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Archives for September 2013

Managerial Notes: Mattingly, Yost, Wedge

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The Phillies recently shed the "interim" tag from Ryne Sandberg's title and signed him to a three-year deal as the team's new skipper. Elsewhere in the NL, rumors are circulating about the security of Dale Sveum's job with the Cubs, and over in the AL, many are wondering about Joe Girardi's future now that his contract with the Yankees is ending. Here are some more links pertaining to managers and their contract situations…

  • Dodgers manager Don Mattingly hasn't had any discussions regarding a new contract for 2014, and he's just fine with that, writes Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Mattingly says he's content to be leading his team into October, and isn't thinking about his future with the team beyond that at this time: “This would be the worst time to talk about something like that. There’s no talk – and no need.”
  • Royals general manager Dayton Moore wants manager Ned Yost to return in 2014, he tells Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. Dutton quotes Moore: "…Ned has done a terrific job, and I definitely want him back. We’ll sit down and talk about it. Contractually, Ned’s up, and we’re going to work together to negotiate a new deal." Owner David Glass said last week that the decision on Yost's future is entirely in Moore's hands. Moore told Dutton that he and Yost have an agreement that there will be no discussions until after the season, but it certainly sounds as though Yost isn't going anywhere.
  • Ryan Divish of the Tacoma News Tribune and Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times were among the reporters that spoke with Mariners manager Eric Wedge prior to today's game as he addressed his job situation. Wedge said that he's disappointed that he's been left "hanging out there." Wedge said the constant speculation and uncertainty surrounding his future with the team isn't fair to him or the players. He elaborated by explaining that it's tough to have one-on-one talks with young players about how to improve and build for the future when both members of the conversation know that Wedge may not have a future in the organization at all.

NL Central Links: Lohse, Arrieta, Sveum

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The NL Central has morphed into one of the game's toughest divisions, with three teams ticketed for October baseball in the form of the Cardinals, Reds and Pirates. Here are some notes on the division's non-playoff teams…

  • Kyle Lohse picked up a $350K bonus tonight for reaching the 190-inning mark, tweets Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Lohse signed a three-year, $33MM contract in Spring Training and has delivered nearly 200 innings of a mid-3.00 ERA for the Brewers.
  • Jesse Rogers of ESPN Chicago writes that the Cubs' 2014 rotation is beginning to take shape, and Jake Arrieta has cemented a spot for himself among the team's core of starting pitchers with his solid performance after coming over from the Orioles in the Scott Feldman trade. Manager Dale Sveum told Rogers the only uncertainty in the rotation, in his mind, circles around the No. 5 spot. Jeff Samardzija, Travis Wood and Edwin Jackson will join Arrieta in the rotation next season.
  • Speaking of Sveum, David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune opines that the right thing for Cubs president Theo Epstein to do is bring his manager back for the 2014 season (subscription required). Firing Sveum with one year left on his contract would send the wrong message, writes Haugh. He's been given little Major League talent to work with and has done nothing to embarrass the organization.

Phillies Not Ruling Out Halladay For 2014

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It's been a forgettable pair of seasons and a sharp fall from his status as arguably the game's best pitcher for Roy Halladay. Halladay will carry a 6.82 ERA, 7.4 K/9 and 5.2 BB/9 in just 62 innings into free agency this offseason, but Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. told reporters, including Ryan Lawrence of the Philadelphia Daily News, that he hopes Halladay has a future with the Phillies:

"I try not to think in absolutes with him. If we think he’s going to be a viable possibility for us, we’d like to try to bring him back. I’d like to think it’s not the last we’ll see of Doc."

Halladay's struggles began in 2012, as he was limited to just 159 1/3 innings of 4.49 ERA ball by a strained lat muscle that cost him nearly two months of action. This season, after trying to pitch through shoulder pain and barely cracking 90 mph with his fastball, Halladay gave in and underwent surgery in May. The operation removed bone spurs in addition to repairing both his rotator cuff and labrum.

Lawrence notes that Amaro conceded any deal for Halladay would have to be one in which both parties share the risk, or in other words, an incentive-laden deal. The Phillies already face uncertainty in their rotation beyond aces Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels; Cuban righty Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez projects to occupy one spot but hasn't thrown a Major League pitch before, and Kyle Kendrick saw his own season come to an end due to a shoulder injury.

Boras Targeting $100MM+ For Shin-Soo Choo

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Last month, one MLB executive told Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com that Shin-Soo Choo could fetch $90-$100MM on the open market this winter.  It's a number that probably seems high to many, but agent Scott Boras thinks that figure is actually on the low side.

"As a custom of the industry, prognostications by executives this time of year are dramatically divergent from the real market," Boras told Heyman. "I don't think anyone correctly predicted what Jayson Werth or Carl Crawford got."

