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Two legendary Atlanta Braves players will be managing and coaching the MLB Futures Game this summer during All-Star week. According to MLB.com, Chipper Jones will manage the National League team and Marquis Grissom will manage the American League.
The showcase of some of the top prospects in MLB will also feature Hall of Famer Fred McGriff, two-time NL Most Valuable Player Dale Murphy, five-time All-Star Andruw Jones, four-time All-Star Tim Hudson and three-time Gold Glove winner Nick Markakis. A lot of nostalgia will be going around that day as the Braves host the All-Star Game for the first time since 2000. Legends will be on call to help show fans who the next generation of talent will be.
For the National League under Chipper, Andruw will be the hitting coach, Hudson will be the pitching coach and Markakis will be a coach. For the American League under Grissom, McGriff will be the hitting coach and Murphy will be the first base coach.
Jones played for the Braves from 1993 to 2012. The eight-time All-Star and member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame won the 1999 NL MVP and the 2008 NL batting title (.364). In the Atlanta era of Braves baseball (1966 onward), Jones is the offensive leader in nearly every category.
Grissom played in Atlanta for two seasons (1995 and 1996). In that short time, he won two of his four Gold Glove awards and received MVP votes in his second year.
Jones, Grissom and McGriff were all part of the 1995 Braves team that won the World Series. It was the first of two won in the Atlanta era and the first title for the franchise since the Milwaukee Braves won in 1957.
Andruw Jones was part of the Braves teams that won the National League Pennant in 1996 and 1999.
Every coach on the staff spent some time with the Braves in some capacity. Rounding the former Braves on the staff include Mark DeRosa, Tyler Flowers, Kanekoa Texeira (Gwinnett manager), Peter Moylan, Marvin Freeman, Brian Hunter, Ryan Klesko and Johnny Estrada.
The 26th edition of the All-Star Futures Game will take place on on Saturday, July 12, at Truist Park. The seven-inning game is scheduled to have a 4:10 p.m. EDT first pitch.
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Yankees have finally found their third baseman in Ryan McMahon
After years of speculation and nothing materializing, the New York Yankees have at last acquired third baseman Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies, per the New York Post's Jon Heyman. Pitching prospects Griffin Herring and Josh Grosz are headed to the Mile High City in return. They were the number eight and 21st-ranked prospects in the Yankees' farm system, per MLB.com. Given the Yankees' struggles at the third-base position over the last few years, bringing in a guy who was an All-Star in 2024 and will be much more reliable is a win. Former MLB player and current analyst Cameron Maybin certainly believes that, as he was pushing the McMahon-to-New York narrative over the last week and feels it could be a great fit for both sides. "The third baseman they need plays in Colorado...I'm telling you! Defensively more than adequate and Taylor made for the ballpark offensively," Maybin wrote on social media. Maybin went on to mention how McMahon will feel reinvigorated joining a World Series contender like the Yankees after the last six-and-a-half years of being at the bottom in Colorado. The 30-year-old is not having his best season, slugging 16 home runs and 35 RBI with a .217 average through 100 games with the Rockies, per MLB.com stats. However, he's consistently been a 20-plus home run hitter who drives in runs at a strong rate and has a large sample size of doing so. Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suarez (.252 average, 36 HRs, 86 RBI) has seemed to be No. 1 target for most teams, and for good reason, but given the Yankees' current situation and weaknesses, McMahon made more sense. Not only does he play a better third base, which New York desperately needs, but he has another two years of control after 2025, whereas Suarez would have been a rental. The acquisition cost was nothing crazy, and adding a lefty bat with some power to potentially take advantage of the short porch at Yankee Stadium is always a bonus. Some may not be satisfied until they see McMahon positively impacting the New York Yankees, but rest assured, this is a very solid pickup.
Nick Saban responds to speculation about coaching return amid NFL rumors
Shortly after former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback and current college football analyst Greg McElroy shared that someone "in the know" believes there's a possibility Nick Saban — who retired in January 2024 — might return to coaching, NFL insider Albert Breer suggested that the Dallas Cowboys could be a potential destination for the seven-time national champion. According to Mike Rodak of 247Sports, Saban was asked during a Friday appearance on Fox News if he intends to come out of retirement. "No, I'm really happy with what I'm doing right now," Saban responded. "It's exciting to still be involved in the game. It's exciting for me to work with athletic directors, conference commissioners, people in Congress to preserve the integrity of our game and continue to be able to create opportunities to help young people create value for their future that will help them be successful in their life, which is what we always try to do as a coach." Saban, now working as an ESPN analyst, will be 74 in October. Per Christian Datoc of the Washington Examiner, President Donald Trump could consider having Saban "lead a new commission examining problems arising with the growth of name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights and coinciding changes to the NCAA transfer process." Meanwhile, it's thought that Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones could look to hire a big-name candidate if first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer fails to impress during the 2025 campaign. Additionally, Fox Sports personality Colin Cowherd recently hinted that Saban could be interested in becoming the head coach of the Cleveland Browns if the team selects Texas quarterback Arch Manning as the first pick in the 2026 draft. "There is no opportunity that I know of right now that would enhance me to go back to coaching," Saban added during Friday's segment. "I enjoy what I'm doing. I did it for 50 years. I loved it. I loved the relationships with the players. I loved the competition. But it's another station of life now. I enjoy what I'm doing right now and want to continue to do it — spend more time with my family, my grandchildren, my children. It's been really, really good." The "right now" portion of Saban's comments attracted the attention of Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, who was quick to point out he did not say "no for good" regarding a return to coaching. In short, it seems that rumors about Saban's future could hover over the college and pro football communities through at least the rest of the year.
