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Archives for October 2010

Farrell Offered Blue Jays’ Manager’s Job

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9:41pm: It would be surprising at this point if Farrell turned down the Blue Jays job, a source familiar with the situation told Alex Speier of WEEI. 

The Red Sox will look at both internal and external candidates to fill their pitching coach void if Farrell leaves.  However, it is said that the club is underwhelmed with their in-house options.

8:23pm: Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell has been offered the managerial job in Toronto, multiple industry sources told Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com.  Now the 48-year-old and the Blue Jays must work to come to an agreement on a contract.

McAdam notes if Farrell ends up taking the position, this would mark the second straight season that the BoSox have lost a key member of their coaching staff to a managerial vacancy.  Last winter, former bench coach Brad Mills left Boston to become the manager of the Astros.

It would seem that the Blue Jays have left no stone unturned in their managerial search.  By some estimates, McAdam writes, Toronto spoke to upwards of 20 candidates.

Odds & Ends: Duchscherer, Bruce, Nolasco, Votto

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Some links as the Rangers look to close out the Yankees at home..

Padres Seeking Production At The Top Of Lineup

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The Padres are seeking top-of-the-order production this offseason, writes Don Norcross of the San Diego Union Tribune.  The club went through nine players in the leadoff spot in 2010 and got little offense from David Eckstein who batted second.

As it stands now, Adrian Gonzalez and Chase Headley are set to play the corner infield positions while Will Venable and Ryan Ludwick will be the corner outfielders.  Norcross writes that this means that the higher on-base percentage that San Diego is after will have to come from the middle of the field.

While Tony Gwynn turned in another excellent season in center field (32.9 UZR/150), his .204/.304/.287 slash line in 339 plate appearances left much to be desired.  Meanwhile, shortstop Everth Cabrera took a major step back in 2010, hitting just .208/.279/.278.

The Padres' combined on-base percentage for the top two spots in their batting order was .310, third worst in the majors.

Randy Winn Wants To Play In 2011

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After 13 years and 1,717 regular season games, Randy Winn still hasn’t appeared in the playoffs, but the outfielder tells B.J. Rains of FOXSportsMidwest.com that he’s not worried about signing with a contender this offseason. At this stage in his career, the 36-year-old is simply looking for a job.

“I would like to find a team that would like me to play for them, that’s going to be my first thing,” Winn said. “I don’t know what my options are going to be. I hope some organization thinks I can come in and help. That’s what I’m hoping for.”

The Yankees were hoping Winn could be a useful fourth outfielder when they signed him last winter, but he struggled and they designated him for assignment. The Cardinals picked him up, but the team struggled down the stretch so Winn missed the playoffs yet again.

Winn batted .239/.307/.356 in 233 plate appearances between the Yankees and Cardinals and played all three outfield positions. He signed for $1.1MM last winter, but he’s likely looking at a minor league deal this time. Winn doesn’t expect to sign soon, but he says he’s happy to wait for offers and play with his kids.

Pirates, Mets, Blue Jays Managerial Rumors

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The Blue Jays, Marlins, Pirates, Brewers and Mets are still looking for managers. Here's the latest, with more updates to come throughout the evening:

Pirates

Former Brewers skipper Ken Macha told Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe (via Twitter) that he is no longer in the running for the Pirates job.

Mets

Josh Byrnes and Sandy Alderson, the two finalists for the Mets GM job, both submitted lists of four or five managerial candidates in their initial interviews, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  Both lists included Mets Class A manager Wally Backman, according to sources.

Blue Jays

Update: DeMarlo Hale has been told he is no longer in the running for the job, according to Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com (on Twitter). That means it's down to John Farrell and Brian Butterfield.

Peter Gammons said on WEEI that the Blue Jays may decide on their next manager by tonight. Alex Anthopoulos leans toward DeMarlo Hale and assistant GM Tony LaCava and others lean toward John Farrell, according to Gammons.

Farrell, the Red Sox pitching coach, is the favorite to manage, but Hale, the Boston bench coach is still in the running. One person not being considered: Sandy Alomar Jr. The former catcher was one of four finalists for the job, but he won't be getting it, according to Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com (on Twitter). That leaves Farrell, Hale and Blue Jays third base coach Brian Butterfield.

Examining Minnesota’s Bullpen

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It’s not easy to imagine a bullpen with more question marks than Minnesota’s. That's not to say the Twins don’t have quality relievers, it’s just hard to predict which ones will return in 2011. Kelly Thesier of MLB.com breaks down the team’s bullpen, which includes six free agents and a non-tender candidate.

