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Padres Mulling Role Change For Christian Bethancourt

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The Padres are exploring the idea of turning catcher Christian Bethancourt into a multi-position player, reports Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Bethancourt has thrown two bullpen sessions and could become a pitcher/catcher/outfielder hybrid, per Lin, who notes that the Padres recently shifted ex-catcher prospect Jorge Ruiz to the mound (Twitter links).

Bethancourt’s best asset is likely his arm, which some scouts have graded an 80 on the 20-80 scale, and the right-hander did see some time as a pitcher this year before suffering a season-ending intercostal strain at the end of August. The 25-year-old Bethancourt made two appearances on the mound and totaled 1 2/3 innings with three hits, a walk and a strikeout. Interestingly, Bethancourt’s pitches ranged from 54 mph to 96 mph during that limited sample size, with Mike Petriello of MLB.com noting (via Twitter) that he complemented his fastball with a changeup and knuckleball.

The Padres aren’t the first team to consider a position change for Bethancourt. His previous organization, the Braves, also mulled converting him into a pitcher, according to Lin. Ultimately, Atlanta traded the former top 100 prospect to the Padres last December.

Bethancourt hit an unpalatable .228/.265/.368 in 204 plate appearances with the Friars this season, which was actually a significant improvement over the .200/.225/.290 line he recorded in 160 PAs as a Brave in 2015. But such subpar production won’t suffice either behind the plate, where the Padres already have a potential long-term solution in Austin Hedges, or in the outfield. Bethancourt did garner some experience in the grass this season, though, as he picked up limited action in both corners. Now the Padres are deciding whether to have Bethancourt divvy up his time among the outfield, the mound and behind the plate going forward.

Jered Weaver Aims To Pitch In 2017

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Angels right-hander Jered Weaver won’t pitch Sunday because of a back injury, but the erstwhile ace does aim to return in 2017.

“I am definitely not retiring,” Weaver told reporters, including Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Times, on Saturday (Twitter link).

Weaver, a free agent-to-be, was on the fence about continuing his career earlier this week, saying Wednesday that he wasn’t sure if he’d come back next season. Now the question is whether Weaver will remain with the Angels. The 33-year-old (he’ll turn 34 on Tuesday) has been a member of the organization since it selected him 12th overall in the 2004 draft, but the three-time All-Star isn’t the asset he once was.

The Angels signed Weaver to a five-year, $85MM extension in August 2011, when he was amid a multiyear run as a front-line starter. From 2010 – his breakout season – through 2014, Weaver exceeded 200 innings three times and combined for a sparkling 2.99 ERA, 7.61 K/9 and 2.28 BB/9 over 1,016 1/3 frames. He morphed into a back-of-the-rotation type last year and has declined further during a career-worst 2016, which he’ll finish with a 5.06 ERA, 5.21 K/9 and 2.58 BB/9 over 178 innings. Even in his heyday, Weaver was an extreme fly ball pitcher, but his 28.8 percent ground-ball rate this year is both the lowest mark of his career and the worst among major league starters. That has helped lead to a 12.7 percent home run-to-fly ball rate, another career-worst figure for Weaver.

Looking ahead to 2017, the Angels are rife with rotation questions, which could help the soft-tossing Weaver land another deal with them. Andrew Heaney and Nick Tropeano will likely miss all of next season after they underwent Tommy John procedures earlier this summer, while the surgery could also be in Garrett Richards’ future. Richards has recovered well since declining to to take the Tommy John route in May, when he instead chose stem-cell therapy treatment, but a setback would bring his availability for next year into question.

If the Angels are set to move on from Weaver, there might be a market for him elsewhere. It seemingly bodes well for him that free agency won’t feature many appealing options. While Weaver’s career has gone backward in recent seasons, he still possesses one of the top track records among soon-to-be free agent starters.

East Notes: Colon, Bourn, Judge

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Ageless righty Bartolo Colon helped pitched the Mets to a Wild Card berth with a five-inning, six-strikeout performance today, and he’s been a big asset to an injury-riddled Mets rotation thanks in large part to the movement on his two-seam fastball, as James Wagner of the New York Times writes in a fascinating look at the 43-year-old enigma’s repertoire. Colon learned his current grip on the pitch from Hall of Famer Greg Maddux, then perfected it over time so that he can aim for a left-handed batter’s ribs, only to have the ball break back toward the plate. “He’s got such hand, finger and wrist strength that he’s able to manipulate the ball,” says Mets catcher Travis d’Arnaud. “It’s an art that not that many people have.” Here’s more from the East divisions.

