As a former player, Dodgers manager Don Mattingly can relate to what Cubs prospects Javier Baez and Arismendy Alcantara are going through, writes David Just of the Chicago Sun-Times. “It’s just a time factor with the young guys,” Mattingly said. “They can look good right away, and the next year they come out and it doesn’t look good. Or they can look kind of shaky and figure a lot of it out. So time is going to tell.” As a youngster, Mattingly got off to a slow start with the Yankees, hitting .278 with a .326 on-base percentage in his first 98 games during the 1982 and ’83 seasons. He then led the American League in hits, doubles, and batting average in 1984.
Here’s the latest from the NL Central:
- Pirates GM Neal Huntington says re-signing catcher Russell Martin is a priority for the franchise, tweets Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “We are going to try to do everything we can to keep Russ,” said Huntington. “We’d love nothing more than to have (Martin) in a Pirates uniform.“
- Huntington, however, reiterated the Pirates will not veer from their financial philosophy. “We’re going to continue to have to pay guys for what we believe they’re going to do, and not what they’ve done,” said Huntington (as quoted by MLB.com’s Stephen Pianovich). “The bigger markets certainly have luxury to be able to extend much beyond comfort levels to pay an extra year or two, to pave over prior mistakes with more money.“
- Brewers GM Doug Melvin does not “think there’s a need to go out and try to get another starter” and will instead focus on offense this offseason, reports MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy. The Brewers are all but certain to pick up the $13MM option on Yovani Gallardo, McCalvy opines.
- The Brewers’ biggest offseason decisions will be the infield corners and whether to exercise Gallardo’s option, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in a recent chat. The Brewers will consider both internal and external options at first base, but Haudricourt notes finding productive first basemen is easier said than done.
- In a separate piece, Haudricourt writes Rickie Weeks is nearing the end of his tenure with the Brewers (his $11.5MM option isn’t expected to be exercised), but the team’s senior member in terms of service time is not thinking about 2015. “I’ll worry about that when the time comes,” Weeks said. “I’m still with the Brewers right now. That’s the way I look at it.“
- “What we’d really like is to have a bunch of really good baserunners,” is what Cubs manager Rick Renteria told reporters, including MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat, when asked about the club’s 2015 wish list.
A .278 average and .326 OBP is a slow start for a rookie? I don’t know about anybody else but that seems like a solid start for a rookie to me.
I agree. A lot of guys would love to hit that for a full season.
in this day and age it would be, honestly, for a ‘Top Prospect’. people like to panic a lot faster than they used to,
He just wants to remind people out there he was a really good player, it is his last year to be voted into the HOF after all.
Good base running can be taught.
Brewers are going to pick up Gallardo’s option? I would rather have Aramis Ramirez…since I doubt they can afford both.
I like Aramis — he’s a good player — but he’s going to be 37 next year and won’t even reach 20 HRs this year. Gallardo has many more years left and his 8-10 W-L is deceptive — look at his WHIP, FIP, ERA+ etc
Understandably if Aramis declined both his option and a qualifying offer in favor of multi year deal I would probably move on, but if I could have either or on a 1 year deal next year I want Aramis.
Gallardo is reliable pretty much guaranteed to give 30 starts a year, but he is pretty average in almost all. The reason his win/loss is so bad is because he has so many average starts. He isn’t what he used to be and they can gamble on letting him go. They need that money more for a 3B or 1B.
I wouldn’t mind the Brewers trying to get a 1-yr deal with Adam LaRoche done. Or, maybe more at bats for Clark, and see what he can do in a full season
Gallardo still would have some trade value as would Ramirez if their options are picked up. Gallardo’s been up and down but at times he’s been masterful. He has 7 starts where he’s gone 6+ innings without allowing a run. It’s really been a bounce back year for him. Brewers appear to be deep enough to part with a starter, but I think they want something back in addition to salary relief.
They can afford both, but I see it likely that both options are picked up so they can get something back in trades.