Links for Monday night, as the Phillies extend their NL East lead with an eighth consecutive win….
- Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette provides a lengthy preview of the 2011 Pirates, speculating about how the team may improve its roster.
- Ozzie Guillen tells Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune that he has no idea whether the White Sox' front office plans to retain Bobby Jenks next year.
- The Toronto Sun's Ken Fidlin believes that questions about J.P. Arencibia behind the plate and Adam Lind at first base mean that the Jays could attempt to bring back John Buck and Lyle Overbay.
- Ed Price of AOL FanHouse reports (via Twitter) that Logan White is out of the running in the Diamondbacks' search for a general manager. ESPN.com's Buster Olney confirms (via Twitter) that it appears to be a two-man race between Kevin Towers and Jerry Dipoto. Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports suggests that the D'Backs are torn between the appeal of Towers and loyalty to Dipoto; they should name a GM this week.
- Joe Torre hasn't ruled out managing the Mets or another club, writes Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork. Torre told WFAN: "I don't really anticipate managing again, but I think it would be unfair not to listen just out of curiosity to see if something excites me."
- Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets that Coco Crisp would like to return to Oakland next year, though he knows he'll have little say in whether his 2011 option is exercised.
“I don’t really anticipate managing again, but I think it would be unfair not to listen just out of curiosity to see if something excites me”
ie – offer me enough money…. like the $7mm I got from the Yanks…
I don’t see why Jerry DiPoto is being considered over Kevin Towers. I read yesterday that the Diamondbacks want a GM who is a players GM and stuff like that. Towers is a veteran who knows how to do his job and I think should be given the chance.
I don’t think DiPoto is truly being considered at this point, it sounds to me that they want Towers, but aren’t ready to publicly commit to him before theres some preliminary agreement between him and the team. I mean, consider how it’d look if the D’Backs committed to Towers becoming the next GM, and he denies the rumors and goes to the Mets? Unlikely, but it’d be a PR nightmare for the team, and saying you’re interested in hiring your interim GM isn’t very hard to tell reporters.
well if you are right, you obviously know what you are talking about because that makes sense although I will say this, maybe there are ongoing negotiations between the Mets and D-Backs from Towers which is maybe why Towers hasn’t maybe signed off on his part for the D-Backs GM job. We’ll see.
Myself, I would like to see Towers and his good knowledge and organizational skills with a farm system build them up with a team that will actually spend some money. Maybe, just maybe he is holding out for that type of job to open up and also with a team that has stable ownership as well. Towers is one of the people that is highly regarded and you would think can get a job just by asking if he wanted, like both Boston and the NYY offered him assistant GM jobs when San Diego let him go to glean knowledge from him.This guy is top notch, knows how to draft and run an organization, much more so than well over half the GM’s currently employed and has the respect of most also.Shame the Mets seem to be such a mess, the D-Backs don’t spend and most other jobs that may be open are low to middle payroll teams. This guy running a team that could afford to spend 80-100m and spend 10m per year on the draft and he could build a perennial winner.
Myself, I would like to see Towers and his good knowledge and organizational skills with a farm system build them up with a team that will actually spend some money. Maybe, just maybe he is holding out for that type of job to open up and also with a team that has stable ownership as well. Towers is one of the people that is highly regarded and you would think can get a job just by asking if he wanted, like both Boston and the NYY offered him assistant GM jobs when San Diego let him go to glean knowledge from him.This guy is top notch, knows how to draft and run an organization, much more so than well over half the GM’s currently employed and has the respect of most also.Shame the Mets seem to be such a mess, the D-Backs don’t spend and most other jobs that may be open are low to middle payroll teams. This guy running a team that could afford to spend 80-100m and spend 10m per year on the draft and he could build a perennial winner.
If lyle overbay is back on the jays next year I will, I will… I don’t know exactly what i’ll do, but I’ll be pissed thats for sure..
It was a dumb read. I have a feeling that my original comment won’t be processed after being moderated haha!
