Here’s the latest from Ken Rosenthal, via a video on FOX Sports:
- Gossip within baseball suggests that James Shields will likely go the Red Sox this offseason, with Jon Lester heading to the Cubs. That could leave a variety of teams competing for Max Scherzer, with agent Scott Boras “waiting it out,” as he often does to try to get teams to meet his price.
- If the Braves decide to part ways with Frank Wren this offseason, they could promote assistant GM John Coppolella to the GM position and have senior advisor John Hart serve as Coppolella’s mentor. Rosenthal also suggests the possibility that the Braves could bring back Royals GM Dayton Moore. (We noted earlier today that the Braves could make front office changes this offseason.)
- Fredi Gonzalez of the Braves and Ron Roenicke of the Brewers could be on the hot seat this offseason, but Bob Melvin of the Athletics likely will not be, Rosenthal says.
all the free agent pitchers are gone…..before they are free agents?
Rosenthal also said there was a 0% Cano would go to the Mariners a few days before he did.
Bottom line: Everyone is guessing.
Do we know if anyone checked with Shields on this one?
Interesting thing about this gossip. it can show us who is going to make an aggressive play for a certain pitcher, but it cannot tell us what the pitcher will eventually decide.
This is nonsense. It’s almost as if these FA’s are already claimed by teams (according to the insider gossip) before they’re even available to test the market.
Tigers were in on shields when he went to the royals. David Price is his best friend. And Ken thinks he’s going to the Red Sox, a hitters park?
Do Tigers have the money to add another expensive pitcher?
They have the money to get any one player they want. The question is, do they feel the need to spend $100MM on a 33 year old Shields when they have needs outside of the rotation?
why not just extend Scherzer then. Why would you give that kind of money to Shields when you have a better option already on your team.
Because Scherzer is going to cost significantly more than $100MM. You could fit several other upgrades in the space between $100MM and what Scherzer is likely to sign for.
The original poster stated they could get any one player they wanted. This is why I stated I would certainly take Scherzer over Shields.
Comerica is not exactly a pitcher’s haven. In fact according to usual park metrics a pitcher is more likely to give up a triple or a home run in Detroit than they are in Boston.
Outside of a few stadiums that are extreme hitters/pitchers parks, people tend to overstate how big an effect there is.
There’s that too.
David Price also could very well be leaving next year… if the Tigers commit another 20+ million a year to Shields, that becomes even more likely. it’s not like the Tigers have a lot of payroll flexibility these days.
As a Cubs fan this would excite me if Ken Rosenthal didn’t literally write that every notable player was going to the Cubs…..
Here’s hoping, as a Tiger fan, that teams all blow their brains out fighting over each other for Shields, Lester and Scherzer – I’m happy with the rotation we have for next year – DD hopefully will spend money on some QUALITY bullpen help and keeping Victor.
Please… the Braves can have Dayton Moore..
If the Red Sox get Shields and the Cubs get Lester, and that’s far from a certain thing, how many teams are left to compete for Max Scherzer at the kind of salary he is expected to command?
If the A’s don’t make the playoffs Melvin is gone. Beane was on radio and did not sound happy with the job Melvin is doing.
Roenicke’s future is tied with Doug Melvin’s. Melvin’s already on his 3rd manager and he’s 62. The next will likely be hired by his successor. That being said the owner’s been very loyal to Melvin, and despite the collapse this year, Roenicke will have finished above .500 for 3 of his 4 seasons. By Brewer historic standards, that’s not bad.
Scherzer and Lester will be Cubs. That combo, with Arrieta and Wood as solid 3-4, means playoffs. If that can’t get it done, they will add Price or bring back Samardiza next offseason. Calling it now.