Kim Ng's new softball gig, plus the Cubs' third-base conundrum
The Windup Newsletter ⚾ | This is The Athletic's MLB newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Windup directly in your inbox.
Hope everyone had a great Jackie Robinson Day!
In today's Windup: The Cubs hit pause on their third-base experiment, and Bryce Harper did a … thing? Also, Ken examines the future of Cedric Mullins in Baltimore, and we lead with news on what's next for Kim Ng. I'm Levi Weaver, here with Ken Rosenthal. Welcome to The Windup!
Kim Ng has long been a trailblazer: youngest assistant MLB GM (1998), first woman to interview for a GM job (2005) and the first female GM of any major professional men's sports team in North America when she took the job with the Marlins (November 2020). By 2023, Miami had made its first (full-season) playoff appearance in 20 years.
Advertisement
Ng was not around for the 2024 season. The Marlins wanted to hire a president of baseball operations who would rank above her. She had differences of opinion with owner Bruce Sherman, and she hadn't been offered a multiyear extension. Rather than stay in a GM role with reduced influence, Ng, 56, walked away from the job and (though we didn't know it at the time) baseball.
So what's she up to now?
Ng will be the commissioner of the Athletes Unlimited softball league. It's not AU's first foray into softball, but 2025 will be the first year with set rosters and an impressive roster of coaches, including Lisa Fernandez, Jennie Finch, Jessica Mendoza, Cat Osterman and Natasha Watley.
This season will be a tour, as each team plays 24 games in 12 cities, with an eye toward determining which might be good permanent homes for a league softball team in the future.
With the popularity of women's sports on the rise, it seems the timing is right for such a league. With Ng at the helm, I think the odds of success have just gone up exponentially.
From my latest story:
The ovation at the home opener caught him by surprise.
Cedric Mullins lined up behind the center-field wall at Camden Yards, waiting to be introduced for his ceremonial jog down the orange carpet, trying to lock in for the game. When his name was called — 'batting seventh, in his eighth season with the Orioles' — he almost didn't realize the crowd's exuberant reaction was for him.
'I definitely felt the love from Baltimore,' Mullins said.
For his status as the longest-tenured Oriole. For his perseverance through early struggles and Crohn's disease. For his role in restoring the franchise to prominence. And for the memories he has created in maintaining the Orioles' rich tradition of center fielders.
Advertisement
Many in the sellout crowd also were savvy enough to recognize that the 2025 season quite possibly will be the last for Mullins in Baltimore, the final chapter for a speedy 13th-round pick who developed into an All-Star, Silver Slugger and highlight-reel center fielder.
Mullins, 30, is eligible for free agency at the end of the season. His agent, Robin Cope, says the Orioles have not initiated talks about an extension, adding, 'I wish they would. He wishes they would.' Mullins, though, seems destined to meet the same fate as Austin Hays and Anthony Santander, two other longtime Orioles outfielders who were pushed out within the last year by younger talent.
The Orioles, unless they fall out of contention, would appear unlikely to treat Mullins the way they did Hays, whom they traded to the Philadelphia Phillies at last year's deadline in a deal that brought them reliever Seranthony Domínguez. More likely, they will take the same approach with Mullins that they did with Santander, making him a qualifying offer and then losing him to free agency.
Santander's heavily deferred five-year, $92.5 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays netted the Orioles the 31st pick in the draft, on top of the 30th choice they received as compensation for right-hander Corbin Burnes and their predetermined first-round selection at No. 19. Such picks are gold for the Orioles, who draft exceedingly well and, even under new ownership, will take their payroll only so far while playing in the game's fifth smallest television market.
Orioles general manager Mike Elias declined to comment on what the future for Mullins might bring. Most of the extension talk with the team revolves around younger players. And one look at the club's organization depth chart reveals why Mullins might be expendable.
Colton Cowser, the fifth pick in 2021, looms as a potential replacement in center field. Enrique Bradfield, the 17th pick in 2023 and No. 82 prospect in the game, according to The Athletic's Keith Law, might be ready for center by 2026. Mullins, in theory, could move to a corner-outfield spot, particularly if Tyler O'Neill opts out after one season. But the Orioles still might prefer other options.
