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The Baltimore Orioles fired manager Brandon Hyde on Saturday, hoping a new leader can spark a turnaround of the most disappointing team in Major League Baseball.

Hyde, who had managed the Orioles through the end of their rebuild and helped lead them to the past two postseasons, oversaw an underwhelming start in which Baltimore went 15-28 and find itself 10½ games behind the first-place New York Yankees in the American League East.

Third-base coach Tony Mansolino will take over as interim manager, according to the team, which also fired field coordinator Tim Cossins.

“As the head of baseball operations, the poor start to our season is ultimately my responsibility,” Orioles general manager Mike Elias said in a statement. “Part of that responsibility is pursuing difficult changes in order to set a different course for the future. I want to thank Brandon for his hard work, dedication and passion all these years, and for returning the team to the playoffs and winning an AL East championship. His many positive contributions to this organization and to Baltimore will remain, and we wish he and his family the best.”

With an underperforming offense, one of baseball’s worst pitching staffs and middling defense, the Orioles have regressed in every facet of the game this season. Hyde, 51, entered the season with questions about his long-term future after Baltimore was swept out of a wild-card series against Kansas City last year. In 2023, following a season in which they won an AL-best 101 games, the Orioles were swept by the Texas Rangers in the division series.

Elias gave Hyde a vote of confidence in early May, only to see Baltimore lose 10 of its next 13 games, including the past four. Beyond shortstop Gunnar Henderson, center fielder Cedric Mullins and first baseman Ryan O’Hearn, the Orioles have received limited offensive help, and injuries to infielder Jordan Westburg and outfielder Colton Cowser tested their lineup.

The pitching in particular has been disastrous. With a thin rotation and injuries to right-handers Grayson Rodriguez and Zach Eflin, the Orioles sport a 5.33 ERA, the worst in the AL and third worst in MLB. Following the loss of ace Corbin Burnes via free agency to the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Orioles did not sufficiently backfill their rotation, even as they guaranteed more than $100 million in free agency.

Baltimore entered the offseason with more money to spend under new owner David Rubenstein but have received limited return for it. Outfielder Tyler O’Neill, who received a three-year, $49.5 million deal, is hitting .188/.280/.325. Charlie Morton, who got $15 million for one year, is 0-7 with an 8.35 ERA. Catcher Gary Sanchez (one year, $8.5 million) has spent the past three weeks on the injured list, where reliever Andrew Kittredge (one year, $10 million) has been the entire season. Only right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano, who signed for one year and $13 million, has been productive.

“As is sometimes the case in baseball, change becomes necessary,” Rubenstein said, “and we believe this is one of those moments.”

Hyde was hired in 2019, when the Orioles were in the second year of a teardown that saw them lose at least 108 games in three consecutive full seasons. The arrival of catcher Adley Rutschman and Henderson in 2022 turned around Baltimore’s fortunes. Their 101-win season, along with a promising core of position players, portended a bright future.

Baltimore stalled out in 2024, winning 91 games, and lost Burnes and slugger Anthony Santander to division rival Toronto. Although top prospect Jackson Holliday has shown signs of developing into a solid every-day regular, outfielder Heston Kjerstad and third baseman Coby Mayo have yet to find their big league footing.

Mansolino, 42, managed at four levels of the minor leagues before joining Cleveland‘s coaching staff in 2019. The Orioles hired him as third-base coach before the 2021 season.

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Canucks, Boeser agree on new seven-year deal

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Canucks, Boeser agree on new seven-year deal

The Vancouver Canucks have come to terms with forward Brock Boeser on a new seven-year contract, carrying a $7.25 million AAV.

Canucks GM Patrik Allvin announced the deal on Tuesday during the first hour of NHL free agency. Boeser, 28, was an unrestricted free agent on a previously expiring contract.

Drafted by Vancouver 23rd overall in the 2015 NHL draft, Boeser has collected 204 goals and 434 points in 554 games with the Canucks to date. A top-six scoring threat, Boeser has elite playmaking skills and the potential to produce big numbers offensively. He had his best year offensively in 2023-24, producing 40 goals and 73 points in 81 games.

Boeser didn’t hit those marks again last season — settling for 25 goals and 50 points in 75 games — but was still second amongst teammates in output. He also plays a prominent role on Vancouver’s power play and when he can generate opportunities at 5-on-5, he is a true difference-maker up front for the Canucks.

The extension is a happy ending for Vancouver and Boeser. When the regular season ended, Boeser admitted “it’s tough to say” whether he’d be back with the Canucks. Boeser reportedly turned down a previous five-year extension offer with the club and Allvin subsequently looked into deals for him at the March trade deadline, with no takers. Boeser looked — and sounded — poised to explore his options on the open market.

Ultimately, Boeser decided to stay put by committing the best years of his career to the Canucks.

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Jake Allen agrees to 5-year deal with the Devils

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Jake Allen agrees to 5-year deal with the Devils

Jake Allen, one of the top goaltenders available entering free agency, is not heading to the market after agreeing to a five-year deal with the New Jersey Devils, sources told ESPN on Tuesday.

Allen’s average annual value on the deal is $1.8 million, sources told ESPN. That AAV allows the Devils to run back the same goaltending tandem for next season.

Jacob Markstrom has one year remaining on his contract for $4.125 million. Nico Daws is also under contract for next season, before becoming a restricted free agent next summer.

Several teams were interested in the 34-year-old veteran, whom sources said could have made more money on the open market. However, the deal with the Devils gives Allen long-term security. Allen has played for the Blues, Canadiens and Devils over his 12-year-career. He has started in 436 career games.

Last season, Allen started 29 games for the Devils, going 13-16-1 with a .906 save percentage, 2.66 GAA and four shutouts.

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Capitals sign Fehervary to 7-year, $42M extension

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Capitals sign Fehervary to 7-year, M extension

Washington Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary signed a seven-year extension through the 2032-33 season that is worth $6 million annually, the team announced Tuesday.

Fehervary, who had one year of team control remaining, will enter the final season of a three-year bridge deal that will see him make $2.675 million before his new contract begins at the start of the 2026-27 season.

He finished the season with five goals and a career-high 25 points while logging 19 minutes. Fehervary also played a crucial role in the Capitals’ penalty kill by finishing with 245 short-handed minutes for a penalty kill that was fifth in the NHL with an 82% success rate.

Securing the 25-year-old Fehervary to a long-term deal means the Capitals now have seven players who have more than three years remaining on their current contracts.

It also means the Capitals front office has one less decision to make ahead of what is expected to be an active offseason in 2026 that will see the club have what PuckPedia projects to be $39.25 million in cap space.

That’s also the same offseason in which captain and NHL all-time leading goal scorer Alex Ovechkin‘s contract will come off their books along with that of defenseman John Carlson.

But until then, the Capitals have their entire top-six defensive unit under contract as they seek to improve upon a 2024-25 season that saw them finish atop the Metropolitan Division with 111 points before they lost in the Eastern Conference semifinal to the Carolina Hurricanes in five games.

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