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Tigers Interview George Lombard For Manager’s Job

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The Tigers’ search to replace Ron Gardenhire has started with a familiar name to Detroit fans, as MLB.com’s Jason Beck reports (via Twitter) that the team interviewed Dodgers first base coach George Lombard.

The bulk of Lombard’s 144 career Major League games were played in a Detroit uniform, as Lombard appeared in 72 contests for the 2002 Tigers.  Lombard played in parts of six MLB seasons from 1998-2006, and after his career wound up in 2009, he moved on to minor league coaching and coordinator positions in the Red Sox and Braves farm systems.  The 45-year-old Lombard is currently in his fifth season as the Dodgers’ first base coach, and he was also interviewed for the Pirates’ managerial vacancy last year.

Lombard’s resume includes some managerial experience, as he ran the dugout for the Gulf Coast Red Sox (Boston’s rookie league affiliate) in 2011 and 2012.  Tigers GM Al Avila is reportedly only looking at candidates who have some managerial or coaching experience at the Major or minor league levels, so Lombard qualifies on this front, though he does lack the track record of some of the bigger names thought to be under consideration — such as recent World Series-winning skippers Alex Cora or A.J. Hinch, among other candidates.

No Talks Yet Between Yankees, Zack Britton On Contract Option

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The Yankees face a number of big decisions this offseason, though one of their more immediate bits of business will be figuring out Zack Britton’s status for both the 2021 and 2022 seasons.  Britton is two years into a three-year, $39MM deal that contains a $14MM club option for 2022, and a clause in the contract states that the Yankees have to decide whether or not to exercise that option now, rather than after the 2021 campaign.  If the club option is declined, Britton can opt out of his contract and hit free agency this offseason.

More details are provided by Britton himself, in an e-mail to George A. King III of the New York Post.  According to the left-hander, “the Yankees have until the third day following the end of the World Series” to exercise or decline the 2022 option.  If they decline, Britton has until five days after the end of the World Series to decide whether or not to opt out or remain playing under his 2021 obligation.

“I have not had any discussions regarding my contract with the Yankees,” Britton said, adding that he will soon be touching base with his agent Scott Boras to discuss the situation.

Given that New York’s season only just ended last Friday, it perhaps isn’t surprising that the team hasn’t yet fully explored all of their offseason matters.  It is also quite possible that in Britton’s case, the Yankees might not have much to discuss — the southpaw delivered another superb year, with a 1.89 ERA, 2.29 K/BB rate, 7.6 K/9, and elite 71.7% grounder rate, and zero home runs allowed over 19 innings of work.

Retaining Britton for the cost of $27MM over 2021-22 seems like a relatively easy yes for the team.  One potential complication could be the Yankees’ overall payroll picture, should they decide that Britton’s salary could be better spent on other pressing issues, like re-signing DJ LeMahieu or adding to the rotation.  But, as King notes, Britton was an important stabilizing force in a bullpen that had its share of inconsistency in both the regular season and in the playoffs.

On the off chance that the club option is declined, it’s probably also safe to assume that Britton would choose to opt out of his 2021 deal.  Britton turns 33 in December, and he would be leaving $13MM on the table to enter one of the most unpredictable free agent markets of all time.  The Yankees could also attach a qualifying offer to Britton, further impacting his market.  Even with those obstacles, however, it’s quite easy to imagine Britton scoring more two years and $27MM considering his track record as one of the sport’s better relievers.

Braves Add Johan Camargo To NLCS Roster

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The Braves have added infielder Johan Camargo to the NLCS roster, the team announced.  Camargo will replace Adam Duvall, who suffered an oblique injury in yesterday’s Game 1.  While Duvall’s injury would likely have sidelined him anyway, his removal from the NLCS roster means he is officially ineligible to play in the World Series should the Braves advance.