More here.
After the Cubs traded Isaac Paredes to the Astros and Alex Bregman spurned them for the Red Sox, the big question became: 'Is Matt Shaw ready for this?'
Shaw, 23 years old and the Cubs' first-round pick in the 2023 draft, didn't exactly answer the question definitively this spring, hitting .208/.296/.250 (.546 OPS). But the Cubs gave it a go; Shaw was the Opening Day third baseman.
Advertisement
Eighteen games later, they're pulling the plug on the experiment (for now). Shaw was hitting just .172 (.536 OPS) in 68 plate appearances, and he has been optioned to Triple A.
So, who will play third base now?
The roster moves weren't limited to Shaw, by the way. After Nate Pearson and Eli Morgan combined to give up seven runs in a combined one inning of work on Monday night, both have been given a little timeout — Pearson was sent to Triple A and Morgan to the IL with an elbow impingement. Luke Little and Daniel Palencia were recalled from Iowa to take their place.
I will start this section with a caveat: I do not enjoy gender reveals. This may be the most Old Man Opinion™️ I have (it's either this or frowning upon coffee orders that take more than three words).
So I'm a little biased.
Anyway, here's what happened. Bryce Harper and his wife Kayla are expecting their fourth child soon, and this scene took place in the first inning Monday night:
Prior to the Phillies' game against the San Francisco Giants, Harper had equipment manufacturer Victus Sports deliver one pink and one blue bat to Citizens Bank Park. Harper then asked (Trea) Turner to have the honor of breaking the news by handing him the pink bat for a baby girl or the blue bat for a boy before his first plate appearance.
Turner, ever one for a good baseball prank, tried to throw Harper off by picking up the pink bat first before handing Harper the blue one.
For what it's worth, Turner doubled ahead of Harper, who struck out swinging. I'm sure there will be some old-school grumps who will say something like, 'Doing that in the middle of the game took Harper's focus away from his at-bat.'
I do not share that particular Old Man Opinion™️. I just don't like them as a concept. If you do, feel free to sound off on whether this was a cool one or not. At least it didn't start a fire.
Yesterday, we told you that Aaron Judge would be Team USA's captain in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. It now appears Fernando Tatis Jr. will be making his WBC debut for the Dominican Republic.
Speaking of Judge, he responded to Juan Soto's claim that he's being pitched differently now that the slugger isn't hitting behind him in the lineup. Judge's take? 'He's going to be just fine.'
Advertisement
Between two elbow surgeries and a life-threatening torn esophagus, Dustin May was away from a big-league mound for 22 months. He's back, and he looks … great?
Last night's Tigers-Brewers game featured a play I've never seen before in all my days watching baseball: First baseman Spencer Torkelson's throw to second hit Brice Turang in the shoulder … and they still got the out.
Well that's one of the wackiest plays I've ever seen to get an out and an RBI
4-0 MIL B7 pic.twitter.com/zfVuVg1Slq
— Dominic Cotroneo (@Dom_Cotroneo) April 16, 2025
Speaking of things I've never seen before: The Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes scored three runs on a bases-loaded walk. No, really.
Yankee for a day? Brendan Kuty tells us about the one day Bobby Witt Jr. spent in a Yankees cap. Meanwhile, the 2025 Yankees are glad to have Clarke Schmidt back.
Dodgers starter Tyler Glasnow is on 'Starkville' this week talking about the Dodgers' culture, his free-agent pitch to players, watching Clayton Kershaw as a kid and more.
The Twins were already off to a pretty brutal start. Now everyone is getting hurt. Carlos Correa and Matt Wallner are the latest, and in Triple A, Jose Miranda strained his hand … grocery shopping.
The Savannah Bananas are coming to a TV near you — ESPN will broadcast some of their games.