Cito won’t be around after this season, so who really cares what he thinks. He won’t play Arencibia because he wants Buck to hit 20 homers. He won’t play him because he can’t call an MLB game.. durrr? Maybe if he played the kid, he’d learn? If they put up with Delgado’s horrendous defense, they can put up with Lind’s very brief 21.4 UZR/150 in 76 innings.
Ken Fidlin is a numpty.
Realistically Overbays defense isn’t what it used to be, and i agree, everything changes once cito’s gone. only problem is AA and the brass really don’t know what they have in lind as a 1b, and JPA as a catcher.. and we have cito to thank for that. Jays do have a lot of questions to answer, they need a lead off batter and realistically don’t have a position for said lead off batter, unless they DH them, or if Bautista moves to 3B. Personally i’d search high and low for a lead off 2b/3b.. (if 2b, move hill to 3rd) keep bautista in RF, lind at 1b and Encarnacion and his throwing arm where it belongs, DH
Encarnacion and his throwing arm where it belongs, DH
I was thinking more along the lines of AAA or in the NL, but I can maybe put up with him as a DH. Maybe it’s the fielding that makes his wrist hurt?
The guy doesn’t have a bad bat, he’s strong, powerful and has a pretty solid, swing.. I think if lind moves to 1b, you can see if maybe taking the defense out of his game will help his confidence, allowing him to concentrate only on hitting and not the error he made last inning.. he could be the 2011 jose bautista, he does have the ability..
The guy doesn’t have a bad bat, he’s strong, powerful and has a pretty solid, swing.. I think if lind moves to 1b, you can see if maybe taking the defense out of his game will help his confidence, allowing him to concentrate only on hitting and not the error he made last inning.. he could be the 2011 jose bautista, he does have the ability..
Encarnacion and his throwing arm where it belongs, DH
I was thinking more along the lines of AAA or in the NL, but I can maybe put up with him as a DH. Maybe it’s the fielding that makes his wrist hurt?
This is all opinion, but Bautista is the answer at 3rd. You can find outfielders alot easier that solid 3rd basemen.
Make a trade for Adrian Gonzalez. With him, this is how this team COULD look
C: Molina/JPA
1B: Gonzalez
2B: Hill
SS: Escobar
3B: Bautista
OF: Snider, Lewis, Wells
DH: Lind
They’d have to give up too much for Adrian Gonzalez. In my opinion, I’d also like to see them trade Lewis.
I agree with Anchovy, its not time yet to give up some serious prospects to get a Gonzalez.. and while bautista isn’t bad at 3rd, i think his personal best position is in RF. He’s and above average outfielder, but an average at best 3b…
You have Hill for next year, move him to 3rd, he has good range and a good arm. then go out at get a roberts or someone to play second and lead off.
Realistically Overbays defense isn’t what it used to be, and i agree, everything changes once cito’s gone. only problem is AA and the brass really don’t know what they have in lind as a 1b, and JPA as a catcher.. and we have cito to thank for that. Jays do have a lot of questions to answer, they need a lead off batter and realistically don’t have a position for said lead off batter, unless they DH them, or if Bautista moves to 3B. Personally i’d search high and low for a lead off 2b/3b.. (if 2b, move hill to 3rd) keep bautista in RF, lind at 1b and Encarnacion and his throwing arm where it belongs, DH
It was a dumb read. I have a feeling that my original comment won’t be processed after being moderated haha!
Cito won’t be around after this season, so who really cares what he thinks. He won’t play Arencibia because he wants Buck to hit 20 homers. He won’t play him because he can’t call an MLB game.. durrr? Maybe if he played the kid, he’d learn? If they put up with Delgado’s horrendous defense, they can put up with Lind’s very brief 21.4 UZR/150 in 76 innings.
Ken Fidlin is a numpty.
No kidding. I will be extraordinarily disappointed with Alex Anthopoulos if Overbay is brought back. With questions surrounding Bautista’s range at both third base and in right field, why not give him the job at 1B/DH (depending whoever proves to be a better fielder at first between Lind and Bautista) and go looking for a third baseman and a right fielder? Better still, move Wells to right field and try to acquire a centerfielder.
