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SUNRISE, Fla. — So far in these playoffs, nobody on the Florida Panthers roster has collected more points than Brad Marchand and no skater has logged more ice time than Seth Jones. Meet the latest examples of Bill Zito pushing all the right buttons.

The Panthers’ general manager and president of hockey operations made perhaps the biggest splashes at the NHL trade deadline, landing Marchand from Boston and Jones from Chicago with hopes of giving the defending Stanley Cup champions their best possible chance at winning the title again this year.

It’s obvious that the moves were the right ones. Marchand has 12 points so far in the playoffs, tied with Eetu Luostarinen for the team lead. Jones had the first goal in Florida’s 6-1 win at Toronto in Game 7 of that Eastern Conference semifinals series Sunday night. And on Tuesday night, when the Panthers take on the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 1 of the East finals, Marchand and Jones will be a featured part of the Florida attack.

“On the ice, they’ve been, shall I say, as advertised,” Zito said.

Few would have thought pulling off such moves was possible. Jones had five years left on his Chicago contract, and even with the Blackhawks retaining 26% it still means that Florida has committed about $35 million to the defenseman.

In the short term, it helped that the Panthers were able to gain some salary cap space when defenseman Aaron Ekblad was suspended 20 games without pay for violating the terms of the NHL/NHLPA performance enhancing substances program. Ekblad’s $7.5 million salary did not count against the salary cap while he was suspended. And now, in the postseason, where there are no cap restrictions on NHL rosters, Jones and Ekblad, two elite defensemen, are both in the lineup.

Marchand, meanwhile, had spent his career in Boston, a rival of Florida’s, and it’s reasonable to think that the Bruins weren’t clamoring to help the Panthers this spring.

Jones and Marchand were made to feel like lifetime Panthers from day one. Zito insisted that would be the case.

“One of the main things that surprised me was it’s easy to be complacent, especially after they won a Cup and I wasn’t sure how that was going to feel, but coming in you can just feel the drive to win another one and just be better every single day,” Jones said. “And that’s individually, each guy, all the way from our best players, our first-liners to our fourth-liners. Every guy wants to get better and learn and play for one another so It’s awesome to be a part of.”

Zito didn’t just get Marchand and Jones because they’re big names and big-time players who would lead to splashy headlines. The Panthers had specific needs as the season progressed and penalty killing was identified as the top priority.

Zito went to work. The result: a third straight trip to the Eastern Conference finals, four wins away from a third straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final.

“You credit Bill Zito and his group,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. “We went into the trade deadline feeling that was the place that we need to get better. Again, we lost some important killers from our team last year. And he delivered.”

But this is what Zito does — and has done since he was hired by the Panthers in 2020. He was at the Panthers’ championship parade last June, in a tremendous downpour with thunder and lightning, knowing that his roster was going to change in less than 24 hours. Some players were leaving. He had some candidates to replace them in mind. Cap space was at a premium. The deals he was about to strike had to work, or else the chances of defending the title would take a big hit.

So far, so good. He signed Nate Schmidt, a defenseman who has become a big part of the Panthers’ core. He signed A.J. Greer, who had a team-best seven hits in Game 7 at Toronto (along with Sam Bennett). He signed Tomas Nosek, who had a huge part in the rally from 3-1 down in Game 3 against Toronto that probably saved the series. And he did all that while figuring out how to give players such as Sam Reinhart, Dmitry Kulikov, Anton Lundell extensions last summer and then another to Carter Verhaeghe last fall.

Those are just some of the moves over the most recent few months of Zito’s body of work, which also includes things such as landing Matthew Tkachuk from Calgary, luring Maurice out of what might be best described as semi-retirement and locking up captain Aleksander Barkov on a deal that could keep him in Florida for the entirety of his career. The result is a club that is sound defensively, potent offensively and as deep as any.

“We just weren’t on the same page, and [the Panthers] get a couple goals, and momentum like that, and then you’re chasing the game,” Toronto captain Auston Matthews said Sunday night. “And it’s hard to get it back, when you’re down three against a good team that plays sound defensively like them.”

Zito has been a GM of the year candidate before and should be a strong — if not the strongest — candidate again this year. But he is also quick to insist that it is a collective effort; yes, he oversees it, but he has empowered people in the organization to state their case loudly on certain moves before he makes the ultimate decisions.

“We rely significantly on the scouts, on the analytics guys to identify players, and then we try to find ways to fit pieces into the puzzle,” Zito said. “And it’s not always the most expensive or the least expensive. It’s the best fit. It’s the best fit for that part. And our guys have done a fantastic job of identifying people who would be a fit, and also at a price point that we think we can get them in.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Nats seek ‘fresh approach,’ fire Martinez, Rizzo

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Nats seek 'fresh approach,' fire Martinez, Rizzo

The last-place Washington Nationals fired president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo and manager Davey Martinez, the team announced Sunday.

