Former MLB executive Katy Feeney passed away Saturday at age 68, the league announced. (There’s a remembrance by Richard Justice of MLB.com.) Feeney served as MLB’s senior vice president of scheduling and club relations until her retirement just last December. In that role, she worked on league scheduling and organized news conferences for big events such as postseason series. She grew up in baseball, as the daughter of Chub Feeney, the former Giants GM and National League president. “All of us at Major League Baseball are shocked and saddened by the news of Katy’s passing. She was one of the game’s most dedicated executives. Overseeing the schedule, Katy long held one of the most challenging positions in the sport,” said the league in a statement. Though Feeney wasn’t well known by the public, she was evidently greatly respected and liked by beat writers throughout the game, many of whom offered heartfelt tributes and expressions of sadness on Twitter. Our condolences to Feeney’s family and friends.
Here’s more from around the league.
- Rarely do we get as much insight into a baseball executive’s life as Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times divulges in a meticulously crafted profile of Dodgers GM Farhan Zaidi. Zaidi’s reputation is mostly that of a young, new-school GM in the same vein as his boss, Andrew Friedman. But here we also learn how Zaidi feels about being a Muslim living in the US; about a childhood spent in Canada, the Philippines, and Pakistan; and about his love for 1990s Britpop. Also included are details about Zaidi’s acumen within baseball, including, for example, the tidbits that it was Zaidi who, as an executive with the Athletics, pushed the team to sign Yoenis Cespedes and promote Brandon Moss. McCullough’s piece is well worth a read.
- As the season begins, executives from all 30 teams reveal their No. 1 concerns to ESPN’s Jim Bowden. Perhaps unsurprisingly, many of them say they worry most about their team staying healthy, but some execs relay concerns that are more specific, and more telling. Mark Shapiro of the Blue Jays, for example, says, “The drop-off from our top five starters to our sixth starter is a big one. And we have a gap in our high-ceiling prospects in starting pitching in Triple-A.” (The Jays currently have a rotation of Marcus Stroman, Aaron Sanchez, J.A. Happ, Marco Estrada and Francisco Liriano, with pitchers like Casey Lawrence, Lucas Harrell, Jarrett Grube and T.J. House as potential replacements.)
- The Reds are in the midst of a rebuild, but this year their lone superstar, Joey Votto, will play at age 33. Votto remains under contract through 2023 with a club option for 2024, but it’s unclear if he’ll still be producing superstar-caliber numbers by the time the Reds are ready to contend, as the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Zach Buchanan writes. Buchanan notes that it’s difficult to find comparable players for someone as good as Votto, but some of the more obvious ones — such as Jeff Bagwell, Todd Helton and Lance Berkman — suggest Votto could begin to wilt sooner rather than later, perhaps playing as a lesser version of his former self just as the Reds hope their young talent begins to blossom.
- About half the Padres’ Opening Day payroll of around $67MM will be owed to players who aren’t with the team anymore, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes. Current members of the Padres’ active roster and DL make about $33MM, with 21 players making less than $1M. That’s partially a function of the youth of the roster, which we chronicled here earlier this weekend — the Padres are having three Rule 5 picks start the season with them, along with a host of other inexperienced players. Their highest-paid players are Wil Myers and Jered Weaver, both of whom are making just $3MM. The Padres are also paying a total of $34MM to James Shields, Melvin Upton Jr. and Hector Olivera. Shields is currently with the White Sox, while both Upton and Olivera are free agents. Lin notes, though, that the Padres have invested a remarkable total of about $80MM (plus taxes for exceeding their bonus pool) on international prospects since July.
When you have 5 guys who would range as a 1-3 in almost any other rotation like the jays do, you have to expect a drop off to the next guy. Mostly every other team has the same problem, except it’s their third to fourth pitcher or fourth to fifth. It’d be hard to find guys who are better than Bolsinger/Latos, and would be willing to a long man or AAA depth.
Stroman and Sanchez would be a 1-3 in most rotations, but Happ, Estrada, and Liriano fit into very few contending or fringe clubs. All 3 of those guys posted ERAs well above what their peripherala
I do doubt Happs ability to put up the numbers he did last year, but at his worst he’d be a number 4. Estrada is a guy who always out performs his Stats due to the weak contact and pop ups he generates. Liriano is a wild card but so far he’s looked amazing so hopefully for the jays sake he keeps it up
Oh, I think you’re overestimating the depth of pitching around the league. JA Happ overperformed his peripherals, admittedly, but his last two years total 367 IP of 3.38 ERA (3.70 FIP) ball, with 2.6 BB/9 and 7.7 K/9. That fits into almost any rotation in baseball other than the Cubs. Even the Mets would take that as their 5th starter I think. The league isn’t full of strong 5th starters.