I think that just creates a hole that doesn’t need to be there. Bautista has a cannon of an arm that makes him a pretty decent option in RF or at 3B. Putting him at 1B wastes that arm while still having the same range issues he might have at 3B, plus it forces you to play Lind at DH and find a new position player.
I would like to see Bautista in RF, Lind at 1B, and EE at DH. If EE doesn’t work out maybe we have to consider an infield shift to put Yunel at 3B as a very weak-hitting corner infielder and put Hech at SS if he’s ready?
Yes, Bautista has an amazing arm, but his defense is a net loss because of his range. The arm would be somewhat wasted at 1B, but his limited range wouldn’t be as much of an issue. Now that Bautista’s cannon isn’t a secret to the rest of the leaue, he’s probably not going to get tested as much and the arm won’t be as much of an advantage; I don’t think his outstanding outfield assist numbers this season are sustainable in the future. I love Bautista’s versatility; he could back up the corners in both the infield and outfield. I just think he’d hurt the pitching staff if he plays full-time at third or in RF.
His range in RF is debatable, but at 3B? The guy makes highlight reel plays with regularity. I agree with Ted, putting him at 1B is a waste.
Advanced defensive metrics show him as a below-average fielder at 3rd base, and that’s INCLUDING the cannon arm. Obviously I’m not suggesting the Jays move him to 1B/DH if that makes John McDonald the full-time 3B; I’m just saying that if they have the opportunity to sign someone who plays good defense at 3B it makes more sense to move Bautista to 1B than to resign Lyle Overbay. On the other hand, if the Jays somehow land Adrian Gonzalez, then by all means keep Bautista at 3B.
If lyle overbay is back on the jays next year I will, I will… I don’t know exactly what i’ll do, but I’ll be pissed thats for sure..
I am extremely disappointed in the way Cito has manged Snider and Arencibia. Absolutely poor. Instead of spitting time with Buck, Arencibia is completely rotting on the bench because he thinks “Buck needs to hit 20”. If Arencibia played a little more then I’d have an idea of where Arencibia is in terms of development but I can’t gauge it at the moment.
As for 1st base, Lind looks fine to me.
With the way Cito is really agitating Jays fans, I’m certain that at his “thank Cito” game the Doomsday Clock will move a minute or two closer to midnight.
i’m so curious to what kind of crowd will turn out that night.
i’m so curious to what kind of crowd will turn out that night.
He’s managed those guys very poorly but you can’t deny the fact overall, he’s done a solid job with this team ever since coming in. We went from a team that could barely score 3 runs and at one had Wells as our only 20 HR hitter to the best power hitting team so Cito does deserve some credit.
I just wish he managed our young hitters better but it seems he has no problem with the pitchers though except for the fact he throws Tallet out at every chance possible.
The team has hit a lot of home runs but at a huge cost: the fourth-worst OBP in the majors. Who cares if they hit dingers if nobody can get on base?Also, other than Bautista, who has developed as a hitter since Gaston took over managing? Lind and Hill were good last year but terrible this year. Snider hasn’t been given much of a chance, and Gaston’s treatment of Arencibia has been mind-boggling.
I am extremely disappointed in the way Cito has manged Snider and Arencibia. Absolutely poor. Instead of spitting time with Buck, Arencibia is completely rotting on the bench because he thinks “Buck needs to hit 20”. If Arencibia played a little more then I’d have an idea of where Arencibia is in terms of development but I can’t gauge it at the moment.
As for 1st base, Lind looks fine to me.
The questions about Arencibia will never be answered as long as he stays on the bench…
The questions about Arencibia will never be answered as long as he stays on the bench…
Good luck Mets, or that other club. Maybe all he needs is a change of scenery.
Good luck Mets, or that other club. Maybe all he needs is a change of scenery.
I could certainly see the Jays re-signing Overbay. It says a lot that they played him all season despite his horrible first quarter struggles. They know what they are getting with him, won’t hurt you or help you too much. With the 1B market flooded and being that it’s an easy position to fill, contenders won’t be looking at him and he could come back for an Aubrey Huff 3M deal.