Rizzo, 64, and Martinez, 60, won a World Series with the Nationals in 2019, but the team has floundered in recent years. This season, the Nationals are 37-53 and stuck at the bottom of the National League East after getting swept by the Boston Red Sox this weekend at home. Washington hasn’t finished higher than fourth in the division since winning the World Series.

“On behalf of our family and the Washington Nationals organization, I first and foremost want to thank Mike and Davey for their contributions to our franchise and our city,” principal owner Mark Lerner said in a statement. “Our family is eternally grateful for their years of dedication to the organization, including their roles in bringing a World Series trophy to Washington, D.C.

“While we are appreciative of their past successes, the on-field performance has not been where we or our fans expect it to be. This is a pivotal time for our club, and we believe a fresh approach and new energy is the best course of action for our team moving forward.”

Mike DeBartolo, the club’s senior vice president and assistant general manager, was named interim GM on Sunday night. DeBartolo will oversee all aspects of baseball operations, including the MLB draft. An announcement will be made on the interim manager Monday, a day before the club begins a series against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Rizzo has been the top decision-maker in Washington since 2013, and Martinez has been on board since 2018. Under Rizzo’s leadership, the team made the postseason four times: in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2019. The latter season was Martinez’s lone playoff appearance.

“When our family assumed control of the team, nearly 20 years ago, Mike was the first hire we made,” Lerner said. “Over two decades, he was with us as we went from a fledging team in a new city to World Series champion. Mike helped make us who we are as an organization, and we’re so thankful to him for his hard work and dedication — not just on the field and in the front office, but in the community as well.”

The Nationals are in the midst of a rebuild that has moved slower than expected, though the team didn’t augment its young core much during the winter. Led by All-Stars James Wood and MacKenzie Gore, Washington has the second-youngest group of hitters in MLB and the sixth-youngest pitching staff.

The team lost 11 straight games in a forgettable stretch last month. And during a 2-10 run in June, Washington averaged just 2.5 runs. Since June 1, the Nationals have scored one run or been shut out seven times. In Sunday’s 6-4 loss to Boston, they left 15 runners on base.

There was industry speculation over the winter that the Nationals would spend money on free agents for the first time in several years, but that never materialized. Instead, the team made minor moves, signing free agents Josh Bell and Michael Soroka, trading for first baseman Nathaniel Lowe and re-signing closer Kyle Finnegan. Now, the hope is a new management team, both on and off the field, can help change the franchise’s fortunes.

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Kershaw gets special ASG invite; no Soto, Betts

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Kershaw gets special ASG invite; no Soto, Betts

The rosters for the 2025 MLB All-Star Game will feature 19 first-timers — and one legend — as the pitchers and reserves were announced Sunday for the July 15 contest at Truist Park in Atlanta.

Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw, a three-time Cy Young Award winner who made his first All-Star team in 2011, was named to his 11th National League roster as a special commissioner’s selection.

Kershaw, who became only the fourth left-hander to amass 3,000 career strikeouts, is 4-0 with a 3.43 ERA in nine starts after beginning the season on the injured list. He joins Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera as a legend choice, after the pair of sluggers were selected in 2022.

Kershaw said he didn’t want to discuss the selection Sunday.

Among the first-time All-Stars announced Sunday: Dodgers teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto; Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood and left-hander MacKenzie Gore; Houston Astros ace Hunter Brown and shortstop Jeremy Pena; and Chicago Cubs 34-year-old left-hander Matthew Boyd.

“It’ll just be cool being around some of the best players in the game,” Wood said.

First-time All-Stars previously elected to start by the fans include Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson, Baltimore Orioles designated hitter Ryan O’Hearn and Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong.

Overall, the 19 first-time All-Stars is a drop from the 32 first-time selections on the initial rosters in 2024.

Kershaw would be the sentimental choice to start for the National League, although Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes, who leads NL pitchers in ERA and WAR, might be in line to start his second straight contest. Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Zack Wheeler, a three-time All-Star, is 9-3 with a 2.17 ERA after Sunday’s complete-game victory and also would be a strong candidate to start.

“I think it would be stupid to say no to that. It’s a pretty cool opportunity,” Skenes said about the possibility of being asked to start by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “I didn’t make plans over the All-Star break or anything. So, yeah, I’m super stoked.”

Kershaw has made one All-Star start in his career, in 2022 at Dodger Stadium.

