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Archives for September 2015

Nationals Notes: Boras, Rizzo, Papelbon/Harper

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The Nationals might not be headed to the playoffs, but they’ve certainly owned the headlines today, thanks to the Jonathan Papelbon / Bryce Harper confrontation yesterday (and Papelbon’s subsequent suspension) and Max Scherzer taking a no-hitter into the eighth against the Reds this afternoon. Here’s the latest from Washington.

  • Scott Boras represents a number of key Nationals players, but he rejects criticisms that he has something to do with the team having underachieved lately, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes. Boras represents Scherzer, Harper, Stephen Strasburg, Anthony Rendon, Jayson Werth, Danny Espinosa, and now Gio Gonzalez and Denard Span. Boras, though, points out that he also has several clients each on the Rangers, Cubs and Royals, all of whom are likely or definite playoff teams. “The issue is whenever I have had a number of players on the team, the vast majority of times it goes very well,” says Boras.
  • Nats GM Mike Rizzo’s deal goes through 2016 and contains a club option for 2017, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal tweets. The Nats will reportedly keep Rizzo for next season, although the details of his contract do seem relevant, given the Nats’ high-profile collapse this season.
  • Public opinion understandably (and, from my vantage point, very justifiably) came down against Papelbon for his actions in his dustup with Harper, but responses from players were more mixed, pitcher-turned-commentator C.J. Nitkowski of FOX Sports writes. Some said Papelbon’s behavior was acceptable or that they “would have done the same thing,” seemingly proving Nitkowski’s point that “the clubhouse is like no other place.”
  • Another former pitcher, Dirk Hayhurst of VICE Sports, writes that the fight was the consequence of baseball’s strange culture in which “the preferred tool for teaching is assault, and no one has any idea what that lesson is actually being taught because all the important stuff is not written down anywhere.”
  • Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post, meanwhile, argues that criticism of Harper for the altercation is unfair. Harper did run out the ball on the play that led to the fracas, and he’s played hard this season. He’s also been accommodating of media and autograph requests. And he has, of course, played brilliantly, while some of his teammates have foundered.

Angels Sign Mat Latos

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The Angels have signed veteran starter Mat Latos, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register tweets. To clear space for Latos on their 40-man roster, they recalled catcher Rafael Lopez and placed him on the 60-day DL with fractured hand, tweets MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez. Latos will not be eligible for postseason play, but he can pitch for the Angels the rest of the regular season, after which he’ll become a free agent.

Latos began the 2015 season with the Marlins, who traded him to the Dodgers in July. The Dodgers designated him for assignment and then released him earlier this month. Latos is making $9.4MM this season, but most of what’s left of that deal will be paid by the Dodgers (and by the Marlins, who sent the Dodgers an undisclosed amount when they traded him, via Cot’s).

Latos has had an uneven year, posting a 4.95 ERA, 7.7 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 112 2/3 innings. From the Angels’ perspective, though, the precise quality of Latos’ play going forward is probably less important than the fact that he’s a veteran starting pitcher they could acquire quickly and cheaply. His acquisition appears to be merely a short-term move for an Angels team that needs an extra arm, either for its rotation or its bullpen. Jered Weaver has a shoulder injury, Matt Shoemaker has a forearm issue and won’t make his next start, and Huston Street and Joe Smith are dealing with injury as well.

Quick Hits: Redesign, Wainwright, Ausmus, Janish

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As MLB Trade Rumors nears its ten-year anniversary, I’ve decided to update the design for desktop and tablet users.  The changes are mostly aesthetic, but if you’re willing to take five minutes and send us feedback on the new look, I’d love to hear it.  Just drop me a line at mlbtrdata@gmail.com and I’ll send you a link where you can preview our new design.  I hope to roll it out within the next few weeks.  – Tim Dierkes

