The Phillies’ choice of Gabe Kapler as manager has drawn mixed reviews from around the game, FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman writes, as Kapler’s unique approaches to baseball have brought him praise as an innovative thinker but also led to clashes with some players and personnel within the Dodgers organization. It should be noted that this didn’t extend to Dodgers front office heads Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi, both of whom are big fans of Kapler and made calls to the Mets and Phillies recommending him for their managerial openings. The Dodgers themselves almost hired Kapler as manager two years ago, though the fact that some players reportedly lobbied the team to instead go with Dave Roberts also stands out as a possible red flag. The article is well worth a full read to get a sense of the criticisms lobbied against Kapler, and why the Phillies’ hire “may be the biggest gamble of the winter.”
Some more from Heyman, as per his latest collection of notes from around baseball…
- The Royals’ pursuit of Eric Hosmer could decide their immediate future, as the team could decide to forego re-signing any of their other free agents and rebuild if Hosmer can’t be brought back into the fold. It will take a sizeable offer to re-sign Hosmer, however, and while K.C. has been willing to spend to keep is championship window open, “their payroll is starting to press the limits.”
- Ian Kennedy won’t exercise his opt-out clause, and will remain with the Royals for the three years and $49MM remaining on his contract. While no official announcement has come from Kennedy or the team, the decision is an unsurprising one given the righty’s subpar season. Kennedy said himself in September that “it would be pretty stupid” to head into free agency on the heels of an injury-hampered year that saw Kennedy post a 5.38 ERA over 154 innings.
- Jayson Werth could potentially return to the Nationals on a one-year deal. Werth was hitting a solid .262/.367/.446 through his first 196 PA before missing almost three months due to a fracture in his left foot. He still seemed bothered by the injury after his return, leading to subpar numbers down the stretch. The Nats could conceivably use Adam Eaton as both a left fielder and center fielder next year, opening up playing time for Werth or Michael Taylor to fill whatever position Eaton isn’t occupying on any given day.
- Raul Ibanez was seen as a potentially strong contender to become the Yankees’ next manager, though Ibanez reportedly likes his current position with the Dodgers (special advisor to Andrew Friedman) and doesn’t want to leave. Yankees GM Brian Cashman reportedly has 20-25 names on his list of managerial candidates.
- Newly-hired Giants VP of player development David Bell could potentially be a candidate to eventually take over the manager’s job from Bruce Bochy. Bell previously worked on the Cardinals’ and Cubs’ coaching staffs and worked as a manager in the Reds’ farm system, not to mention his 12-year career as a player. Bench coach Hensley Meulens has also been often cited as Bochy’s heir apparent. Bochy’s current contract runs through the 2019 season, and while his track record has likely given him the job as long as he wants, he also turns 63 in April and has dealt with some health issues in recent years.
Ian Kennedy is not dumb that is a lot of money being a #5 starter. So the option out clause always favor the player not the team so why do they give these players a option out? Only person that probably wants a opt out clause is the agent.
The opt outs come with a theoretical financial savings to club
Nope because if the player plays well enough that he does opt out it means his team would gladly pay him the money he is opting out of. Even if they are trying to cut costs, they could trade him if not for the opt out.
Sure, but for him to agree to sign a deal without the opt out, he likely would have required a larger guarantee.
What are you talking about? Larger guarantee? I have news for you … all baseball contracts are guaranteed!
In fact the entire contract is a guaranty but the player can opt out or if stinks or gets hurt he has the guaranty. Totally dumb by team
And there is more … to show how silly your assertion is that well the olayer more money to not have an opt out ..
So you are saying, Kennedy for example, took LESS money on the contract? LESS money guaranteed then? So he could opt out to get more money? Then he was turning down allegedly so he could take less money to opt out to get more money then he could have had to not have opt out???? Huh??
You do not really think first
Not really. The odds that Kennedy would opt out were basically zero from day one so if they offered him like $1 extra but no opt out he should have just taken that.
So if a team trying to win, like the Royals were, is trying to sign a free agent to push them over the top, and the agent says I’m gonna need an opt out after 3 years, the team should say no?
Nope and in Kennedy’s case it prob made no difference in the team’s eyes cuz he was overpaid to begin with. Why would he opt out of that?
You are the stupid one JKB. You would think someone on this site would know how these things work.
Actually JKB, yes he took the opt out clause because if he had a stellar season he could jet and make more somewhere else but if he played like he did this year, he could stay in and he’d make more money than hitting FA this off season. BTW, you don’t think very fast either…it’s “guarantee” not “guaranty” hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
No sorry. The opt out is always stupid for the team. They do not save crap. If the player stinks like Kennedy the team is stuck with over pay since no one is stupid enough to opt out like Kennedy himself said.
If player has a great year he opts out and leaves for more money. So the Club NEVER has the chance to benefit. All they have is downside. All player has us upside
The benefit to the team is that the player signs with them, rather than someone else, who didn’t offer the opt out. Neither the team, nor the player are ever betting on a bad season when they sign the contract. If the player does well, the team gets his performance up until the opt out. If the player does opt out, it usually means the team at least got their moneys worth, if not a bargain.
I think you’re misunderstanding. The opt-out is a negotiated clause. Every contract is fully guaranteed, but every opt-out comes with a price. During negotiations, the Royals could’ve held firm on the opt-out but offered Kennedy a larger total value (say, no opt-out, but 5/$85M instead of (5/$72M). Teams do it to suppress the total value of the deal.
