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Archives for September 2010

Jason LaRue Retires

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It wasn't the way he wanted to go out, but Jason LaRue tells Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he has played his last game in the majors. LaRue suffered a severe concussion when he was kicked in the head by Johnny Cueto during the Cardinals/Reds brawl last month, and doesn't want to risk further head injuries by continuing his career.

"I'm done. It's a simple decision," LaRue said. "As a catcher you're so vulnerable to getting another (concussion). All it takes a foul ball to the head. Even as a backup that happened 3-5 times last year. It's not a question of if it would happen again, it's when. Nobody can guarantee anything. It'll probably be worse."

According to Strauss, friends of LaRue say the 36-year-old was considering taking legal action against Cueto for the on-field assault, but ultimately decided against it. Still, he's disappointed with the way his career had to end: "I was going to retire on my own terms…. Does it suck that my career is over because Johnny Cueto started kicking me in the head? Yes, it sucks."

Although he played in just 29 games this season, LaRue hit .231/.315/.396 in 3103 career plate appearances, spending time with the Reds, Royals, and Cardinals. According to Baseball-Reference, the backstop earned $19.44MM over the course of his 12-year career.

Odds & Ends: Coyle, V-Mart, Lackey, Ellis

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Saturday night links, as Troy Tulowitzki's jaw-dropping September continues….

  • Fort Washington, Pennsylvania product Sean Coyle is now represented by Sosnick-Cobbe Sports, tweets ESPN's Jerry Crasnick.  The shortstop received a $1.3MM bonus from the Red Sox as a third-round draft pick out of high school this year.  Sosnick-Cobbe already represents the draft's other big-name Pennsylvania native in the Phillies' Jesse Biddle, who was drafted in the first round.  There may be another million dollar draft pick from the state next year in Derek Fisher, a high school outfielder hailing from Rexmont.
  • Clay Buchholz would love to see Victor Martinez return to the Red Sox next year, according to Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald.
  • Terry Francona tells MLB.com's Ian Browne that he was "thrilled" the Red Sox signed John Lackey last winter, and that he hasn't lost any confidence in the investment.
  • A.J. Ellis' recent play for the Dodgers could put him in line for a bigger role next year, writes Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times.

Manager Rumors: Riggleman, Blue Jays, Cubs, Manuel

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A few manager-related updates….

  • Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post reports that if the Nationals want to buy Jim Riggleman out of his contract, they'll have to do so by the day after the World Series ends. Mike Rizzo, who said earlier this year that Riggleman "will be back next season," suggested that a decision on the club's manager has been made, but not announced.
  • ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick says (via Twitter) that Don Wakamatsu, Bob Melvin, and Pat Listach are a few names on the Blue Jays' list of potential Cito Gaston replacements. Crasnick adds that Wakamatsu is also on the Cubs' list.
  • On the general manager front, Tom Krasovic of AOL FanHouse tweets that the Diamondbacks hope to have a GM in place by the time their final homestand begins on Tuesday.
  • Charlie Manuel tells MLB.com's Todd Zolecki that he could see himself still managing at 85 years old. Manuel is "only" 66 now, so it's safe to say he's not considering retirement quite yet.

Non-Tender Candidate: Kevin Kouzmanoff

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At first glance, Kevin Kouzmanoff's 2010 numbers look like exactly what the Athletics must have expected when they acquired him from the Padres in January. His .256/.291/.404 slash line is nearly identical to 2009's .255/.302/.420, and his power numbers have remained fairly consistent for his entire career; in his three years in San Diego, Kouzmanoff hit 18, 23, and 18 homers, along with 30, 31, and 31 doubles. His totals in Oakland so far this year? 14 and 31. Throw in his best defensive season, according to UZR, and it would seem that the 29-year-old should have no worries about being tendered a contract this winter.

There are a few areas of concern though, that the Athletics will undoubtedly take into account. For one, Kouzmanoff has seen his OPS gradually decline since his rookie year, down to .696 this year from .786 in 2007. And while Oakland's Coliseum is hardly a hitter's park, presumably the team was hoping that getting away from Petco would help Kouzmanoff's offense a little. During his Padres years, Kouzmanoff's OPS was typically about 100 points higher on the road – this year, his home and road marks are both below .700.

The Athletics were willing to trade for Kouzmanoff and pay him $3.1MM for his first arbitration-eligible season. Given his impressive defensive performance and only a slight dip in offensive production, perhaps the A's will be happy to tender the third baseman a contract, even taking into account an arbitration raise. But as a starting corner infielder with a sub-.700 OPS, Kouzmanoff has to be considered a non-tender candidate heading into the offseason.

