Odds & Ends: Astros, Tigers, Braves, Reds
A few more links to cap off the night….
- GM Ed Wade and the Houston Astros will begin contacting managerial candidates Friday, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. McTaggart adds that the team's interview process will get underway next week, as they hope to pare down a 10-name list.
- Keith Law and ESPN.com take a look at the Tigers' 2009 results and anticipate their offseason moves. Law notes that Detroit is a franchise that doesn't mind avoiding big-name closers, so Ryan Perry could conceivably pitch the ninth inning in 2010 if Fernando Rodney and Brandon Lyon depart. Law also thinks Scott Sizemore is ready to step in and play second base every day.
- Like everyone else, David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution thinks the Braves need a right-handed power bat next season. O'Brien also suggests that Atlanta would benefit from adding a little speed to their lineup. O'Brien thinks that Rangers outfielder Nelson Cruz, who can hit home runs and steal bases, will be discussed as a potential target for the Braves.
- The Cincinnati Enquirer's John Fay expects the Reds to wait until after St. Louis is out of the playoffs to hire a new pitching coach. Fay speculates that history between Cincinnati GM Walt Jocketty and Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan could make Duncan a candidate for the opening.
Odds & Ends: Blue Jays, Braves, Indians, Jenks
Some more links for the afternoon…
- You heard all about one big trade that the Blue Jays didn't make, but Rob Bradford of WEEI.com hears the Jays were talking about another blockbuster. The Blue Jays made a play for Victor Martinez before the trade deadline this year, with an eye to contention in 2010.
- Rival GMs expect the Braves to pursue a right-handed hitter to play a corner infield or outfield position, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney.
- The Indians are considering "eight to 10" possible managers, according to the AP (via ESPN). GM Mark Shapiro says he hasn't asked permission to speak with candidates in other organizations. He says MLB experience is "helpful, but not a necessity."
- ESPN.com's Jayson Stark says Bobby Jenks will be tough to trade this offseason. In fact, Jenks is as much a non-tender candidate as he is a trade candidate.
- The Boston Globe reports that the Padres will consider Red Sox execs Jed Hoyer and Ben Cherington "very seriously" for the team's GM vacancy.
- Bill Shaikin of the LA Times wonders if John Lackey might see offers worth $100MM if he pitches well in October.
- Lynn Henning of the Detroit News wonders if the Tigers will consider moving Curtis Granderson this offseason.
Odds & Ends: Braves, Orioles, Pirates
A few notes from around the majors…
- Veteran Greg Norton tied a major league record in what may be his final season, says MLB.com's Mark Bowman
- In another blog entry, Bowman said that though Martin Prado spent some time in the outfield while playing in his native Venezuela, Prado is not a candidate for Atlanta's right field job.
- MASN's Steve Melewski reports that the Orioles have signed their first Guatemalan player, 17-year-old Manuel Hernandez
- In a chat on MLB.com, Pirates president Frank Coonelly said that Andy LaRoche was "open" to the possibility of playing second base next season given some of Pittsburgh's minor-league options at third base (including top prospect Pedro Alvarez).
- Dick Kaegel of MLB.com reports on two changes to Kansas City's coaching staff in 2010.
Braves Notes: Jones, Vazquez, Hudson
The Atlanta Braves went 34-21 in the months of August and September. Unfortunately for them, their poor play early in the season meant that the playoffs were still out of reach. While their starting pitching was strong (Derek Lowe's underwhelming year not withstanding), their offense couldn't generate enough support. Chipper Jones had, arguably, the worst year of his career, posting an OPS of .818 – his lowest in nearly a decade-and-a-half. Jones' performance was a microcosm of the Braves' season as a whole: certainly not awful, but short of expectations.
Buster Olney, Baseball Prospectus and the Insider Staff broke down the season that was for the Atlanta Braves and what to expect from them this winter. An ESPN Insider account is required to read the article but here are the highlights for those without:
- Olney writes that the Braves need a bopper, preferably of the right-handed variety. The piece suggests Dan Uggla or Miguel Tejada while noting that Matt Holliday and Jason Bay are probably too pricey. Gary Sheffield is mentioned as a cheaper alternative, but one has to wonder if the Braves are at all interested in reuniting with the outspoken soon-to-be 41-year-old.
