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Cubs Notes: Hoyer, Epstein, Ramirez

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The Cubs will have a new manager in 2012, but it won't be Ryne Sandberg. Here are some links for Wednesday, as Cubs fans imagine their longtime second baseman in a Cardinals uniform…

  • The Cubs aren't focused on former Red Sox skipper Terry Francona and aren't likely to pursue a current manager, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter).
  • Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein reached out to Sandberg to explain why he's not being considered for the managerial job, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter).
  • GM Jed Hoyer suggested the Cubs will spend some time rebuilding their pitching staff, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times.
  • Long before he was a Major League GM, Hoyer was a skilled fantasy baseball player, according to the Sun-Times. Hoyer excelled in fantasy leagues as a youngster, even against adult professionals. For fantasy news on relief pitchers, check out CloserNews.com.
  • On a related note, Hoyer says he expects Carlos Marmol to close next year, according to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. 
  • Epstein, Hoyer and the rest of the front office are a team, but the GM remains impressed by Epstein's ability. "When he turns it on, it's pretty clear he has a gear the rest of us don't have," Hoyer said, according to Sullivan.
  • Former Cubs GM Jim Hendry graciously said the team hit a "home run" by hiring Epstein, according to Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com. "Tom Ricketts did the city of Chicago and the Cubs organization a great service by hiring Theo," Hendry said. The former GM hasn't ruled out returning to the game, but he's enjoying some time off for now. Hoyer said he's looking forward to reaching out to Hendry, according to Sullivan.
  • The Cubs don't have to pay Aramis Ramirez's $2MM buyout, since he declined his side of his contract option for 2012, according to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat.

Blanco Declines Option, Hits Free Agency

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Henry Blanco declined his side of a $1.15MM mutual option with the Diamondbacks and is now a free agent, according to the Associated Press (via ESPN). Arizona had exercised its side of the option on Monday.

In 112 plate appearances in 2011, the 40-year-old Blanco posted a .250/.330/.540 line with eight home runs. His teammate, Willie Bloomquist, also declined his side of a mutual option with the Diamondbacks this week.

Cardinals To Interview Ryne Sandberg

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The Cardinals have asked the Phillies for permission to interview Triple-A manager Ryne Sandberg for their managerial opening, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The Phillies have granted the Cardinals permission to speak with the Hall of Famer, according to Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com (on Twitter).

The Cubs, Sandberg's former team, are also looking for a new manager, but they want a candidate with big league coaching or managing experience, which appears to rule Sandberg out. Cardinals manager Tony La Russa retired this week, kicking off St. Louis' managerial search.

The Cardinals have had Hall of Fame-caliber managers in the dugout for the past 31 seasons. Whitey Herzog has a plaque in Cooperstown and Joe Torre and La Russa, the Cardinals' only other full-time managers since 1980, are strong candidates to be inducted into the Hall of Fame themselves. Sandberg, who entered the Hall of Fame in 2005, would continue the Cardinals' tradition of high-profile managers.

Cubs Will Have New Manager For 2012

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The Cubs announced Mike Quade will not return as their manager in 2012, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  New Cubs president Theo Epstein said the following in a statement:

"The managerial search process begins immediately.  We are looking for someone with whom and around whom we can build a foundation for sustained success.  The next manager 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.  I want to thank Mike for his nine years of excellent service to the Cubs, and we certainly wish him well in the future."

The statement seems to rule out Ryne Sandberg as a candidate for the next Cubs' manager.  The Cubs are expected to talk to Dale Sveum, tweets MLB.com's Carrie Muskat.  Sveum interviewed for the Red Sox manager job today.

Orioles Claim Darren O’Day

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The Orioles claimed righty reliever Darren O'Day off waivers from the Rangers, the team announced.

O'Day, 29, struggled with the longball in 16 2/3 big league innings for Texas this year.  The sidearmer tossed another 21 1/3 innings in the minors, mostly at Triple-A.  O'Day will be arbitration eligible for the second time after the season, and we project a very small raise to $1.3MM.

