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Archives for September 2014

Fallout From Ron Washington’s Resignation

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Here’s a roundup of news on and reactions to Ron Washington’s resignation as manager of the Rangers earlier today:

  • Washington’s departure is the latest setback for a team that’s suffered an amazing number of them this season, CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman writes. Heyman notes that although Washington failed a cocaine test in 2009, his departure for personal reasons has nothing to do with drugs. The reasons for his departure are unclear.
  • Washington says he will return to baseball, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports. “I’ll be back!” Washington writes in a text message. “Need some time!”
  • Rangers GM Jon Daniels says the team wanted Washington to return in 2015, Anthony Andro of FOX Sports Southwest writes. Washington’s decision also took Rangers players by surprise. “To hear he’s no longer with us it crushed me,” says Derek Holland. “It was kind of quick. I wish he had more time with us, especially myself.  I would have loved to have a moment at least to say goodbye to him.”
  • Bench coach (and now interim manager) Tim Bogar and former first base coach Dave Anderson could be candidates to replace Washington on a permanent basis, MLB.com’s Tracy Ringolsby tweets. Anderson is now a minor league infield instructor with the Orioles after the Rangers declined to renew his contract following the 2013 season.
  • The Rangers have not decided whether to begin a managerial search immediately or to do so in the offseason, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal tweets.

Quick Hits: Nix, Astros, Buehrle, Uehara

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Every small-market team dreams of building a rotation of young, controllable arms, and Peter Gammons (in his latest piece for Gammons Daily) feels the Indians have done just that in Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Danny Salazar and Trevor Bauer.  Salazar was signed as an undrafted high schooler and the other three were acquired in trades, giving the Tribe an enviable collection of pitchers for both their wild card push this season and to stay in contention for years to come.

Here’s some more from around the game as we head into the weekend…

  • The Astros have made little progress in negotiations with draft pick Jacob Nix and the situation between the two sides seems likely to proceed to a hearing, CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman reports.  The MLBPA filed a grievance on Nix’s behalf after Houston withdrew an offer to the fifth-rounder that had seemingly been agreed-upon.
  • Astros GM Jeff Luhnow hasn’t decided whether to make his managerial search candidates known to the public, he tells Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the Houston Chronicle.
  • Mark Buehrle’s future with the Blue Jays is discussed by several Sportsnet writers and broadcasters.  Buehrle will earn $19MM in 2015, his last year under contract, and the feeling amongst the panel is that the Jays could explore trading the veteran in order to free up payroll space.  While Buehrle still has value on the mound and as a mentor to Toronto’s young starters, that might not be worth the $19MM piece he takes out of what could be a limited Jays budget.
  • Koji Uehara will be temporarily replaced by Edward Mujica as the Red Sox closer, manager John Farrell told reporters today (including MLB.com’s Steven Petrella).  Uehara has slumped badly over his last few outings, indicating to Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal that GM Ben Cherington may have erred in not dealing Uehara at the trade deadline.  Uehara is a free agent this winter and, at the very least, his struggles have eliminated any chance of the Sox extending him a qualifying offer.
  • Right-hander John Holdzkom began his season in independent ball and now may end it on the Pirates’ Major League roster.  Baseball America’s J.J. Cooper looks at Holdzkom’s seven-year journey through the minors that finally led to his Major League debut last Tuesday.

Minor Moves: Almonte, Patton, Martinez, Clemens

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Here are today’s minor moves from around baseball, with the newest transactions at the top of the page…

  • The Yankees have outrighted outfielder Zoilo Almonte, according to the International League transactions page. Almonte, 25, has collected just 36 plate appearances in the big leagues this season, spending most of the season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he’s hit .261/.311/.437 in 454 plate appearances. The Yankees designated him for assignment earlier this week.
  • The Padres outrighted left-hander Troy Patton to Triple-A El Paso, the team reports.  Patton was designated for assignment on Tuesday.  He posted a 5.14 ERA in 14 combined innings with the Orioles and Padres this season, but since coming to San Diego in May in exchange for Todd Hundley, Patton has a 2.45 ERA, eight strikeouts and just one walk over 7 1/3 relief innings.
  • The Astros outrighted right-handers Paul Clemens and David Martinez off their 40-man roster, MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart reports (Twitter link).  The two were designated for assignment on Tuesday.  Clemens has a 5.84 ERA in 24 2/3 relief innings for Houston this season, while Martinez allowed four in seven innings of work for the Astros.
  • The Phillies have purchased the contract of right-hander Sean O’Sullivan, the team announced.  Lefty Mario Hollands was moved to the 60-day DL in a corresponding roster move.  O’Sullivan signed a minor league deal with Philadelphia last winter and has twice been outrighted off the club’s roster this season, while posting a 6.94 ERA over 11 2/3 IP in two starts with the Phillies.

