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AL Central Notes: Cuddyer, Indians, White Sox

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The Twins finish the season with 99 losses, their most since 1982, and will officially select second in next year’s draft. Here's a sampling of links from the AL Central on the night that Minnesota avoided loss #100:

  • Twins manager Ron Gardenhire told Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com that he'd like to have free agents Michael Cuddyer and Joe Nathan back in 2012 (Twitter links). MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes examined Cuddyer's free agent stock earlier in the month.
  • The Indians announced that Sandy Alomar Jr. will become the club's bench coach in 2012. Tim Tolman, who was Manny Acta's bench coach this year, will transition into another role because of health reasons.
  • White Sox GM Kenny Williams told Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times that he "absolutely" has a preferred candidate to succeed Ozzie Guillen as manager. Alomar Jr., Rays bench coach Dave Martinez and even Red Sox manager Terry Francona are candidates for the job, according to Van Schouwen.
  • The White Sox wanted Logan Morrison from the Marlins for Guillen, according to Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald. Chicago relented because the Marlins were prepared to offer Bobby Valentine the job if they didn't get Guillen (Twitter link).

NL Central Notes: Cubs, Cordero, Pirates, Barmes

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The Astros are playing spoiler against a former bitter rival of theirs tonight, as they try to halt the Cardinals’ improbable playoff bid. Here are some notes from the NL Central, while the two clubs play in Houston… 

  • Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts told Cubs reporters, including Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune, that he's looking to name a GM as soon as possible, but cautions that there's "no point in rushing" the process. Ricketts pointed to the Diamondbacks to remind reporters that turnarounds can happen quickly in baseball under the right circumstances.
  • Ricketts added that he expects GM candidates to see the four-year extension that director of player personnel Oneri Fleita obtained this summer as a positive. 
  • It's looking like the Reds will complete a deal with Francisco Cordero instead of picking up his $12MM option for 2012 ($1MM buyout), according to John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer (on Twitter). We heard yesterday that Reds GM Walt Jocketty is optimistic about working out a deal with his closer. For the latest on Cordero and other MLB closers, check out CloserNews.com.
  • Ryan Doumit told Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that he thinks his chances of returning to Pittsburgh in 2012 are "slim" (Twitter link). The Pirates hold a $7.25MM option ($500K buyout) for the backstop next year.
  • Clint Barmes told MLB.com's Brian McTaggart that he would like to return to the Astros next year. However, the shortstop is open to exploring other options and he realizes that Houston’s ownership changes could affect offseason plans. Earlier in the month, I revisited the trade that sent Barmes to the Astros.

AL East Notes: Blue Jays, Rays, Orioles

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The Orioles host the Red Sox and the Rays host the Yankees in the 162nd game of the regular season tonight. The Red Sox and Rays are hoping that they will have advanced as the American League Wild Card team within a few hours, but there's a chance they'll have a play-in game tomorrow to determine which team gets the final playoff spot. Here's some off-field news about the AL East as Boston tries to hold off the O's and the Rays try to come back against the Yanks…

  • Blue Jays manager John Farrell told MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm that improving the rotation would be his top offseason priority.
  • When Joel Sherman of the New York Post asked people in the know about Terry Francona's job security, he expected to hear that the skipper had nothing to worry about, but he heard otherwise. Some say the Red Sox manager hasn't stopped his players from getting out of shape and that he has made certain players feel over-privileged. Sherman also hears that Francona feels "bulletproof" after winning two World Series and has stopped attending to some of his job's minor responsibilities.
  • The Cubs have reached out to Andrew Friedman, the Rays executive VP of baseball operations, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). It's hard to imagine Friedman entertaining the idea of joining the Cubs with his club so close to the playoffs.
  • Orioles manager Buck Showalter told Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com that the club hasn't reached a "firm decision" about his role next year (Twitter links). The Orioles figure to reach a decision on their complex front office situation soon.

