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Latest On Padres’ Manager Search

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While there hasn’t been any word about the Padres conducting formal interviews for their vacant managerial position, the belief is they’re looking at four to five candidates for the job, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. Rangers player development field coordinator Jayce Tingler is among those in the mix, per Acee.

The Padres are reportedly “expected” to select an experienced manager to replace Andy Green (they’ve been connected to ex-MLB skippers Ron Washington, Joe Maddon, Ron Washington, Brad Ausmus and Buck Showalter). However, having a built-in rapport with general manager A.J. Preller, who’s leading the search, could prove to be of greater importance. Washington, the Braves’ third base coach, managed the Rangers when Preller was in their front office from 2007-14. According to Acee, Preller developed a deep respect for Washington during that period, in which the Rangers made three trips to the playoffs and won a pair of American League championships.

Preller also knows Tingler from Texas, as the latter has worked in various coaching and front office positions with the organization dating back to 2007. The 38-year-old Tingler has no experience as a major league skipper, though the Rangers did consider hiring him last offseason before choosing Chris Woodward. Tingler’s currently managing in the Dominican Winter League.

NL Notes: Keuchel, Cards, Mets, Reds, Wood, Fish, DJ

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Dallas Keuchel and the Braves are squaring off against the Cardinals in a memorable NLDS, but the left-hander recently told Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch he’s surprised the Redbirds didn’t make a bigger effort to sign him when he was a free agent from November to June. “Honestly, I was fully expecting an offer from them,” said Keuchel. “Just never really came about.” Keuchel, whom the Braves signed to a one-year, $13MM deal after a protracted standoff between him and the entire league, added that he viewed St. Louis as “a good destination,” which could be notable with the soon-to-be 32-year-old set to hit free agency again in the coming weeks. Meantime, his club will try to eliminate the Cardinals in a do-or-die Game 5 on Wednesday.

  • The manager-needy Mets may have a couple in-house candidates for the job in quality control/outfield coach Miguel Rojas and Single-A manager Edgardo Alfonzo, per Mike Puma of the New York Post. The 38-year-old Rojas, who’s the son of longtime MLB outfielder/first baseman/manager Felipe Alou and the brother of former outfielder Moises Alou, has been a member of the Mets organization for 14 seasons (including eight as a minor league skipper). Now 45, Alfonzo’s best known for a highly productive run as a second/third baseman for the Mets from 1995-2002. Having coached in the organization since 2014, Alfonzo’s hoping New York considers him to replace the fired Mickey Callaway, Puma reports.
  • If the Reds are going to re-sign pending free-agent left-hander Alex Wood, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com estimates it would happen by way of a minor league contract. Considering Wood’s past success and relative youth (29 in January), getting him to accept a non-guaranteed deal may be unrealistic. Regardless, it’s inarguable Wood is coming off a contract year to forget. Acquired from the Dodgers last winter, Wood made only seven starts and threw just 35 2/3 for the Reds this year as he battled nagging back issues. Wood managed an ugly 5.80 ERA/6.38 FIP with 7.57 K/9, 2.27 BB/9 and a 38.2 percent groundball rate when he was healthy enough to take the ball for Cincy.
  • It’s already known the Marlins had interest in DJ LeMahieu last winter, but Joe Frisaro of MLB.com writes the Fish “made a strong push to sign” the second baseman in free agency. The former Cub and Rockie ultimately accepted a two-year, $24MM contract from the Yankees, with whom he has enjoyed a career season. The low-budget Marlins, meanwhile, ended up guaranteeing a mere $4.5MM to players in free agency, inking infielder Neil Walker (who served as a lesser version of LeMahieu for the club) and reliever Sergio Romo to one-year contracts.

Jake Odorizzi On Twins Tenure

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Right-hander Jake Odorizzi may have made the final start of his Twins tenure on Monday. Odorizzi turned in a solid performance against the high-powered Yankees, allowing two runs on five hits (with five strikeouts and no walks) in five innings, but that wasn’t enough to stave off elimination for the Twins. Minnesota fell 5-1 to finish off a three-game ALDS sweep for the Yankees, bringing an early end to an impressive bounce-back season for the Twins.