I like Overbay, and think he is greatly underrated by many. But I don’t see the logic in bringing him back for 2011.
The Jays need a 1B of the future. If they can’t trade for one, or even pick up a FA of the right credentials, then they may as well put Lind there for the year. It’s a no-lose situation as it lends more flexibility to the lineup, potentially boosts Lind’s trade value, and may even provide the answer for the future 1B.
Lind is the best 1B option right now and despite being in limited innings, he’s looked fairly good.
Agreed completely.
I like Overbay, and think he is greatly underrated by many. But I don’t see the logic in bringing him back for 2011.
The Jays need a 1B of the future. If they can’t trade for one, or even pick up a FA of the right credentials, then they may as well put Lind there for the year. It’s a no-lose situation as it lends more flexibility to the lineup, potentially boosts Lind’s trade value, and may even provide the answer for the future 1B.
I could certainly see the Jays re-signing Overbay. It says a lot that they played him all season despite his horrible first quarter struggles. They know what they are getting with him, won’t hurt you or help you too much. With the 1B market flooded and being that it’s an easy position to fill, contenders won’t be looking at him and he could come back for an Aubrey Huff 3M deal.
toronto will be really dangerous i think.they need to keep batista though but i see toronto being a force by 2012 when boston and nyy both are aged.same with tampa.getting 5 young good starters is always a good thing more than an explosive offense.those 2 teams dont have to go out and buy there players either.and i stated before the mets will be a great team soon.and good for torre though i do hate nyy i do have respect for him and all the years he played.anyone who plays in the majors gets respect just the fans who wish they could be part of a team dont get respect money ws rings or anything just live in fantasy.sorry but had to add that fans opinions are pointless cuz there nothing but fans
toronto will be really dangerous i think.they need to keep batista though but i see toronto being a force by 2012 when boston and nyy both are aged.same with tampa.getting 5 young good starters is always a good thing more than an explosive offense.those 2 teams dont have to go out and buy there players either.and i stated before the mets will be a great team soon.and good for torre though i do hate nyy i do have respect for him and all the years he played.anyone who plays in the majors gets respect just the fans who wish they could be part of a team dont get respect money ws rings or anything just live in fantasy.sorry but had to add that fans opinions are pointless cuz there nothing but fans
I don’t understand the pirates (Huntington) comment we have players to build on. The pirates have been rebuilding since the early 90’s. The way he sounds now is that when the current cast of players finally start to play well, they will be traded pre-free agency just like the last bunch. Maybe the pirates need to draft and trade better. Despite numerous singe digit first round picks and a couple of number 1’s, they remain, well the pirates. They have not even won 70 games in a season in like 6 or 7 years. There last two impact draft players were like a hundred years ago with some guys named Bonds and Kent. I’m a red sox fan and I like the trade to get jason bay in 2008, but I’ve got to believe the pirates could have done better than taking on other teams spare parts for a 30 plus homer guy with some speed…..forget 2010.
They have certain players like Neil Walker, Andrew McCutchen, Jose Tabata, Evan Meek, Joel Hanrahan, and Chris Resop. Their bullpen is pretty solid on paper. I just think they need some studs and then people might think of them as a better team. Right now, most of the roster is under 32, so you can consider them a AAAA team.
If there is one goal for this offseason, the Pirates NEED to IMPROVE the Starting Pitching.
The Pirates need to not only improve their roster, but their manager as well. There is no good reason for John Russell to return to the Pirates next season. With that said, I would love for the Bucs to get Fredi Gonzalez to be their skipper, but I think the Braves and Cubs have their eyes on him and are more attractive opportunities than the Pirates. Eric Wedge would also be a great candidate to manage the Pirates. He’s a players manager and a great teacher and he and Neal Huntington have a relationship from their days in Cleveland.
When did White Sox-apostrophe ever become proper grammar? I don’t get it. “Sox” is just an alternative spelling of “Socks”. You should be saying “White Sox’s”, just like you say “women’s”.