Nationals Notes: Johnson, Werth, Hernandez

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Stephen Strasburg struck out ten Marlins without allowing a run over six innings of work in Washington's season finale this afternoon. Here are the latest links on the Nationals, who finish the season with an impressive 80-81 record…

  • Nationals manager Davey Johnson told Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post that he hopes to be managing the team again in 2012 (Twitter link). "I know I'm the best candidate," he said. Jon Heyman of SI.com has been reporting for a while that Johnson can have the Nationals' job if he wants it, though GM Mike Rizzo is expected to go through with a complete search. 
  • Jayson Werth bristles at the idea that 2011 was a lost season for him and the Nationals, according to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. Werth feels that he's helped the team improve by working with other veterans to change its culture. Within Kilgore’s piece, Werth says he's not particularly good at dealing with failure and offers other insights into his first season with Washington.
  • Livan Hernandez declined to say whether he and the Nationals have discussed a contract for next year, but he repeated his interest in re-signing with Washington, according to Bill Ladson of MLB.com.

Red Sox Will Not Acquire Starter

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4:46pm: The Red Sox have given up searching for starting pitching help and they'll rely on one of their own pitchers in the event of a play-in game tomorrow, according to Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com (on Twitter).

12:17pm: ESPN's Buster Olney and CSNNE.com's Sean McAdam both find the Red Sox trading for a starter to be unlikely, to varying degrees (Twitter links).  Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star hears that the Royals and Red Sox are discussing Chen, but one official calls a trade a "long shot."

10:18am: Royals lefty Bruce Chen is among Boston's trade targets as they consider acquiring a starter for a potential Thursday play-in game, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  Chen is scheduled to start tonight in Minnesota as he seeks to tie his career-high of 13 wins.

Chen projects as a Type B free agent, and an arbitration offer from Kansas City is realistic.  Red Sox GM Theo Epstein would have to surrender something significant to best the value of that potential draft pick, and he'd probably have to complete the trade before even knowing whether he'd need Chen for tomorrow.  At most, the Red Sox would be able to use Chen for that one game, as he would not be eligible for the postseason roster.  As Rosenthal notes, the lefty has already cleared waivers.  The 34-year-old Chen has a 3.98 ERA, 5.7 K/9, 2.9 BB/9, 1.1 HR/9, and 35.5% groundball rate on the season.

In theory, Epstein could also look at fully rested starters such as Chien-Ming Wang, Rodrigo Lopez, and Aaron Harang, though Harang also may be a Type B.  If the Red Sox do not acquire a starter, they might have to use John Lackey or Tim Wakefield on three days rest should a play-in game occur Thursday at Tropicana Field.  Another option might be activating Clay Buchholz, according to WEEI's Rob Bradford.

Hideki Matsui Likely To Return To Oakland

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There’s a good chance that Hideki Matsui will re-sign with the A’s in 2012, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. There was already a strong possibility that Matsui would return and today’s news that the A’s and Mariners will open next year’s schedule in Tokyo only boosts the chances that he’ll spend another year with his current team.

Though the Athletics’ uncertain stadium situation could impact all free agent decisions, including ones related to Matsui, he’s more likely to return than any of Oakland’s other free agents. One A’s official told Slusser that Matsui is the one free agent the team would “seriously consider for a number of reasons.”

Team president Mike Crowley told Slusser that MLB would be “very happy” if the A's had Matsui on their roster to open the season against Ichiro Suzuki’s Mariners. That’s far from the driving force behind the team’s interest, though. Matsui, who definitely intends to play in 2012, will be available on a one-year deal and would probably not cost much more than $2MM, according to Slusser. He got along well with manager Bob Melvin and the A’s consider him a positive role model for young players. Plus, Matsui’s presence on the roster generates revenue in the form of sponsorships and merchandise sales.

Matsui, 37, has a .252/.322/.377 line with 12 homers in 581 plate appearances this season and does not project as a ranked free agent. He has recovered from a slow start to produce better results in the second half (.758 OPS since July 1st).

Jose Reyes’ Final Month: Part Two

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About a month ago, I explained that each player to sign a free agent contract worth more than $100MM since the 2007-08 offseason capped his walk year with a healthy, productive final month. At the time, Jose Reyes was returning from an extended stint on the disabled list – his second trip to the DL of the season – and his free agent value was far from finalized.

“For Reyes to join Carl Crawford in the $100MM club,” I wrote at the time, “he’ll probably have to show interested teams that he has recovered from the left hamstring issue that sidelined him for the past three weeks. No matter what Reyes does, he won’t silence questions about his ability to stay healthy for an entire season. But if the 28-year-old can finish 2011 with one more month of electrifying play, he’ll have a stronger case for a contract worth $100MM or more.”