O'Day joined the Rangers via an April 2009 waiver claim from the Mets.  From that point through the end of the 2010 season, he provided the Rangers a 1.99 ERA, 7.6 K/9, 2.2 BB/9, and 0.61 HR/9 in 117 2/3 innings.  Over the course of his career, he hasn't shown the typical lefty/righty splits of a sidearm pitcher.  

The Orioles' 40-man roster now stands at 38, as Jake Arrieta, Brian Roberts, and Luke Scott were activated from the 60-day DL.  

Free Agent And Trade Market For Right Fielders

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The Red Sox, Twins, Athletics, Cubs, Pirates, Cardinals, Rockies, Padres, and Giants could explore the market for right fielders this year, which mostly consists of a variety of free agents.

Starting Right Fielders Available In Free Agency

Three potential right fielders who will land starting jobs are Carlos Beltran, Michael Cuddyer, and Jason Kubel.  Beltran is a middle-of-the-order bat, but he'll be 35 in April and missed much of 2009-10 with knee issues.  Signing him will not involve the loss of a draft pick, but it may take three years and a salary of at least $13MM.  Cuddyer can't match Beltran's bat, but he is younger, more versatile, and presumably cheaper.  Signing him probably will require the loss of a draft pick though.  Kubel is a similar hitter to Cuddyer aside from handedness, but Kubel's outfield defense is a minus.

Four more free agents may be vying for a role that sits between starter and reserve: David DeJesus, Magglio Ordonez, J.D. Drew, and Kosuke Fukudome.  DeJesus, 32 in December, brings defensive value and seems the best bet.  Fukudome doesn't have the power desired of a corner outfielder, while Ordonez and Drew bring significant health risk and may be limited to AL teams.

Thinking Outside The Box

Brad Hawpe, Ryan Ludwick, Josh Willingham, and Cody Ross played little or no right field this year, but they've done so in their careers.  Grady Sizemore has never played right field as a pro.  Agent Joe Urbon says Sizemore prefers center but will consider corner outfield opportunities.  After missing significant time due to injury the last few years, Sizemore will be a wild card on an incentive-laden deal.

Quality Backups

Reed Johnson is likely to secure a Major League deal, while Scott Hairston, Mark Kotsay, and Corey Patterson have a shot.

Non-Tender Candidates

The Rockies could non-tender Ryan Spilborghs, who was productive in 2010.  Garrett Jones probably won't be non-tendered, but the Pirates could move him if they don't consider him worth $2.4MM or so.  Former top prospect Jeremy Hermida could be cut by the Padres; he hit .319/.400/.524 in Triple-A this year. 

Other Trade Candidates

Carlos Quentin's name is often bandied about in trade rumors as he enters his final year of team control, but there's no guarantee the White Sox will move him.  The Rockies' Seth Smith could be dealt if the team signs someone like Cuddyer.

Dodgers' GM Ned Colletti isn't inclined to trade Andre Ethier, he told ESPN's Jim Bowden in October.

Check out our full free agent list, as well as our articles on the markets at catcher, first base, second base, third base, shortstop, left field, and center field.

Twins Rumors: Nathan, Cuddyer, Kubel, Slowey

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The latest Twins rumors, courtesy of ESPN 1500's Phil Mackey…

  • Joe Nathan's top priority is to pitch for a winning team next year, preferably as the closer.  Last week Nathan's agent said his client seeks a closing job.  "Money won't be the driving force" for Nathan, writes Mackey.  Mackey says Nathan has strong interest in returning to the Twins, who definitely have openings at the back end of their bullpen.
  • Mackey hears that Michael Cuddyer will "listen attentively to all interested parties," even if the Twins make the best offer.  The Twins maintain interest in Jason Kubel as well.  At the least, I expect they'll offer arbitration to both of them later this month.
  • Mackey's hunch says to keep an eye on Clint Barmes, Kelly Shoppach, and Ryan Doumit as potential free agent targets.  I ranked Barmes 35th among free agents on Monday, predicting the Twins as his new team.  Make your picks for Barmes and 49 other free agents by Sunday night for the chance to win cash and baseball-related prizes and bragging rights.  Over 3,000 people have entered so far.
  • There's a very good chance the Twins will non-tender righty Kevin Slowey, wrote MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger on Monday.
  • The Twins' 2012 payroll is expected to decrease slightly, leaving $20-25MM to spend, wrote Bollinger on Saturday.
  • View MLBTR's projected salaries for Slowey and the Twins' other four arbitration eligibles here, and read Ben Nicholson-Smith's offseason outlook for the team here. 