- Atlanta may need a big bat, but they can afford to stand pat when it comes to their rotation. Javier Vazquez was brilliant this year, posting career bests with an ERA of 2.87 and 9.8 K/9. With a starting five that also includes Jair Jurrjens, Derek Lowe, Tommy Hanson and Tim Hudson, the Braves are one of the fortunate teams that do not have to sift through this year's pool of free agent starters if they don't want to. While the Braves may give some thought to moving Lowe, who is owed $15MM in each of the next three seasons, they may not find much of a market for his services.
- The Braves "face an intriguing decision" when it comes to Hudson's $12MM option. Hudson missed most of the year after undergoing Tommy John surgery but has looked rather healthy since returning, posting an ERA of 3.61 in seven starts. A blog post from David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal Constitution noted that the Braves could decline the option and be able to sign Hudson for "quite a bit less", as Hudson has just built a home in the area.
- Shawn Hoffman of Baseball Prospectus concludes the piece by saying, "If the rotation can hold some of its gains, and Chipper Jones can at least maintain his current level, the Braves could be very, very tough."
Braves Notes: Jones, Vazquez, Hudson
The Atlanta Braves went 34-21 in the months of August and September. Unfortunately for them, their poor play early in the season meant that the playoffs were still out of reach. While their starting pitching was strong (Derek Lowe's underwhelming year not withstanding), their offense couldn't generate enough support. Chipper Jones had, arguably, the worst year of his career, posting an OPS of .818 – his lowest in nearly a decade-and-a-half. Jones' performance was a microcosm of the Braves' season as a whole: certainly not awful, but short of expectations.
Buster Olney, Baseball Prospectus and the Insider Staff broke down the season that was for the Atlanta Braves and what to expect from them this winter. An ESPN Insider account is required to read the article but here are the highlights for those without:
- Olney writes that the Braves need a bopper, preferably of the right-handed variety. The piece suggests Dan Uggla or Miguel Tejada while noting that Matt Holliday and Jason Bay are probably too pricey. Gary Sheffield is mentioned as a cheaper alternative, but one has to wonder if the Braves are at all interested in reuniting with the outspoken soon-to-be 41-year-old.
- Atlanta may need a big bat, but they can afford to stand pat when it comes to their rotation. Javier Vazquez was brilliant this year, posting career bests with an ERA of 2.87 and 9.8 K/9. With a starting five that also includes Jair Jurrjens, Derek Lowe, Tommy Hanson and Tim Hudson, the Braves are one of the fortunate teams that do not have to sift through this year's pool of free agent starters if they don't want to. While the Braves may give some thought to moving Lowe, who is owed $15MM in each of the next three seasons, they may not find much of a market for his services.
- The Braves "face an intriguing decision" when it comes to Hudson's $12MM option. Hudson missed most of the year after undergoing Tommy John surgery but has looked rather healthy since returning, posting an ERA of 3.61 in seven starts. A blog post from David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal Constitution noted that the Braves could decline the option and be able to sign Hudson for "quite a bit less", as Hudson has just built a home in the area.
- Shawn Hoffman of Baseball Prospectus concludes the piece by saying, "If the rotation can hold some of its gains, and Chipper Jones can at least maintain his current level, the Braves could be very, very tough."
Kelly Johnson A Trade Candidate
Braves second baseman Kelly Johnson is drawing trade interest from other teams, according to MLB.com's Mark Bowman. Bowman thinks the Braves will be able to trade Johnson before the mid-December tender/non-tender decision comes due.
Johnson, 28 in February, slipped to .224/.303/.389 in 346 plate appearances this year. He lost his starting job to Martin Prado in July, and hit the DL with a wrist injury shortly thereafter. Johnson earned $2.825MM last year, so he'll have to be paid at least $2.26MM in 2010 if tendered a contract.