Camargo has mostly played in the infield during his four-year career, though he does have a handful of appearances as a corner outfielder.  Atlanta isn’t really hurting for outfield depth given the presence of Ronald Acuna, Marcell Ozuna, Nick Markakis, Cristian Pache and utilityman Charlie Culberson on the roster, plus third baseman Austin Riley can play left field in a pinch.  With Camargo now adding to the infield depth, the Braves could be more apt to go to Culberson or Riley as a late-game sub.

Moreso than defensive concerns, replacing Duvall with Camargo is a significant hit to Atlanta’s lineup.  Duvall hit .237/.301/.532 with 16 homers over 209 PA this season, while Camargo hasn’t hit well in either of the last two seasons.  That said, the Braves have plenty of other bats to theoretically pick up the offensive slack, while it should be noted that Duvall had only a .443 OPS in 21 plate appearances during this postseason.

KBO Posting Period Pushed Back Slightly

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The period during which teams in the Korea Baseball Organization can post players for MLB teams to bid on has been pushed back by nine days, Jee-ho Yoo of South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reports. Posting eligibility typically falls between Nov. 1 and Dec. 5, but that will move to Nov. 10 through Dec. 14 in 2020 to align with shifts in the KBO schedule that were brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Kiwoom Heroes shortstop Ha-Seong Kim will be the highest-profile name posted, though Yoo also notes that NC Dinos outfielder/designated hitter Sung-Bum Na is eligible for posting as well. Yoo previously reported that Na had hired the Boras Corporation to represent him during potential negotiations with big league clubs, and the outfielder spoke with ESPN’s Marly Rivera earlier this season about his desire to test himself in the Major Leagues. His ability to do so will depend on the Dinos’ willingness to post him, of course. He’s played eight full KBO seasons and would be eligible for free agency next winter, so this would seemingly be the time for the Dinos to make such a move.

Unlike the 24-year-old Kim, Na is closer to the tail end of his prime. He celebrated his 31st birthday just last week and, as Yoo points out, missed most of the 2019 season due to a knee injury. Neither of those facts will do his market any favors, but it’s also hard to overlook just how potent his bat has been when healthy. Na has posted a sensational .318/.387/.600 slash with 31 homers and 31 doubles this season — maintaining a gaudy line even as the offensive levels in the long-hitter-friendly KBO have come down in recent seasons. That checks in more than 50 percent better than league-average, by measure of wRC+, and the 2020 season would be the third time in four years he’s been at least 50 percent better than an average KBO hitter.

It’s easy to get excited by those numbers, though Baseball America ranked Na fifth among potential MLB talents in the KBO earlier this spring and called him a potential platoon right fielder. The left-handed-hitting Na has a strong arm that would fit the position, but his lofty strikeout rates (26.7 percent in the KBO this year) will surely give teams some pause in wondering how his bat will play against Major League pitching.

For those who need a refresher or who are unfamiliar with the posting process, the latest set of rules agreed upon between MLB and the KBO stipulate that all 30 clubs will be able to negotiate with a player who is posted. The posting fee paid to that player’s former team will be tied directly to the size of the contract he signs. It is a separate sum that is paid out to the KBO club as opposed to an amount that is subtracted from the player’s eventual contract. A signing team would pay 20 percent of the contract’s first $25MM, plus 17.5 percent of the next $25MM and an additional 15 percent on any dollars guaranteed beyond $50MM.

With regard to contractual options and incentives, those clauses are also subject to subsequent fees. A Major League team would only be immediately responsible for posting/release fees on the guaranteed portion of the contract. But if a player’s new team in the Majors exercised a club option down the road, for instance, that team would owe a supplemental fee to the player’s former KBO club once the option is picked up.

Aaron Sanchez Works Out For Teams

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Free agent pitcher Aaron Sanchez threw in front of “about 20 teams” last week, reports Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). This is the first we’ve heard of the right-hander since the Astros non-tendered him in December. He hasn’t pitched since undergoing surgery to address a tear in his right shoulder capsule last September.