  • Veteran outfielder Michael Bourn is open to returning to the Orioles in 2017, although he says he says his mind is currently on the team’s playoff chase, Rich Dubroff of CSNmidatlantic.com writes.  “I’ll keep that in the cards, no doubt. I like the organization, good team to be a part of,” Bourn says. Nonetheless, he adds, “We’re in the pennant race right now. By now, that’s my main focus.” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said yesterday (again via Dubroff) that he’d like to keep Bourn and that Bourn was “more than a fourth outfielder.” Next year, Bourn will no longer be receiving checks from the four-year, $48MM contract he signed with the Indians prior to the 2013 season. That deal has mostly been a disaster, but Bourn has been effective down the stretch in Baltimore, batting .275/.333/.450 in 47 plate appearances heading into today, when he’s had a single and two walks.
  • Yankees slugger Aaron Judge made 95 plate appearances in his first taste of big-league action and batted .179/.263/.345 before hitting the DL with an oblique strain. Now, he’s looking forward to 2017, as MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch writes. “It’s the same thing as last year; I got a little taste of Triple-A and got used to it, and same thing here,” says Judge. “I got a couple games up here and saw what it’s like. It’ll help me prepare coming in here, not in the unknown.” Judge says he expects to have to compete for a starting role in the big leagues next year. Manager Joe Girardi sensibly points out that Judge needs to work on hitting for contact — Judge struck out 42 times in his short stay in the Majors this year. As Judge implies, though, he struggled in his first stint in Triple-A last year, only to bat .270/.366/.489 with 20 homers there this year. Perhaps he can improve the second time around against big-league pitching as well.

AL Notes: Moylan, Suzuki, Wieters

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Royals manager Ned Yost would have interest in the team retaining reliever Peter Moylan, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com writes. “He’s a great teammate. Great in the clubhouse. Great in the bullpen. Great on the field,” Yost says. The 37-year-old Moylan looked like he might be entering a new phase of his career in 2015, when, after having Tommy John surgery, he signed a two-year minor-league deal with the Braves with the idea that he would coach while he was recovering. He did return to the mound last season, though, and this year he’s pitched 44 2/3 effective innings in the Royals’ bullpen, posting a 3.43 ERA, 6.9 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 while thriving against righties. Here are couple more notes on potential AL free agents.

  • Geography will be a consideration when Twins catcher Kurt Suzuki picks a team as a free agent this winter, Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press tweets. Suzuki’s family lives in the Los Angeles area. Suzuki has recovered somewhat from a poor 2015 season to post a .258/.301/.403 line in his walk year, although it remains to be seen how he’ll fare on the free agent market, which currently is slated to feature competition like Matt Wieters, Jason Castro and the now-injured Wilson Ramos.
  • Speaking of Wieters, the veteran isn’t looking too far ahead with regard to his future with the Orioles, Dan Connolly of BaltimoreBaseball.com writes. Wieters was a free agent last season, and ended up accepting the Orioles’ qualifying offer, an outcome he says he couldn’t have predicted months before. “It was different than I would have thought the process would have been last year and it’ll probably be different this year then I think it will be this year,” he says. “I don’t like thinking about things that I actually have no idea how they are going to go.” The 30-year-old Wieters hasn’t had a strong season by his standards, batting .241/.301/.395, although he’s stayed healthy enough to accumulate 456 plate appearances. He likely has more on his mind than free agency right now anyway, given that the Orioles are still fighting for a Wild Card spot.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Fernandez, Phillies, Diamondbacks, Ventura

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Here’s the latest from FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, via a video:

  • Some in the media have suggested MLB create an award named after departed Marlins ace Jose Fernandez to honor the player who best exhibits passion for the game, but Rosenthal says the establishment of such an award appears unlikely. MLB feels it already has awards that don’t command enough attention. The league could pay tribute to Fernandez at next year’s All Star Game at Marlins Park, however.
  • The Phillies have plenty of financial flexibility next season, but (as has been reported elsewhere) they aren’t likely to sign players to long-term deals this winter. The reason, Rosenthal says, is that don’t want to block any of their better prospects. For a rebuilding team, acquiring veterans in the wrong sorts of situations can have opportunity costs, as Rosenthal points out. He notes, for example, that the Phillies (whose GM, Matt Klentak, previously worked in the Angels organization) could have pursued former Angel Howie Kendrick last offseason. But doing so would have prevented the team from giving playing time to Cesar Hernandez, a younger player who has had a solid season for the Phillies in 2016.
  • The Diamondbacks are likely to look for new executives to head their front office this winter, but they could have trouble finding candidates with significant experience. Assuming the team does fire Dave Stewart, they will have dismissed three GMs in six years, also including Josh Byrnes and Kevin Towers. Team president and CEO Derrick Hall has been with the Diamondbacks throughout those firings and recently received a new eight-year contract.
  • There have been reports that the White Sox plan to retain manager Robin Ventura, but offering Ventura a new deal might simply be a way for the White Sox to spare him the indignity of firing him. Rosenthal says he is still hearing that Ventura is frustrated with the job.

