Odds & Ends: Ng, Thome, Blue Jays
Despite the threat of rain pretty much all day, the Yanks and Angels are playing in the Bronx. Here's a few links to check out between pitches…
- SI.com's Jon Heyman tweets that Dodgers' assistant GM Kim Ng interviewed for the Padres GM job today. She's vying to become the first female GM in history.
- The NLCS is bringing Jim Thome back to Philadelphia for just the second time since the trade that sent him to the White Sox prior to the 2006 season, and as MLB.com's Ken Gurnick explains, the Phillies were "somewhat divided internally" about whether to deal Thome, or the up-and-coming Ryan Howard back when the deal was made.
- We still don't know if Cito Gaston will be back to manage the Blue Jays next year, but The Toronto Star's Richard Griffin provides some circumstantial evidence that Buck Showalter could end up replacing Gaston if he and the team part ways.
- MLBTR is on Facebook and Twitter, so make sure you hit us up that way if you haven't already.
Discussion: Boston’s Shortstop Problem
Ever since the Red Sox traded Nomar Garciaparra to the Cubs at the 2004 trade deadline, they've been looking for a long-term solution at shortstop. They've gone the big name free agent route with Edgar Renteria and Julio Lugo, tried the scrap heap approach with Nick Green, and gave a youngster like Jed Lowrie a shot as well. In total, they've used 19 different shortstops since the Nomar deal, including four in 2009
Alex Gonzalez did a bang-up job after coming over from Cincinnati mid-season, hitting .284/.316/.453 after the trade while playing his usual rock-solid defense. The Red Sox hold a $6MM option for 2010 on Gonzalez, but we've already heard that the option might be too rich for Boston's taste. Lowrie made two trips to the disabled list last year, and is a career .235/.313/.372 hitter in the bigs.
If the Red Sox decide to move on from Gonzalez and/or Lowrie, the free agent market doesn't offer much. Former Sox Orlando Cabrera will be available, however his on-base percentage has declined for three straight years and his once outstanding defense is just okay now. Miguel Tejada could be another option, assuming he's willing to take a significant pay cut. The righty hitter could be tailor made for Fenway Park's friendly confines.
On the trade market, the obvious target would be Milwaukee's J.J. Hardy, although Yunel Escobar and Stephen Drew may be available as well. After pursuing the likes of Felix Hernandez, Roy Halladay, and Adrian Gonzalez at the trade deadline, the Sox could try to make a major splash for Hanley Ramirez. That would be a bigger blockbuster than the deal that original sent Hanley to Florida in the first place.
The Red Sox also have Cuban signee Jose Iglesias in-house, although it's probably too much to expect the soon to be 20-year-old to make the jump all the way to the majors. What do you think Boston should do about their shortstop problem this offseason? Should they bring back Gonzalez as a one-year stopgap, or go big and try to shore up the position this winter? Tell us what you think in the comments.
Odds & Ends: Strasburg, Astros, Reds
A few more items before the Angels and Yankees get underway in a cold and rainy New York City…
- Dave Perkin of Baseball America dissects Stephen Strasburg's impressive Arizona Fall League debut. The 21-year-old right-hander, who signed a record rookie deal in August, threw 3 1/3 innings and induced eight groundball outs against the Scottsdale Scorpions on Friday evening.
- Phillies bench coach Pete Mackanin found time between NLCS games to interview Saturday for the Astros' managing vacancy. He later addressed the media, including MLB.com's Alyson Footer. "I think I have a wealth of experience after 40 years in baseball to draw on," said Mackanin. "…There's a good core of people [in Houston]."
- According to C. Trent Rosecrans of CNATI.com, the Reds have named Bryan Price as their new pitching coach. Dick Pole's contract was not renewed after the Cincinnati pitching staff posted a 4.18 ERA in the 2009 regular season.
Odds & Ends: Bucs, Duchscherer, Astros
A fresh batch of links for Saturday afternoon…
- Perry Hill left his post as Pirates first base coach Saturday and, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, expressed unhappiness with the team's aggressive trading on his way out. The Pirates got rid of three-fourths of their infield (Jack Wilson, Freddy Sanchez and Adam LaRoche) during the year.
- According to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, the A's have not touched base with soon-to-be free agent Justin Duchscherer since the end of the season. GM Billy Beane plans to engage in some kind of discussions with the right-hander and his agent "soon." We profiled "The Duke of Hurl" about a month ago.
- Former Astros manager Phil Garner interviewed for the club's managing vacancy on Saturday afternoon, according to the Associated Press (via ESPN.com). He was the seventh of 10 candidates to interview for the gig.
- Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star reports that the Royals have retained minor league right-hander Jairo Cuevas. The 25-year-old was eligible for free agency.
Webb, D’Backs Unlikely To Ink Extension
According to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic, Brandon Webb said Saturday that he doesn't anticipate inking a deal this offseason that would keep him in Arizona beyond 2010.