Do you expect Kouzmanoff to be non-tendered after the season? Click here to weigh in, and click here to view the results.

Brewers Will Not Exercise Davis’ Option

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The Brewers will not pick up their end of pitcher Doug Davis' 2011 mutual option, GM Doug Melvin told Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.  Milwaukee will pay the left-hander a $1MM buyout rather than activate his $6.5MM salary for next season.

Davis, who will turn 35 next week, appeared in just eight games for the Brewers this season, turning in a 7.51 ERA with 8.0 K/9 and 4.9 BB/9.  The lefthander was then sidelined for several months with a virus in the lining of his heart and then missed more time with elbow tendinitis.

In 12 big league seasons, Davis has a 4.38 ERA with 6.7 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9.

Rockies Acquire Octavio Dotel

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The Dodgers have traded Octavio Dotel to the Rockies for a player to be named later, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post.  The two sides will split Dotel's remaining salary and the buyout for his 2011 option, leaving Colorado on the hook for $250K (Twitter link).  Since the Rockies are playing the Dodgers in L.A. today, Dotel will simply change locker rooms.

Dotel came to the Dodgers at the deadline in exchange for pitcher James MacDonald and Andrew Lambo as they looked to make a postseason push.  The 36-year-old registered a 3.38 ERA with 10.1 K/9 and 5.3 BB/9 across a 19-game span in which the club fell out of playoff contention.

The contract that Dotel signed with the Pirates last winter included a $4.5MM club option for 2011. However, when Pittsburgh traded the veteran reliever to the Dodgers, the option became mutual. Renck (Twitter link) doesn't expect the Rockies to exercise the option, even with some money coming off their books this offseason.

Having been traded after August 31st, Dotel will not be eligible for the postseason.  The Rockies could certainly use the help however as they trail the Padres by 1.5 games in the NL West and the Braves by 2.5 games in the Wild Card chase.

Rosenthal On Darvish, Towers, Pirates, Brewers

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Let's check out what Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has for us in his latest edition of Full Count..

  • A source tells Rosenthal that Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish is highly likely to be posted this offseason.  The Yankees, unsurprisingly, are keeping close watch on the righthander.  One scout says that he doesn't see the 24-year-old as being much more than a No. 3 starter.  The ball in Japan is smaller, starters only work once a week, and as we've seen the transition for those starters can be very problematic.
  • If Kevin Towers becomes GM of the Diamondbacks, it could wind up haunting not only his former employers, the Padres, but also the Dodgers.  When Dennis Gilbert tried to buy the Rangers he was ready to name Towers as his GM and now Gilbert could be a buyer for the Dodgers if they are sold.  Towers, however, isn't going to wait around for the dust to settle in Los Angeles.  If he does become the D'Backs GM, the guy he would replace, interim GM Jerry Dipoto, could become a candidate for the Mets.
  • Pirates president Frank Coonelly has said that the club's losing is unacceptable and rival execs expect the team to make changes.  Both GM Neal Huntington and manager John Russell are under contract through next season but the team has offered no assurances that either man will return next season.  Russell appears to be in greater danger of getting the axe than Huntington as the GM was tabbed by Coonelly.
  • Brewers manager Ken Macha is "almost certain" to be fired and his coaches are also uncertain to return.  That includes bench coach Willie Randolph who was once seen as the heir apparent to Macha's position and could include pitching coach Rick Peterson, who has a year remaining on his deal. 

Padres Designate Cesar Carrillo For Assignment

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The Padres have designated pitcher Cesar Carrillo for assignment, according to a team press release.  This marks the third time that the right-hander has been DFA'd this month.

San Diego first designated Carrillo for assignment on September 1st to create room on the 40-man roster.  He was then claimed by the Phillies who DFA'd him just days later.  The Padres picked him up once more on Wednesday only to designate him this afternoon.

The former first-round selection of the 2005 draft posted a 5.60 ERA with 5.7 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 in 27 Triple-A starts for the Padres' affiliate this season.

Cardinals Designate Evan MacLane For Assignment

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The Cardinals have designated lefthanded starter Evan MacLane for assignment, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  The hurler was DFA'd in order to make room for second baseman Daniel Descalso on the 40-man roster.

MacLane registered a 4.45 ERA with 5.0 K/9 and 1.3 BB/9 in 147.2 IP this season for the Cards' Triple-A affiliate.  In early June, the 27-year-old made his major league debut and surrendered a ninth-inning walk-off homer to the Rockies' Chris Iannetta.

Odds & Ends: Brenly, DeJesus, Lackey, Reds

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Some links to peruse before Yovani Gallardo locks up with Tim Lincecum later tonight…

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