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Latest On Orioles’ GM Search

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The Orioles decided to expand their GM search this week, after learning that Blue Jays assistant GM Tony LaCava declined their offer in favor of Toronto. Here's the latest on Baltimore's candidates… 

  • De Jon Watson has removed his name from consideration for the job, tweets SI.com's Jon Heyman.
  • The team would like to have the new general manager in place by Monday, tweets Britt Ghiroli of MLB.com.
  • The Orioles only plan to interview four more candidates, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun: Allard Baird, Dan Duquette, Damon Oppenheimer and Mike Radcliff.  The O's haven't asked permission from other teams to speak to any other executives, which would seem to eliminate others on the Orioles' list such as Andrew Friedman and Rick Hahn.
  • The O's have contacted the Yankees about talking to director of pro scouting Billy Eppler, reports MASNsports.com's Roch Kubatko (Twitter link).  Kubatko says the Orioles also plan to talk to the Rangers about permission to interview executives Thad Levine and A.J. Preller, and to the Athletics about assistant GM David Forst.
  • Former Expos and Red Sox GM Dan Duquette will interview with the Orioles on Friday, reports Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link).
  • The Orioles are looking at Mike Arbuckle of the Royals and Allard Baird of the Red Sox, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). 
  • Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com repeats that Dodgers assistant GM De Jon Watson won’t get the job (Twitter link).
  • Watson and Orioles director of player development John Stockstill have interviewed for the position and Phillies assistant GM Scott Proefrock will interview as well. The Orioles also appear to have interest in Rays executive VP of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, Dodgers GM Ned Colletti, Rick Hahn of the White Sox and Mike Radcliff of the Twins.
  • ESPN.com's Buster Olney weighed in on the Orioles' GM search earlier today, explaining that Baltimore has a perception problem.

Dodgers Notes: Kemp, Fielder, Ownership, Trump

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Now that Frank McCourt has agreed to sell the Dodgers, expect a winter of speculation about who might take over the club.  Here's the latest on the ownership front and a few other items…

  • Matt Kemp spoke to reporters (including MLB.com's Ken Gurnick) during a conference call about such topics as the McCourt sale, trying to recruit his friend Prince Fielder to Los Angeles, and his own desire to stay with the Dodgers over the long term.  Kemp agreed with his agent Dave Stewart's stance about not letting extension negotiations drag into the 2012 season.  "I've heard from people that negotiating can get tough and maybe overwhelming," Kemp said. "I don't want to mess up the chemistry of the team. I just want to play baseball."
  • Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times breaks down the details of McCourt's sale and notes that signing a big free agent like Fielder could be "a nine-figure liability" that could lower the club's sale price.
  • Donald Trump tells Greta Van Susteren of FOX News (video link, around the 9:00 mark) that says he's "probably not" going to make a bid to buy the Dodgers but "there's always interest…because it's a great asset."
  • As reported earlier today, the Dodgers signed Juan Rivera to a one-year, $4MM contract with a $4MM club option for 2013.

Dodgers Sign Juan Rivera

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The Dodgers have announced a new one-year contract with Juan Rivera. The deal, which is pending a physical, would guarantee the outfielder $4.5MM.  It includes a $4MM salary in 2012 and a $4MM club option for 2013, with a $500K buyout. The Dodgers and Rivera's representatives at Proformance were closing in on a deal earlier in the week.

Rivera joined the Dodgers when the Blue Jays sent him to Los Angeles for a player to be named later in July. The 33-year-old posted a combined line of .258/.319/.382 with 11 homers and 23 doubles for the Blue Jays and Dodgers in 2011, his 11th season in the Major Leagues. 

Rivera has produced against left-handed pitching over the course of his career (.830 OPS) and 2011 was no exception (.805 OPS). He played left field, right field and first base for the Dodgers and will likely play a similar role in 2012. He was not a ranked free agent, so the Dodgers could not have obtained compensation for losing him via free agency.

Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports was the first to break the news of the agreement, and the contract details were added by ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick (both Twitter links).

Nationals Finalize Deal With Chien-Ming Wang

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The Nationals have finalized a new one-year contract with Chien-Ming Wang, reports Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.  The deal is worth $4MM plus incentive clauses, and it will be official once Wang passes a physical.  We heard yesterday from Wang's agent Alan Nero that the two sides had "conceptually" agreed to a new deal.

Wang signed one-year contracts with Washington in each of the last two offseasons, and finally made his return to the majors in 2011 after missing the entire 2010 campaign while recovering from shoulder surgery.  Wang posted a 4.04 ERA, a 1.92 K/BB rate and a 53.4% ground ball rate in 11 starts with the Nats last year.

Kilgore was the first to report the deal was completed, with Mark Zuckerman of CSNWashington.com and Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio (both Twitter link) also providing contract details.

Braves Open To Trading Jurrjens, Prado

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The Braves have told some teams they would be willing to move Jair Jurrjens and Martin Prado in a trade, a Major League source tells MLB.com's Mark Bowman.  Atlanta is known to be looking for a power-hitting outfielder and possibly a new shortstop, so either could be acquired in a Jurrjens/Prado trade, or at the very least the Braves could pick up some salary relief — both Jurrjens and Prado are arbitration-eligible for the second time this winter.

The Braves and Royals have already discussed a Jurrjens trade, and the Braves have an interest in minor league outfielders Lorenzo Cain and Wil Myers, amongst several other prospects in K.C.'s deep farm system.  The Royals are known to be targeting veteran starting pitching on the trade market this winter so the two sides would seem like a fit as trading partners.  As Bowman notes, Cain could be seen by the Braves as a future center field option if Michael Bourn isn't signed to an extension.