Most-clicked in our last newsletter: Chad Jennings' exploration of what Team USA's dream team could look like for the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
📫 Love The Windup? Check out The Athletic's other newsletters.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
30 minutes ago
- Newsweek
MLB Could Limit Playoff Viewers With Apple TV+ Deal: Report
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Major League Baseball is enjoying strong growth this year, though a major aspect of the near future is in doubt. After ESPN announced it would be ending its partnership with MLB three years early, questions about how commissioner Rob Manfred would make up that revenue going forward have risen. "Major League Baseball is off to its best start in years," according to Lucas Shaw and Hannah Miller of Bloomberg, who reported that ESPN, TBS and Fox are all enjoying double-digit viewership lifts this year, while game attendance hit a seven-year high in 2024. "And yet, the league is scrambling to find a buyer for a major TV package that includes 30 regular season games, the Home Run Derby, the Wild Card playoff round and up to 10 spring training games." Without ESPN, MLB is left to scramble for a new partner to broadcast some of its most popular events, particularly the wild card playoff round. And it might have found that new partner in a broadcaster whose reach is not nearly as wide as ESPN's. NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 11: Rob Manfred, Commissioner, Major League Baseball speaks onstage during the Growing the Game panel, at the Fortune Global Forum on November 11, 2024 in New York City. (Photo... NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 11: Rob Manfred, Commissioner, Major League Baseball speaks onstage during the Growing the Game panel, at the Fortune Global Forum on November 11, 2024 in New York City. (Photo byfor Fortune Media) More Countess/Getty "Major League Baseball is close to announcing a new TV deal for the package that ESPN opted out of from 2026-2028, and a source indicates that Apple TV+ is currently the highest bidder," per Boston Red Sox reporter Sean McAdam of MassLive. "Baseball is, like most sports, out to make a deal for the most revenue possible, but if MLB puts an entire round of its postseason on a streaming service with just 45 million subscribers, it deserves all the grief it's going to catch." MLB and Apple TV+ recently partnered on a "Friday Night Baseball" package that gives the streamer exclusive rights to high-profile matchups each week. Those broadcasts can frustrate fans of the involved teams as they require a subscription to watch. But as Manfred seeks a profitable replacement for ESPN, he seems likely to move the package to whichever partner makes the highest offer. Soon, that could mean some of baseball fans' favorite moments will require a new subscription. More MLB: Phillies 'Bench Bat' Becomes One of Team's Best Pitchers Amid Downward Skid
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Are the Cardinals this season's plot twist? Plus: Boston rookie brought the spice
The Windup Newsletter ⚾ | This is The Athletic's MLB newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Windup directly in your inbox. Are the Cardinals this year's plot twist? Plus: Ken dives into the Roman Anthony conundrum in Boston, where the Red Sox just took two of three from the Yankees. And if you're looking for an underdog, I found him: He's in Detroit. I'm Levi Weaver, here with Ken Rosenthal. Welcome to The Windup! I think the MLB season is more or less a theater show. It's never quite the same, but every year, some familiar roles are recast. Here's who's playing whom this year: There are the stars of the show (Tigers, Dodgers, Yankees, Mets, Cubs, Padres), the What Happened ensemble (Orioles, Rangers, Red Sox, Diamondbacks and the Braves), the 'Hmmm, as I suspected: bad' chorus (Rockies, White Sox, Pirates, et al.), and then, there's everyone's favorite character: the Plot Twist. Advertisement By nature, plot twists are hard to identify less than halfway through the show. Remember last year, when the Pirates started the season 9-2? Had a winning record on Aug. 4? They almost had me. (In the end, it was the Tigers and Royals.) But this year … man, I'm starting to think it might be the Cardinals. After taking two of three from the Dodgers over the weekend, they're four games back in the NL Central, at 36-29 — the same record as the AL West-leading Houston Astros. So, are they for real? Hard to say. Going into