While Matt Williams is all but certain to be let go following the season, writes Jon Heyman of CBS Sports in his latest Inside Baseball column, a source close to the situation tells him that Nationals GM/president of baseball ops Mike Rizzo “isn’t going anywhere.” The ill-fated acquisition of Jonathan Papelbon and Rizzo’s backing of Williams has led to some speculation about his job, but Heyman indicates that Washington’s top decision-maker is safe. Heyman focuses on the Nats in a lengthy intro to his column, also notably reporting that the “ship has sailed” on the Cubs’ interest in Papelbon, making them an unlikely destination in a trade this winter. The Nats will try to unload Papelbon, though finding a trade partner in the wake of recent drama surrounding him will prove exceptionally difficult. Heyman also notes that Tyler Clippard and Gerardo Parra were Rizzo’s top two deadline priorities, but he didn’t have authorization to increase payroll, and thus turned to Papelbon, as the Phillies were willing to include money in the deal.
Some highlights from the rest of the lengthy but informative column…
- In running down current GM vacancies as well as potential managerial openings, Heyman notes a number of likelihoods. Billy Eppler is expected to be offered the Angels’ GM position, he hears, but the Halos may go with the increasingly popular two-executive format, meaning Josh Byrnes could be hired as president to work above Eppler. Torey Lovullo’s name could surface as a candidate for the Padres, especially given CEO Mike Dee’s ties to Boston. Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto could have a tough time with Lloyd McClendon, whom one Mariners person described as even more old-school than Mike Scioscia, and Heyman hears that former Rangers bench coach/Angels front office assistant Tim Bogar could get a look.
- The Indians will be looking for third basemen this winter and could seek upgrades in center field and right field as well.
- Rockies GM Jeff Bridich is said to be a believer in young right-hander Eddie Butler, a former Top 100 prospect that has struggled mightily in the Majors. Others in the organization aren’t as sold on him.
- The Tigers will be looking for a closer and at least one setup man this winter, and they could show interest in the Reds’ Aroldis Chapman on the trade market (though he strikes me as a questionable fit with just one year until free agency). Detroit will also be seeking rotation upgrades on the free agent market, and a few players of early interest are Scott Kazmir, Ian Kennedy and Jeff Samardzija. Trades for rotation help are also possible, though Detroit wants to hold onto Daniel Norris and Michael Fulmer.
- Cuban outfield prospect Eddy Julio Martinez recently worked out for the Royals and had an impressive showing. The Dodgers and Giants remain interested as well, he adds. It’s worth also pointing out that each of those three clubs has already spent heavily enough on international free agents to incur maximum penalties, so the only further repercussion they’d face is further luxury taxation.
- The Brewers will target rotation help this offseason, and Heyman calls Kennedy a “possibility.” To me, that’d seem like more of the same from recent winters, when Milwaukee added Matt Garza and Kyle Lohse — a pair of mid-range upgrades. Unlike those winters, however, they’re not close enough to contention this time around for me to see the logic in offering Kennedy a four-year deal, especially since he’ll probably end up with a qualifying offer attached to his name. On another Brewers’ note, Heyman writes that the team should listen on Jean Segura, given Orlando Arcia’s emergence in the minors, though I’m not sure Segura is teeming with trade value following another poor season.
- Samardzija could be a target for the Yankees, who employ former Cubs GM Jim Hendry in their front office. Hendry was Chicago’s general manager when the team initially signed Samardzija and remains a believer in the right-hander.
- The D-Backs, Nationals, Tigers, Cubs, Rangers, Yankees and maybe the Braves will all show interest if the Padres decide to move Craig Kimbrel this winter.
- Adrian Beltre will need to undergo surgery to repair a severe thumb sprain through which he’s been playing for quite some time following the Rangers’ season.
- There’s “no chance” that Ian Desmond would accept a one-year qualifying offer, writes Heyman, who presumes that the Nationals will make the offer. Though Desmond’s struggled this year, it shouldn’t be expected that any prime-aged player who isn’t coming off a major injury would accept the offer, in my view. Detractors will state that said player can’t find a similar average annual value on a multi-year deal, and while that may be true, locking in a more sizable payday once free agency is an option tends to be a greater priority. Heyman lists the Mariners, White Sox and Mets as speculative possibilities to enter the shortstop market. Desmond won’t top $100MM, like many once expected, but even with a QO in tow, he’ll be able to handily top $16MM, even at a lower AAV. And, if the offers don’t materialize, he can always sign a one-year deal at or near that rate later in the offseason.