Shoulder surgeries can present a difficult road back for pitchers, but Sanchez will be an interesting reclamation project this offseason. He only turned 28 in July, so he’s still got youth on his side. Prior to his injury, Sanchez was working in the 93-94 MPH range with high-end spin on his curveball. Those promising pitch characteristics prompted the Astros to acquire him alongside Joe Biagini from the Blue Jays for Derek Fisher at last year’s trade deadline. That deal almost immediately turned sour for Houston, with Sanchez going down after four starts and Biagini struggling immensely. Neither player remains in the organization.

It’s been a rough few years for the former supplemental first-round draftee. Sanchez looked like one of the top young arms in the sport in 2016, when he made 30 starts with a 3.00 ERA/3.55 FIP for Toronto. Since the start of 2017, he’s managed just a 5.29 ERA across 272.1 innings, thanks mostly to a drastic uptick in walks. Those struggles, combined with the shoulder surgery, will likely limit Sanchez to minor-league offers or perhaps a small one-year deal this winter. There’s little harm for interested teams in giving him an opportunity in spring training, though.

Speculatively speaking, trying him out in the bullpen could be particularly intriguing. For one, shorter stints might give Sanchez a better opportunity to stay healthy. He has also had some difficulty working through opposing lineups multiple times in his career, which a relief role would obviously mitigate.

Astros To Start Zack Greinke In ALCS Game 4

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The Astros are starting Zack Greinke in Wednesday’s AL Championship Series Game 4 against the Rays, manager Dusty Baker announced to reporters (including Brian McTaggart of MLB.com). The veteran’s most recent appearance came on Thursday, so he’ll be working on an extra day of rest.

Greinke has been dealing with some arm trouble over the past couple weeks, so Houston elected to turn to Framber Valdez, Lance McCullers Jr. and José Urquidy over the series’ first three games. As long as he was healthy enough to take the ball, Greinke was guaranteed at least one start this week regardless.

Houston will hope the 36-year-old won’t have to start facing elimination. The top-seeded Rays have jumped out to a 2-0 series lead and likely have Tyler Glasnow in reserve for Game 4, making tomorrow’s contest a near must-win for the Astros.

Adam Duvall Exits NLCS Game 1 With Oblique Injury

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Braves outfielder Adam Duvall came out of tonight’s NL Championship Series Game 1 in the second inning, per various reporters (including Jeff Passan of ESPN and David O’Brien of the Athletic). Duvall clutched at his left side following a swing and was immediately removed. Cristian Pache finished the plate appearance and took over defensively the following inning. Manager Brian Snitker confirmed on the Fox broadcast Duvall had injured his oblique, O’Brien adds.

There’s no official word on his status, but it seems unlikely Duvall will be back this postseason. Oblique strains typically take weeks to recover. While it’s not yet clear precisely what Duvall suffered, Snitker noted he “(hurt) it pretty good” (relays Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register).

It’s a significant blow to the Braves’ offense. Duvall has hit well for Atlanta the past two seasons, including a .237/.301/.532 line with 16 home runs in 209 plate appearances this year. Pache now seems likely to be thrust into a regular role. The 21-year-old is a supreme young talent and figures to play well defensively, but he has all of four career MLB plate appearances under his belt.

The Braves can replace Duvall on the postseason roster if his prognosis is as bad as it seems. Ender Inciarte has been a healthy scratch throughout the playoffs and seems likely to join the club. Ronald Acuña Jr., Nick Markakis and primary DH Marcell Ozuna are the only other listed outfielders on Atlanta’s NLCS roster, although infielders Charlie Culberson and Austin Riley have some experience in the grass.

Rays Name Ryan Yarbrough Starter For ALCS Game 3

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The Rays will turn to left-hander Ryan Yarbrough to start tomorrow evening’s AL Championship Series Game 3 against the Astros, the team announced (via Juan Toribio of MLB.com). Blake Snell and Charlie Morton got the ball for the series’ first two games, while Tyler Glasnow started last Friday’s ALDS Game 5 against the Yankees. Presumably, this sets up Glasnow to go on regular rest in Wednesday’s Game 4.