With that said, here’s some news from around the league…

  • Adam Wainwright’s return to the Cardinals is now pending only a doctor’s approval, writes MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch. Wainwright threw 27 pitches in a simulated game and faced six hitters, allowing a single but then retiring four hitters on strikeouts and a fifth via fly-out. Wainwright said that he felt like himself on the mound and called the session “incredibly uplifting.” Langosch notes that he also fielded grounders and tested his quickness on covering first base without issue. If all goes well, he could be activated not only for the postseason, but for the Cardinals’ upcoming regular-season series against the Pirates.
  • Via MLive.com’s Chris Iott, Tigers manager Brad Ausmus briefly spoke about the team’s decision to bring him back and his expectations for the 2016 season (video link). Ausmus said that after a conversation with GM Al Avila, he knew that reports suggesting he’d be fired didn’t come from him or owner Mike Ilitch. Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN tweets that he spoke to someone close to Ron Gardenhire — a rumored candidate to replace Ausmus — and was told, “Just when you think you got it figured out, it always surprises you.”
  • The latest Q&A conducted by Fangraphs’ David Laurila is an excellent conversation with Orioles infielder Paul Janish — a longtime defensive wizard who has struggled to maintain consistent big league playing time due to his offensive deficiencies. Janish discusses with Laurila the rigors of playing in the minor leagues, the difficulty that being labeled presents (both mentally and in terms of getting future opportunities) and acceptance of his limitations. Janish believes that he can contribute to a big league club for at least another three to four years but admits that finding the right spot is more crucial for a player like him than it is others. I enjoyed Janish’s self-assessment and the insight into the experiences of less established stars that are perennially fighting for roster spots and would encourage all to check out the piece.

Mariners Hire Jerry Dipoto As General Manager

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Three months ago, Jerry Dipoto was a division-rival of the Mariners, but the former Angels GM is now atop their baseball operations pyramid. The Mariners announced today that Dipoto has been named their new executive vice president and general manager. He was rumored to be one of the final two candidates for the position, alongside Yankees assistant GM Billy Eppler.

Jerry Dipoto

“Jerry impressed us at each step of the process,” said president Kevin Mather in a prepared statement. “He has a very unique skill set, having been a successful player in the Majors, then moving into front offices with steadily increasing responsibilities. Jerry has scouted, spent time in player development and has a track record as a very successful General Manager. During our conversations over the past few weeks, it became clear to me that he has a very solid understanding of our team and organization, both where we are and where we want to be. And he has a strategy to get us there. Few candidates bring the combination of playing the game, scouting, a solid understanding of statistical metrics and a plan for player development. I am looking forward to having Jerry lead our baseball operations for a long time.”

Dipoto, 47, began his career in baseball when the Indians selected him in the third round of the 1989 draft out of Virginia Commonwealth University. He’d go on to enjoy an eight-year Major League career as a relief pitcher with the Indians, Mets and Rockies.

Following his playing career, Dipoto joined the Red Sox as a scout in 2003 and quickly rose to the position of scouting director with the Rockies. After joining the D-Backs in a similar capacity, he was eventually named interim general manager in Arizona, following the dismissal of Josh Byrnes, who, ironically, is a candidate to replace Dipoto at his former place of employment — the Angels. Dipoto was named GM of the Angels shortly after the 2011 season and served in that capacity until this summer, when he resigned abruptly due to a feud with skipper Mike Scioscia. The manager reportedly took umbrage to Dipoto’s attempts to provide him with analytical data for the purposes of aiding his in-game decision-making, and the dispute escalated to the point where Dipoto walked away from the organization. Many expected Dipoto, a well-regarded executive, to ultimately land another GM gig, and after a brief stop as a senior adviser with the Red Sox, it appears he’s done just that.

Dipoto’s log of transactions as a GM (which can be seen with the aid of MLBTR’s Transaction Tracker) is more brief than a number of his contemporaries due to his limited time serving in a GM role, but he’s made a number of quality trades to bolster the pitching staffs of the organizations he’s overseen. Dipoto received Patrick Corbin and Tyler Skaggs from the Angels in exchange for Dan Haren when he was Arizona’s interim GM, and he’d later reacquire Skaggs (along with Hector Santiago) in exchange for Mark Trumbo in a three-team trade with the D-Backs and White Sox. Dipoto also picked up Andrew Heaney this past offseason in the trade that sent impending free agent Howie Kendrick to the Dodgers. His pickup of Huston Street and Trevor Gott from the Padres in exchange for four prospects (R.J. Alvarez, Jose Rondon, Taylor Lindsey and Elliott Morris) has, to this point, delivered positive results as well. The decision to part with Randal Grichuk in the trade that netted the Halos David Freese and Fernando Salas could prove to be a misstep, however.

