Jon Heyman of CBS Sports takes a look at Pete Rose’s chances for reinstatement in his latest Inside Baseball column. The short version: he has no chance. Heyman has a lot to say on the topic, but it all boils down to a conservative mindset among baseball’s decision makers. While Rose, 74, is relatively harmless, the commissioner’s office won’t take the tiny risk associated with reinstatement. Commissioner Rob Manfred granted Rose a hearing in September and is expected to issue a ruling before the end of the year.
Here’s more from the column:
- Orioles owner Peter Angelos is making a push to re-sign first baseman Chris Davis. The slugger is entering his age 30 season after posting 13 WAR and 126 home runs over the last three seasons. Davis hit .262/.361/.562 last year with 47 home runs. However, he’s sandwiched two superstar campaigns around a replacement level 2014, making him a high risk, high reward target in free agency. Heyman does not expect Davis to sign before talking with other clubs.
- The Royals are unlikely to re-sign Ben Zobrist. The club acquired him to fill in for the injured Alex Gordon, then used him to replace injured Omar Infante. The club’s former second baseman will be back and presumably healthy next season. Zobrist’s defensive profile at second base also leaves something to be desired.
- Marlins manager Don Mattingly hopes to bring pitching coach Rick Honeycutt and coach Tim Wallach with him from the Dodgers. However, L.A. hopes to keep both coaches. Honeycutt is a long standing member of the Dodgers’ coaching staff, but Wallach may search for a new job if he’s passed over for the open manager job.
- Scouts are worried that Mike Zunino may have to overcome a psychological hurdle. He was widely viewed as unready for a promotion to the majors in 2013, and the Mariners have allowed him to scuffle through the last three campaigns. His biggest issue is a 32 percent strikeout rate which has led to a .193/.252/.353 triple-slash.
I would really like the Dodgers to keep Honeycutt but not Wallach. I highly doubt they want to keep Wallach.
If the decision to let Donnie go means that we lose Wallach AND Honeycutt then Andrew Friedman and front office made a terrible decision. They really need to lock up Honeycutt longterm. If Wallach does not get the manager position I see him parting ways.
I hope the Mariners, under their new GM and manager, are not planning on starting next season with only Zunino and Sucre as catchers again. I keep hearing so much about “Dipoto doesn’t want to sign free agents”. Yet they don’t really have anyone that they could trade to get anyone new, unless they trade someone already established who’s doing a good job. They have so many holes to fill.
The only thing that’s changed with regards to Pete Rose is that the generation of fans that wouldn’t urinate upon him if he were on fire are giving way to the fans that know him as the guy that their dad hated.
How many hits did the guy have?
I tend to agree with you, although he was insufferable as an analyst during the playoffs, worse than ARod
Maybe the Cardinals will stop Mo’s low hanging fruit campaign and sign a real 1st baseman. Chis Davis would offer much need POWER. Mo’s fruit at the deadline was rotten. Especially MOSS.