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Royals Notes: Sanchez, Chen, Myers, Cain

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We’ve known for a while that the Royals’ offseason will revolve around their hunt for starting pitching. GM Dayton Moore made a major move today, obtaining Jonathan Sanchez for Melky Cabrera. Here are some notes on the trade, plus  a look at what’s next for Kansas City:

  • Royals GM Dayton Moore indicated to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney that his top prospect position players will stay put this offseason (Twitter link).
  • Moore told reporters he’d like to re-sign Bruce Chen, according to MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes (on Twitter).
  • The Royals are still looking for starting pitching after today’s trade, according to David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (on Twitter). However, the Braves don't appear to be a fit any longer, since the Royals will rely on Lorenzo Cain in center field and are reluctant to part with Wil Myers.
  • Dave Cameron of FanGraphs explains that Sanchez's reliance on high pitches makes him a decent role player, rather than a "long term rotation savior."

First Jobs For MLB General Managers

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As any Cubs, Red Sox, Angels, Padres or Orioles fan will tell you, the last few months have featured more than their share of general manager turnover. This summer’s trade deadline doesn’t seem so long ago, yet six teams have replaced their GMs since then. MLB's ‘new’ GMs include two first-time general managers and two others who have been at it for decades.

Thanks to Baseball America's executive database, I’ve compiled a list designed to show when and where each team’s top executive got his first GM job (not including interim positions). I'm using the term 'GM' loosely; many of the executives below have different titles on their business cards. Apologies to Michael Hill and Jed Hoyer, the two GMs who report to their clubs’ respective presidents of baseball operations. They aren’t on this list below, but interim Twins GM Terry Ryan appears because of his previous experience running Minnesota's baseball operations department.

Here's the list of baseball's longest-tenured general managers, plus the teams with which they got their first GM jobs:

  1. Sandy Alderson, Athletics, 1983
  2. Dave Dombrowski, Expos, 1988
  3. Dan Duquette, Expos, 1991
  4. Doug Melvin, Rangers, 1994
  5. Terry Ryan, Twins, 1994
  6. Walt Jocketty, Cardinals, 1994
  7. Kevin Towers, Padres, 1995
  8. Brian Sabean, Giants, 1996
  9. Billy Beane, Athletics, 1997
  10. Brian Cashman, Yankees, 1998
  11. Ed Wade, Phillies, 1998
  12. Frank Wren, Orioles, 1998
  13. Dan O'Dowd, Rockies, 1999
  14. Kenny Williams, White Sox, 2000
  15. Larry Beinfest, Marlins, 2002
  16. Theo Epstein, Red Sox, 2002
  17. Jon Daniels, Rangers, 2005
  18. Andrew Friedman, Rays, 2005
  19. Ned Colletti, Dodgers, 2005
  20. Josh Byrnes, Diamondbacks, 2005
  21. Dayton Moore, Royals, 2006
  22. Neal Huntington, Pirates, 2007
  23. John Mozeliak, Cardinals, 2007
  24. Jack Zduriencik, Mariners, 2008
  25. Ruben Amaro, Jr., Phillies, 2008
  26. Mike Rizzo, Nationals, 2009
  27. Alex Anthopoulos, Blue Jays, 2009
  28. Chris Antonetti, Indians, 2010
  29. Ben Cherington, Red Sox, 2011
  30. Jerry Dipoto, Angels, 2011

Brian Sabean has spent the most time running his current team. He, Billy Beane, Brian Cashman, Dan O’Dowd and Kenny Williams are the five GMs to have held their current positions for at least a decade.

Heyman On Pagan, Braves, Pujols, Madson

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Terry Ryan is officially the interim general manager of the Twins, but Jon Heyman of SI.com hears that the longtime GM is recharged and may stay a while (Twitter link). Here are the rest of Heyman’s rumors from SI.com:

  • The Mets have discussed Angel Pagan as a non-tender candidate, but they intend to offer him arbitration, according to Heyman (on Twitter). MLBTR projects a $4.7MM salary for the center fielder in 2012.
  • Meanwhile, Chris Capuano is looking for a two-year deal, but the Mets prefer one-year bargains (Twitter link).
  • The Braves are looking for a Zack Greinke-like return in a deal for Jair Jurrjens, according to Heyman (on Twitter). The Royals obtained Jake Odorizzi, Lorenzo Cain, Alcides Escobar and Jeremy Jeffress for Greinke and Yuniesky Betancourt last offseason.
  • Twins executive Mike Radcliff and Yankees scouting director Damon Oppenheimer weren’t that interested in the Orioles’ GM job, according to Heyman. The Orioles requested permission to interview them both, but the Twins denied the request and the Orioles hired Dan Duquette before setting anything up with Oppenheimer.
  • It's believed that Blue Jays assistant GM Tony LaCava got a raise to stay in Toronto, according to Heyman.
  • It’s hard to tell Boston’s list of managerial candidates apart from the one the Cubs have, as Heyman explains.
  • It doesn’t appear that the Cardinals will be able to boost their nine-year, $200MM offer to Albert Pujols by much.
  • Ryan Madson is drawing lots of interest and the Red Sox, Phillies, Nationals, Rangers and Marlins are believed to be interested.
  • C.J. Wilson, Edwin Jackson, Mark Buehrle and Roy Oswalt are drawing lots of interest, as expected.
  • Heyman hears that Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen is pushing for Prince Fielder or Pujols. The Marlins have also expressed early interest in Jose Reyes.

