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Managers And GMs On Expiring Contracts

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If you haven't gotten enough of this offseason's dugout and front office hot stove action, it's never too early to look ahead to what positions could be open next winter.  With a tip of the hat to Cot's Baseball Contracts, here's a look at the managers and GMs who are entering the final year of their current deals.

  • Baltimore — We've already heard that Andy MacPhail, the team's president of baseball operations, isn't planning to discuss an extension this winter.  This isn't necessarily a sign that MacPhail is either a lame duck or wants to leave after next season, since Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun points out that MacPhail isn't the type to negotiate a new contract in the media.
  • Boston — Terry Francona is technically on this list since 2011 is the last guaranteed year of his contract, but he has club options for both 2012 and 2013.  Barring something totally unforseen, it's a lock that the Red Sox will pick up those options and have their two-time World Series-winning manager in the dugout for years to come.
  • Chicago — Ozzie Guillen has a club option for 2012 that becomes guaranteed if the White Sox win the AL Central next season, and the manager has been vocal about wanting to "know where he stands in the eyes of the organization."  Given the roller-coaster relationship between Guillen and GM Kenny Williams, who knows what might happen next winter if the Sox aren't division champions.  Williams, for his part, has a unique perpetual contract with the club that rolls over every season and pays him a year's severance if he's fired.  Williams would probably be favored to stay if he and Guillen's relationship ever deteriorated into a 'he goes or I go' showdown.
  • Cincinnati — Manager Dusty Baker has already received an extension from the Reds, and GM Walt Jocketty is likely to receive the same treatment this offseason.
  • Detroit — The Tigers have almost $70MM worth of salaries coming off the books, thus making it a very important winter for GM Dave Dombrowski to set up not just the 2011 Tigers as contenders, but the next several editions of the team.  Dombrowski and manager Jim Leyland built up a lot of goodwill in Detroit after winning the AL pennant in 2006, but the Tigers haven't returned to the postseason since.  Leyland already feels the pressure, and though Dombrowski has done an admirable job in rebuilding the Tigers from their laughingstock status at the start of the century, the GM could be on the hot seat too if this winter's moves backfire in 2011.
  • New York — The three-year extension that Brian Cashman signed after the 2008 season is up after 2011, but it's hard to see Cashman leaving, especially if he gets another World Series ring this fall.  As we've seen with Joe Girardi, Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera, the Yankee policy of avoiding in-season negotiations extends to even the franchise's biggest names, so we likely won't hear any news about a new deal for Cashman until October 2011 at the earliest.
  • Philadelphia — Charlie Manuel signed a one-year extension for 2011 after the Phillies won the 2008 World Series, and GM Ruben Amaro Jr.'s deal also runs out after next season.  The Phils won't let either man go anywhere. 
  • Pittsburgh — GM Neal Huntington signed an extension through 2011 last winter and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him receive another one-year extension this offseason.  The Pirates have seen their loss total increase in each of the three seasons of Huntington's tenure (95 to 99 to 105) and the firing of manager John Russell indicates that there is some urgency in Pittsburgh to get the franchise back on track.  Expectations are still very modest for next year's club, but another 105-loss campaign will probably get Huntington fired.
  • San Francisco — Bruce Bochy and Brian Sabean both have club options for 2012 that look like locks to be picked up given the Giants' ongoing playoff success.
  • Texas — Jon Daniels is under contract through 2011 but he has the option of opting out of his Rangers contract this winter since the team was sold.  There have been whispers about the Mets being interested in Daniels, but there has been no contact between the Amazin's and the Texas GM.  As in the Giants, Phillies and Reds situations, playoff success is a great way to earn an extension.  Count on Daniels and manager Ron Washington to still be at the Ballpark through 2012.
  • Washington — Though Stephen Strasburg's injury erased any hope the Nationals had of contending next season, the team is ready to spend some money this winter, even looking at top-tier free agents like Cliff Lee.  The bottom line is that continued improvement is expected in Washington, or else manager Jim Riggleman won't have his club option picked up for 2012.

 

Iwamura Wants To Stay In Majors

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Akinori Iwamura wishes to continue playing in North America next season, tweets Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker.  The infielder is coming off by far the worst of his four major league seasons, posting a .535 OPS in 229 plate appearances with the Pirates (who released him in September) and the Athletics (who released him two weeks ago).  Iwamura's ability to play both second and third makes him a candidate for teams in need of infield depth this winter, but it seems almost certain that he'd have to sign a minor league contract and then perform well in spring training to win a spot on a big league roster.

If this scenario doesn't play out for the 31-year-old and he decides to return to his native country after all, Newman believes that Iwamura's Japanese rights are still held by Yakult.  Iwamura played all nine of his professional seasons in Japan with the Swallows, and it was Yakult who acquired the $4.5MM posting fee for the infielder when his rights were obtained by Tampa Bay in the 2006-07 offseason. 

