Nats President On GM Search
According to Chico Harlan of the Washington Post, Nationals president Stan Kasten knows that Mike Rizzo isn't perfect, but he says he's the best candidate to lead the club forward. Not only does Rizzo have a background in scouting and a solid record as interim GM, he showed Kasten that he wants to become "much more adept sabermetrically."
Kasten started with 75 candidates for the job- including some unconventional ones- before narrowing the group down. Kasten says a number of his finalists were never named in media reports, which tended to focus on Jerry DiPoto, Jed Hoyer and Rizzo, the eventual winner. Kasten suggests that at least one of those men wasn't a serious contender for the job.
"Truthfully, we've seen names of guys who weren't really candidates," he said.
Kasten said he expects many of his finalists to become GMs in the Major Leagues before long.
Mets Deny Sheffield’s Request For Extension
FRIDAY, 9:10am: Sherman reports that Sheffield demanded to be released or traded to the Marlins.
THURSDAY, 8:48pm: SI's Jon Heyman reports, via Twitter, that the Giants were the team that claimed Sheffield on waivers earlier this month.
6:23pm: David Lennon at Newsday reminds us that earlier this month, the Mets placed Sheff on waivers, but pulled him back when he was claimed. This means he cannot be traded; the Mets could release him or place him on irrevocable waivers and lose him if he is claimed.
5:57pm: Via Twitter, Sherman cites a Mets official who says that "Sheffield has not been released."
5:47pm: Joel Sherman of the New York Post is reporting that Gary Sheffield and the Mets are at odds about his contract situation. Sherman cites "two sources" who say that Sheffield asked the team for a contract extension and was denied. The sources say he is now threatening to leave the team.
The two parties are now in discussions, according to Sherman, and the release of the aging outfielder is "a possibility." Sheffield was pulled from the roster for tonight's game, but Jerry Manuel said he pulled himself "to clear his head."
Odds And Ends: Zambrano, Sheffield, Rockies
Links for the morning…
- Chris De Luca of the Chicago Sun-Times believes the Cubs need Carlos Zambrano, even if he hasn't endeared himself to everyone.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post suspects that baseball is about to retire Gary Sheffield. After all, it will be hard for a "41-year-old, oft-injured malcontent" to find work.
- Bruce Jenkins of the San Francisco Chronicle looks at the Rockies and sees a team without glaring weaknesses.
- Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times lists the best and worst free agent signings the Cubs have made since 2000.
- Sure, the Yankees and Red Sox are big spenders, but, as this Boston Globe piece shows, they develop lots of talent, too.
Red Sox Release Chris Duncan
The Red Sox released outfielder Chris Duncan, according to Dan Barbarisi of the Providence Journal. Duncan came to the Red Sox from St. Louis in the July 22nd swap for shortstop Julio Lugo. Duncan, 28, hit just .188/.255/.294 in 92 Triple A plate appearances for the Sox. Meanwhile Lugo has flourished with a .319/.367/.528 line in 81 plate appearances for St. Louis (with Boston paying the freight). Keep in mind that the Red Sox are also set to receive a player to be named later or cash as part of the trade.
Duncan crushed right-handed pitching in 2006-07, but has been derailed by injuries since.
Odds & Ends: Padilla, Riggleman, Cabrera, Twins
Some links to wrap up your Thursday night…
- Scott Miller of CBSSports.com notes that Vicente Padilla brings hefty baggage with him to Los Angeles. He points out that the circumstances are similar to the arrival of one Manny Ramirez last year.
- The Nationals will conduct a search for a permanent manager in the offseason, according to Bill Ladson of MLB.com. Jim Riggleman, the interim manager, will be a candidate for the job.
- R.J. Anderson at FanGraphs discusses the success of of Everth Cabrera, whom the Padres swiped from the division-rival Rockies in the Rule V Draft.
- And the Twins signed a German player with a family background in ballet, according to John W. Miller of the Wall Street Journal.
Padres Take Cash For Gaudin
Corey Brock at MLB.com reports that the Padres will receive cash in return for pitcher Chad Gaudin, who was traded to the Yankees August 7. The sum the Padres will receive is "believed to be" $100,000, according to Brock.
The deal was initially reported to be for a player to be named later. As it turns out, the Padres had until September 1 to decide between a PTBNL and cash considerations.
Odds & Ends: Rizzo, A’s, Draft, Williams
Some tidbits from around the league on Thursday evening…
- ESPN's Peter Gammons outlines the methods Nationals GM Mike Rizzo used to land Stephen Strasburg. He also discusses the long road Rizzo has ahead of him.
- MLB.com's Mychael Urban writes that the Athletics are enjoying success despite trading Matt Holliday and Orlando Cabrera.
- Dave Cameron at Fangraphs argues that the draft should be "abolished" and offers a creative suggestion for how to replace it.
- MLB.com's Scott Merkin talks to White Sox GM Kenny Williams, who is happy with the team he has constructed. In fact, Williams says that he "would love to bring back this whole darn team."
Padres Send Patterson to Athletics
According to Corey Brock of MLB.com, via Twitter, the Padres are sending reliever Scott Patterson to the A's for cash. Patterson, who turned 30 this year, was pitching for the Padres AAA affiliate. He pitched 4.2 innings for the Yankees and the Padres last year.
Brock also notes that the Padres have signed reliever Rocky Cherry and sent him to Portland. Cherry most recently pitched in the Red Sox minor league system.
Mets Release Livan Hernandez
4:36pm: Ed Price of AOL FanHouse suggests via Twitter that the Mets could save as much as $550k by releasing Hernandez, presumably because they won't have to pay him incentives.
3:02pm: The Mets released Livan Hernandez to make room for Billy Wagner, according to Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post. Hernandez signed with the Mets last offseason for $1MM plus incentives, and took the hill 23 times this year. His numbers aren't impressive, but they're not much different than expected; in 135 innings he allowed 164 hits and walked 51, striking out 75 batters.
Odds And Ends: Garcia, Astros, Reds
More links for the afternoon…
- Danny Knobler of CBS Sports looks at some candidates for waiver trades. Could Freddy Garcia help a National League team?
- Jim Callis of Baseball America ranks the 15 biggest bonuses MLB draft picks have ever received. Stephen Strasburg tops them all, of course.
- MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan reports that the Rangers will send Jose Vallejo to the Astros along with Matt Nevarez as part of the Ivan Rodriguez trade, as expected. The Astros receive a third player if the Rangers make the playoffs.
- Hal McCoy of the Dayton Daily News says the Reds have veered away from rebuilding plans instead of devoting themselves to one like the Twins, Rays and Marlins.
- Via Twitter, Matthew Pouliot wonders if the A's, who are interested in adding starters, could pick up Livan Hernandez.
- Remember the Derek Jeter–Jimmy Rollins debate at the WBC? As Tyler Hissey shows, the two shortstops have had remarkably different seasons.