Whether or not you agree with Reyes’ decision to leave today’s game after raising his league-high average to .337 with a bunt single, there’s no denying that his final month has been statistically strong and, just as importantly, healthy. Reyes has appeared in 25 of the Mets’ 28 games and has a line of .340/.411/.443 for the month with four stolen bases in as many attempts and a pair of home runs (both homers came yesterday). 

His season line sits at .337/.384/.493 and he has a league-leading 16 triples to go along with 31 doubles and 39 stolen bases. He's sixth among NL position players in FanGraphs' wins above replacement and there's a good chance he'll win the batting title over Ryan Braun.

Some teams will shy away from Reyes because of his injury history, but plenty of potential suitors are still out there. Will he obtain $100MM? Recent history says he has done his part. Now it’s up to team owners to make their offers.

Los Angeles Notes: Beltre, Napoli, Dodgers

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Both the Angels (86 vs. 80) and Dodgers (81 vs. 80) have already improved on last year's win totals with one game to play. Here's a look back at a couple moves that shaped the Angels' season and a look ahead to the Dodgers' offseason…

  • Adrian Beltre, who lives 30 minutes from Angel Stadium, begged the Angels to sign him last offseason, according to Peter Gammons of MLB Network (on Twitter). Instead, he signed a five-year deal with the AL West Champion Rangers and has a .296/.332/.563 line with 32 home runs. It won't be surprising if the Angels are on the lookout for third base help this offseason. 
  • Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times explains that there's reason to consider the Vernon Wells–Mike Napoli trade one of the worst deals in Angels history. Wells is expensive and has struggled offensively, Napoli has had the best offensive season of his career and the Angels finished second to the Rangers. Manager Mike Scioscia says we should give the deal some time before calling it a poor one for Los Angeles.
  • Dodgers GM Ned Colletti told Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times that he understands Los Angeles is a star-driven city and will consider the best players out there this winter, even if they cost $100MM or more. Still, Colletti says he's "very conscious" of the Dodgers' drop in attendance.

Rockies Rumors: Street, Ellis, Wright, Cuddyer

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The Rockies conclude their season this afternoon in San Francisco, with Drew Pomeranz opposing Eric Surkamp.  The latest on the team from Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post:

  • Rafael Betancourt would be fine with closing next year for the Rockies, and the team likes what he's done recently in the role.  Renck reiterates that opposing executives expect the Rockies to shop Huston Street this winter.  Street has $8MM left on his contract for next year, assuming his club declines a 2013 option.  The free agent market offers closers such as Heath Bell, Jonathan Papelbon, and Ryan Madson, but those three will require multiyear deals.
  • The Rockies would like to retain second baseman Mark Ellis on a one-year deal in the $3MM range, writes Renck.  However, Omar Infante's new two-year, $8MM contract could decrease Colorado's chances of pulling off such a deal.
  • David Wright will be a Rockies target this winter if the Mets show an inclination to move him.  Wright is owed $15MM in 2012, and can void a '13 club option if dealt.  Wright, 28, has a .253/.344/.426 line heading into today's action.  He missed two months this year due to a back injury.
  • Michael Cuddyer is a potential outfield target for Colorado, writes Renck, and signing him might mean trading Seth Smith.

Ozzie’s Four-Year Deal Worth About $10MM

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New Miami Marlins managed Ozzie Guillen was introduced today, and MLB.com's Joe Frisaro says his four-year contract is worth about $10MM.  His $2.5MM salary represents almost a 40% increase over the $1.8MM he was earning with the White Sox.

Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria says he “could not be happier” that Guillen is going to lead the team into its new stadium, according to Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post.  And the skipper himself promised an energetic team that will play hard and deliver results. 

"Hopefully I can bring energy flavor, enthusiasm but the most important thing – a winning team,” Guillen said.  "As long as I am here I'm going to promise you, you're going to see a ballclub that will play hard. It's not about Ozzie – it's about Miami Marlins.”

Capozzi notes (Twitter links) that Guillen rejected the Marlins' first contract offer.  Team President David Samson told Guillen that he loves his Twitter activity and noted that it comes with responsibility.

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