Royals Release Bruce Chen

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The Royals have released left-hander Bruce Chen, MLB Daily Dish’s Chris Cotillo reports (Twitter link).  Chen, 37, was designated for assignment by the team last week.

The veteran had a 7.45 ERA over 48 1/3 innings with the Royals this season, making seven starts and six relief appearances.  ERA predictors aren’t usually friendly to a low-strikeout, contact pitcher such as Chen, though his current FIP (4.57), xFIP (4.64) and SIERA (4.43) indicate that he has been rather unlucky to produce that 7.45 total this season.

Chen re-signed with the Royals last winter, inking a one-year, $3.25MM deal with a $5.5MM mutual option for 2015 (with a $1MM buyout).  He has pitched for 10 different teams over his 16-year career and it’s possible he could turn his total up to 11 if a club is on the lookout for an experienced southpaw as bullpen depth down the stretch.  Chen is only a year removed from a 2013 season that saw him post a 3.27 ERA over 121 innings for Kansas City.

Nine players remain in “DFA Limbo,” and you can follow their status with the MLB Trade Rumors DFA Tracker.

Angels Exercise 2015 Option On Jerry Dipoto

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The Angels exercised their 2015 option to retain general manager Jerry Dipoto, MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez reports.  The decision was made around the All-Star break, though Dipoto didn’t want to publicize it.  The Halos also hold an option on Dipoto for 2016, though no decision has yet been made on that year.  Financial terms of Dipoto’s contract aren’t known.

Since becoming the Angels’ GM on October 29, 2011, Dipoto’s tenure has been marked by several major free agent signings (Albert Pujols, C.J. Wilson, Josh Hamilton) and trades (acquiring Zack Greinke, Jason Vargas, Huston Street, David Freese) yet the team didn’t reach the postseason in either of Dipoto’s first two seasons.  Between this lack of success and rumors of discord between Dipoto and manager Mike Scioscia, there was speculation that Dipoto (or Scioscia) could be replaced last offseason.

Now, with the Angels owning the best record in baseball and looking like World Series contenders, it seems as if Dipoto could remain in Anaheim for a while.  It’s fair to speculate that a deep playoff run will likely get Dipoto that 2016 option or even an extension.

Dipoto, 46, enjoyed an eight-year career as a reliever with the Indians, Mets and Rockies before transitioning to scouting and front office work with the Red Sox, Rockies and Diamondbacks.  He served as Arizona’s interim GM for the last half of the 2010 season after Josh Byrnes was fired.

International Notes: Leyva, Mena

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Here’s some news from the international player market…

  • The Orioles have signed Cuban right-hander Lazaro Leyva to a contract with a $725K bonus, CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman reports (Twitter link).  Leyva didn’t rate a mention in the top-30 international prospect lists released by Baseball America or MLB.com prior to July 2, and there’s little information publicly known about Leyva, both scouting-wise and even in regards to his basic biography.  It’s no surprise that MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko tweets the deal will be official once Levya passes a physical and has his age confirmed.
  • Right-hander David Mena has left Cuba and is looking to establish residency in a South American country, MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez reports (via Twitter).  Mena, 21, would be subject to international signing pool guidelines if and when he becomes eligible to join an MLB team.

Carlos Zambrano Announces Retirement

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During a visit to Wrigley Field for today’s Pirates/Cubs game, veteran right-hander Carlos Zambrano told reporters (including MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat) that he has retired.  He had been pitching in his native Venezuela last winter in the hopes of catching on with another Major League club, but it appears as though Zambrano has instead called it a career.

The “Big Z” retires with a 132-91 record, 3.66 ERA, 7.5 K/9 and 38.2 rWAR over 1959 innings in the bigs, with 11 of his 12 seasons spent with the Cubs and his final year (2012) spent with the Marlins.  (Zambrano also made four starts in the Phillies’ minor league system in 2013.)  He threw a no-hitter against the Astros in 2008 and his career achievements include three top-five finishes in NL Cy Young Award voting, three All-Star appearances and three Silver Slugger Awards.  That last honor was particularly well-deserved since Zambrano was one of the better-hitting pitchers in recent memory, posting a .238/.248/.388 slash line and 24 homers over 744 PA.

While slightly leaving the door open for a possible comeback attempt, Zambrano’s recent attempts at throwing didn’t work out.  “I was telling one of the [Cubs] scouts that I was playing catch the other day after five months, and I felt like I was throwing a rock,” Zambrano said.  “I think I’m going to stay home, see what happens next year. God has the last word.”

Zambrano, 33, was no stranger to controversy over his career, known for several confrontations with umpires and twice getting into dugout altercations with teammates (Michael Barrett and Derrek Lee).  The Cubs put him on the restricted list in August 2011, effectively ending his career in Chicago.

