In today’s column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe looked at several managers who could be out of a job this winter. Among the skippers listed is Nationals manager Matt Williams, who has come under fire at times for his in-game decisions. Still, in his defense, Cafardo notes that Williams has had to deal with poor performances by players like Ian Desmond and Jayson Werth, not to mention injuries. Other situations to monitor include the Reds (Bryan Price), Phillies (Pete Mackanin), Tigers (Brad Ausmus), and Mariners (Lloyd McClendon). Here’s more from today’s column..
- When the D’Backs and other clubs called on Aroldis Chapman at the deadline, the Reds were asking for an “incredibly unrealistic” return, according to one GM who spoke with Cafardo. “I couldn’t believe it,” the GM said of the asking price for the closer. Still, it sounds like Reds GM Walt Jocketty will at least listen on him this winter and the price tag could be more palatable for interested teams. “I think teams would give up three very good prospects for him,” said one AL GM, “but I think that’s as far as it would go.” Recently, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com wrote that many in baseball are questioning Jocketty’s decision to hang on to Chapman past the July trade deadline. Heyman also noted that Arizona could pursue him once again this offseason.
- As of Friday, the Giants had no idea how their pursuit of Phillies second baseman Chase Utley would go. GM Bobby Evans acknowledged over the weekend that he’s still in pursuit of Utley, but one has to wonder how far they’re willing to go with Joe Panik on the verge of returning.
- If the Nationals wind up replacing Ian Desmond this winter, they have a very capable replacement on deck in Trea Turner. “He’s a baseball player,” one veteran AL scout said of Turner. “He’s going to be an All-Star player in the big leagues. I don’t see how he misses. He has great instincts for the position and the game in general. He’s got those [Dustin] Pedroia qualities.” Turner, rated as the No. 65 prospect in baseball heading into the 2015 season, is hitting .306/.349/.422 at Triple-A Syracuse.
- Nationals director of player development Doug Harris could emerge as the frontrunner for the Brewers’ GM job, Cafardo writes. Doug Melvin, who has stepped down as president/GM to take on an adviser role, was the GM in Texas while Harris was an exec there.
- As team president Theo Epstein enters his walk year in 2016, Cubs owner Tom Ricketts is expected to start discussing a new deal with him soon. If he can’t offer him enough money to stay in Chicago, Cafardo wonders aloud if he could go elsewhere or maybe even circle back to the Red Sox.
Oh come on. Theo leaving Chicago isn’t even worth discussing. Neither Epstein or the Ricketts set out to be terrible for 4 straight years to end the relationship as soon as it started to pay off. Theo will be the highest paid executive in baseball and the Cubs will smile every check they write to him.
They were only terrible for 3 years with him, not to nitpick.
Totally agree. Theo came here to win rings, not rebuild the farm system then bail.
“…with Joe Panik on the verge of returning.” This statement is not accurate. He will only begin baseball activities next week and won’t come off the DL when he’s eligible. Similarly even though he’s pain free now he still has to see how he responds to swinging and playing 2b. You can bet the Giants will be cautious with a kid who’s a star in the making.
As I asked on another thread……
Why would the GIants take on a guy that wants his 2016 option exercised, and wants guaranteed playing time to agree to a trade? Meanwhile, he and Panik both are 2B’s. Are the Giants looking at moving Belt back to the OF and playing Utley at 1B? That’s all I can figure.
I haven’t heard that he wants his 2016 option exercised. But if it ends up in the $6-$7MM range, I’m not sure why he even would. He could get that easily in free agency.
That’s just speculation by a few members of the media. I don’t believe it to be true. I think it really comes down to playing time and contender status.
He might want the option exercised to provide location security for his family. That’s 2 moves in a very short amount of time potentially. He might be thinking next year and hang them up
Utley seems to make sense for an AL team that can possibly rest him at DH if the option is exercised. I’m a little pressed to think of a competing team in the NL right now that really wants to go past 2015
Paniks not really in the making. This is pretty much who he is. No real room for growth. Hes still excellent.
The reds had every right to ask for the farm for one of the most electrifying closers in the game.