MLBTR Chats

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Every week, MLBTR conducts a live chat with either Tim Dierkes or Ben Nicholson-Smith.  Most of the time, it's me, and the chat is held at 2pm central time on Wednesdays.  That's the plan for today.

All you have to do to participate is visit MLB Trade Rumors at any point during the hour-long chat and click the chat link.  Then you'll have the opportunity to put in your name and submit a question.

With thousands of questions streaming in, I am typically able to answer about 60 of them in an hour.  If you feel like your questions are being ignored, the reason is probably just the sheer volume.  If you'd like to improve your chances of having a question answered, avoid posting it repeatedly, complaining about how your questions or favorite team are being ignored, or asking something that has been well-covered in our articles.  Instead, submit a few interesting questions that can reasonably be answered without research.

To view transcripts of past MLBTR chats, click here.

Marlins Notes: Payroll, Oviedo, Vazquez

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Marlins president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest spoke with reporters yesterday; here are the hot stove highlights.

  • The Marlins will raise their payroll to at least $85MM in 2012, writes Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post.  By my calculations they should have over $20MM to spend on '12 salaries, if Juan Carlos Oviedo does not remain with the team.
  • Oviedo, the former Leo Nunez, is in the Dominican Republic working through identity-related legal issues.  Beinfest hopes for clarity on the situation as soon as possible, but has "contingencies in place."  Beinfest noted that there are dates that are sensitive to Oviedo's situation, namely the December 12th non-tender deadline.
  • Beinfest told reporters the Marlins' top priority is to add rotation depth.  In regard to Javier Vazquez, he said, "I haven't talked with Javy since the season ended.  What a great job he did for us, and we will check in with him and his agent.  We'll see where his head is, and where his thoughts are. That door was left open when the season ended to at least explore. Javy's mind is wherever Javy's mind is. He's a veteran guy. We'll at least explore and keep and touch, and we'll see." 
  • Beinfest seems more open to trading young players, saying, "I think we need to become a little more open, just in general.  I think we've been very protective of our zero to three [years of experience] players because we've had to be, given our payroll challenges. I think we can open up a little more now."
  • This is an important offseason for center fielder Chris Coghlan, says Beinfest, after two disappointing seasons.
  • To read my offseason outlook for the new Miami Marlins, click here.

Cubs, Nationals May Have Interest In Buehrle

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The Cubs and Nationals might be among the suitors for free agent lefty Mark Buehrle this winter.  Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune hears from a source that the Cubs "would be interested Buehrle if the price tag and years aren't astronomical."  And Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post wrote yesterday that "some individuals with ties to the Nationals believe they will pursue Buehrle."

Buehrle, 32, has spent his entire career with the White Sox after they drafted him in the 38th round in 1998.  In each of the last 11 campaigns, he's reached a minimum of 201 regular season innings.  Last year Buehrle posted a 3.59 ERA, 4.8 K/9, 2.0 BB/9, 0.92 HR/9, and 44.9% groundball rate in 205 1/3 frames.    

Buehrle is a Type B free agent, and SI's Jon Heyman wrote last month that the White Sox are expected to try to re-sign him to a two-year deal.  Buehrle said in September he'd like to play two or three more years.  He considers the NL a potentially interesting challenge, and has talked many times about pitching for his home-state Cardinals.  However, the Cards don't appear to have a rotation opening for him.  Buehrle doesn't seem inclined to play too far from home, yet he may have reservations about going to the crosstown Cubs.  In theory, the Royals could be in play, but we haven't heard anything yet.

I ranked Buehrle 12th on my top 50 free agents list, predicting a return to the White Sox.  Make your pick for Buehrle and 49 other free agents for a chance to win great prizes in MLBTR's new contest.

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