AROUND THE HORN
Nationals: Nationals Vice President Bob Boone informed the club he’s resigning rather than comply with the organization’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate, according to reports Wednesday. Boone, 73, has been with the Nats since 2004 and moved into his role as VP and senior adviser to general manager Mike Rizzo after the 2015 season. He was assistant GM and VP of player development from 2006-2013. The father of Yankees manager Aaron Boone was a four-time All-Star catcher during his 19-year major league career. Bob Boone also managed the Royals and Cincinnati Reds. The Nats, who the first championship in franchise history two years ago, said employees were notified of the policy Aug. 12 and had until Aug. 26 to provide proof of full vaccination or one dose or apply for an exemption. “As a company, we have a responsibility to do everything we can to keep one another safe and felt that mandating vaccines was the absolute right thing to do for our employees and our community,” the team said in a statement that was originally released last week.
Mets: Acting GM Zack Scott was arrested on charges of driving while intoxicated, hours after attending a fundraiser at team owner Steve Cohen’s house. Scott was arrested on a DUI charge around 4:15 a.m. Tuesday in suburban White Plains, N.Y. Police found him asleep at the wheel of his SUV at a traffic light and determined he was intoxicated, White Plains police Capt. James Spencer said. He said Scott refused a breathalyzer test. Scott, 44, was booked and released and is due in court Thursday morning. “We were surprised and deeply disappointed to learn this morning about an alleged DUI involving Zack Scott,” the Mets said in a statement. “We take this matter very seriously. Zack will not be traveling with the team for our upcoming road trip while we learn more and determine next steps.” Scott was hired as the Mets’ assistant GM last offseason to work under close friend and former colleague Jared Porter. Scott was promoted to acting GM in January after Porter was fired following revelations he sent sexually explicit text messages and images to a female reporter in 2016 while working for the Cubs. Porter and Scott were brought in during a reshaping of the Mets’ front office under Cohen, a hedge fund manager who had been a minority owner of the team since 2012. Cohen purchased the club from the Wilpon and Katz families in November.
Mariners: Jerry Dipoto and Scott Servais will get a chance to see whether the Mariners’ years-long rebuilding will come to fruition. The Mariners promoted Dipoto to president of baseball operations and signed Servais to a multiyear contract extension, keeping the pair locked together to oversee the completion of the overhaul that began three years ago. Both deals had been expected and come with the Mariners chasing a playoff spot in the American League. The Mariners have the longest postseason drought of any team in the four major North American sports leagues, last reaching the postseason in 2001. Dipoto also received a multiyear extension as part of his promotion. Specific details of the deals weren’t yet available.
Twins: RHP Kenta Maeda had season-ending Tommy John surgery. The 33-year-old starter from Japan was placed on the 10-day IL Aug. 24 with right forearm tightness. Maeda was the runner-up in the AL Cy Young Award voting last season, when he went 6-1 with a 2.70 ERA in 11 starts. In 21 starts this season, Maeda was 6-5 with a 4.66 ERA.