Nationals Interested In Tsuyoshi Wada

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The Nationals have expressed interest in Japanese left-hander Tsuyoshi Wada, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson. Wada, 30, is eligible for free agency and appears to be eyeing MLB.

Wada posted a 1.51 ERA with 8.2 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9 in 184 2/3 innings for the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks in 2011. Washington has scouted Wada quite a bit, according to Ladson, and the Dodgers also appear to have scouted him.

Wada is a Dallas Braden type with "a 86-87 mph fastball, a good circle change, and a solid slider," according to Patrick Newman of FanGraphs. Newman has expressed doubts about Wada's ability to handle an MLB workload, but the Nationals have publicly expressed interest in durable starters.

Yoenis Cespedes To Gain Free Agency

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7:15pm: The Red Sox are "sending everyone" to the Dominican to evaluate Cespedes, according to MLB.com's Peter Gammons.  The Rangers are also interested, along with the many teams named below, according to Gammons, who confirms that small-market teams like the A's, Pirates and Indians will be involved.

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports names the Marlins, Yankees, Red Sox, Tigers, and Nationals as teams with a significant presence at the Friday workout.

5:49pm: Yankees GM Brian Cashman confirmed that he saw the Cespedes video, but wouldn't say whether the Yankees are interested, according to Marc Carig of the Star-Ledger (link on Twitter; the video has been removed).  Meanwhile, Braves GM Frank Wren told David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he doesn't expect to sign the center fielder, though they're checking in on him (Twitter link).

2:25pm: The Yankees, Phillies, Blue Jays, Giants, Marlins, Nationals, Indians, Athletics, and Pirates have had a presence at Cespedes' workouts, reports Yahoo's Tim Brown.  Giants GM Brian Sabean told reporters today that his team will not be involved on Cespedes, however (via Andrew Baggarly on Twitter).  

Agent Adam Katz tells Brown he'll wait until his client is technically declared a free agent before discussing contract terms with teams.  The Yankees, Phillies, and Marlins will have private workouts with Cespedes within the next few weeks, with a Marlins contingent heading to the Dominican Republic this week.  

8:30am: Cuban center fielder Yoenis Cespedes defected mid-summer and is expected to be cleared for free agency within a matter of weeks, reports Yahoo's Jeff Passan.  The 26-year-old is "arguably the best all-around player to come out of Cuba in a generation," according to Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus, who describes Cespedes as "a legitimate centerfielder with plus power and speed."  Both Passan and Goldstein expect the 26-year-old to receive a deal in the range of the $30.25MM Aroldis Chapman received in January of 2010.  MLBTR first told you about Cespedes' escape from the Cuban National Team in July.

If you really want to get to know Cespedes, though, you need to watch the 20-minute YouTube video sent by his trainer to MLB teams.  Goldstein's column provides a full breakdown of this bizarre production, but I'll just note that it includes Cespedes making a 45-inch vertical jump, leg-pressing 1,300 pounds (with two friends atop the weights), catching a flyball behind his back while facing the batter (twice), a thank you to Ahman Green, and the player roasting a pig.  Some of the songs used may not be appropriate for your workplace, except for Christopher Cross' 1980 hit "Sailing," which was deemed too tame even for your office's elevator.

Cespedes is represented by Adam Katz of Wasserman Media Group.  Passan says the Yankees are "particularly hot" for the center fielder.  Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post says the Nationals had multiple talent evaluators on hand at Cespedes' workout last week in the Dominican Republic, and a team official said they'd "love to have him."  Ownership has been informed about Cespedes and what it would take to sign him.  The Marlins and Phillies are also in the mix for Cespedes, writes Kilgore.  As with Chapman, this type of player in his prime will draw the interest of almost every club.  