I do agree, though, that they’re always player-friendly. It’s simply incorrect when people say that an opt-out clause is mutually-beneficial because it could save the team from being on the hook for the back-end of the deal, because the player only opts out if he’s worth as much or more than the remaining money.
club options are the only beneficial(for the team) opt out clauses
But if he does well enough to opt out, the team would be better off without the opt out cuz that means they retain the player for below market value. Opt out carries no benefit to the team.
We talked about this a while ago. It wouldn’t (or shouldn’t) have taken $13m extra to sign Kennedy with no opt out. I mean, who really expected him to opt out in the first place? If he could have gotten a single dollar more with no opt out he should have taken that.
While I agree that Kennedy should’ve just taken the highest guarantee, he and his reps clearly wanted the opt-out, or else it wouldn’t have been in the contract. Obviously, with it being an inherently player-friendly clause, it wasn’t something the Royals wanted in there. Whether Kennedy should’ve prioritized it is a legitimate question (maybe he looked at KC’s competitive window, saw it was going to close this year and wanted to give himself options to chase a title, idk), but he did prioritize it
I don’t disagree but my question is WHY would he prioritize it? He’s already getting paid like double what he’s worth and he also wants the right to opt out of it after 2 years? And evidently, the money is more important than chasing a title to him because they Royals aren’t going to win anything for a while.
The real question is why Kennedy wanted an opt out in the first place. The odds of him opting out from the day he signed were basically zero.
The real question actually is why the Royals gave it to him? All they had to do was say no. Why should Kennedy not ask? If they are dumb enough to give it to him why not take it? It costs Kennedy nothing.
he might not have taken their deal if they didn’t offer the opt out think of it the same way as having a 6th year onto a deal the player wants it the team doesn’t but they have to find a middle ground
Kennedy’s opt out didn’t carry as much value to him as most players with opt outs because no one with a brain really expected Kennedy to opt out. So the Royals really weren’t losing much by giving him the opt out. As far as giving him that much money in the first place, well… yeah.
Agreed
Of course LAD, so called Brass, is supportive of GK, he is out of there! In 3 years, blew up the Org., has been sued more than once, and most of his employees wanted out!!!!!
Since when is it a hiring requirement that a guy have universal approval from the players in order to be selected as manager? I’m pretty sure that there isn’t a single manager in all of MLB, MILB, Japan, Korea, or anywhere else for that matter, who has complete approval from everyone in the baseball community. Kapler’s ideas have yet to be tested in MLB. Now that he will have a chance to implement some of them, we will see whether baseball will adapt, or Kapler will adapt. Either way, it will be a growing experience. Congrats to Gabe.
GK’s ideas are whacked!! Maybe if He juices up again, he might be acceptable for their team, Not!!!
Ian Kennedy is a selfish human being ,absolutely robbing KC right now
Well maybe KC shouldn’t have given him that much money. You would do the same thing in his position and you know it.
Agreed!
I’m sure you would gladly not take money that is owed to you.
I am so sick of moron casual fans like this who say Kennedy is selfish or robbing the team.
Sorry dude. The Royals gave this to him. Its negotiated. He would be an idiot to walk from it. Would you walk from that money Genius?
No you would not so do not call out a player for taking the money he us entitled to. Sorry your stupid team does not know how to do business
thank you
Four for you JKB, you go JKB!
This is parity smacking small market team fans in the face. I️ suspect some of them are facing escalating ticket prices, competition for draft slots, less revenue sharing money and a realization money doesn’t buy dynasties. The thing small and large market fans will have in common as this progresses- maybe now middle class families in both markets won’t be able to afford to go to games- welcome to the club KC, Pittsburgh, Minnesota, Cincy, etc. it’s sucks I️ know.
I’m sure you give your paycheck back on days you aren’t at 100%.
You’re just a better person than everyone else.
I really hope this is sarcasm. Maybe Kansas City’s front office should smarten up and not give out awful contracts to guys like Kennedy, Gordon and soon to be Hosmer
that was a terrible signing for KC anyway, its not his fault they gave it to him
Sorry but he didn’t do nothing! The Royals robbed themselves by giving Kennedy that contract.
Unless Werth is accepting a bench role, the Nats need to move on.
Unless Werth is planning on playing CF—which he is no longer able to do—a bench role is all the Nats have to offer.
Victor Robles will play LF, MAT to bench and Werth to an AL team.
KC should rebuild.
I really like Hosmer but I think O’hearn could be a more productive first baseman if given the opportunity
Based on what? his .258/.325 line in AAA this year? His 18 home runs? The fact that he’s equivalent to Salvy on the basebaths? There is 0 aspect of his game where he is as good as Hos.
As I posted Ibanez was mentioned as a possibility in the Girardi article last week. Buster Olney and Aaron Boone both mentioned him on ESPN the day after Joe was fired. Where’s the Sox fan who scoffed?
Ibanez likes his current gig, show up once/twice, collect a paycheck, and back to retirement!
I think Cashman goes with someone like Trey Hillman or Hairston. I would like to see Beltran get the bench coach job and Cone as the pitching coach.
Trey Hilman, maybe as the Mascot!
This guy is a Diamondbacks fan…
Don’t take his lame bate…
beltran lol, i dont want that hack near yankee stadium ever again
If I were the Yankees, I wouldn’t ever consider Ibanez for another position again. He clearly does not want to got there. He didn’t want to be their hitting coach a couple of years ago and now he doesn’t want to be their manager. Message received.