Here’s the latest from Ken Rosenthal, via two videos at FOX Sports.
- The Mets are divided on whether Terry Collins should manage the team in 2015, Rosenthal writes. One sticking point is that Collins has young pitchers like Zack Wheeler and Jacob deGrom throw too many pitches. Since there isn’t agreement on Collins among Mets officials, one compromise might be to keep him but to dismiss some of his coaches.
- The Orioles could decline their $17.5MM option on Nick Markakis, pay him a $2MM buyout, and extend him a qualifying offer. If he were to accept it, there wouldn’t be much of a difference financially — the total cost would be about the same as his option. But if he were to decline the qualifying offer, he would be an intriguing addition to a free agent market that doesn’t have much position player talent.
- The Rockies need more starting pitching, and impending free agent Justin Masterson, a ground ball pitcher, could be a good fit at Coors Field.
- Rangers coaches Tim Bogar and Mike Maddux are both logical candidates to replace Ron Washington, but much remains to be determined — both coaches could also be candidates to replace Bo Porter with the Astros, and there could soon be other open managerial jobs, likely including that of the Diamondbacks.
Masterson on a buy low deal would be terrific for the Rockies. Problem is is that pitchers aren’t looking at the Coors Field as a place that rebuilds value.
This is the second story to have been floated over the course of the past week (the other was from Andy Martino) that Collins’ continuance may not be the fait accompli (barring a collapse) that Jon Heyman implied last month. Leaking the sentiment to the press keeps the heat on….and is management’s prerogative.
The possible alternative voiced by Rosenthal is ridiculous, however. And since it is, I hope it’s his own chop logic rather than any true intent. If they want to replace Collins, go ahead and do it. If they don’t then let him keep going. But to fire some of his coaches as a compromise is just crazy. If you think the coaches are poor, then let them go. And who would you drop anyway? The young pitchers seem to be developing well under Warthen, so that seems silly. If you think Collins is leaving them in too long, well….who else might have input into that? Bob Geren? So you’re going to fire the guy who would most likely be the replacement were Collins to end up being fired? Hardly.
Who else would have anything to do with this issue? You’d fire Larmar Johnson and/or Tim Teufel as a compromise to firing the manager because of the workload he’s putting on starting pitchers? Yeah. Okay. That makes sense.