Liriano had 29 strikeouts across 5 starts (18 innings) in spring training this year. 4 earned runs, 0.89 WHIP, .161 OBA.. He was on par with Tanaka and Kershaw for ST’s best starters, and better than anyone else you can name.
Couple that with his performance with the Blue Jays in 2016., and it’s clear that claims that he can’t hang with some of the league’s best starters are plain ridiculous.
I believe Latos accepted AAA, but Bolsinger is gone, right?
No, Bolsinger had to clear weavers which he did. Both are now in AAA
Votto should have played for Canada at the WBC. Votto fan, but disappointed by the no show.
WBC means nothing! He’s more interested in the MLB season.
Maybe it means nothing to you, and possibly Votto, but that’s not the case for everyone. Clearly it means something to this guy, and if you saw any highlights or heard anything about it this year, it should be obvious that it meant something to many of the participating teams and their fans/country’s citizens.
Well said, Otto. I’ve attended all four WBCs and would encourage all baseball fans to check out the WBC – great experience.
Canada also had Freeman at 1B so there wouldn’t have been guaranteed playing time available even if Votto had played.
The WBC was awesome but there was no reason for Votto to go stand around while Ryan Dempster was getting lit up.
Once Jameson Taillon passed, Canada had no pitching and wasn’t likely to even win one game. No reason for Votto to go.
Meanwhile, Canada would have ridden Taillon too hard because they had no other pitchers, so I’m glad he passed, too.
After James Paxton and taillon, it’s all AAA starters
I respectfully disagree. I’m not confused as to why Votto did not play, rather I feel Votto has a responsibility to Baseball Canada to both represent his country and remember his baseball roots. It’s not like the USA up here, we can’t go get Adam Jones if Trout says ‘no thanks’ – JV is keeper of a unique role north of the border. Votto did not accept his responsibility to Baseball Canada and, as a fellow Canadian, that’s disappointing. Here’s hoping Votto has a great year, regardless.
Surprised none of those GMs listed Jim Bowden’s leather pants as a No. 1 concern.
Or his bowl cut. But to be fair I think he finally got rid of it. My guess is either ESPN or possibly his wife finally forced him to
If Zaidi
Joey Votto is no Jeff Bagwell.
Yes, Jeff Bagwell is a HoFer and Votto likely still has work to do to get there, but there numbers line up in pretty much every offensive category. Plus Votto has 5 more years still to match Bagwell
Biggest problem with Votto’s HOF chances are that he’s not going to get to any significant hit totals. He’s 33 with 1400 hits. No post-WW2 player with less than 2000 hits is in the Hall, and few first basemen with less than 2500 hits are in the hall. While the demographic of HOF voters are changing, walks don’t tend to get guys into Cooperstown.
“No post WW2 player with less than 2000 hits is in the Hall . . .”
Ralph Kiner begs to disagree.
As would Roy Campanella.
Think that above member might have been giving generalities and not gone into detail, which too many here pounce upon even when they understood what they meant.
Many post ww2 slugers put up sweet numbers over 10y.. Maybe several more and never got elected, yet people now think so many currently playing and more recent deserve enshrinement over guys that never did.. I can give several instances of great guys that never did..
Dwight Evans
Rico Carty
Boog Powell
Bill Buckner
Jim Kaat
Ralph Garr
Jack Morris
That’s top of my head.
Kiner and Campanella have aspects to their cases Votto simply can’t match. Kiner was a dominant force on bad teams, with little protection for him in the lineup. Campanella was a key member of pennant-winning teams, and his career was cut short by the car accident..
Votto will need a very strong finish to his career, without a doubt.
Wait, I’m confused, you don’t think Votto will get to 2000 hits? He has seven more years guaranteed, He’d need to average 85 hits a year to get to 2000. He had 181 last year and 171 the year before.
He needs to average 156 hits a year to get to 2500. He also has an option for an 8th year with a big buyout. As long as he’s still an average player by then the option will get picked up.