How To Use MLBTR

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Nationals Eye Lee, Ready To Spend On Pitching

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Several baseball officials tell Ben Goessling of MASNSports.com that they believe the Nationals will target Cliff Lee this winter. Washington would like to add a top-of-the-rotation pitcher and Lee will be by far the most appealing free agent to become available after the season.

After a third consecutive dominant campaign, Lee was already in position to demand a nine-figure deal at the beginning of the month. Two shutdown playoff starts later, his stock has only risen and he may be looking to match C.C. Sabathia’s $161MM contract. 

That’s a lot of money, but baseball sources tell Goessling that the Nationals are ready to spend big. Apparently the club would be willing to commit $125MM over five years to an ace pitcher. Troy Renck of the Denver Post also hears that the Nationals are telling agents they’re willing to overspend on starting pitching if necessary.

Signing Lee would give the Nationals a fearsome duo atop the rotation once Stephen Strasburg returns from Tommy John surgery. However, the Yankees, Rangers and other clubs figure to have visions of Lee atop their respective rotations, too.

Re-Introducing Sandy Alderson

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There was a time when Sandy Alderson needed no introduction. Back in 1997, when he stepped aside as general manager of the A’s to make room for Billy Beane, Alderson was the longest-tenured GM in baseball. 

But for a new generation of baseball fans, Alderson is far less recognizable than, say, Theo Epstein. After more than a decade of behind-the-scenes work – first as Padres CEO and then confronting identity fraud and drug use in the Dominican Republic – Alderson is re-emerging as a GM candidate, this time for the Mets.

Some consider Alderson the favorite for the position, even though he hasn’t been a GM since Ruben Tejada was a third grader. Thirteen years later, Alderson signings like Miguel Tejada and Miguel Olivo still appear on major league rosters, but don’t let that fool you – most of Alderson’s players retired long ago.

Dusty Baker and Willie Randolph, two players involved in Alderson trades, have since become major league managers. Joe Morgan, Goose Gossage, Rickey Henderson and Reggie Jackson are among the Hall of Famers who played under Alderson.

The 62-year-old is well-established enough that even veteran GMs like Beane and Kevin Towers look up to him.

“Having seen what Sandy did in Oakland, he's always been kind of a mentor,” Towers told the San Diego Union-Tribune in 2005.

And while Beane is the poster boy for “Moneyball” thinking, Alderson was a forward thinker in the A’s front office. He surrounded himself with people trained in quantitative analysis to make the most of the team’s resources.

The A’s, like the Padres, operate on a limited budget, so despite all of his time in the game, Alderson’s experience comes mostly from small West Coast markets. In fact he has a history of speaking out against massive contracts. Ten years ago, when Scott Boras negotiated a $252MM deal for Alex Rodriguez, Alderson was not pleased.

"On hearing it for the first time, a certain amount of disbelief set in on my part,'' Alderson told the Los Angeles Daily News at the time. ''I'm sort of stupefied by the whole thing. We have effectively doubled the previous most lucrative contract [Mike Hampton's] in two days. I don't like the exponentiality of all that. To me, it's incredible. I think every club is going to have to consider the impact on them.”

Even if he gets the Mets job, there’s a good chance Alderson will never sign anyone to a $252MM deal. But in New York he’d likely have more spending power and more exposure than he had in Oakland or San Diego – a new challenge for a veteran GM.

Manager Roundup: Mariners, Cardinals

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Here's the latest on a pair of big-name managers, with more details to come throughout the day:

Mariners

The Mariners told Bobby Valentine that he is no longer a candidate for their managerial opening, according to Larry Stone of the Seattle Times. The Mariners may be nearing a decision, writes Stone. Eric Wedge, Lloyd McClendon, Cecil Cooper, Clint Hurdle and Daren Brown are possible candidates. John Gibbons also heard that he isn't getting the job, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter).

Eric Wedge did "very, very" well in his interview with the Mariners, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Twitter link).

Cardinals

The Cardinals are in daily contact with Tony La Russa, but it's not clear which way he's leaning, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). However, the AP reports (via ESPN) that talks are going well between the two sides. Pitching coach Dave Duncan knows that he'd like to return to St. Louis for at least three more seasons, according to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Blue Jays Rumors: Manager Search, Buck

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The Blue Jays are searching for the successor to Cito Gaston, and they're not rushing the process. An unnamed source points out to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that the Blue Jays "want to get it right" (Twitter link). Here are the details on the team's search for a new manager, plus other notes:

  • Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun has a summary of the Jays’ search: the team has already interviewed Rockies hitting coach Don Baylor, Red Sox third base coach Tim Bogar, Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell, Red Sox bench coach DeMarlo Hale, former manager Bob Melvin, Padres coach Rick Renteria, Angels bench coach Ron Roenicke, Yankees third base coach Rob Thomson, former manager Bobby Valentine and former Indians manager Eric Wedge plus internal candidates Brian Butterfield, Sal Fasano, Nick Leyva and Luis Rivera. The club has yet to interview White Sox bench coach Joey Cora, Rangers hitting coach Clint Hurdle, Nationals third base coach Pat Listach, Rays bench coach Dave Martinez, Juan Samuel, Ryne Sandberg, and former Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu. That's a whole lot of candidates to consider.
  • Rangers GM Jon Daniels told MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan that he's expecting clubs to ask about Hurdle, though no team has formally requested permission to interview the former Rockies manager just yet.
  • The Blue Jays will consider bringing John Buck back next year and the catcher says he would love to return, but as MLB.com's Jordan Bastian shows, J.P. Arencibia's presence may mean that Buck's best offers come from other teams. 