Among standout players not selected were New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto, who signed a $765 million contract as a free agent in the offseason, and Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts, who had made eight consecutive All-Star rosters since 2016.

Soto got off to a slow start but was the National League Player of the Month in June and entered Sunday ranked sixth in the NL in WAR among position players while ranking second in OBP, eighth in OPS and third in runs scored.

The players vote for the reserves at each position and selected Wood, Corbin Carroll of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres as the backup outfielders. Kyle Stowers also made it as a backup outfielder as the representative for the Miami Marlins.

Unless Soto later is added as an injury replacement, he’ll miss his first All-Star Game since his first full season in 2019.

The Dodgers lead all teams with five representatives: Kershaw, Yamamoto and starters Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Will Smith. The AL-leading Detroit Tigers (57-34) and Mariners have four each.

Tigers ace Tarik Skubal will join AL starters Riley Greene, Gleyber Torres and Javier Baez, while Raleigh, the AL’s starting catcher, will be joined by Seattle teammates Bryan Woo, Andres Munoz and Julio Rodriguez.

Earning his fifth career selection but first since 2021 is Texas Rangers righty Jacob deGrom, who is finally healthy after making only nine starts in his first two seasons with the Rangers and is 9-2 with a 2.13 ERA. He has never started an All-Star Game, although Skubal or Brown would be the favorite to start for the AL.

The hometown Braves will have three All-Stars in Acuna, pitcher Chris Sale (his ninth selection, tied with Freeman for the second most behind Kershaw) and first baseman Matt Olson. The San Francisco Giants had three pitchers selected: Logan Webb, Robbie Ray and reliever Randy Rodriguez.

The slumping New York Yankees ended up with three All-Stars: Aaron Judge, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Max Fried. The Mets also earned three All-Star selections: Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz.

“Red carpet, that’s my thing,” Chisholm said. “I do have a ‘fit in mind.”

Rosters are expanded from 26 to 32 for the All-Star Game. They include starters elected by fans, 17 players (five starting pitchers, three relievers and a backup for each position) chosen in a player vote and six players (four pitchers and two position players) selected by league officials. Every club must be represented.

Acuna, Wood and Raleigh are the three All-Stars who have so far committed to participating in the Home Run Derby.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Bellinger rescues Yankees to avoid Subway sweep

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Bellinger rescues Yankees to avoid Subway sweep

NEW YORK — The New York Yankees were seemingly in deep trouble Sunday when Juan Soto cracked a pitch to left field in the seventh inning.

The New York Mets, down two runs, were cooking up a rally with no outs. Francisco Lindor stood at first base, Pete Alonso loomed on deck, and Brandon Nimmo was in the hole. This was the heart of the Mets’ potent lineup. Given the Yankees’ recent woes, fumbling their two-run lead and suffering a Subway Series sweep at the hands of their neighbors — and a seventh straight loss — seemed almost fated.

Then Cody Bellinger charged Soto’s sinking 105 mph line drive, made a shoestring catch and fired a strike to first base for an improbable double play to secure a skid-snapping 6-4 win — and perhaps rescue the Yankees from another dreadful outcome.

“Considering the context of this week and everything,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said, “that’s probably our play of the year so far.”

Soto’s line drive off Mark Leiter Jr. had a 10% catch probability, according to Statcast, but Bellinger, a plus defender at multiple positions who started at first base Saturday, was just able to snatch it before it touched the grass. Certain that he caught it clean, he made an 89.9 mph toss that reached first baseman Paul Goldschmidt on a line, over Lindor, who didn’t slide into the bag.

“I saw it in the air and had a really good beat on it,” said Bellinger, who went 2-for-3 with a double and a walk at the plate.

The Mets challenged the catch, but the call stood.

“That was incredible,” said Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge, who swatted his 33rd home run of the season in the fifth inning. “I’ve never seen something like that on the field.”

For the past week, a stretch Boone described as “terrible” for his ballclub, poor defense has been an issue for the Yankees. Physical errors. Mental lapses. Near disasters. The sloppiness helped sink a depleted pitching staff, more than offsetting the offense’s strong production.

That combination produced the team’s second six-game losing streak in three weeks and a three-game deficit in the American League East standings behind the first-place Toronto Blue Jays.

The surging Blue Jays won again Sunday to extend their winning streak to seven games and keep their division lead at three games, but Bellinger’s glove and arm ensured it didn’t grow to four.

“That was an unbelievable play,” Goldschmidt said. “Amazing catch and absolute cannon to me at first. To make that play was a game-changing play and potentially game-winning play for us today. And we needed it.”

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