Matt Guerrier, Jesse Crain, Jon Rauch, Brian Fuentes, Ron Mahay and Randy Flores all hit free agency but they won’t all return. Thesier says the Twins are not likely to keep Mahay or Flores and seem most likely to target Crain and Guerrier.

Crain, who ranks as a Type B free agent, says he loves Minnesota but would like the chance to close. That won’t happen if he stays put, since Joe Nathan should return from Tommy John surgery next year. Matt Capps, who saved 42 games in 2010, figures to be next in line for saves.

The Nathan-Capps duo promises to be effective, but it will definitely be expensive. Nathan earns $11.25MM next year and Capps will get a raise from his $3.5MM salary through arbitration.

If the Twins lose certain pitchers after offering arbitration, they could gain picks in next year’s draft. Crain, Rauch and Fuentes rank as Type B free agents and could each bring the Twins a supplementary first round pick. Guerrier is a Type A free agent, so the Twins would get two top picks if he leaves after declining arbitration.

Clay Condrey, who didn’t pitch in 2010 due to elbow problems, is a non-tender candidate. Despite all the uncertainty in the 'pen, Bill Smith & Co. head into the offseason with a more stable rotation.

Byrnes, Alderson Finalists For Mets Job

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The Mets announced that they're bringing GM candidates Josh Byrnes and Sandy Alderson back for a final round of interviews, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter). Byrnes, the D'Backs GM from 2005 to 2010, and Alderson, the A's GM from 1983 to 1997, both have experience running big league teams.

Rick Hahn of the White Sox, Allard Baird of the Red Sox, Logan White of the Dodgers and Dana Brown of the Blue Jays also interviewed for the position. However, earlier in the week, it became apparent that Alderson is the favorite. Click here to read more about the man who drafted Mark McGwire, Jason Giambi and others.

Byrnes will meet with the Mets Monday, followed by Alderson on Tuesday, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com. This means we can probably expect a decision by next week. As Heyman points out, the Mets must be confident Byrnes or Alderson will accept (Twitter links).

The Mets were seeking experienced GM candidates, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  Three other executives the Mets interviewed, Logan White, Rick Hahn, and Dana Brown, lack previous GM experience.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Ichiro, Garza, Greinke, Bell

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On this date two years ago, the Mariners named former Brewers vice president Jack Zduriencik as their new general manager. His defense-heavy approach resulted in a 24 win increase in his first season at the helm, though team scoring dropped by 31 runs. The Mariners won just 61 games and scored a mere 513 runs in 2010, the fewest by any team in the DH era. Unsurprisingly, there's already talk that Jack Z. is on the hot seat.

These links don't have to worry about being on the hot seat, they've made this week's edition of BBWI…

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

Odds & Ends: Mets, Inge, Reynolds, Angels

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On this date in 1974, the Yankees and Giants swapped Bobby Bonds and Bobby Murcer in one of the many deals that had Bonds packing his bags. Now, the Yankees and Giants are preoccupied with something else entirely: trying to reach the World Series. Here are today's links…

Robinson Cano & Darren O’Day

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Robinson Cano and Darren O'Day don't have much in common. Cano, the son of a major leaguer, signed out of the Dominican Republic as a teenager and has developed into an All-Star and MVP candidate. You won't find O'Day on any MVP ballots and the side-arming right-hander has never been a top prospect. The Florida native wasn't even drafted and is far from a franchise player; two teams have already exposed him to waivers.

But the players do have something in common. Both were born 28 years ago today; Cano in San Pedro de Macoris and O'Day in Jacksonville. Their current clubs acquired them in different ways, but neither player joined his current organization with much fanfare. Cano signed a modest six-figure bonus in 2001, without the hype that surrounded international prospects like Michael Ynoa, Miguel Sano or Felix Heredia.

The Angels, who signed O'Day as a non-drafted free agent, lost him to the Mets in the 2008 Rule 5 draft. The Mets then exposed him to waivers and saw the Rangers claim him last April. It was easily one of the shrewdest claims of Jon Daniels' tenure as GM (the Alexi Ogando claim is another). O'Day has posted a 1.99 ERA with 7.6 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 in 117.2 innings since joining the Rangers.

Neither move made headlines at the time, but both players are contributors as their respective teams try to advance to the World Series. Interestingly enough, Cano and O'Day have never faced each other. It seems unlikely that Ron Washington would bring the sidearmer in to face Cano, who bats left-handed, but as observers of the 2010 postseason will tell you, stranger things have happened. It'd be fitting if the two met for the first time tonight as they celebrate their 28th birthdays with the season at stake.

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