The Marlins have the inside track, one American League source who attended the showcase told Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  A Marlins contingent including owner Jeffrey Loria will visit Cespedes in the Dominican Republic later this week, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  

Red Sox Managerial Links: Maddux, Martinez

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Let's round up some links about the Red Sox's still-ongoing search for Terry Francona's replacement…

  • GM Ben Cherington confirmed that Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux has withdrawn his name from consideration for the job, reports WEEI.com's Alex Speier. Speier says it had to do with family concerns, as Maddux did not want to be so far away from his home in Texas.
  • MLB.com's Peter Gammons says (on Twitter) that Maddux has not yet been to Chicago, where he is also a candidate for the Cubs' managerial position.
  • Cherington confirmed to Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe that the team plans to expand its search, something that was in the works even before Maddux pulled himself out of the running. "Haven’t ruled out internal candidates but [we're] not focused there right now," said the GM.
  • Former Red Sox exec and current Padres GM Josh Byrnes spoke to WEEI.com's Rob Bradford about the process of hiring a new manager. "There are steps," he said. "You lay out the criteria you want with the club, the market, the impact on the players, the impact on the fans and the media and the impact on scouting and development. All the things a manager is going to touch. Then you start calling around, asking opinions you trust, and I think that part is a little underrated."
  • The Tampa Tribute reports (on Twitter) that the Sox have not yet asked the Rays for permission to talk to bench Dave Martinez about their manager's job.

Twins Notes: Ryan, Krivsky, Iwakuma

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The Twins replaced general manager Bill Smith today, announcing that longtime GM Terry Ryan will run the team once again — at least for the interim. Here’s more on the Twins' front office, plus some hints about the composition of the 2012 roster:

  • Ryan said he anticipates a payroll of roughly $100MM next year, according to MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger (Twitter links).
  • Ryan confirmed that former Reds GM and Twins assistant GM Wayne Krivsky will join Minnesota’s front office, according to Bollinger.
  • Hisashi Iwakuma, the Japanese right-hander who nearly signed with the Athletics last offseason, is on the Twins’ radar, according to Bollinger. Minnesota bid on the 30-year-old a year ago, but Oakland earned his rights through the posting system. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes placed Iwakuma 22nd on his list of top free agents, ahead of Kelly Johnson, Josh Willingham and many others. Tim’s predicted destination for Iwakuma: the Twins.
  • Ryan said he won't make any changes to the team's coaching staff unless manager Ron Gardenhire wants to bring in different people, according to Phil Mackey of ESPN 1500 (on Twitter).
  • For a detailed look at the challenges the Twins face this winter, here's my offseason outlook piece.

Giants Notes: Cabrera, Crawford, Beltran, Sanchez

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The Giants acquired Melky Cabrera from the Royals today, sending Jonathan Sanchez to Kansas City in the process. Here’s the latest on the team, starting with some comments GM Brian Sabean made on a conference call with reporters…

  • Sabean said the Giants have never been close to trading Sanchez in the past, according to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter).
  • Though the Giants are comfortable with Cabrera in center field, Sabean didn’t say where he fits into the lineup or outfield, according to Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News (all Twitter links). It’s unclear how the move affects the future of Andres Torres, a non-tender candidate with a projected salary of $2.5MM. 
  • Sabean said the Giants haven’t decided whether to pursue starting pitching.
  • Baggarly hears that the Giants are strongly considering making Brandon Crawford their shortstop if they can improve their lineup at other positions. Though Crawford doesn’t project to do much at the plate, he’s considered a strong defender.
  • Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports that the Giants are shopping for bargains this winter (Twitter links). He doesn’t expect Sabean to pursue Jimmy Rollins or Jose Reyes and even Carlos Beltran may be a stretch for San Francisco.
  • Grant Brisbee of McCovey Chronicles suggests the Giants would have been better off trading Sanchez for a prospect. This would have kept Torres in center field and pushed the Giants to focus on other needs.
  • Alex Speier of WEEI.com hears that the Red Sox had some interest in Sanchez, though they weren't a match in the end.

Fielder, Pujols On Marlins’ Radar

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South Florida's MLB team may have changed beyond recognition by the time the 2012 season begins and it has nothing to do with what they'll be wearing. As they prepare to move into a new stadium, the soon-to-be Miami Marlins are targeting baseball's top free agents. They've contacted Jose Reyes and, according to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick, first basemen Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols are also on their radar (all Twitter links).

However, it's not as simple as out-bidding the competition. The Marlins already have Gaby Sanchez stationed at first base and they'd like to move Logan Morrison out of left field, according to Crasnick. Plus, they're hoping to add left-handed starting pitching this offseason, as Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports points out (on Twitter). Jon Heyman of SI.com reported earlier today that Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen is pushing for Fielder or Pujols.

Jose Reyes To Meet With Marlins

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3:47pm: The Marlins contacted Reyes one minute into the free agent signing period, according to Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald. A group of Marlins executives went to New York this week and it appears they were going to visit Reyes’ agent, Peter Greenberg.

2:38pm: Free agent shortstop Jose Reyes is scheduled to meet with the Marlins, according to WFAN's Mike Francesa (Twitter link).  The tweet says that Reyes has received an offer, but my guess is nothing has been formally presented at this early stage.

The Marlins' interest in Reyes is real, so what would become of Hanley Ramirez if they sign Reyes?  Marlins president David Samson told MLB.com's Joe Frisaro there have been no conversations about moving Ramirez to another position, but I'd be surprised if the Fish haven't discussed the possibility internally.  A trade could be another option.

Major free agents typically sign in December or January, so much remains to be seen about the composition of Reyes' market.

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