Now that Minnesota’s offseason has begun, chief baseball officer Derek Falvey and general manager Thad Levine must decide whether to aggressively pursue a new deal for Odorizzi. The soon-to-be 30-year-old’s on the brink of free agency, where he’ll be among the top non-Gerrit Cole starters available, though he does seem open to re-signing with the Twins.

Speaking in regards to his time with the Twins and his future Wednesday, Odorizzi told Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com and other reporters: “That’s out of my hands. I really enjoyed my two years here. If I’m back, great. I’ve really taken a liking to here. But if not, I wish nothing but the best. This is a great group of people from top to bottom. It’s tough to end the year, but at least I got to go out with great fans and a great atmosphere.”

Odorizzi, whom the Twins acquired from the Rays entering the 2018 season, is coming off a career year at an opportune moment. The first-time All-Star pitched to a 3.51 ERA/3.36 FIP with 10.08 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 across 159 innings, averaging a personal-best 92.9 mph on his fastball along the way.

Thanks to his strong production this season, Odorizzi will go into free agency as a qualifying offer candidate. Receiving a QO wouldn’t do Odorizzi any favors as he prepares to go to the market, as it would require a team to cough up a draft pick(s) while likely giving him a substantial payday over a couple years. However, it’s possible the Twins will simply let Odorizzi walk instead of risking having to pay an $18MM-plus salary for 2019 should he accept a QO. That said, waving goodbye to Odorizzi would be a tough development for the Twins, who are also at risk of seeing Kyle Gibson and Michael Pineda bolt via free agency. Additionally, they’ll have a decision to make on Martin Perez, who has a $7.5MM club option or a $500K buyout for next year.

Along with No. 1 starter Jose Berrios, each of Odorizzi, Gibson, Pineda and Martin were key components of a Minnesota rotation that saw all of them amass at least 26 starts during a 101-victory, AL Central-winning 2019. The lone member of the quintet who rivaled Berrios in effectiveness was Odorizzi, who may be in another uniform the next time he takes the ball.

Evaluating The $200MM Contracts: Pitchers

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Houston’s currently fighting for its life against Tampa Bay in the ALDS, but regardless of whether the Astros advance, they could be a few weeks away from losing one of their most valuable players to free agency. Right-handed ace and potential AL Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole is on the cusp of reaching the open market, where his forthcoming contract figures to easily outdo the majority of his competitors’ next deals. In fact, the lone soon-to-be free agent who’s likely to wind up in Cole’s stratosphere is Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon. Both players are lining up for contracts in the $200MM range, which seems like an especially risky number for a pitcher. But how have those investments on pitchers worked out thus far? Let’s take a look at the few $200MM-plus guarantees given out to hurlers, keeping in mind that past successes or failures obviously do not determine whether Cole will thrive or fall flat once he receives his mega-contract…

David Price, LHP, Red Sox (seven years, $217MM)

  • Still the owner of the richest deal ever for a pitcher, Price hasn’t continued as an ace since he signed with the Red Sox entering the 2016 season. At that point, Price was a world-class run stopper who’d already logged five seasons with at least 200 innings. The Boston version has hit the 200 mark just once, though, and has put up a 3.84 ERA/3.74 FIP with 9.32 K/9 and 2.39 BB/9 across 588 frames. On paper, that production’s absolutely fine, but the Red Sox probably expected more when they splurged on Price almost a half-decade ago. Of course, thanks in part to Price, the Red Sox won the World Series a year ago. Flags fly forever.