I don’t see how a logical person doesn’t send Rizzo packing after what he’s done to demolish the team and create instability.
They had a good shot this season, he didn’t salvage it or improve the team at all.
I second that. Williams is a scapegoat for the fragmented team that Rizzo gave him.
If your team is ravaged by injuries and ownership doesn’t give you the means to improve midway through the season, I’m not sure what more he can do.
I think Rizzo’s made some poor moves — Billy Burns for Jerry Blevins, for instance, in addition to the Papelbon blunder — but he’s made a number of really strong trades for the team as well.
“What he’s done for the team.”
You mean like getting Trea Turner and Joe Ross for absolutely nothing?
As well as Doug Fister for a utility guy (that was traded again for a shortstop that was released a month later), a lefty starter who doesn’t have control or velocity (also later traded for another disappointment), and a lefty reliever with a career ERA of over 5.00.
The talent was there, the heart wasn’t.
He has put together a team that had lofty expections and did so while improving the future outlook.
The Nats have a lot of great players, but few that are consistent or have not stayed healthy long enough. Between Span, Werth, Zimmerman, Ramos and Rendon, more than half of their regular lineup consistently had health problems this year and previous years. Their rotation has one great, and several potentially great pitchers. Strasburg has started to put it together at times, Gio isn’t as great as he is touted to be and they are set to lose Fister and Zimmerman. I don’t really worry too much about them unless they ever get healthy.
There’s quite a difference between “a lot of great players” and a lot of pretty good ones. But it is funny how the media talks, blasting the Nats for being huge disappointments, when it was them, the media, who got it wrong to start with. Pretty much every publication or site picked the Nats to win this year, so they were drastically wrong. Rather than admit they were wrong, they ridicule Washington for not living up to the lofty expectations they placed on them. Washington just wasn’t that great to start with and injuries happen to every team.
No, injuries don’t “happen to every team.” Oldest and laziest response in the book. Over long periods of many years, sure, but not in a one year sample. There are some teams (surprise! most of which did very well) that have been healthy pretty much all season (Cubs, Pirates, Mets, Astros, Twins), and others that have been decimated, both good ones (Nats) and bad ones (Rockies, as usual). You can’t say, with a straight face, that if the Cubs (just for example) had lost as many key players as the Nats, they’d still have the record they have. Just can’t.
The Pirates lost their starting third baseman for 2 months, their starting shortstop for 2 months, their Rookie of the year hopeful for the last month of the season, their number 2 starter for almost 3 months, their left fielder and right fielder had injury issues this year also. They finished with the second best record in baseball. The Cubs had their right fielder on the DL most of the year, both catchers spent time on the DL, their second best pitcher almost didn’t start the season, their best setup man was only on the active roster for 7 weeks, their starting second baseman got injured and that forced them to use Addison Russell, and Mike Olt broke his wrist (while that didn’t matter anyways because Bryant was coming) Fowler had an ankle injury in the middle of the year and Hammel had a calf injury. Teams deal with injuries and the Nationals had a TOP pitching staff and the league MVP plus lots of depth. They had plenty to work with and their manager made some terrible moves he deserved to go.
Sure the media made the lofty expectations, but they were based on the past production of the personnel. Were their predictions wrong? Yes. Were they unreasonable? Absolutely not! There were reasons “Pretty much every publication or site picked the Nats to win this year…” There are also ample reasons to consider the Nats huge disappointments.
If Desmond gets below $100MM, he’d be a good buy-low player. He rebounded nicely (12 HR, 114 OPS+ in the second half) into a ~2 WAR player despite his horrid first half.
That said, I still don’t really see the Mets making a push, especially if they push hard for Cespedes. Down the road, the pitching staff is going to get very expensive. If they miss out on Cespedes maybe, but otherwise I don’t really see it.
nice to know that “below $100MM” is buying low.
