Odds & Ends: Towers, Kikuchi, Marlins, Astros

Some links before the playoff baseball begins…

• Yahoo's Tim Brown reports that Kevin Towers is at the ALCS. The former Padres GM isn't working yet; instead, he's paddleboarding, golfing and doing pilates.
• The Dodgers don't appear to be going all out for Yusei Kikuchi at this point, but other teams are intensifying their efforts to sign the Japanese teen. As MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan reports, Derek Holland is helping the Rangers pursue Kikuchi.
• Former Marlins pitching coach Mark Wiley tells Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post that he was surprised to be fired, but not as surprised as he was when the Indians fired him after their 1998 ALCS appearance.
• Astros icon Jose Cruz will return to the work for the club's community relations department next year, according to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart.
• MLB players will have more time than expected to file a collusion grievance over last year's free agent market, according to the AP (via ESPN).