Clayton Kershaw, LHP, Dodgers (seven years, $215MM)

  • Admittedly, it’s debatable whether we should count this deal. After all, Kershaw essentially opted out of it last offseason (when he had two years and $65MM left on the pact) in favor of a three-year, $93MM contract to stick with the Dodgers. No matter, Kershaw has been nothing short of outstanding since signing. Therefore, even if the eight-time All-Star and three-time NL Cy Young winner would have stayed with his previous contract, the Dodgers certainly wouldn’t have buyer’s remorse.

Max Scherzer, RHP, Nationals (seven years, $210MM)

  • Speaking of not regretting a $200MM-plus investment on a pitcher … we arrive at the Nationals, who are surely thrilled with the free-agent gamble they took on the ex-Tiger Scherzer going into 2016. Scherzer, who has been an All-Star every year and won a pair of NL Cy Youngs since then, remains among the game’s most imposing hurlers to this day. The 35-year-old’s fresh off yet another tremendous (albeit injury-limited) regular season and has been a key figure in what could be a stunning first-round playoff upset of the juggernaut Dodgers.

Zack Greinke, RHP, Astros (six years, $206.5MM)

  • Arizona poured its financial resources into Greinke entering 2016, though the headline-stealing addition didn’t quite pay off the way the club hoped. But that’s not a knock on Greinke, who excelled as a D-back. The team’s payroll just couldn’t support his ongoing presence, so it dealt Greinke to the Astros at this summer’s trade deadline. The 35-year-old, however, has enjoyed the latest terrific season of his career between the two organizations. Greinke’s $200MM-plus payday may not have been the most responsible move for an Arizona franchise that’s not a huge spender, but his production has been worthy of it.

If the above group shows us anything, it’s that no pitcher in the $200MM club has flopped (some have been great). That doesn’t mean Cole will follow in their footsteps if he scores a similar contract, but it’s hard to bet against a dominant, flamethrowing workhorse who still has another season in his 20s to come.

Statcast Standouts: Pending FA Hitters

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There are multiple ways to evaluate the performance of hitters in Major League Baseball. You can go by the traditional back-of-the-baseball-card statistics, FanGraphs metrics or even the newfangled Statcast numbers we’ve seen pop up over the past couple years. For the purpose of this piece, we’ll go Statcast style to take a look at the hitters who are scheduled to be available in the upcoming offseason’s free-agent class. Here are the standouts at each position when it comes to expected weighted on-base average and average exit velocity on line drives and fly balls (data courtesy of Baseball Savant)…

Catchers:

Expected weighted on-base average

  1. Yasmani Grandal .362 (real wOBA: .365)
  2. Jason Castro .362 (.331)
  3. Alex Avila .352 (.327)
  4. Travis d’Arnaud .328 (.318)
  5. Stephen Vogt .326 (.336)

Average exit velocity on line drives/fly balls

  1.  Chris Iannetta 97.2 mph
  2. Alex Avila 96.6
  3. Jason Castro 96.5
  4. Welington Castillo 96.2
  5. Travis d’Arnaud 93.6

First basemen:

Expected weighted on-base average

  1. Howie Kendrick .418 (.405)
  2. David Freese .378 (.420)
  3. Justin Smoak .367 (.327)
  4. Kendrys Morales .366 (.265)
  5. Jose Abreu .361 (.349)

Average exit velocity on line drives/fly balls

  1. Lucas Duda 96.4 mph
  2. Jose Abreu 96.1
  3. Mitch Moreland 95.8
  4. Matt Adams 95.6 (will become free agent if Nationals choose $1MM buyout over $4MM option)
  5. Howie Kendrick 94.4

Second basemen:

Expected weighted on-base average

  1. Howie Kendrick .418 (.405)
  2. Brian Dozier .329 (.333)
  3. Brock Holt .315 (.336)
  4. Jason Kipnis .312 (.305)
  5. Ben Zobrist .310 (.305)

Average exit velocity on line drives/fly balls

  1.  Howie Kendrick 94.4 mph
  2. Jonathan Schoop 93.5
  3. Eduardo Nunez/Chris Owings 93.1
  4. Brian Dozier 92.9
  5. Logan Forsythe 92.8