Free agent endeavors by the Angels under Dipoto’s tenure have been spottier, though the massive contracts for Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton have been reported to be more the doing of owner Arte Moreno than of Dipoto himself. Joe Smith has looked to be a nice add, but signings of Joe Blanton, Sean Burnett, Ryan Madson and Raul Ibanez didn’t pan out as hoped. C.J. Wilson has had mixed results over the life of his deal as well.

Mariners president Kevin Mather was said to prioritize a GM who has experience, though, and Dipoto unquestionably fits that bill. Based on Mather’s comments at the time Jack Zduriencik was dismissed from the Seattle GM chair, Mariners ownership will probably hope that Dipoto can use his blend of scouting and analytics to create a balanced gameplan that will help put a contender on the field in the near future.

Jim Bowden of ESPN and MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM first reported that Dipoto was the Mariners would offer the position to Dipoto (Twitter link).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Nationals Suspend Jonathan Papelbon For Remainder Of Season

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The Nationals announced today that they have suspended Jonathan Papelbon, without pay, for four game’s following last night’s dugout altercation with Bryce Harper. That suspension, in addition to a three-game suspension for throwing at Manny Machado (Papelbon has dropped his appeal of that league-mandated suspension), will keep him out of games for the remainder of the year.

“The behavior exhibited by Papelbon yesterday is not acceptable,” GM/president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo said in a release announcing the move. “That is not at all in line with the way our players are expected to conduct themselves, and the Nationals organization will not tolerate it in any way.”

Papelbon’s outburst, in which he grabbed Harper by the throat after the two exchanged heated words following a Harper fly-out which he didn’t run out particularly quickly (video link), was the source of a good deal of controversy and a number of reactions/far-reaching implications last night. Papelbon’s suspensions — one league-issued and one team-issued — will cost him a total of just over $497K in salary.

From a big-picture standpoint, one can’t help but wonder what this means for Papelbon’s future in D.C. Already, there’s been speculation that Papelbon will be either traded or, more drastically, released. He’s owed $11MM in 2016 after restructuring his contract as incentive to waive his no-trade rights. Based strictly on his on-field performance, that sum may not be exorbitant, but when paired with a reputation that was already poor prior to this recent wave of drama, the Nats will be hard-pressed to find a taker for his services. That’s not to say it’s impossible, but I’d imagine that Rizzo will need to include a fair amount of cash to facilitate the move, making the entire acquisition look particularly regrettable.

Mariners’ GM Search Nearing Completion

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11:58am: One source tells ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick, “I think [the Mariners] have their guy.” Crasnick adds that the Mariners also interviewed former Dodgers GM Dan Evans — currently a Pacific Rim scout for the Blue Jays — but Evans is not considered to be a finalist (Twitter links).

8:04am: It’s been exactly one month since the Mariners dismissed Jack Zduriencik as general manager, and Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune reports that the search for his replacement is in its final stages. One source told Dutton that announcement could come as soon as Monday, with others indicating later in the week was more likely, barring any “snags” in contract negotiations.

Last Friday, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported that former Angels GM Jerry Dipoto and Yankees assistant general manager Billy Eppler were the two finalists, and Dutton hears the same from multiple sources. And, while Eppler has also been rumored to be one of the favorites to fill Dipoto’s role in Anaheim, Dutton notes that the Angels’ interest in Josh Byrnes could diminish Eppler’s chances in Anaheim.

Dipoto, of course, resigned from his post with the Angels this summer due to a now-well-documented rift with manager Mike Scioscia. He then took a short-term role with the Red Sox, where’s he’s serving as a senior adviser. Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said at the press conference to introduce new Boston GM Mike Hazen that he would love to keep Dipoto in a full-time capacity, but he first had to wait for resolution on any remaining jobs for which Dipoto had interviewed.

