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Managerial/Coaching Links: Molitor, Dodgers, Tigers, Hale

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The Twins announced today that they have added Hall of Famer and St. Paul native Paul Molitor to their Major League coaching staff. Molitor has been an oft-rumored candidate to be Ron Gardenhire's successor in the Twin Cities media, but with Gardenhire receiving a two-year extension, Molitor will oversee baserunning, bunting, infield instruction/positioning and assist with in-game strategy from the dugout. He has previously served as the Mariners' hitting coach and coached with the Twins under manager Tom Kelly in 2000-01.

Here's more on the managerial/coaching front from around the league…

  • The Dodgers announced that the options of coaches Davey Lopes, Rick Honeycutt and Tim Wallach's were exercised for 2014.  Hitting coach Mark McGwire was already under contract for next season.  It's an apparent indication that the Dodgers would prefer for Mattingly to stay, tweets Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link), as a new manager would want to have some say in his staff.  However, the renewal of the coaches' contracts wouldn't preclude a promotion for Wallach (link).
  • The Dodgers have fired bench coach Trey Hillman and advanced scout Wade Taylor, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports (on Twitter). Both were close with manager Don Mattingly, who said at a press conference yesterday that his return in 2014 wasn't a guarantee just because his option vested and added that he wanted his entire coaching staff to return in 2014. The dismissal of Hillman and Taylor figures to add to the tension between Mattingly and the Dodgers brass.
  • Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times tweets that Dodgers GM Ned Colletti informed Hillman of his dismissal, but Mattingly, who hired Hillman, was not involved.
  • John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press runs down a list of candidates for the recently vacated Tigers managerial position. Former Pirates manager and current hitting coach Lloyd McClendon is the leading in-house candidate, but Lowe contacted Dusty Baker and Eric Wedge, both of whom expressed interest in the job. GM Dave Dombrowski said yesterday that the Tigers would hire someone with either Major League or Minor League managerial experience, adds Lowe, which seemingly takes former Detroit backstop Brad Ausmus out of the running.
  • The Nationals have intereviewed Blue Jays bench coach DeMarlo Hale for their managerial vacancy, reports Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. Hale is the fifth candidate interviewed by the Nats (and third external candidate). He has previously interviewed for managerial openings with the Mariners (2009), Blue Jays (2011) and Cubs (2012). Kilgore adds that the Nationals were impressed by Hale's interview.
  • The Rangers announced yesterday that they have hired Tim Bogar as their bench coach. The 47-year-old Bogar spent 2012 managing the Angels' Double-A affiliate and spent the 2009-12 seasons filling the positions of Major League first base coach, third base coach and bench coach for the Red Sox.

Dodgers Designate Peter Moylan For Assignment

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The Dodgers announced that they have designated pitcher Peter Moylan for assignment.  The move will create space on the 40-man roster for the newly-acquired Alexander Guerrero.

In 14 big league appearances this season, Moylan posted a 6.46 ERA with 3.5 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9.  In his seven big league seasons with the Braves prior to coming to L.A., Moylan had a career 2.59 ERA with 7.1 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9.  He spent the bulk of 2013 in the minors, where he posted a 2.74 ERA with 8.8 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 in 38 outings.

To keep track of Moylan and everyone else in DFA limbo, check out the MLBTR DFA Tracker.

Dodgers Sign Alexander Guerrero

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WEDNESDAY, 7:20pm: The Dodgers confirmed the signing via press release.

TUESDAY, 1:15pm: Guerrero will indeed be a free agent following the conclusion of his contract and won't be eligible for arbitration, according to Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times. Hernandez adds that the contract contains a clause that prevents the Dodgers from sending Guerrero to the minor leagues without his consent after the first year of the contract (Twitter links).

11:12am: Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports, also via Twitter, that $10MM of the $28MM guarantee will be paid to Guerrero in the form of a signing bonus.

10:48am: The Dodgers have agreed to terms with Cuban infielder Alexander Guerrero on a four-year, $28MM contract that could reach $32MM via incentives, according to MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez (on Twitter).

Early reports that pegged the Dodgers and Guerrero agreeing to a seven-year, $32MM pact proved to be premature. More recently, it was reported that he was nearing a five-year, $32MM contract with the Dodgers after switching over to agent Scott Boras, but bidding was said to be "wide open" once again shortly thereafter.

