The Evening Brief: Manager deals done; playoff chaos arrives

The managerial carousel stopped turning on Tuesday, September 22, when the Mets and Red Sox both signed their interim leaders to three-year deals. Andy Green, 49, accepted the Mets' full-time job after compiling a 37-38 interim record since late June, when Carlos Mendoza was fired with the team at 34-47. The Mets finished 71-85 overall but went 31-28 after the All-Star break, stabilizing a season that had fractured early. In Boston, Chad Tracy, 41, earned a three-year deal through 2029 with a 2030 option after taking over in June when Alex Cora and five coaches were dismissed following a 10-17 start. Tracy compiled a 74-55 record since then and led the Red Sox to clinch a postseason berth on Sunday; the team stands 84-72 entering the final week and sits almost certain to face the Yankees in a Wild Card Series for the second consecutive year. Both organizations simultaneously locked their front office leaders into partnership: the Mets' and Red Sox's moves bind their managerial and general manager futures together for four years beyond 2026, tying near-term success directly to the continuity those partnerships promise.

That promise faces its first test in a final week compressed by weather and elimination math. The Orioles kept themselves alive on Wednesday by holding off the Blue Jays 4-2 in Game 1 of a doubleheader, led by Pete Alonso's 41st home run of the season in the fifth inning off Max Scherzer. Alonso, who signed a five-year, $155 million deal with Baltimore in December, was named the unanimous 2026 Most Valuable Oriole on Wednesday morning after leading the AL with 110 RBIs and hitting nine homers in his past 18 games. The Orioles' elimination number stands at one: they are eliminated if they lose Game 2 against Toronto or if the White Sox beat Kansas City. A nor'easter forced the Cubs and Red Sox to compress their weekend series at Fenway into a split doubleheader on Friday, Sunday's contest moves to 1:05 p.m. ET on Friday, while Friday's game shifts to 6:05 p.m. ET, with Saturday's game still set for 7:15 p.m. ET. Any game that cannot be played could require a Monday makeup, one day before the Wild Card Series begins, a scenario both managers hope to avoid. The Cubs entered Wednesday tied with the Padres and Phillies in the National League Wild Card standings at 87-70 and can clinch a postseason berth as early as Wednesday night with a win or an Arizona loss. The Red Sox hold the American League's second Wild Card spot, trailing the Yankees by six games but leading the third spot by three.

In the NBA, the Hawks moved to address depth by trading guards Buddy Hield and Ryan Nembhard plus cash to the Charlotte Hornets for 33-year-old Dorian Finney-Smith. Hield, 33, played 51 games last season split between Golden State and Atlanta while shooting 34.9 percent from 3-point range, his lowest career mark. Finney-Smith played just 37 games last season for Houston due to ankle surgery but carries a $13.3 million salary this season with non-guaranteed money in years two and three, allowing Atlanta to walk away after this season without penalty. The Rockets spent three second-round picks on a salary dump with Charlotte earlier this summer, leaving the Hornets with roster depth challenges the Hield-Nembhard acquisition further complicates.

In the WNBA, Minnesota clinched the No. 1 playoff seed on Wednesday despite a 96-77 home loss to the Indiana Fever. Olivia Miles was held out as a late scratch with a left calf injury; coach Cheryl Reeve said the team would take Miles' status day by day as the playoffs approach on September 28. Indiana opened the game with a 14-2 run to close the first quarter and led by as much as 57-28 in the first half, with Caitlin Clark finishing with 27 points, nine assists and seven rebounds. Napheesa Collier called the performance "embarrassing." In MLB, Tampa Bay clinched the AL East title on Wednesday after defeating the Yankees 6-1 in Game 2 of a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium, securing the No. 1 seed in the AL bracket with home-field advantage through the championship series. The Rays finished 96-61 and have spent 88 consecutive days in first place since June 27, marking their first division title since back-to-back championships in 2020-21.

Off the field, Nicolas Batum announced his retirement from the NBA on Monday, September 21, at age 37, at the same gym in Pont-l'Évêque, France where he began playing 35 years earlier, accompanied by his son. Batum spent 18 seasons in the league and was a key role player on the Clippers' 2020-21 Western Conference Finals team. Justin Verlander will make his likely final start on Saturday, September 26, against the Pittsburgh Pirates after hip and hamstring injuries sidelined him since March 30; the Tigers said he will not pitch a full game, possibly just one inning. Antonio Brown accepted a plea deal that reduces a second-degree attempted murder charge to aggravated assault, resulting in probation with no prison, jail, or house arrest; he faced up to 30 years with a mandatory minimum of 20 years under Florida law if convicted. Brown will appear before a judge within one week to formally accept the deal. The alleged victim, Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu, announced in September that he does not wish to participate in the prosecution. George Gillett Jr., who owned the Montreal Canadiens from 2001 to 2009, has died at age 87; no cause of death was given.