Shortstops:

Expected weighted on-base average

  1. Jordy Mercer .320 (.318)
  2. Adeiny Hechavarria .296 (.316)
  3. Didi Gregorius .291 (.302)
  4. Jose Iglesias .287 (.309)

Average exit velocity on line drives/fly balls

  1.  Adeiny Hechavarria 92.8 mph
  2. Jordy Mercer 92.2
  3. Didi Gregorius 91.8
  4. Jose Iglesias 87.5

Third basemen:

Expected weighted on-base average

  1.  Anthony Rendon .413 (.418)
  2. Josh Donaldson .386 (.382)
  3. Mike Moustakas .345 (.353)
  4. Pablo Sandoval .337 (.341)
  5. Logan Forsythe .320 (.301)

Average exit velocity on line drives/fly balls

  1. Josh Donaldson 98.1
  2. Jung Ho Kang 97.1
  3. Pablo Sandoval 95.2
  4. Mike Moustakas 93.8
  5. Anthony Rendon 93.5

Outfielders:

Expected weighted on-base average

  1. Marcell Ozuna .379 (.340)
  2. Nicholas Castellanos .362 (.360)
  3. Hunter Pence .358 (.382)
  4. Matt Joyce .355 (.375)
  5. Avisail Garcia .344 (.338)

Average exit velocity on line drives/fly balls

  1.  Marcell Ozuna 96.3 mph
  2. Hunter Pence 95.4
  3. Avisail Garcia 95.2
  4. Kole Calhoun 95.0 (Angels can buy Calhoun out for $1MM or exercise a $14MM option)
  5. Yasiel Puig 94.2

Cubs Launch Managerial Interviews

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Oct. 8: Girardi will interview tomorrow, Gonzales further reports, with Ross slated to interview later in the week. Venable, meanwhile, interviewed for the position yesterday.

Oct. 4: The Cubs have begun formal interviews as they seek to identify their next manager, the team informed reporters including Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter). First-round interviews will carry into next week, at least.

First up for a chat was Mark Loretta, who served as the club’s bench coach under departing skipper Joe Maddon. Loretta had his interview yesterday. As previously reported, first base coach Will Venable will also get a chance to petition for the job. He’s slated for a sit-down next week.

Another previously reported candidate for the position, David Ross, will also get his first formal managerial interview next week. The veteran backstop-turned-analyst has long been speculated as a candidate.

Ross is not far removed from being an in-uniform veteran presence, but has never held a coaching or managing position. Loretta and Venable each have coaching experience, but neither has ever managed.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Cubs will also look at more experienced candidates. President of baseball operations Theo Epstein has said he’d “have a greater comfort for someone handling the role before.”

Joe Girardi is about as experienced as any managerial candidate, having helmed the Marlins for one season before a decade-long stint with the Yankees. He’s also slated to chat with Epstein and company next week.

Indication has been that the Cubs will look far and wide for candidates. If so, it would stand to reason that other names will still pop up for first-round interviews. The existing slate, after all, isn’t exactly an exotic group in terms of background. Two are former Chicago catchers while the others were in Cubs uniforms in the just-completed campaign.

Buck Showalter Not Being Considered For Padres’ Manager

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6:40pm: Despite his connection to Machado, Showalter is not currently in the mix to become the next manager, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes.

1:05pm: Padres star third baseman Manny Machado is “letting it be known he would like [the] Padres to at least take a look at” his former skipper Buck Showalter, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney writes on Twitter. Showalter managed Machado for seven seasons in Baltimore.

It’s somewhat unusual to hear of a player suggesting a possible managerial hire. But Machado inked a $300MM deal to join the San Diego organization last winter, so he and the club are joined at the hip for ten seasons (barring intervening developments). That whopping contract perhaps gives him an unusual level of standing in the Padres franchise. And there’s no hint here that he’s demanding Showalter be the chosen candidate.