According to Baseball Reference, Zambrano made just under $114MM over his career.  We at MLBTR wish Zambrano a happy time in retirement.

Indians Claim J.B. Shuck

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The Indians have claimed outfielder J.B. Shuck off waivers from the Angels, MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian reports (Twitter link).  Cleveland will send money back to Los Angeles to complete the deal.

The move is a homecoming for Shuck, who was born in Westerville, Ohio and went to Ohio State.  The Halos designated Shuck for assignment three days ago, and now he joins a Tribe roster that is already pretty deep in left-handed hitting outfielders.  Still, Shuck has experience at all three outfield positions and could be a longer-term option for Cleveland since he’s controlled through the 2018 season.  Shuck has a .272/.316/.344 slash line over 658 career PA with the Angels and Astros.

With Shuck’s situation resolved, check out the MLB Trade Rumors DFA Tracker to follow which players are still in “DFA limbo.”

Ron Washington Resigns As Rangers Manager

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Ron Washington has announced his resignation as the Rangers manager in a statement released to the media today.  Bench coach Tim Bogar will take over as the interim manager, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports (Twitter link).  Washington’s statement in full…

“Today, I have submitted my resignation from the job I love – managing the Rangers – in order to devote my full attention to addressing an off-the-field personal matter.   As painful as it is, stepping away from the game is what’s best for me and my family.MLB: Kansas City Royals at Texas Rangers

“This is in no way related to the disappointing performance of the team this season. We were already discussing 2015 and looking forward to getting the Rangers back to postseason contention.

“I deeply regret that I’ve let down the Rangers organization and our great fans. Over the past eight seasons, it’s been a privilege to be part of some of the best years in club history and I will always be grateful for the opportunities I’ve had here, and for the great management, players, and coaches who have made our time here a success.  Thank you for respecting my privacy.”

Needless to say, Washington’s decision comes as a large surprise to the baseball world.  Last February, he signed a contract extension that would’ve kept him in the Texas dugout through the 2015 season.  Washington cited the Rangers’ poor 2014 season and yet there was no hint that his job was in jeopardy given how the team’s roster was decimated by injuries.

After spending a decade as a coach with the Athletics, Washington was hired by the Rangers prior to the 2007 season.  He became the winningest manager in team history by posting a 664-611 record in Texas, leading the Rangers to their first two American League pennants (in 2010 and 2011) as well as an appearance in the 2012 wild card game.

Bogar is in his first year with the Rangers organization following a decade as a coach and minor league manager with the Astros, Indians, Angels, Rays and Red Sox.  He has been mentioned in connection with a few Major League managerial posts in the past (most notably with the Astros before they hired Bo Porter) and he could be a candidate to continue as the Rangers’ skipper if he impresses over the final month of the season.  With so many star players back healthy in 2015, the Rangers’ job could arguably be the most attractive managerial opening of the offseason.

Photo courtesy of Jerome Miron/USA Today Sports Images

NL West Notes: D’backs, Towers, De La Rosa, Sandoval

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With the search for a new Diamondbacks GM expected to get started right away, we’re already seeing some initial reports on possible matches. Of course, many of the names that surfaced in the Padres’ recent hiring process could once again come up, but chief baseball officer Tony LaRussa could have others in mind. One hypothetical possibility is Cardinals vice president Gary LaRocque, tweets Peter Gammons of GammonsDaily.com. Two former playes — Angels exec Hal Morris and agent Dave Stewart — could potentially become candidates, according to MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert (Twitter links), though the latter tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter) that it would be “really, really difficult” to transition out of his current line of work.

  • If Towers decides to stay with the Diamondbacks, it would be in a senior scouting role, tweets Bob Nightengale of USA Today. It appears that the sides have agreed to delay any decision on continued employment of the deposed GM until after his replacement is hired, meaning he’ll have plenty of time to track down a new opportunity if he prefers.
  • The Rockies’ recent two-year, $25MM extension of starter Jorge De La Rosa was in some ways the first move of the offseason. As Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post writes, Colorado was never going to be able to get a similarly valuable veteran — let alone one with De La Rosa’s history of success at Coors Field — to join the club at that kind of rate. (Of course, it should be noted, the team also held the threat of a qualifying offer, which threatened to crash the market for the solid-but-aging De La Rosa.) Saunders goes on to discuss some of the team’s other in-house options, concluding that at least one or two more veteran additions would be necessary to move the ball forward in 2015.
  • Pablo Sandoval and the Giants are still not discussing an extension, tweets Chris Cotillo of MLBDailyDish.com. As things stand, the 28-year-old figures to be a hot commodity on the free agent market; he checked in at fifth on MLBTR’s latest free agent power ranking. It is still too early to count out an extension, though. After all, San Francisco GM Brian Sabean re-upped two veterans (Hunter Pence and Tim Lincecum) late last year.

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