At the time that Zduriencik was released, Mariners president Kevin Mather said that he wanted to hire an experienced GM, as he didn’t want someone “learning on the job” while risking the production of Felix Hernandez, Nelson Cruz and Robinson Cano dropping by the time a rookie GM was up to speed. However, reports since then have indicated that Mather and the rest of the decision-making contingent has softened on that stance and would consider candidates without GM experience. Notably, those reports came in conjunction with Eppler’s first interview, so it would seem that he impressed ownership. Heyman noted in last week’s report that both Dipoto and Eppler would interview for a second time, though the specific timing of those sit-downs was not indicated.

AL East Notes: Red Sox, Wieters, Buehrle

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Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald looks up and down the Red Sox’ roster in his latest column, attempting to pin who will remain with the club this offseason. While there is, of course, no definitive way of being certain, Silverman notes that much of the bullpen could be on its way out the door, and he also feels that it’s more likely the Sox will focus their efforts on finding a taker for Hanley Ramirez than for Pablo Sandoval. Assuming Boston brings in a top-flight pitcher, he feels one of Henry Owens or Joe Kelly could become trade bait on the strength of strong second halves, and he opines that while there’s no definitive need to trade an outfielder, Jackie Bradley is probably the likeliest of the current starters to be moved if dealing one of the three is necessary to bolster the rotation. Rich Hill seems likely to return, he writes, and he echoes recent reports stating that if all goes well with Clay Buchholz’s final bullpen sessions, the Sox will pick up his $13MM option for the 2016 season.

Here’s more from the AL East…

  • It once seemed like a foregone conclusion that Matt Wieters would receive a qualifying offer from the Orioles, writes Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com, but the 29-year-old’s sub-par numbers since returning from Tommy John surgery have cast some doubt on the situation. Melewski personally feels the QO is now an unlikely scenario, as Wieters has hit just .251/.291/.395 and may still be feeling some lingering effects of his operation. I’d counter by stating that I can’t envision a Scott-Boras-represented, prime-aged catcher being the first player to ever accept a QO, and at least one crude barometer of his elbow’s health — his 31 percent caught-stealing rate — suggests that it’s holding up fairly well. Wieters hasn’t had the season that he, his agent or the team hoped, but he’d still be a lock to turn down the offer, in my eyes. Whether or not the Orioles make the offer is another story.
  • Sunday may have marked the last home start that Mark Buehrle will with the Blue Jays, writes Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi, but neither Buehrle nor the team is focused on looking that far into the future right now. Davidi notes, though, that there’s a possibility that Buehrle will retire this winter, and some feel that if he does pitch in 2016, his preference is to be closer to his home in Missouri. Whatever the future holds, Davidi continues, the Jays have been rewarded for their acquisition of Buehrle back in 2012; the veteran has not only delivered solid on-field results, he’s served as a mentor for Marcus Stroman and Drew Hutchison. Asked about any emotion he felt Sunday, Buehrle delivered a calm response: “If I announced my retirement at the beginning of the year, then maybe that would be something different, but I still don’€™t know what’€™s going to happen. I’€™ll go home and think about it, and if it is my last start here, then that’€™s something I’ll be sentimental about on my couch in the off-season.”

Send In Your Questions For The MLBTR Mailbag

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It’s Monday, which means another MLBTR Mailbag post will hit the site later on this afternoon/evening. If you have a question you’d like to hear our take on here at MLBTR, let us know via email: mlbtrmailbag@gmail.com. Due to the sheer volume of questions we receive, we can’t answer every question that comes in, unfortunately, but we’ll try to get to as many of the more popular topics or thought-provoking questions as possible.

Last week, topics discussed included a theoretical Bryce Harper extension (which spawned a subsequent poll and Instagram debate) as well the impact of Jerry Dipoto’s departure on the Angels, the Twins’ offseason, Jedd Gyorko as a shortstop option, Chris Davis’ chances of re-signing in Baltimore and Kyle Kendrick’s future.

Thanks as always for all of the questions, and feel free to ask any that we don’t get to in Tuesday afternoon’s weekly live chat.