Showalter would certainly suit the Padres’ desire for an experienced helmsman. The 63-year-old is a grizzled veteran of twenty MLB seasons as a manager. A notably old-school presence around the diamond, Showalter has certainly still had success in the modern game. His O’s teams outperformed expectations and had a notable run of success from 2012 through 2016. After sitting out a year, Showalter is obviously itching to get back at it, as he has previously expressed interest in interviewing for the Mets opening.

At this point, it isn’t known whether Showalter is a realistic candidate for the Padres — or even whether they’ll seriously consider him at all. But it stands to reason the club would at least take a look, particularly now that its highest-paid player has made his preference known.

Postseason Injury Notes: Chapman, Wacha, Diaz

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Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman was seen with his left hand heavily bandaged during the team’s celebration last night, writes Dan Martin of the New York Post, but the lefty insisted that there was no serious injury at play. Rather, Chapman explained, he was hit with a bottle while jumping with teammates to celebrate the Yankees’ advancement to the American League Championship Series. There’s no indication that Chapman would need to miss New York’s forthcoming date with either the Astros or the Rays.

A few more injury situations to monitor around the league…

  • Cardinals righty Michael Wacha will throw a bullpen session tomorrow, tweets Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. A mild shoulder strain kept Wacha off the Cardinals’ NLDS roster, but if he comes out of this ’pen session well and the Cards manage to topple the Braves in tomorrow’s decisive Game 5, Wacha could reemerge as an option for the pitching staff in the next round. Of course, Wacha didn’t exactly cement himself as a crucial part of a postseason roster while struggling through one of his worst big league seasons. In 126 2/3 innings, he posted a 4.76 ERA with career-worst marks in K/9 (7.4), BB/9 (3.9) and HR/9 (1.85). He’ll be a free agent this winter, so if he doesn’t return for a potential NLCS berth, Wacha may have already tossed his last pitch as a Cardinal.
  • Rays slugger Yandy Diaz is still on the team’s postseason roster despite exiting Monday’s game with an apparent foot injury, tweets Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Though he’s not in tonight’s starting lineup — Joey Wendle gets the nod at third base, with Ji-Man Choi at first and Tommy Pham DH’ing — Diaz presumably remains available for pinch-hit duties or for a mid-game substitution. Wade Miley is the only lefty on Houston’s ALDS roster, but Diaz and his .314/.397/.588 slash against southpaws could quite likely emerge from the dugout if Miley makes his way to the mound.

Manfred Reportedly Told Oakland Officials That A’s Could Move To Las Vegas

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Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf said today that Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred has indicated that he sees Las Vegas, Nevada as a possible relocation spot for the Athletics, Sal Castaneda of KTVU reports on Twitter. Manfred’s threat of exploring options in Vegas had been reported recently by the San Francisco Chronicle.

The newly combative stance from MLB’s top official arose after the city of Oakland filed a surprise suit to block a major portion of the A’s stadium plans. Manfred’s already reported comments conveyed a thinly veiled warning that the team and league could consider alternatives. But it was not known that he had specifically floated Las Vegas as a realistic possibility.

Vegas holds particular allure for Major League Baseball and special meaning to Oakland-area fans. After all, Sin City just lured away the Raiders with a massively subsidized new stadium. Whether or not there’s further appetite in Nevada for taxpayer-funded facilities isn’t really clear, but it is at least a facially plausible threat for the commissioner to make. Notably, though, local officials said they were unaware of any actual discussions to this point, per the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Several other cities have been mentioned at times as potential relocation spots, but it’s not clear which if any would be serious possibilities with the Rays already flirting with Montreal.

Manfred has made clear plenty of times in the past that his strong preference is for the Athletics to remain in Oakland. And the A’s have worked hard to come up with a workable plan built around private financing (which isn’t to say that significant public support wouldn’t be involved). There are surely still plenty of pathways for that result, though it’s also certain that team and league have little appetite for too many more campaigns in the Coliseum.

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