The Brewers’ recent firing of Ron Roenicke raises questions about how long they will retain GM Doug Melvin, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes. Melvin is in the final year of his contract, and while there have been no specific indications that owner Mark Attanasio won’t retain him, not much has worked out right for Melvin in the past eight months or so. The team collapsed down the stretch last season, and then a roster that featured most of last year’s key players got off to a terrible start in 2015. One significant move (the addition of Adam Lind) has gone well, and as I wrote this spring, the Brewers’ offseason strategy was mostly defensible, although that was partially because the team’s lack of ready or near-ready young talent would make an aggressive rebuild long and painful. Haudricourt notes that fans are speculating about the possibility that Attanasio and Melvin have already agreed on a new deal for Melvin, but they don’t want to announce it because of how unpopular such a move would be among many fans right now. Here’s more from the Central divisions.
- The Reds hired Hall of Famer and former superstar Barry Larkin as a roving minor-league infield instructor, but Larkin isn’t looking to get into managing quite yet, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com notes (with a transcript of a recent chat with the press in Florida courtesy of the Pensacola Blue Wahoos’ Hook, Line and Sinker blog). “I interviewed for the Tampa Bay job. I talked to [general manager Dave] Dombrowski about the Tigers job last year,” says Larkin. “But I just don’t feel like I’m ready for that type of commitment. If I’m going to dive in, I need to be all in, and I’m just not quite at that point yet.” Larkin cites family commitments as a key reason for his reluctance.
- Third overall 2014 draft pick Carlos Rodon made his first big-league start Saturday night in the night game of a doubleheader for the White Sox against the Reds. Rodon was a bit wild, walking four in six innings, but he struck out eight and allowed just two earned runs while making a surprising 108 pitches. The White Sox plan to move Rodon back to the bullpen after tonight’s start in order to keep his innings count low, but tonight’s performance could be a promising indication of what’s to come.
If the Reds ever let go of Price I’d imagine Larkin would be the guy to get the job.
On the flip side, the Counsell contract might be a good sign for Melvin: Why allow him to sign a manager for three years if he’s likely to be fired in one? It would have been easy to let somebody take over on an interim basis and let a new GM begin his own hunt if there was serious consideration given to firing him.
Might be some truth to that. But Melvin will likely see out one season of the Counsell contract, and it’s fairly frequent that a manager is fired with a year remaining. So we’re really looking at one middle year. I also believe Counsell is a company man that would take a reassignment. Just throwing out what its.
Long, painful rebuild? What do you think 5 or so years? If so, there’s no reason to keep anyone on the current roster.
I’d guess the relevant question isn’t whether Melvin will be retained, but whether he wants to retire or take a job elsewhere. He’s talked about “mentoring” others. Ironically, Counsell was frequently speculated as a possible successor.
And while its fun for a Pirates fan to cite something like a BA opinion piece, the record of their farm producing is actually quite good. Who is on the list of choices for next up in the Pirates rotation? Who is going to play left if Marte misses time, Josh Harrison?
Will the people complaining about a lack of minority candidates include Larkin in the discussion? When commentators and pundits blame the game and management few want to acknowledge it’s quite possible not all people are willing to make the necessary commitment required to do the job. It’s refreshing to hear somebody to admit he’s not sure he wants to give up time with his family just to do a job somebody else wants him to do.
Don’t see Rodon starting in the majors for long with 2 pitches. He needs top develop a change badly.
I think people also forget Rodon had 4 walks in his start. Needs to work on that, big time. With the Sox shoddy defense, and a manager that does not seem to care, you really cannot be affording to walk anyone as a White Sox pitcher these days.