By talking the Dodgers down to four years at a similar (and potentially identical) guarantee, Boras has managed to commit only his client's age-27 through age-30 seasons. Guerrero, who will turn 27 this December, will be able to hit the open market entering his age-31 season, which should allow him to sign another strong contract if he is able to live up to his potential.

Guerrero batted .290/.402/.576 with 21 home runs in 328 plate appearances in his final season in Cuba's Serie Nacional. That line, along with the .316/.406/.586 that he slashed from 2010-12 in his age 23-25 seasons (h/t: Obstructed View), was enough for Boras to compare Guerrero's power to that of Dan Uggla. While that comp should be taken with a grain of salt, the bar is set pretty low for Guerrero in the Majors, at least among his new peers; Major League second basemen slugged just .376 this year as a group. It should also be noted that Ben Badler of Baseball America did call right-handed power Guerrero's best tool in his late July scouting report (BA subscription required and recommended).

Guerrero also drew interest from the Giants, Rangers, Red Sox, Twins and Reds, but ultimately wound up signing with the first team to which he was connected. With this agreement, the Dodgers seem to have taken themselves out of the running for Robinson Cano, though they could conceivably move Hanley Ramirez to third base and play Guerrero at shortstop. That seems unlikely, as it has long been rumored that the team has no intentions of pursuing Cano on the free agent market, and partial owner Magic Johnson controversially confirmed that thinking to reporters earlier this month. Guerrero's signing also seems to point to the fact that Mark Ellis' $5.75MM club option will be declined in favor of a $1MM buyout.

Guerrero is the second major Cuban star to sign in the past week, as the White Sox recently signed first baseman Jose Dariel Abreu to a record-setting six-year, $68MM contract.

Offseason Outlook: Arizona Diamondbacks

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A 9.5 game lead in late June is usually a pretty comfortable cushion.  Well, it's not when one of your divisional rivals goes on a historic tear in the second half of the season.  While the Dodgers went 42-8 over a 50 game stretch, the D'Backs faltered and lost control of the NL West.  This year, they're looking to get to the top of the totem pole and remain there through September.

Guaranteed Contracts

Arbitration Eligible Players (service time in parentheses)

Free Agents

What do the Diamondbacks need to address right from the top?  General Manager Kevin Towers says he'd like to add a power-hitting corner outfielder to the lineup to help protect first baseman Paul Goldschmidt.  The funny thing is, Arizona had that type of player in guys like Justin Upton, Chris Young, and Jason Kubel (even though he was struggling in 2013) but they've all been shipped elsewhere.  Gerardo Parra has right field locked down and Adam Eaton should be slotted in at either center field or left field.  While there are already internal options like the defensively sharp A.J. Pollock and the currently injured Cody Ross, neither one offers the aforementioned pop that they're seeking.  Don't expect the Diamondbacks to go after this year's elite power-hitting outfielders (i.e. Carlos Beltran and Curtis Granderson), but they'll have less pricey options to choose from as well.  Possible fits might include Mike Morse and Corey Hart, even though there are question marks about their ability to play well in the outfield.

If they can't find the right bat at the right price in left or center field, they could get a little creative and move Martin Prado to left and put a bopper at the hot corner instead.  The D'Backs won't find a strong crop of third basemen with pop on the open market, however.  Looking at the trade block, it seems likely that the Padres will listen on Chase Headley this winter as he takes his final turn through arbitration, but it's hard to imagine that San Diego will be willing to move him within the division.  Even if the D'Backs are willing to part with the type of young talent to pry Headley away, they'll have to find the cash to lock him up beyond 2014.  Brewers third baseman Aramis Ramirez could make sense as a trade target.

There' are other ways that the Diamondbacks can take care of their corner outfield situation on the trade market.  Even with free agent Willie Bloomquist likely out of the picture, Arizona has two young shortstops in Didi Gregorius and Chris Owings.  If the D'Backs commit to one player over the other, they could parlay their mini-surplus into something useful elsewhere.  The Pirates could come calling for an upgrade over Jordy Mercer, who wasn't consistently sharp at the plate.  The Reds could get by with Zack Cozart at shortstop, but it also wouldn't hurt to find someone better.  The Cardinals have Pete Kozma and the Mets could hope for a better effort from Ruben Tejada, but you can add those clubs to the mix as well.