Already up 2-0 on Houston, the Rays will look to take a stranglehold on the series. They’ll turn the ball over to Yarbrough, who pitched to a 3.56 ERA/3.80 FIP in 55.2 innings during the regular season. He’s not overpowering, but the 28-year-old throws a ton of strikes and is one of the sport’s premier contact managers. Relying heavily on a cutter and changeup that break in opposite directions laterally, Yarbrough perennially avoids the barrel. He limited opponents to an 82.6MPH exit velocity on average this season, per Statcast, placing him in the 99th percentile leaguewide. That continues his years-long trend of hard contact suppression.

The Rays used Ryan Thompson as an opener in front of Yarbrough in Game 4 of the ALDS. This time, they’ll turn to him from the outset, while Houston will counter with righty José Urquidy.

Tommy Pham “In Good Condition” After Being Stabbed

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In a scary development, Padres outfielder Tommy Pham underwent surgery after being stabbed in his lower back Sunday night, per Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Fortunately, he is “currently in good condition,” the team announced.

Pham came upon an argument near his car between individuals whom he did not know, Acee reports. The 32-year-old was attacked after asking those involved to move away from his vehicle. Fortunately, Pham avoided organ damage, although he did require stitches, Acee adds.

“I’d like to thank the incredible medical staff at UC San Diego Health for taking such great care of me last night,” Pham said in a statement. “I truly appreciate the hard work of the (San Diego Police Department) as well as they continue their search for the suspects. While it was a very traumatic and eye-opening experience for me, I’m on the road to recovery and I know I’ll be back to my offseason training routine in no time.”

Pham came to San Diego last offseason in a trade with the Rays. There’s no indication at this point that yesterday’s incident will affect his readiness for Spring Training. We at MLBTR wish Pham well in his recovery.

Billy Beane’s MLB Future Uncertain

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Athletics executive vice president of baseball operations Billy Beane is co-chair of RedBall Acquisition Corp., a company in talks with current Red Sox ownership, Fenway Sports Group, about a potential merger that would see RedBall take over a 25% ownership stake in the Boston franchise. Those talks are in their early stages and a deal isn’t an inevitability, but there’d be an obvious conflict of interest if the parties do eventually come to an agreement. (Beane also has an approximate 1% ownership stake in the Athletics, notes Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle).

If the potential RedBall-FSG merger were to go through, Beane would likely step down from his position with the A’s, report Jared Diamond, Joshua Robinson and Miriam Gotffried of the Wall Street Journal. Slusser hears the same, noting that the deal might be finalized by the end of the calendar year. Beane leaving the A’s wouldn’t be surprising under those circumstances, but he’s not planning to make the jump to the Red Sox front office. Rather, Beane would step away from MLB front office work altogether, per the reports, likely to pursue a position with a European soccer club. The 58-year-old has spoken about his affinity for soccer in the past, and he was part of a group that purchased English club Barnsley FC in 2017, as Eric Chesterton of MLB.com detailed at the time.

Red Sox principal owner John Henry has long had an affinity for Beane. Henry tried unsuccessfully to coax Beane out of Oakland in 2002 to take over the Red Sox baseball operations, shortly before the publication of Moneyball helped make the latter one of the most famous sports executives in history. The two men also share a passion for soccer, with Fenway Sports Group purchasing Premier League club Liverpool FC in 2010.

It’s worth reiterating that nothing is yet official between RedBall and FSG. Beane was part of the A’s season-ending media call with general manager David Forst and manager Bob Melvin last week and gave no indication he was contemplating an imminent exit, the Wall Street Journal notes. Beane has declined comment regarding his future, but one source told Slusser he might “like a new adventure.” The A’s front office was especially frustrated with ownership’s decision to institute widespread layoffs and furloughs over the summer, Slusser adds, although it’s unclear if that has any impact on Beane’s thought process.

If Beane were to step away, the A’s would unsurprisingly hand the reins to Forst, Slusser reports. The 44-year-old has been in the organization since 2000 and served as GM for the past five seasons. Forst signed a long-term extension two years ago and has longed seemed the baseball operations leader of the future in Oakland.

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