Former big leaguer Scott Brosius is joining the Mariners as an assistant coach, per a team announcement. Now fifty years old, Brosius spent eleven years in the majors with the Athletics and Yankees. It’s not clear precisely what his duties will be — his title is simply “assistant coach” — but Brosius served last year as the hitting coach at Triple-A Tacoma.
Here’s more from the American League:
- It remains unclear whether the Blue Jays will make a qualifying offer to outfielder Michael Saunders, Jon Heyman of Fan Rag reports. But one internal source acknowledges that this second half was “horrible,” leaving Heyman to suggest that the odds are against the club putting up $17.2MM in hopes that Saunders will seek a multi-year deal elsewhere.
- Orioles righty Brad Brach recently underwent knee surgery, as Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports. It seems there’s little reason for concern, though, as the brief procedure simply repaired a minor tear to his meniscus. Brach said he pitched through the injury late in the season, and it certainly didn’t tarnish an outstanding campaign. Over 79 frames, Brach recorded a 2.05 ERA with 10.5 K/9 against just 2.8 BB/9, finally putting it all together in time for his second season of arbitration eligibility. MLBTR projects his upcoming salary at $2.9MM.
- The Rangers face a long-term strategic question with their starting pitching even as more near-term decisions loom, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News writes. Texas has had only middling success in producing its own arms of late, though a fair number of the organization’s more promising young hurlers have been shipped to other organizations in various trade packages. Grant runs through some of the missed opportunities of late, and suggests that the club undertake an offseason effort aimed at reevaluating how it acquires, develops, and values starting pitching.
I was on the side of giving Saunders a QO but man was his 2nd half terrible. Not only that but he is essentially a “bat only” player. His bat is decent enough but only way I’d bring him back is as a full time DH. Otherwise I’d just go with a Carrera/Upton platoon in LF. Or I’d take a shot with Ben Revere, who I see being non-tendered by the Nats. Regardless, Jays need to add a new dynamic to the lineup and not be all about the long ball.
I watched him on defense as a blue jay except when they play Seattle, I remember that when he was with Seattle he played pretty good defense, but he still seems to make a lot of mental mistakes.
Of Saunders is done as a blue jay, the play I’ll always remember him by is the one in San Francisco. He runs for the ball, trips over the bullpen mound, completely whiffs on it, and it hits him in the head. That one play defined his defense this year
If the Jays do that Saunders would be crazy not to take it. He had a good year but i wouldn’t call it a all star year.
But it was an all star year…
@TheMichigan I literally chuckled out loud. That was great.
safe to say it was an all star first half.
Man the Padres had a nice stable of young bullpen arms a few years ago that have went other places and done really well. If they didn’t have a log jam at the time & had to get rid of guys their pen would look dominant. Boxberger, Brach, Gregerson, Tony Sipp, Neshek, Mujica, Vincent, Kimbrel, Street, Frieri, etc.
If the Blue Jays let Saunders go & lose Bautista, they may need to bring in an outfielder in the off-season. Pillar is set in center. Upton has proven he isn’t an every day player. He’s a platoon option. Carrera played well in the post-season, but has only really been an extra outfielder in his career.. Pompey could be given a chance for a full time gig, but if the Jays don’t want to go in that direction, they’ll need to add someone in the outfield
Dalton Pompey waves hello.
Gibby is looking for speed and a left handed contact hitter…not sure if any free agents fit the bill but I think Ian Desmond is close albeit rh
Ian Desmond was the right handed version of Michael Saunders. He had an awful second half
A Revere reunion seems plausible! He would come cheap.
Nice Rangers article.
Great another ex PED player now joining coaching ranks