Jurrjens was an All-Star in 2011, though the right-hander struggled badly (a 5.88 ERA) in the second half of the season and spent time on the DL with a knee injury.  While Jurrjens' health is a question mark, Myers also took a minor step back (a .745 OPS in Double-A) in 2011 after being ranked as the 10th-best prospect in the sport in Baseball America's preseason rankings.  Myers is still just 20, however, and was converted to the outfield this year after spending his first two pro seasons as a catcher.

After an impressive 2010 season that saw him finish ninth in NL MVP voting, Prado took a step back in 2011, hitting .260/.302/.385 as Atlanta's everyday left fielder.  Prado's ability to play left, third, first and second base would make him an intriguing trade possibility for a number of teams, especially since he could be available at a somewhat buy-low price.

Minor Moves: Braves, Johnson, Orr, Blue Jays

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Here are today's minor moves…

  • The Braves signed outfielder Jordan Parraz to a minor league deal with an adjusted big league salary, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter link). The deal includes an invitation to Spring Training
  • Dan Johnson, who was outrighted earlier today, has elected free agency, according to the Tampa Tribune (on Twitter).
  • Utility player Pete Orr re-signed a minor league deal with the Phillies, according to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca (on Twitter). The deal includes an invitation to Spring Training.
  • The Blue Jays signed 16-year-old right-hander Jesus Tinoco out of Venezuela, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America. Meanwhile, the Reds signed 16-year-old righthander Soid Marquez.
  • Here's a note for the diehard transactions fans out there: the Blue Jays actually released Adam Loewen, tweets Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star (the team announced that it had outrighted Loewen this morning). The Blue Jays would have interest in re-signing Loewen to play at Triple-A if he doesn't find a better offer. Sportsnet.ca's Shi Davidi tweets that Loewen became a six-year minor league free agent.
  • The A's signed right-hander Edgar Gonzalez to a minor league deal, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The 28-year-old appeared in one game with the Rockies in 2011, but spent most of the season at Triple-A. He posted a 5.00 ERA with 5.9 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in 133 1/3 innings for the top affiliates of the Rays and Rockies.

D’Backs Extend Towers, Gibson

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The Diamondbacks have rewarded GM Kevin Towers and manager Kirk Gibson for a successful 2011 season, signing the pair to new contracts. Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports that Towers and Gibson are both signed through 2014 with team options for 2015-16. Towers had been signed through 2012 with two two-year options, while Gibson had been signed through 2013.

MLBTR's Transaction Tracker offers a complete look back at Towers' moves. He rebuilt the team's bullpen and bench last offseason and it appears that he will focus on second base and adding depth this offseason. The D'Backs won the National League West this year, Gibson's first full season. Arizona posted a 94-68 regular season record before losing to the Brewers in the Division Series.

Latest On Cubs’ Managerial Search

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Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein explained in general terms what he’s looking for in his next manager. The person must have “leadership and communication skills; he must place an emphasis on preparation and accountability; he must establish high standards and a winning culture; he must have integrity and an open mind; and he must have managerial or coaching experience at the major league level,” Epstein stated yesterday. Here are some specifics on the Cubs’ search, with the most recent updates up top:

  • There's "very little" chance the Cubs hire Francona, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (Twitter link). He suggests Epstein was merely being polite.
  • Epstein says the Cubs haven't determined whether former Red Sox manager Terry Francona would be a fit in Chicago, according to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat.
  • Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux and Brewers hitting coach Dale Sveum are at or near the top of the Cubs’ list, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Sveum interviewed for Boston’s managerial opening and Maddux is another candidate for the Red Sox, according to the Sun-Times. The Cubs and Red Sox have both asked to interview Maddux, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).
  • Phillies bench coach Pete Mackanin will interview with the Cubs, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter). Mackanin also interviewed in Boston.
  • Former Red Sox manager Terry Francona and Rays manager Joe Maddon aren’t candidates for the position, according to the Sun-Times. Francona is a candidate in St. Louis, along with Cubs Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg.

NL Central Notes: Pirates: Cardinals, Reyes

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Links from the NL Central on the first day that Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder can sign with new teams…

  • The Pirates have holes at catcher, first base, shortstop and in the starting rotation, as Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette explains. Tim Dierkes looked ahead to the Pirates' offseason last month.
  • Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Cardinals should hire Terry Francona if he wants to manage in St. Louis. Francona is a candidate for the position, as Joe Strauss reported last night. The Cardinals begin the interview process today.
  • One team that inquired about Cardinals third base coach Jose Oquendo heard that he was next in line behind Tony La Russa, according to Peter Gammons of MLB Network (on Twitter).
  • The Reds don’t figure to pursue Jose Reyes, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Shortstop Zack Cozart is rehabbing his injured left elbow and should be ready by Opening Day.

NL East Links: Sizemore, Vazquez, Nationals

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Three years ago today, the Marlins claimed Dan Meyer off waivers from the Athletics. The left-hander went on to enjoy a strong season out of Florida's bullpen in 2009 (3.09 ERA with 8.6 K/9 in 58 1/3 innings) before struggling in 2010. Here's the lastest from the NL East…

  • The Mets are unlikely to target Grady Sizemore as a center field solution according to Andy McCullough of The Star Ledger (on Twitter). He says it's not much of a surprise given Sizemore's injury problems over the last three seasons.
  • It's "50-50" as to whether former Expos and Marlins hurler Javier Vazquez will play in 2012, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The right-hander strongly prefers the east coast, and his return would depend on the team and its competitive environment.
  • Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post broke down the Nationals' current payroll commitments. Tim Dierkes did the same and more in his Offseason Outlook post.

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