Arizona is also working with a surplus of starters and could use that to fill some holes.  Patrick Corbin, Wade Miley, Trevor Cahill, Brandon McCarthy, Randall Delgado, Tyler Skaggs, and top prospect Archie Bradley are all in the fold.  Of course, it'll take a heck of an offer to pry Bradley away from the D'Backs.

The bullpen was supposed to be a major bright spot for the Diamondbacks in 2013 but it didn't turn out that way.  J.J. Putz was in place as the D'Backs' closer for much of the season but his injury troubles gave Brad Ziegler an opportunity to seize the gig after Heath Bell showed that he couldn't hold it down.  There are plenty of quality pitchers already in Arizona, but they have to perform up to their abilities.  Bell, who is now two years removed from his All-Star form, is under contract for one more season.  David Hernandez had an up-and-down year – with the down resulting in a demotion to Triple-A – but the light turned on in the fall as hitters averaged a .405 OPS against him in September.  There could be an opening for a southpaw or two, depending on what the club does with Joe Thatcher and Tony Sipp who are both eligible for arbtration.  It doesn't appear that the bullpen will require a complete overhaul, but a few new faces might be a good idea.  The D'Backs can look into hard-throwing free agents like Jesse Crain to help build a better bridge to Ziegler.

One of the Diamondbacks' lesser priorities this season will be to address the backup catcher situation.  Wil Nieves gave Arizona better offense than expected in 2013 (.297/.320/.369 in 206 plate apperances), but he wasn't sharp defensively.  If the Pirates don't retain John Buck, he could be a more stabilizing force behind the plate in support of Miguel Montero.

Ultimately, the D'Backs probably aren't headed for a major overhaul this winter, but they'll look at add a few key pieces to their talented roster.  With a bit of good health and good luck, Arizona can keep the Dodgers out of their pool in 2014.

Arbitration Eligibles: Tampa Bay Rays

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Matt Swartz has developed a very accurate model that MLBTR uses to project arbitration salaries, as explained in this series of posts. We've heard from many MLB teams and agencies that reference the projections in their work.  The Rays are next in our series.  Estimated service time is in parentheses, and estimated 2014 salary follows.

Price projects to have the third-largest salary of any arbitration eligible player, and he'll go to arbitration again after the 2014 season.  He missed over a month with triceps tightness this year and came back much improved, posting a 2.53 ERA in his final 18 starts with a K/BB ratio near eight.  The 28-year-old is far superior to any free agent starter and one of the best in baseball.  He told reporters on an October conference call he expects to be traded this winter, perhaps due to his rising salary, diminishing team control, and the precedent set by the Rays with James Shields and Matt Garza.  Indeed, a blockbuster deal this winter seems likely, and if Price lands with a new team, that club will surely have interest in locking him up barring further health complications.  I anticipate something in the range of five years and $125MM, if the contract includes his final arbitration year.  Otherwise Price could wait, re-establish his health in 2014, and use Clayton Kershaw's next contract to leap past the $135-140MM in new money guaranteed to Justin Verlander and Felix Hernandez.

The rest of the Rays' arbitration class is more pedestrian.  Joyce continued to serve as a useful platoon outfielder.  Rodriguez, Lobaton, and Fuld held down lesser reserve roles, with Fuld facing at least some threat of a non-tender despite another low salary projection.

Starters Hellickson and Niemann project for similar salaries.  Despite improved peripheral stats, Hellickson's third season was his worst in terms of ERA, with a 5.17 mark.  The Rays sent him to the minors for a brief period toward the end of the season, which was used as a break since the organization never intended to have him pitch at a lower level.  Hellickson is likely penciled into next year's rotation, especially if Price is on the move.  Niemann has missed most of the last two seasons, and had shoulder surgery in April this year.  Another $3MM guarantee would be risky, so a non-tender seems likely.

Wright, McGee, and Ramos are up for arbitration in the bullpen, and all seem in good standing after decent seasons.