last night's 7-3 loss to the Dodgers, they had scored 298 runs — seventh-best in the league. But everything else has been pretty aggressively average: Defensively, they were tied for 14th with 11 Defensive Runs saved, and their pitchers had allowed 266 runs allowed (also 14th). That rotation could get a boost soon, though, if they can find space for 24-year-old prospect Michael McGreevy, who showed some encouraging signs in his spot start against the Dodgers. As for the rest? We'll just have to keep watching, I guess. That's what makes the play so good. More Cardinals: Before Sunday's finale, the St. Louis played video of Matt Adams' home run off Clayton Kershaw in Game 4 of the 2014 NLDS. Kershaw said he thought it was 'bush league.' (He also picked up his first win of the year.) A few additional points to the column I wrote Sunday about the need for the Boston Red Sox to bring top prospect Roman Anthony to the majors: Did the Red Sox reward Campbell for agreeing to a potentially below-market contract? Did they effectively punish Anthony and infielder Marcelo Mayer for declining to do the same? No one can say for sure, particularly when the Sox were high on Campbell all spring and had more of a need at second base for him than in the outfield for Anthony or left side of the infield for Mayer. Still, player representatives often grow suspicious when teams make decisions clouded by financial implications. And Campbell wouldn't be the first whose debut appeared tied to his willingness to sign a pre-arbitration deal. NCAA athletes have gained control of their name, image and likeness rights and earning power. How is it that major-league teams still effectively control players for the first six years of their careers, and under a system that remains subject to manipulation, no less? The answer, of course, lies in the rules outlined in the sport's collective bargaining agreement. While players are free to market themselves the same way NCAA athletes do, they cannot bounce from club to club in search of better situations. The 2022 CBA struck a blow against service-time manipulation, awarding additional picks in the amateur draft to teams that keep rookies on their rosters long enough for the players to gain a full year of service. But service-time manipulation, while explicitly prohibited by the CBA, is difficult to prove. Forms of it still exist and always will, as long as baseball uses a tiered economic system based on a player's service. Could it be, though, that they want to ensure he does not finish first or second in the AL Rookie of the Year voting, thus depriving him of gaining a full year of service and keeping him in Boston for an extra season? That also seems doubtful. Even if the possibility of Anthony winning Rookie of the Year was part of the initial equation for the Red Sox, it shouldn't have been. As stated in the column, the Sox are a big-market team. They need not fret over service-time considerations. They could always sign Anthony to an extension. At this point, it's probably too late for Anthony to win Rookie of the Year, anyway. Paul Skenes captured the NL award last season after debuting on May 11. Anthony would be getting started nearly a month later, and Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson is the clear front-runner for the award. Again, here's the column. Speaking of those Boston Red Sox … The vitriol isn't what it once was, but they butted heads with their division rivals over the weekend, and we did get at least one good quote: Red Sox rookie Hunter Dobbins, 25, said if the Yankees were the last team to offer him a contract, he'd retire. Whoa. Way to make it interesting again, kid. Advertisement The Yankees took the first game by getting revenge on the guy who threw the last pitch of the World Series. Walker Buehler only lasted two innings Friday night, allowing seven runs (five earned) as the Yankees cruised to a 9-6 win. Saturday, the Sox struck back, winning 10-7 to overcome Garrett Crochet's worst outing this year. Then last night, Aaron Judge's 22nd and 23rd home runs went to waste — it was Carlos Rodón's turn to have his first dud. Boston scored five runs in the sixth inning and five different Red Sox homered en route to an 11-7 Boston win. Oh, and the winning pitcher? Dobbins! He backed it up! The 32-35 Red Sox are still 6 1/2 games behind the Yankees, with the Rays and Blue Jays between them. It's not great in Boston, but the 39-25 Yankees missed an opportunity to make it much worse. A really cool moment happened Friday. With