Heyman checked in with three other execs on guesses for Choo – two said $75MM over five years and one threw out $56MM for four.  Two of the executives were probably using B.J. Upton's $75.5MM, five-year deal as a comp, and the other was likely looking at Michael Bourn's four-year, $48MM pact with the Indians (and possibly Nick Swisher's four-year, $56MM contract as well).  Boras argues that none of those estimates are on the mark because, in part, they are working off of the assumption that five years is as high as a club will go.  

The agent notes that Werth got seven years from the Nationals, and while Choo isn't exactly a spring chicken, he is the same age (31) that Werth was when he inked his deal. Choo also actually boasts a slightly better career slash line than Werth.  He adds that Choo's value could also get a boost thanks to his ability to play center field and bat leadoff (though a look at defensive metrics like UZR and DRS indicate that Choo is clearly not cut out for center field).

If Choo's next deal is worth $100MM or more, it would be more than just surprising, it would be historical.  Of the 43 players that have received nine-figure deals, only six - Werth, Zack Greinke, Ryan Zimmerman, Mike Hampton, Mark Teixeira and Carlos Beltran - had just one All-Star selection before putting pen to paper.  Choo, meanwhile, has never made an All-Star team.

So far, Choo has already been linked to the Mets and Cubs, and he should have plenty of other suitors this offseason. Choo reportedly "loves" Cincinnati, but GM Walt Jocketty was candid earlier in the year in expressing that it would likely be difficult for the team to afford Choo beyond 2013.

Steve Adams contributed to this post.

Cubs Notes: Sveum, Girardi, Epstein

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The latest on the Cubs as the regular season winds down..

  • Rival execs on other teams assumed that Dale Sveum's job would be safe through the rebuilding phase, but a strong year from prospects Javier Baez, Albert Almora, Jorge Soler, and Kris Bryant may have club brass feeling a little bit more bullish about their timetable, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.  Meanwhile, notable names such as Joe Girardi, Ron Gardenhire, and Mike Scioscia could find themselves available this winter, giving Theo Epstein & Co. even more to think about when evaluating Sveum's future.
  • Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times attempts to bust some of the myths about the Cubs' rebuilding project.  Some expect the Cubs to start using their financial muscle in the near future to make a move towards contending, but Wittenmyer explains why that's not in the cards at the moment.
  • Sveum was supposed to find out about his status on Monday, but he's still waiting on word from the higher-ups, writes Carrie Muskat of MLB.com.

Yankees Notes: Ryan, Nunez, Soriano, Sabathia

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Mariano Rivera is deserving of our respect and adoration, but he is also one of the most overrated players in recent memory, opines Jim Caple of ESPN.com.  Caple argues that because his role was limited to closing out games, he did not contribute to the Yankees' success on the same plane as someone like Derek Jeter, who has seen about 22,000 innings more of action for the Bombers.  More out of the Bronx..

  • We all know that the Yankees are trying to get under the $189MM luxury tax threshold this winter, but Joel Sherman of the New York Post crunched the numbers to show that it could be even more challenging than previously thought.  The Yankees, for once, are going to have to count pennies, which puts five players in varying levels of flux this offseason.  Sherman sees Brendan Ryan, Eduardo Nunez, Mark Reynolds, Austin Romine, and Michael Pineda as guys that the Yankees will have to make decisions on.
  • Jon Heyman of CBS Sports ran down the best in-season pickups of the year, starting with Alfonso Soriano.  "This is the top summer acquisition and I don't think anything's close," one GM said of the 37-year-old, who owns a .261/.325/.541 slash line in 54 games for the Yankees. 
  • C.C. Sabathia has the paycheck of an ace, but he sure hasn't looked like one.  The hurler says that he's going to get back on track in 2014, but Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com isn't sure whether he can believe him.  The 33-year-old is guaranteed $23MM per year through 2015 and $25MM in 2016.  In 2013, Sabathia has a 4.78 ERA with 7.5 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9.

Rosenthal On Sveum, Yankees, Giants

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has a lot of interesting stuff in today's column and we'll take a look at some of the highlights below..