Quick Hits: Heyward, Red Sox, Utley, Reds

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Jason Heyward’s well-rounded game might best be appreciated by the “data-driven organization” that has watched him all season, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes.  This might be why the Cardinals could go into team-record contract territory to re-sign Heyward this winter, and the club is indeed interested in bringing him back “though they recognize it might take another team (or more) to help frame negotiations.”  Goold writes that the Cards are open to the idea of including an opt-out clause in Heyward’s deal, which would allow the 26-year-old to potentially return to the open market in four or five seasons and score another big contract.

Here’s the latest from around baseball as we head into the last week of the regular season…

  • Heyward, for his part, tells Goold that how the Cardinals view players “is ideal for a player like myself….I’€™m trying to do anything to win and people see that. That’€™s what they care about. They’re not looking at overall statistics. There are a few (teams) that would fit me, and here is one of them. That stands out. For me, it stands out especially.”
  • Dave Dombrowski has retained many members of the Red Sox front office staff, which Peter Gammons of GammonsDaily.com writes was contrary to the public perception that Dombrowski was going to “blow up the organization” and restaff it with past colleagues.  Instead, Dombrowski has made a few changes (perhaps most notably the hiring of Frank Wren as a senior VP of baseball ops) but has mostly kept the well-regarded Sox personnel in place.  Promoting Mike Hazen from assistant GM to general manager underscores this continuity.
  • Chase Utley has been getting some time at third base for the Dodgers, which JP Hoornstra of the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin notes both helps the Dodgers depth-wise and could help the veteran continue his career as a utility infielder in future seasons.
  • A reader asked John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer (on Twitter) if the Reds might pursue Alfredo Simon as a free agent innings eater.  Fay doesn’t see the team going down that path, but he thinks that they could consider Bronson Arroyo, another former Red, in a similar role.  After missing all of 2015 recovering from Tommy John surgery, Arroyo will likely have his 2016 option bought out by the Dodgers and he’ll be available on the open market.

Tigers Notes: Davis, Avila, Ausmus

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It was on this day in 1999 that the Tigers played their final game at Tiger Stadium, closing out the old ballpark with an 8-2 win over the Royals.  In addition to 88 years of Tigers baseball, the stadium also notably hosted Detroit Lions football, a Joe Louis heavyweight title fight, concerts and numerous other events over the years.  On a personal note, my dad once attended a game at Tiger Stadium and mostly enjoyed the experience…though his seat was directly behind a support pole that blocked his view of home plate.  Here’s the latest from the Motor City:

  • Rajai Davis tells Mlive.com’s Chris Iott that he “absolutely” wants to return to the Tigers in 2016.  Iott feels the veteran outfielder is a good fit as a right-handed hitting outfield option, especially since Anthony Gose, Tyler Collins and Steven Moya are all lefty bats; Detroit could indeed go with a Davis/Gose platoon in center field again.
  • Alex Avila also wants to remain with the Tigers, though he told reporters (including ESPN’s Katie Strang) that “if there was a team out there that would give me the opportunity to play more, I’d have to look at that for sure.”  Avila himself acknowledged that James McCann will be Detroit’s starting catcher in 2016.  It’s hard to see Avila landing anything more than a backup job elsewhere given his injury history, so if he does accept that role, it makes sense that he would first look to remain in a familiar situation with his long-time team.
  • Brad Ausmus will be returning as the Tigers manager, though Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press feels the team should extend Ausmus’ contract if it’s really set on making a commitment to him.  2016 is Ausmus’ last guaranteed year and the Tigers have a club option on his services for 2017.  Sharp feels that “bringing Ausmus back without an extension only further reaffirms the larger indecisiveness regarding the direction of this franchise” and making Ausmus a veritable lame duck won’t help anyone.  I’m not sure I agree with Sharp here; a one-year/one-option situation isn’t too unusual for a manager, and if the Tigers indeed rebound next year, surely Ausmus will then get an extension.
  • In his latest Insider-only column, ESPN’s Buster Olney raises the interesting point that given some of the Tigers’ roster issues, “being fired might’ve been the best thing for Brad Ausmus’ career as a manager” since he is highly thought-of around baseball and would’ve easily found another job (perhaps in a better situation).  Another season managing a struggling team, however, could lower Ausmus’ stock.

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