The same teams complaining are the ones who go out and sign a international player who never played American baseball 80 to 100 million dollar contracts. Go figure.
1.There has yet to be an international free agent that’s signed for that much. 2. The scenario you just described is exactly how the Reds got Chapman…
Masahiro Tanaka
tanaka(yankees), daisuke(red sox if including posting fee), moncada(red sox if you count the tax that doubled his cost). then you have your darvish, abreu and yosmany tomas in the 60-80 mil range. no idea where you say no ifa’s got that much.
I’ll admit I was wrong about Tanaka, but the rest are including posting fees/taxes which weren’t stated in the original post, just contracts
i think 60 something odd million is close enough to 80 with the same principle of never having played in the u.s.
One of the biggest issues with Seattle is the fact that the media likes to put all the blame on the managers and never the GM/ Front Office. The bullpen was depleted and not replenished with solid pitchers. It is more on Jack’s shoulders than Lloyd’s if you ask me.
Both of them appear to be lacking. Doubtful either will be there much longer.
I’d rather see Jack go, it’s tiring seeing manager after manager leave after a season and a half. I see your point though
Definitely regime change time in Seattle. Better to do so while they still have usable parts than after a complete crash
Dave Dombrowski comes to mind. They need someone who can do something with Cano, Cruz, and Seager, along with the bullpen and other holes, before their good years are well behind them, otherwise Jack Z will keep them in rebuild phase for another decade.
Not sure what happened to that pen….it was solid last season and they have some decent pitchers out there….but McClendon has a tendency to ride bad horses like Danny Farquhar too long
Chapman should bring back a king’s ransom. I don’t know that Arizona could offer three strong enough prospects to acquire him. Shipley, Blair and Drury probably didn’t meet the Reds’ requirements, if they were offered at all.
Nah. 1 year left at about 14 or 15 mil. Leaves what 7 mil surplus? If the reds eat all the money i guess you can ask for a lot but if that was the offer you are talking about 18 years of team control for those guys for 1.4 years of chapman. With present wins at a higher value than future wins and taking in to account bust rates and injury concerns thats leaning towards overpay for dbacks but pretty fair. Chapman was about 5 wins the prospects probably project for 8-9 obviously with a way higher ceiling though.
Saying a bunch of prospects project for 8-9 wins is REALLY generous. Most prospects by age 28 are lucky to generate 1-2 WAR.
Chapman is the best reliever in all of baseball. As Jeff Sullivan put it on fangraphs, why shouldn’t the Reds ask the moon for him in a market starved for relief pitching?
Chapman will continue to be the best reliever in baseball. If we are lucky 1 of the 3 prospects we could have gotten back or will get back in the winter meetings will be a good player, the other two will likely bust.
because the market isn’t really starved for relief pitching. and there are projection systems specifically in place to project these things, look up KATOH. most teams have systems in place for this, and a good player will easily produce the 8-9 wins over a 6 year period. im not saying one in particular will be worth that but if one is worth 6 and another is worth 3 with one a bust its still 9 wins.
The only reason the market would be starved for relief pitching is that many teams have finally figured out its better to develop them from within than pay large amounts for the uncertainty many relievers bring with them.
The Phillies are 3 games under .500 with Pete Mackanin. They were a good 30 games under .500 with Sandberg.
If anything, I’d expect Pete to be back next year.
I’m really starting to think Amaro is brought back. I still hope he isn’t. But if a new GM is brought in, I expect him to bring in a new manager too which I’m fully on board with. It’s nothing against Mackanin, but at 64 I don’t think he’s in it for the long haul in a best case scenario situation. And I have no idea if Mac even wants to be a full-time manager at his age.
its really nothing to do with a manager, more just improving the team with franco, and the team getting hot.
I’ve long liked him. He did a good job as interim with the Reds.
Walt knows what he is doing, someone will overpay for Chapman.
Call me too literal – but..yes, I would imagine Trea Turner is a baseball player. As opposed to say, a basketball player.
Fire the management that signed Werth to that pathetic contract!