Assuming the Rays tender contracts to Price, Joyce, Hellickson, Wright, Rodriguez, McGee, Lobaton, and Ramos, they're looking at an estimated $25.7MM for eight arbitration eligible players.

Royals Willing To Listen On Billy Butler

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The Royals are ready to listen on offers for Billy Butler this winter, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (via Twitter).  The designated hitter/first baseman is owed $8MM in 2014, and the Royals hold a $12.5MM club option with a $1MM on Butler for the 2015 season.

Butler, 27, hit .289/.374/.412 with 15 homers this season and played in all 162 games.  It was a step back from what the Royals were used to seeing from the slugger – he had a career .300/.362/.468 slash line heading into 2013 and belted a career-high 29 homers in 2012.

Kansas City could find a limited market for Butler this offseason as he is probably better suited for the American League and has a good amount of money left on his deal over the next two years.  The slugger known as Country Breakfast drew interest from the Mariners and Orioles last winter.

Arbitration Eligibles: Arizona Diamondbacks

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Matt Swartz has developed a very accurate model that MLBTR uses to project arbitration salaries, as explained in this series of posts. We've heard from many MLB teams and agencies that reference the projections in their work.  The Diamondbacks are next in our series.  Estimated service time is in parentheses, and estimated 2014 salary follows.

Due to the struggles of the team's other relievers, Ziegler ascended to the Diamondbacks' closer role in July and ended up recording 13 saves and 11 holds.  He projects to earn a nice $5MM salary in his contract year, and it seems possible the D'Backs try to tack on an additional season.

Parra had one of the quietest 4.6 win seasons you'll see, due mainly to his exceptional defense in right and center field.  Defense doesn't generally pay in arbitration, but if Parra picks up another Gold Glove award he might see a salary boost from it.  He also set career bests with 10 home runs and 79 runs scored.  Parra's skillset is destined to remain undervalued, but with free agency coming up after 2015, an extension might be wise for Arizona.

Thatcher was the biggest name the D'Backs received for two-plus years of Ian Kennedy, and he had several rough outings in the weeks following the trade.  The team would look pretty bad in cutting him loose this winter, but a non-tender or trade remains possible.  Sipp seems a good bet to be non-tendered following a lackluster season.  Collmenter, working full-time in relief for the first time, put together a strong 92-inning campaign and will be a part of next year's bullpen.

Hudson had Tommy John surgery in July 2012 and was close to returning this summer when he unfortunately re-tore his elbow ligament.  Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic talked to Reds chief medical director Tim Kremcheck in June, who said the failure rate of a second Tommy John procedure is in the 40-50% range.  In that article, Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers suggested Hudson has a better chance of returning as a reliever this time.  As Hudson later noted to Piecoro in September, "I’m in a pretty weird situation going into my first year of arbitration."  In that article, Towers talked about being creative in advance of the December 2nd non-tender deadline, and Hudson says he would like to stay.  If nothing can be worked out by the deadline, a non-tender does not seem out of the question.

There is a good amount of uncertainty with Hudson and Thatcher.  But if those two plus Ziegler, Parra, and Collmenter are tendered contracts, the Diamondbacks are looking at an estimated $13.2MM for five arbitration eligible players, plus $600K for Reynolds to bring the total to $13.8MM.  

Red Sox Notes: Cherington, Breslow, Napoli, McGrath

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In a WEEI appearance over the weekend, Red Sox owner John Henry talked about the team's overhaul and historic rebound from the AL East cellar to World Series participants. WEEI's Jackson Alexander has some of the highlights, including Henry's praise for GM Ben Cherington. Henry stated that the team knew for years that Cherington was going to be the next GM, but they had envisioned a scenario where Theo Epstein would be promoted to team president to continue the Epstein/Cherington pairing in Boston for many more years. Epstein is now president of the Cubs and likely hoping to experience a turnaround similar to that of his former club in the near future. Here's more on the Red Sox…