What They Were Saying: NL Central GMs

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Remember when Ed Wade was part of a new generation of GMs? It's OK if you don't since we dug up the details on Wade and the rest of his NL Central counterparts. Here's how they were perceived when they got their first GM jobs:

Doug Melvin

“When the Rangers signed Melvin to a three-year contract, they made a commitment to pitching and defense. They need it. In 1994, the Rangers finished 13th in pitching and 14th in fielding in the American League. Poor performances in those areas played a large role in their 52-62 record. Melvin said he wants a team built around pitching and defense.” – Jean-Jacques Taylor, The Dallas Morning News, October 11th, 1994

Walt Jocketty

“Walt Jocketty and his brother played baseball in the backyard when they were growing up and pretended they were St. Louis pitchers Lindy and Von McDaniel, who are brothers.

Jocketty appreciates the Cardinals' tradition. And finally he has become a general manager after interviewing for that position with Pittsburgh, San Francisco and Colorado in the past and Texas recently, only to have that job filled by Doug Melvin.” – Larry Harnly, The State Journal-Register, October 18th, 1994

Ed Wade

“Wade, bespectacled, conservatively dressed, his sandy hair precisely parted, was an efficient and loyal administrator who shouldered the contract and deadline matters his boss disliked.

But Tuesday, this 41-year-old native of Pennsylvania's coal regions who has a journalism degree from Temple moved out of [former GM Lee] Thomas' shadows. Wade was named the Phillies' acting general manager after Thomas was fired, and immediately there were questions about his readiness. Wade is the latest example of a powerful trend in the sport, one that has seen businesslike administrators replacing gritty baseball veterans as GMs.” Frank Fitzpatrick, The Philadelphia Inquirer, December 9th, 1997

Jim Hendry

“The time has come for Cubs president/general manager Andy MacPhail to delegate full authority to Jim Hendry, whose onerous title of vice president of player personnel is too cumbersome and corporate for someone as earthy and unpretentious as Hendry. GM sounds just right for him.” – Mike Kiley, The Chicago Sun-Times, June 14th, 2002 

Neal Huntington

“Neal Huntington, a former Cleveland Indians assistant general manager who was moved to a mostly scouting role two years ago, was hired Tuesday as the Pittsburgh Pirates' general manager. The 37-year-old Huntington replaces Dave Littlefield, who was fired earlier this month after failing to produce a winning season since being hired in July 2001. The Pirates are finishing up a 15th consecutive losing season, one short of the major league record, and their fifth with 90 or more losses since 2000.” – Alan Robinson, The Associated Press, September 25th, 2007 

John Mozeliak

“John Mozeliak has a Clark Kent look about him, so naturally Cardinals fans are wondering if he'll have the necessary muscle to reshape the franchise and give it a push forward, into the future. In his introductory press conference after being named the Cardinals' general manager, Mozeliak spoke calmly and in somewhat measured tones, so it was easy to miss some of the punch that went into what he said.” – Bernie Miklasz, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 1st, 2007

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Dodgers, Nationals, Rasmus

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On this date back in 1988, a hobbling Kirk Gibson pinch hit for reliever Alejandro Pena with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and the Dodgers down by one to the Athletics in Game One of the World Series. Dennis Eckersley, who finished second in the Cy Young voting that year, recorded two quick outs before walking the light hitting Mike Davis (.196/.260/.270 that year) in front of Gibson. You all know what happened next. Gibson battled Eck for six pitches before the Oakland reliever finally hung a slider, a pitch that resulted in one of the most famous home runs in World Series history.

Injuries limited Gibson to just that one plate appearance in the Fall Classic, which the Dodgers went on to win four games to one. Joe Posnanski ranked Jack Buck's and Vin Scully's call of the play the fifth greatest in sports history. These links might not be all-time greats, but they're still the best from the past week of the internet…

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.

Royals Acquire Pucetas, Complete Guillen Trade

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The Royals acquired right-hander Kevin Pucetas as the player to be named to complete the Jose Guillen trade, the team announced. The Royals added the 25-year-old to their 40-man roster. Pucetas, a 17th round pick in 2006, has made three minor league All-Star teams, appeared in the Futures Game and finished first or second in ERA three times in his pro career.

Despite his early-career honors, Pucetas is no top prospect. He has struggled in two seasons at Triple-A and had yet to succeed in the upper minors. This year, he posted a 5.69 ERA with 6.3 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 in 26 starts at Triple-A Fresno. The silver lining for the Royals? As MLBTR’s Howard Megdal showed earlier this month, the return for Guillen has usually been better than expected.

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