  • The Cubs never hired Dale Sveum as a long-term answer in the dugout.  Instead, he was brought aboard as a bridge to a big-name manager who would "complete the job" once the team was ready to win.  Rosenthal says that both the Cubs and the skipper were aware of this when the hire was made nearly two years ago.  Sveum has just one year remaining on his deal and it has been speculated that Yankees skipper Joe Girardi could be a candidate.
  • While the Yankees have been routinely criticized for their development of young talent, the 2006 draft stands as quite a success.  However, notables Ian Kennedy, Mark Melancon, Zach McAllister, and George Kontos are now elsewhere.  GM Brian Cashman was aware of the club's history of trading away promising young talent, which led to his disagreement with Tampa brass over the Alfonso Soriano deal.  Cashman denies reports that say he opposed the trade but admits that he opposed the timing of it.  He believes that if they waited until they got closer to Aug. 31st deadline, the Cubs would have taken a lesser prospect than pitcher Corey Black. 
  • One rival executive expects the Giants to make a play for a Cuban free agent like Jose Dariel Abreu or second baseman Alexander Guerrero.  The exec believes that the Giants have seen the impact of Cuban players Yasiel Puig and Yoenis Cespedes right in their own backyard and will look to join in this winter.  It also helps that San Francisco is in need of some offense.

Mike Trout, Angels Aren’t Discussing Long-Term Deal

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Mike Trout is arguably baseball's greatest value at a salary of $510K, but the time will come when the Angels will have fork over a whole lot more to keep him long-term.  However, that time might not be this offseason as agent Craig Landis says that things are still status quo, writes Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times.

“I'll answer one question on contract talks — there have been no discussions,” said Landis. “Obviously, Mike's future is extremely bright. We'll be patient. Mike's a young guy. However it goes, he's going to make a lot of money and be a great player.”

For his part, Trout says that he loves playing with the Angels but he also feels that it's time to go house shopping and he'd like to know if he'll be buying in southern California or elsewhere.  Some still fear that there is lingering resentment between Trout and the Halos for his salary this season and while they can name a better price in 2014, he'll be eligible for arbitration the following year.  The 22-year-old is scheduled to hit the open market after the 2017 campaign.

Trout followed up his Rookie of the Year winning performance in 2012 with even stronger offensive production this season.  The center fielder owns a .324/.431/.557 slash line with 26 homers in 698 plate appearances.

NL East Rumors: Valdespin, Arroyo, Mets, Marlins

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The Mets reinstated infielder Jordany Valdespin to their 40-man roster after he completed his 50-game Biogenesis suspension, but it remains to be seen if he'll be brought back in 2014.  Mets GM Sandy Alderson said the team has not yet decided whether he will be brought to Spring Training and the front office will have discussions on the matter between then and now.  Interestingly, those conversations haven't gotten underway yet and when asked why, Alderson replied, "Maybe it's because Valdespin's future doesn't warrant convening a meeting."  Here's more out of the NL East..

  • One veteran talent evaluator told Mike Puma of the New York Post that it's a “no-brainer” the Mets will pursue Bronson Arroyo this winter.  Recently, Tim Dierkes profiled the pending free agent who says that he is chasing after a multi-year deal. 
  • Marlins special assistant Andre Dawson said owner Jeffrey Loria told him recently that he plans to acquire hitters with the priorities being third base, first base, and catcher, writes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.  Of course, budget constraints could again prove to be limiting.  Marlins people believe the payroll will fall in the range of this season’s, which was $36MM before the Ricky Nolasco trade, but Loria hasn’t told the staff what the 2014 number will be and he has been known to change his mind.
  • Bob Ford of the Philadelphia Inquirer argues that the Phillies should not re-sign Roy Halladay this offseason.  The Phillies got to evaluate the pitcher again at the end of the season but GM Ruben Amaro says that he may not be fully healthy until the spring.

Central Rumors: Girardi, Dunn, Perkins, Pirates

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Could Joe Girardi leave the Yankees to become the next manager of the Cubs?  It's all speculative right now, but Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com sizes up both jobs and the challenges that each one figures to bring over the next few years.  Here's tonight's look at the Central divisions after Michael Wacha came ever so close to a no-hitter..

  • Adam Dunn's $15MM salary for 2014 almost assures his return to the White Sox in 2014 and talk of him being platooned next season sounds premature, writes Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. "I don't think we're at that point yet," GM Rick Hahn said. "I think we need to see what the roster looks like, see how he comes back, how he looks and see what the options are for Robin. Ultimately the lineup is his call, so especially given that we aren't sure what the roster is going to look like, it's premature to pigeonhole anyone into a lesser role than they have right now."
  • Twins closer Glen Perkins' outstanding season has boosted his 2013 salary from $2.5MM to $2.975MM and boosted his 2014 salary from $3.75MM to $3.9875MM, according to Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter links).
  • Dave Cameron of Fangraphs looks at five components of the Pirates' construction of a playoff team. Among Cameron's components are the fact that the Pirates bought into the predictive power of stats like xFIP, adopted aggressive defensive shifts and ignored positional stereotypes with players like Neil Walker and Starling Marte.

Steve Adams contributed to this post.

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