5 Key Stories: 9/24/16 – 9/30/16

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Here’s a look back at the five biggest stories to cross MLBTR’s desk this week.

"<strongJose Fernandez passes away. In tragic and shocking news, young Marlins ace Jose Fernandez died in a boating accident Sunday morning. The Marlins announced they would retire Fernandez’s No. 16. Players and commentators throughout the game expressed grief at Fernandez’s passing and looked back at his career. Soon after the tragedy, the Marlins agreed to extend infielder Martin Prado, who figures to provide veteran leadership for the team in what will surely be a trying time.

Cubs extend Theo Epstein, Jed Hoyer, Jason McLeod. In the midst of a wildly successful season, the Cubs agreed to new deals with three top execs. Epstein’s deal reportedly could be worth more than $50MM with incentives, a wild sum for a front office employee.

Wilson Ramos tears ACL. The Nationals lost their starting catcher for the postseason after he tore his right ACL for the second time. Ramos was in the midst of an excellent walk year, batting .307/.354/.496, but now he’s facing an injury that will impact his free agency prospects this offseason.

Cardinals to decline Matt Holliday’s option. The Cardinals will allow their longtime slugger to test the free agent waters rather than pay him $17MM for 2017. It’s unclear whether Holliday might return to St. Louis on a different deal. “Speaking in absolutes and saying there’s no chance of him coming back — I’m not prepared to do that,“ said GM John Mozeliak. “We haven’t had our offseason meetings.” Holliday, for his part, thinks it’s unlikely he’ll return to the Cardinals, although he says he’ll continue playing. One Cardinal who will be back next season is manager Mike Matheny, who the Cardinals will retain. His contract expires after 2017.

Twins likely to hire Derek Falvey. The Twins appear to be on the verge of hiring Indians assistant GM Derek Falvey to be their next president of baseball operations, although the team has not yet made an announcement.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Matt Holliday To Continue Playing In 2017

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Cardinals outfielder Matt Holliday plans to play in 2017 despite the team’s recent decision to decline his option, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com tweets. “I have a lot of good baseball left in me,” he says. He adds, however, that he doubts he will return to St. Louis, as Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch tweets.

The Cardinals recently made clear that they would pay Holliday a $1M buyout rather than paying him $17MM next season. Holliday then issued a statement in which he thanked the Cardinals organization but did not indicate whether he would continue playing.

Holliday returned from a thumb injury to hit a pinch-hit homer against the Pirates yesterday, but he’s otherwise had a modestly disappointing season, batting .244/.320/.459 in 425 plate appearances — a decent enough line for most hitters, but perhaps not for one with limited defensive and baserunning value. Nonetheless, as MLBTR’s Jeff Todd pointed out yesterday, the 36-year-old Holliday should still attract interest on the free agent market, perhaps from an AL team hoping to have him occupy the DH spot at least part of the time. He remains a productive hitter, and his career .303/.382/.515 line and solid clubhouse reputation should make him a desirable target for a team hoping to bolster its lineup.

NL Notes: Flores, Phillies, Jackson

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Mets infielder Wilmer Flores will be out the rest of the season, Mike Puma of the New York Post writes. Flores injured his wrist in a home-plate collision three weeks ago. “I’ve been trying for a few weeks, but the bottom line is I can’t swing,” Flores said. “I’m frustrated. I can’t go out there like that.” Even if the Mets were to advance as far as the World Series, they would probably be reluctant to use Flores after so much time away from game action. Flores has hit .267/.319/.469 this season, including a terrific .340/.383/.710 against lefties. He’s played all four infield positions this season. In particular, he gave the Mets a strong option at first base against left-handed pitching, as Puma notes. Both the Mets’ current first basemen, Lucas Duda and James Loney, are left-handed. Here’s more from the NL.