Nelson
Jungmann
Garza
Davies
Peralta
That’s 5 for the rotation next year. It’s probably not a good rotation but when you’re not a contender, that’s okay.
Lopez, Pena, Hader, Houser, Cravy, Wagner in the minors. Why would we spend money on a mediocre starter when we’re not competing and have enough depth in the high minors to withstand a few injuries?
Thank you. Came here to say that myself. There’s absolutely no sense in even considering Kennedy. Literally none, and I sure hope Stearns understands that, or I’ll be worried about our new GM. Even if we somehow manage to trade away Garza this offseason (please? I’d give him away, honestly), we could still use any of those minors guys you listed to put in the rotation. Why not? See what they can offer in a season we will definitely not be competing.
Samardzija to the Yankees? Sounds about right. Another Jaret Wright or Carl Pavano. How about seven years and $200 million? No? Ok then, ten years $300 million. Think that’s ridiculous? After they get bounced out Tuesday, Cashman will looking to do what he does best, waste other people’s money. He should run for Congress.
It doesn’t make sense. Big market teams justify those huge multi-year contracts to older or unproven players, and say “we’ll get great production from them in the 1st ____ amount of years…” What about the huge liability at the back end of that deal? Players like Ackley and Hanley R. are tossed around in trade rumors, after they JUST signed extensions. There is no McDonald’s drive thru for free agents…Teams can’t make the bed and expect someone else to lay in it…the business factor is too strong for those antics today.
Agreed that it doesn’t make sense but they may yet do it. The Yankees still have money to burn.
Yankees GM has got to be the most thankless job in sports.
It would be interesting to see Cashman in Oakland and Billy Beane in New York for 5 years each. The switch of payroll, fan attendance and stadiums would be quite difficult to adjust to. Maybe Cashman would do better with less money and attention.
By the way, I’m not saying Beane is a better GM than Cashman. Just wondering how they would do in their almost polar opposite situations.
Samardzija should accept the QO if they offer it. I don’t see him doing better then the 5 year $85 mil offer he turned down last year. Try and have a better year next year and then hit free agency again
If you think Samardzija can get anywhere near 5/$85, why would he accept a QO of 1/$16?
With the M’s many other needs this offseason, which includes but is not limited to:
–The bullpen
–Catcher
–The outfield(CF and RF specifically, with the platoon of Gutierrez and Smith likely returning in LF)
–First base
–One to two holes in the rotation
One would think that signing Ian Desmond to play SS would not be a priority for new GM Jerry Dipoto. Hopefully, common sense will prevail in the new front office and Brad Miller will remain at SS, with this stupid CF experiment ending, and hopefully someone else will point out that Ketel Marte’s raw athleticism, speed, and youth at least dictate a trial run in CF for him.
I guess we’ll wait and see. ;)
Now does Williams be held accountable and the Guy who HIRED him not !
Yes the Tigers need a closer, but one year of Chapman is not the answer (unless they could get him for Rondon, not). The Tigers minor league depth is improved, but they still don’t have a lot to trade. Kimbrel would fit, but I don’t think the Tigers have enough to offer. I like Jake McGee, as a target. He will probably be too expensive for TB in arbitration, and he still has a couple years left. His injury may not reduce the cost, but it will help keep it reasonable. Go get him, Al!
Hendry was awful. But as long as Samardzija doesn’t sign with the cubs i am okay with that. I’d rather have a Cueto or Price. maybe even both. Arrieta Lester Price/Cueto that s*** would be scary.
As much as Harper deserves the MVP I don’t think he should win the Nats are not in the playoffs and unless he has an Andre dawson or Ernie Banks season and is by far and away from the pack he’ll get it Anthony Rizzo should get some votes as well. Same with Kris Bryant but he’ll run away with the RotY as will Arrieta with the Cy Young. I just hope he’s not a fluke like Corey Kluber. In any case Cubs need to lock him up right now. 4 years 100 mill
Sounds like a Cubs fan. There is no question that Bryce Harper is mvp. To say he’s not is crazy. Arietta will not run away with the cy young because those two pitchers from the dodgers have had incredible seasons just like him and they have pitched like that all season long. Kris Bryant should win roy tho