Bengals finally reach agreement with first-rounder Shemar Stewart
The Cincinnati Bengals have finally reached an agreement with first-round pick Shemar Stewart, putting an end to what became the story of the offseason for the team. Stewart, drafted 17th overall in this year's draft, has finally agreed to a four-year, fully guaranteed $18.97 million deal that includes a $10.4 million signing bonus, according to his agent Zac Hiller of LAA. Now with this deal done, every first-round pick is signed. The road to this deal was a bumpy ride. For months, negotiations between Stewart’s camp and the Bengals front office stalled due to disagreements over contract language, particularly around guarantees. The team pushed to include contract language that could void the deal under certain off-field circumstances, but since other Bengals first-round picks did not face similar terms, Stewart stood firm and refused to sign. Both sides remained firm throughout the offseason, leading to a long standoff and a lot of reports of frustration from both sides. Despite the frustration and disagreement, the Bengals and Stewart’s group continued to engage in conversations, trying to find a resolution to the issue. And finally, after weeks of back and forth and weeks of controversy surrounding what Stewart may be forced to do, both parties appear to have met in the middle and found common ground. For the Bengals, getting Stewart signed and ready for training camp is a major win. Stewart was viewed as a developmental prospect who needed plenty of on-field reps to reach his full potential. Stewart's absence from earlier camps had slowed a lot of his progress. With the contract dispute resolved, he can now focus entirely on gaining important reps and continuing his development over the coming weeks. Now with this contract done and over with, the team can put their full focus on Trey Hendrickson, who is also seeking a long term deal. If the Bengals can get a deal done with Trey before the season kicks off, they would secure their edge-rushing room for not only 2025, but for years beyond. For a team looking to go all in on making the playoffs, signing Stewart was long overdue. Now it will be vital for the team to get Stewart up to speed with the rest of the roster, and allow him to get as many reps as possible before the 2025 season begins.
Why the Toronto Maple Leafs should trade Easton Cowan now
The Toronto Maple Leafs have practically given Easton Cowan a 0% chance of making the opening night roster next season. Even with Mitch Marner gone, the additions up front have the forward corps completely jammed. Dakota Joshua, Matias Maccelli, Nic Roy, and Michael Pezzetta are the new guys. Steven Lorentz will be back, and so will Scott Laughton. Even Nick Robertson should be back, barring a trade. They’ve given Cowan no shot of making the team. He won’t play on the fourth line, and he won’t instantly be in the top-six. He’ll start the year in the AHL and could get a shot when an injury happens, but even that isn’t a guarantee. For these reasons, now is the time for the Leafs to trade their No.1 prospect. Peak value Cowan was actually seen as a reach at the draft, but he’s proven the scouting team right so far. Cowan has been dominant in the OHL and is easily the Leafs’ top prospect, as he has been for two years. He’s one of the only Leafs forward prospects with actual pedigree. His absolute peak value has likely already been reached. He would’ve been worth more last summer, coming off a 96-point campaign in his D+1. But he’s still worth a lot, especially after a dominant playoffs in 2024–25. Cowan is too good for the OHL and would’ve benefited from playing in the AHL last season. No one knows how his rookie season as a pro will go. Cowan could be overmatched against grown men and take years to develop. But that won’t help the Leafs in any way, not during their Stanley Cup window with Auston Matthews under contract. Their only goal should be success now. The chances of Cowan raising his value are super low. Unless he sets the AHL on fire, other teams aren’t going to covet him more than they do now. The most likely scenario is that he looks fine on the Marlies and looks overmatched if he gets called up. Other teams won’t like that! The Leafs don’t have a roster spot for him and can’t afford for his value to drop. The time to trade him is now. A clear need Toronto would be fine to let Cowan take as long as he needs to develop if they didn’t have such a glaring hole on the roster: a top-six winger. Maybe Cowan can be that one day, maybe not. But he can’t be that this year, and unfortunately, the Leafs don’t have time to let him grow. They need someone to play in the top-six, and Cowan is the easiest way, by far, to make that happen. There are players out there. Jason Robertson, Rickard Rakell, Bryan Rust, Jordan Kyrou, just to name a few. Cowan can’t fetch one of these guys by himself—not many prospects in the whole league could—but he can be a headliner. Brad Treliving hasn’t taken a big swing yet as the Leafs’ General Manager, but if he wants to (and he should), Cowan is the guy to move. The Pittsburgh Penguins make the most sense. They have Rust and Rakell and are the only team in the league in a full-blown rebuild. Kyle Dubas might have some hard feelings for Toronto, but Brendan Shanahan is gone. If he and Treliving want to cook up a trade together, there’s plenty of reason it could happen. A big risk There’s no doubt trading Cowan is risky. There’s a chance he’s a top-six contributor making under $1M in just a couple of years, and it would suck for Toronto to miss out on that. However, if the right trade presents itself, for one of the players listed earlier, Treliving must pull the trigger. Toronto isn’t in the business of development right now; they’re in the business of winning. Who knows how much longer their window will be open, but they have to take every chance they can to improve their NHL roster. Cowan is a great prospect, and they’ve held on to him for a reason. But with such a clear path to improvement, one that Cowan can help with, Toronto should take every opportunity to improve. That means moving on from Cowan.
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