  • Manager Pete Mackanin met with various members of the Phillies’ front office Friday to discuss the team’s plans for the offseason, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com writes. Afterwards, Mackanin reiterated his desire for the organization to acquire a veteran bat or two, although he sounded realistic about how far the rebuilding Phils might be willing to go to find additional hitting talent. “I would like to get a good solid proven hitter somewhere on the field,” Mackanin said. “Where that is right now will be determined by who is available and what kind of a deal, if any, they could make. And if not we’ll try to find something from within that we think can help us or somebody could make a great impression in the spring. There’s so many ways to do that.” As Zolecki points out, the Phillies are likely more than one or two players away from being contenders, and so, as previous reporting has indicated, the Phillies might not want to spend heavily on moves designed to improve the 2017 team.
  • Veteran righty Edwin Jackson is set for free agency at the end of the season, but he’s interested in returning to the Padres, as MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell writes. “It’s definitely a place I’d like to come back to,” says Jackson. “A lot of positives and a lot of upside to the future of the organization. It’d be fun to be a part of it toward the end of my career.” Whether the Padres would have interest in Jackson is unclear, but he’s unlikely to be a sought-after free agent this winter after posting a 5.89 ERA, 6.5 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9 in 84 innings with San Diego and Miami.

Latest On The Braves’ Managerial Search

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The Braves have interviewed four internal managerial candidates, Mark Bowman of MLB.com writes (Twitter links). Those include interim manager Brian Snitker, bench coach Terry Pendleton, first base coach Eddie Perez and third base coach Bo Porter. Bowman notes that, of the four, Pendleton stood out as being impressive.

The Braves still will likely speak to external candidates. There’s no word on who those might be, although last week, Today’s Knuckleball’s Jon Heyman linked the Braves to Red Sox bench coach Torey Lovullo, former Padres manager Bud Black, former Twins manager Rob Gardenhire and Royals bench coach (and former Mariners manager) Don Wakamatsu.

Snitker would seem to be the most obvious candidate, as he’s won plenty of praise for his work with the Braves down the stretch after the firing of Fredi Gonzalez, and he has extensive experience as a big-league coach and minor league manager. But Pendleton, Perez and Porter also all have résumés well worth considering. Pendleton has served 15 years on the Braves’ staff as a hitting coach and first base coach, and he won an MVP award as a Braves player in 1991. Perez played nine seasons for the Braves as a catcher and has been a coach for the Braves since 2007. Porter has extensive experience outside the Braves organization — he was the Astros’ manager in 2013 and 2014 and has also managed or coached in the Marlins, Diamondbacks and Nationals organizations.

Ryan Vogelsong Intends To Pitch In 2017

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Pirates righty Ryan Vogelsong said today that he fully intends to pitch in 2017, as Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports. The 39-year-old is expected to take his final start for Pittsburgh on Sunday.

Vogelsong has had a bit of a trying year — most of all, he faced what he calls a “major test” to return after suffering facial fractures on a hit-by-pitch — but that won’t deter him from continuing on. Neither will his rough overall results. Vogelsong owns a 5.00 ERA over 77 1/3 innings, with 7.0 K/9 against 4.3 BB/9, while functioning as a swingman for the Bucs.

“I’m playing next year,” said Vogelsong. “I don’t know where. I don’t know how long it’s going to be. But my plan is to go to spring training with someone with the intent of playing 162-plus games in 2017.”

Vogelsong also made clear that he hopes to join an organization that is willing to commit to him as a starter. The veteran has spent plenty of time in the pen, especially earlier in his career, but had mostly worked from the rotation since his return to the majors in 2011. He has, though, made 21 relief appearances over the past two campaigns.

“I think in this stage of my career, it’s role-dependent,” Vogelsong explained. “I’ve never been a guy who’s been money driven. I love the game, I love the competition. I think I learned some things about myself this season, and it’s easier for me to get ready to perform at this level having the time and preparation between starts.”

Though he spent a three-year stretch playing in Japan, Vogelsong added that he’s not interested in another trans-Pacific experience. Whether or not any major league clubs will see enough value to promise a rotation job remains to be seen, but Vogelsong has been quite durable and could certainly be called upon to provide needed depth in a thin pitching market. If nothing else, he’ll probably be able to command an incentive-laden minor league pact with assurances that he’ll have a chance to compete for a starting job in camp.

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