are just one game behind the Dodgers in the standings. Winning the division in 2025 would send a message to San Diego’s fiery bullpen.

Mets: who can they trust on the mound?

The Mets’ rotation is problematic. It’ll be great in the long run, but sending three youngsters into the lion’s den for lack of options sure is a little scary.

Giants: do they regret trading relievers at the deadline?

In recent weeks, we’ve seen the Giants drop some late-game leads. Trading relievers at the deadline complicates the project of a late-season push.

Reds: Can Elly De La Cruz finish the season strong?

In recent months, the hitter has lost his identity. Can he put the club on his shoulders when it needs him most? Because time is running out…

Diamondbacks: can the new generation hold up?

The Diamondbacks’ season hasn’t gone as planned, and time is running out. If the bullpen could lend a hand, it would be a great start.

Cardinals: Is Oliver Marmol the right man for the job?

The club has done better than expected, but the change of boss is coming. And the names of Skip Schumaker, Yadier Molina and Albert Pujols refuse to die on the St. Louis side… especially if the club doesn’t get any closer to the playoffs.

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Bo Bichette leaves on injured list

On September 6, Bo Bichette injured his knee.

During a game against the Yankees, heavy contact was made at home plate. Bichette might have left the game had it not been for a rain delay of nearly two hours before the game resumed.

But in hindsight, you have to ask yourself this: did coming back on September 6 hurt him in the long run?

I say that because the next day, Sunday, he didn’t play. And now, the Blue Jays have just announced some bad news: Bichette is headed for the 10-day injured list.

He has been retroactively placed on the list as of September 7, which means he can return as early as September 17. Will he be ready by then?

To take his place in the lineup, the Blue Jays have reached out to Buffalo. Joey Loperfido, who deserved his chance, is back with the big club for the time being.

Loperfido could probably have been September’s recall among position players, but the arrival of Isiah Kiner-Falefa changed all that. And here, on the heels of Bichette’s injury, having IKF is a good thing.

We don’t know if Loperfido will survive Anthony Santander’s return, which isn’t likely to happen next week due to recent back problems that are postponing his return to the minors… but that’s a long way off.

Of necessity, this will mean that Ernie Clement, who is also not 100%, will play more often at shortstop. Addison Barger should see more playing time at the hot corner.

This will be particularly the case tonight, when the Astros are in town.

With the playoffs just a few weeks away (and a few months of autonomy for the player), the timing isn’t great to see Bichette, one of the club’s top players in 2025, injured.

Will he be in top form for the playoffs? How much will it hurt as the Blue Jays feel the Yankees’ hot breath on their necks? We’ll see in due course.

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Anthony Volpe: Derek Jeter sees a good sign

To say the least, Anthony Volpe has been struggling since joining the New York Yankees. On both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball, the shortstop clearly isn’t getting the job done.

Let’s just say it’s the exact opposite of the early career of former Bombardiers captain Derek Jeter, who won the Rookie of the Year award in 1996 and, two years later, finished third in the American League MVP race, winning his second World Series ring.

And the latter has some advice for Volpe.

Listen, it’s very difficult to get to the major leagues. Once you get to the majors, it’s even harder to stay. What every player is looking for is consistency. Sometimes you get bumps in the road along the way. It’s just a matter of finding that rhythm. So everyone experiences difficulties.

If Vole’s poor performances continue over the next few days, Jose Caballero could be the Yankees’ shortstop in the playoffs.

But for Jeter, we’re not there yet, as he believes it’s a good sign that Volpe still enjoys solid support from teammates and management as the fall dance gets underway.

If that support triggers a late-season glimmer of consistency for Volpe and he helps the Bronx representatives into the win column, all that has gone before will be quickly forgotten.

Other Yankee greats have also empathized with Volpe, as CC Sabathia recently argued that developing young talent in New York is particularly difficult and urged patience with the 24-year-old’s mistakes.

This content was created with the help of AI.