If you’re talking homerun totals, that is a feasible argument.
Nothing is guaranteed. See Halladay, Roy. I do think Votto will end up near 2500 but you never know
Campanella would have had the numbers if not for the accident, but you can say that about a lot of players. Hurt arms, eye sight left. With his numbers he was a feel good elective. Another was the long time SS from the Yankees Phil, whose numbers pail next to Banks, Jeter, Larken and many more. Votto should make it with five more like last year.
Ralph Kiner was not good but great. Votto is not close
Roy Campanella is quite obviously a special case – his career started late because of the color line and ended early because of the car wreck that paralyzed him from the waist down.
The bar for first basemen is probably closer to 2500 hits. Even good defensive first basemen, like Votto, have to bring a pretty big bat to the table.
Willie Davis was a terrific player who was hurt by playing most of his career in the most extreme pitcher’s park in baseball history. Very underappreciated. Ted Simmons is also an overlooked player. And Nettles and Staub too.
Kiner’s numbers are nowhere near HOF-worthy. His career was unbelievably short, and while he was brilliant his first 5 seasons, he dropped off dramatically. For the era in which he played, 369 homers and a 279 BA aren’t really HOF numbers. But he is in (although I don’t think of him as post-war because he served in WW2) but technically, yes, his career did start after the war. He was basically Grady Sizemore in his time, a guy with tremendous talent, started his career strong, but injuries had him out of the game by age-32. He led the league in homers for seven straight seasons and that’s probably enough to get him in. But the overall body of work is not impressive.
There’s an interesting through-line to Kiner’s career, which is why I think he’s not really a HOF player. In 1951 Kiner led the league in runs scored and home runs, put up a 309/452/627 line with 137 walks, and finished 10th in MVP voting. If the writers of the day were that unimpressed with him, it’s certainly an interesting data point. And I don’t think it was his personality – he was said to be well-liked, although his relationships with hollywood starlets probably rubbed some old-school guys the wrong way.
Of course, we all know the real reason Kiner never won an MVP despite those amazingly gaudy early-career numbers. Besides the Baker Bowl and Frank Baker, there was probably never a ballpark and player who were a more perfect fit than Kiner and Forbes Field. He may have, seriously, had 100 less career home runs playing in any other ballpark.
Remember too that Campanella’s career also started late because of the color barrier. He didn’t make the majors until he was 26 but he certainly would have been a major leaguer at age 20-21 if he had been allowed to play. As it is he won three MVPs in his short career and I don’t think any three-time MVP isn’t in the Hall.
Youre right votto doesn’t/didnt use steroids
That’s exactly what I was going to say.
Neither did bagwell. Provide one source where it says he used. Dude got into the Hall, didn’t he? They’re being pretty stingy about who they’re letting in. If they though that he used for sure, he wouldn’t be in.
Bagwell didn’t juice? Lol
Odd that Shapiro is more concerned about rotation depth than LF or the complete lack of a bullpen after Osuna
“About half the Padres’ Opening Day payroll of around $67MM will be owed to players who aren’t with the team any more…”
To perfect this practice, maybe Preller can trade a Low-A clipboard holder, or an injured pitcher, for Bobby Bonilla’s remaining contract.
Long as the Mets send back some minor leaguers along with Bonillas contract I am sure preller would be open to that. I am sure preller is open to taking on any salary the next 2 years if it means he can acquire talent he likes.
Upton Jr netted them Hansel Rodriguez
Shields netted them Fernando Tatis Jr
They’re not going to compete in 2017 or 2018 so how much money they spend paying other people really doesn’t matter the next 2-3 years.
[ Sigh… ]
Neither Helton or Bergman were ever as physically conditioned as Votto .
I’m not saying he is going to be able to perform at his current level at the latter end of his contract BUT he prepares himself in the gym as hard as anyone in the game .
Yeah, its not like tatis jr is ranked 8th in the padres deep farm system or anything. What was Preller thinking trading shields and taking on all that money for him. link to sandiego.padres.mlb.com
Padres arent competing in 2017 or 2018. Even with how much money theyre paying others it wasnt going to make them a world series contender in 2017 or 2018. So, if youre going to be bad in 2017 and 2018 might as well offer to take money off the books next 2 years for teams by having them attach prospects you like to the contract.
But thats too smart of an idea for some fans it seems.