  • WEEI's Alex Speier points out the statistical similarities between Craig Breslow and Jeremy Affeldt from 2008-12, noting the sizable gap between Breslow's two-year, $6.25MM contract and Affeldt's three-year, $21MM contract. Despite the fact that Breslow's dominant 2013 season could have potentially earned him far more than his current contract calls for, the left-hander doesn't regret signing. Breslow tells Speier that the security of his two-year deal helped him to remain calm and not rush back from the shoulder injury that caused him to open the season on the DL. Breslow adds that he's grateful to the Red Sox for being the first team to guarantee him a contract for multiple years. As far as national attention from a strong postseason, Breslow says he's more concerned with receiving validation from his 24 teammates than the national media.
  • Mike Napoli tells MLB.com's Lindsay Berra that he will be more confident in contract negotiations with interest teams this winter now that he's played through a season with avascular necrosis (AVN) in his hips. Said Napoli: "They're always going to say, 'What if?' But what if I got hit in the hand or got hurt in some other way that had nothing to do with my hips? So many things can happen, but I don't feel like my hips are a problem."
  • Agent Josh Borkin of ACES tells MLBTR that Red Sox prospect Daniel McGrath has selected ACES as his representation. The Australian left-hander reached the short-season Class-A New York-Penn League in 2013 at just 19 years old and posted a 4.86 ERA with 9.4 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 in 33 1/3 innings. McGrath signed with the Red Sox for $400K last summer.

Minor Moves: Ramirez, Crowe, Purcey

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Here are today's minor moves from around the league…

  • The Twins have outrighted outfielder Wilkin Ramirez off their 40-man roster, reports Tyler Mason of FOX Sports North (on Twitter). Ramirez, who turns 28 on Friday, broke camp with the team but missed a significant portion of the season with a concussion. He received just 87 plate appearances for the Twins, batting .272/.302/.370. Though he's been primarily a corner outfielder in his minor league career, Minnesota used Ramirez in center for 50 innings this season.
  • Outfielder Trevor Crowe rejected his outright assignment from the Astros and elected free agency, according to the Pacific Coast League transactions page. The former first-rounder was outrighted last week and would have been eligble for arbitration had he remained on the 40-man roster. Instead, Crowe is now free to sign with any team following a season in which he batted .218/.287/.291 in 181 MLB plate appearances. Crowe was solid in the minors, slashing .304/.364/.388 with three homers and 16 steals in 60 Triple-A games.
  • Left-hander David Purcey rejected his outright assignment from the White Sox in lieu of free agency as well, per the International League's transactions page. Purcey, 31, posted a 2.13 ERA with 8.2 K/9 but an ugly 6.0 BB/9 rate in 24 relief appearances for the South Siders in 2013. Like Crowe, he'd have been arbitration eligible, so his team decided to cut ties early on, knowing that he wouldn't be tendered a contract. Purcey missed the final week of the season with a sprained UCL in his throwing elbow, but the injury wasn't expected to require surgery and should be able to heal with offseason rest.
  • The Dodgers' Alex Castellanos is the only player currently in DFA limbo, as can be seen in MLBTR's DFA Tracker.

Reds Hire Bryan Price As Manager

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TUESDAY: The Reds have announced that Price has been signed to a three-year deal as the team's new manager. A press conference has been called for 3pm ET to announce the contract. General manager Walt Jocketty offered the following quote on the team's new skipper (via the Reds' official Twitter account):

"I have spent a lot of time with Bryan since the season ended, and I was convinced after the first meeting he is the right person to help us move this organization forward. We've all seen his work here with our pitching staff. He has proven himself to be an excellent communicator and leader and clearly is one of the most respected people not only in our clubhouse but in baseball in general."

MONDAY: The Reds have chosen Bryan Price as the club's new manager just over two weeks after firing six-year skipper Dusty Baker. Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that Price was expected to be named by the club tomorrow (via Twitter), with Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweeting shortly thereafter that Price had in fact been hired.

Price, previously the team's pitching coach, had been rumored to be one of two leading candidates (along with Jim Riggleman) to take the helm in Cinci. Despite two division titles and three post-season berths in the past four seasons under Baker, the decision was made to part ways after Baker apparently told the front office that blame should fall on his shoulders rather than those of his hitting coach. According to C. Trent Rosecrans of the Enquirer, Price has been a well-regarded keeper of the club's arms and would become one of only a handful of current MLB managers who never played in the bigs.

Steve Adams contributed to this post.

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