That doesn't mean he's not willing to sign an extension with the Diamondbacks somewhere down the road. In fact, he's very open to it. But with his health in question and the club having to monitor their finances in a down economy, it's simply not feasible right now.
“It would be real tough to make it work for both sides,” Webb said. “I don’t want to be held down and have to pitch another year — have to pitch 2010 and 2011 — to become a free agent. I told them, ‘If you pick up the option and we don’t do anything, let me pitch the half year and see how I’m doing and feeling and then maybe we can revisit it.’"
It appears the D'Backs will simply exercise his $8.5MM option for next season. They can then reevaluate the situation near the trade deadline in July of 2010.
Odds & Ends: Strasburg, Kikuchi, Rangers
Here's some links to check out while you hope the weather doesn't interfere with Game Two of the ALCS tonight…
- Byron Kerr of MASNSports.com has the details on Stephen Strasburg's Arizona Fall League debut last night. ESPN's Keith Law also filled us in on some of the more impressive prospects playing out in the desert this year.
- According to Kyodo News, Yusei Kikuchi "said on Saturday all 12 Japanese baseball clubs would be appealing, if he decides to play in Japan." Never a bad thing to keep your options open.
- USA Today's Bob Nightengale says the Rangers will ask for one final bid next month, and "are expected to be sold for about $525 to $550 million."
- Courtesy of Baseball America's latest minor league transactions, you can add about two-dozen players to the free agent pool. Among the notables: Billy Traber, Tony Graffanino, Adam Eaton, and Wilfredo Ledezma.
Cubs Release So Taguchi
According to MLB.com's transactions log, the Cubs have released outfielder So Taguchi. The 39-year-old Taguchi spent most of the 2009 season with Triple-A Iowa, hitting .248/.347/.333 in 304 plate appearances. He got into six games for the Cubbies in September, picking up three hits in 12 trips to the plate.
As the first Japanese-born player to win the World Series with two different teams, Taguchi will one day be the answer to a trivia question. He was on the 2006 Cardinals, and last year's Phillies.
Brewers, Reds Complete David Weathers Trade
The Reds have received an undisclosed amount of cash from the Brewers to the complete August's David Weathers trade, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. When the deal was made, it was reported that Cincinnati could choose from a pool of young players, or opt for cash. They obviously did the latter.
The 39-year-old Weathers had a 4.88 ERA in 24 IP for Milwaukee after the trade. The Brewers hold a $3.7MM option for 2010, but could instead pay Weathers a $400K buyout.
Dodgers Decline Option On Will Ohman
The offseason hasn't even started yet for the Dodgers, but they've already made their first personnel move. According to MLB.com's Ken Gurnick, the team has declined a $2.2MM option for lefty reliever Will Ohman, instead paying him a $200K buyout. Ohman was one of the last free agents to sign last offseason, landing with LA at the end of Spring Training.
Ohman posted a 5.84 ERA in 12.1 IP for the Dodgers, and lefties tattooed him for a .296/.406/.889 batting line. His season ended in late May when he was placed on the disabled list with soreness in the acromioclavicular joint in his shoulder, and he later strained the flexor tendon in his elbow while rehabbing. Ohman had surgery on the shoulder joint in late September and is expected to be ready for Spring Training.
Discussion: Mike Lowell
Daniel Barbarisi of the Providence Journal broke down the options for the Red Sox in regards to veteran Mike Lowell headed into the 2010 season. Lowell posted a .290/.337/.474 line in 484 plate appearances with Boston last season and stayed off of the disabled list following hip surgery last fall.
Lowell has one year left on his Boston deal that will pay him $12MM in 2010, a price tag high enough to scare off any potential trade suitors unless the Sox were willing to cover some of the cost. There's also the added complication of Lowell's no-trade clause in his contract. Barbarisi suggests that Lowell might agree to be dealt to a National League team where he could play every day, but given Lowell's health history, it might be hard to find a club willing to take a 36-year-old with a lengthy injury history as an everyday third baseman without the safety net of the DH position. Lowell himself admitted to Barbarisi that he tired from playing almost every day in the first half of the season, but then also said that he wished he could have played more in August and September when Kevin Youkilis took a big chunk of the playing time at third base.
One intriguing possible trade partner could be St. Louis. Midseason pickup Mark DeRosa is a free agent and will soon be undergoing wrist surgery, according to MLB.com's Matthew Leach. This leaves the Cardinals with a hole at third base should top prospect David Freese (a .931 OPS in Triple-A, Double-A and Rookie League ball last season and an .837 OPS in 34 plate appearances with St. Louis) not be ready to take over the everyday role next season. Lowell could keep the seat warm for Freese if Boston pays part of Lowell's contract, a condition that the Cards would likely insist upon given that they will explore re-signing Matt Holliday and signing Albert Pujols to an extension this off-season.
What do you think? Should the Red Sox think about moving the 2007 World Series MVP, or should they keep Lowell around to provide depth to the Victor Martinez–Casey Kotchman-Youkilis triad that mans the catcher, first base and third base spots?