the Tigers clinging to a one-run lead over the Cubs in the eighth inning, manager A.J. Hinch decided to pinch hit for right fielder Kerry Carpenter. The new hitter? Jahmai Jones, whose big-league experience consisted of 69 games for four teams — the Angels, Orioles, Brewers and Yankees — since his 2020 debut. On the first pitch he saw from Génesis Cabrera, Jones swung hard and sent a hanging breaking ball soaring over the left-field wall. In Detroit, which is significant. See, Jahmai's dad Andre played for the Detroit Lions in 1992. So did Jahmai's brother T.J., from 2015-2018. But Andre didn't get to see either of them carry on his Motor City tradition. He died in 2011 of a brain aneurysm at just 42 years old. Cody Stavenhagen has the full story here. It's enough to make you root for the 27-year-old Jones, even if this is the first you're hearing about him. Oh by the way, Jones pinch-hit in the eighth inning again Saturday and singled. His pre-Tigers batting average? .198. As a Tiger, though — he's batting 1.000 so far. If you're the sort of baseball fan who needs an underdog to root for, Jones is my nomination. Trending up: the Blue Jays (8-2 in their last 10 games). Mitch Bannon explains what is going so right lately. Trending down: the Phillies (1-9 in their last 10, swept by the Pirates over the weekend). Bryce Harper (wrist) is on the IL, and Matt Gelb explains what (else) is going so wrong lately. It's official: Corbin Burnes is having Tommy John surgery. Ken says the implications go well beyond just the 2025 Diamondbacks. Juan Soto reached base six times yesterday. His OBP is up to .384, 15th in the majors. The (second) Craig Kimbrel era in Atlanta is over. After one day. Pete Alonso's new game-planning routine has been at the center of his big year, says WIll Sammon. Looking for the key to the Cubs' success? Don't overlook Kyle Tucker's 'aura,' but a resurgent Matt Shaw hasn't hurt, either. (Check back after the deadline to see if 'pitching' is added to this list.) 📫 Love The Windup? Check out The Athletic's other newsletters.
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Former Vols by the numbers in 2025 MLB Week 11
Former Vols by the numbers in 2025 MLB Week 11 Week 11 of the 2025 MLB season has came to an end. Three former Vols began the week in MLB: Jordan Beck (Colorado), Garrett Crochet (Boston) and Seth Halvorsen (Colorado). Chase Dollander made his return to Colorado after being placed on the 15-day injured list May 22, retroactive to May 19, due to right forearm tightness. Crochet played for Tennessee from 2018-20 and was selected by the White Sox in the 2020 MLB draft (No. 11 overall). He was traded to the Red Sox following the 2024 season. Beck was drafted by Colorado (No. 38 overall) in 2022 and played for the Vols from 2020-22. Halvorsen was selected by the Rockies in 2023 during the seventh round (No. 202 overall) after playing at Tennessee from 2022-23. Dollander was also drafted by the Rockies in 2023 with the No. 9 overall pick. Below are performances from former Vols during Week 11 of the 2025 MLB season. Jordan Beck Beck hit an infield single in the third inning and a RBI single in the fifth inning during the Rockies' second win over Miami June 3. He hit a RBI ground rule double to record a series-sweep against the Marlins on June 4. Beck opened a weekend series against the Mets with one walk and one single on June 6. He singled in his first two plate appearances on June 7. Beck ended the series with a pair of RBI doubles and scored one run on Sunday. Chase Dollander Dollander pitched three innings in his return against the Marlins on June 3. He recorded one strikeout, while allowing two hits, two runs and three walks. Dollander earned his sixth loss in 2025 on June 8. He pitched three innings, allowing eight hits, five runs and one walk to the Mets. Garrett Crochet Crochet earned his sixth win in 2025 at the Yankees. He recorded nine strikeouts and allowed six hits, five runs and one walk. Three strikeouts were against two-time AL MVP right fielder Aaron Judge. More: Garrett Crochet strikes out Aaron Judge three times at Yankee Stadium Seth Halvorsen Halvorsen opened Week 11 with one strikeout in the eighth inning during Colorado's win at Miami June 2. He recorded his third save in 2025 on June 3, a 15-pitch ninth inning. Halvorsen pitched the seventh inning in the Rockies', 13-5, loss to the Mets on Sunday. He struck out two batters and allowed three hits and two runs. Follow Vols Wire on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).