The Braves switched Johnson from left field to second base before the 2007 season. Johnson had played shortstop in the minors and was coming off Tommy John surgery at the time. His second base defense these past few years has ranged from below average to average, according to UZR and plus-minus.
Which teams might be interested in acquiring Johnson? The White Sox, Tigers, Dodgers, Twins, and Pirates could be potential fits.
Lowe For Sale?
In an informative post-mortem on the Braves, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports that Atlanta General Manager Frank Wren "is expected to explore the possibility of trading [Derek] Lowe, who is owed $45MM over the final three years of his contract."
The idea makes a ton of sense for Atlanta. With multiple needs, and a surplus of starters, the Braves should certainly jettison one in an effort to add a first baseman, outfielder and/or help in the bullpen.
The question is less about why Atlanta would deal Lowe, and more why anyone would want to deal for him at his price.
Lowe is coming off of a season with a 4.67 ERA along with a strikeout rate of just 5.1 per nine innings. He certainly didn't finish strong, with a 5.05 second-half ERA, and a 6,23 mark from September 1 on. And that $15MM per season will pay for Lowe's age-37, age-38 and age-39 campaigns.
Even if Lowe had pitched extremely well in 2009, it is hard to imagine that many teams could afford him. And of those teams, both the Yankees and Red Sox would hardly want to ask a pitcher with a declining strikeout rate to switch leagues.
It will be fascinating to see if the Braves can find a trading partner for Lowe. They can always make the argument, "He's just a year removed from a 3.24 ERA!" But those arguments never seem to result in renaissance seasons. A lot can change with a year removed. After all, Jon and Kate are just a year removed from being "happily married television stars."
Odds & Ends: Church, Macha, Farrell
Some more reading for the last Friday night of the 2009 regular season….
- Mark Bowman of MLB.com wonders if Ryan Church has played his last game for the Braves. Bowman thinks, because of Church's back injuries, the Braves may not want to pay for a salary bump through arbitration.
- Brewers GM Doug Melvin has not yet met with Ken Macha to discuss his future in Milwaukee, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. It looks as if Macha will be back in the Brewers' dugout in 2010, but Melvin probably won't make it official until after Sunday's finale.
- Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell attempts to dispel rumors that he'll be the next manager in Cleveland, via Anthony Castrovince at MLB.com.
- ESPN.com's Rob Neyer looks at the AL Rookie of the Year race and concludes that the candidate he'd most like to have for the next few seasons is Texas shortstop Elvis Andrus.
- Jon Heyman of SI.com (via Twitter) is surprised the Orioles picked up Dave Trembley's 2010 option.
- If Bobby Jenks is back in Chicago in 2010, White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper expects a better season out of the closer, according to MLB.com's Scott Merkin.
- Daniel Barbarisi of the Providence Journal writes that the Indians are still feeling the "punch to the gut" of losing Victor Martinez.
- T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com notes that it's not certain whether Rangers hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo will be back in Texas in 2010.
Odds & Ends: Church, Macha, Farrell
Some more reading for the last Friday night of the 2009 regular season….
- Mark Bowman of MLB.com wonders if Ryan Church has played his last game for the Braves. Bowman thinks, because of Church's back injuries, the Braves may not want to pay for a salary bump through arbitration.
- Brewers GM Doug Melvin has not yet met with Ken Macha to discuss his future in Milwaukee, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. It looks as if Macha will be back in the Brewers' dugout in 2010, but Melvin probably won't make it official until after Sunday's finale.
- Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell attempts to dispel rumors that he'll be the next manager in Cleveland, via Anthony Castrovince at MLB.com.
- ESPN.com's Rob Neyer looks at the AL Rookie of the Year race and concludes that the candidate he'd most like to have for the next few seasons is Texas shortstop Elvis Andrus.
- Jon Heyman of SI.com (via Twitter) is surprised the Orioles picked up Dave Trembley's 2010 option.
- If Bobby Jenks is back in Chicago in 2010, White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper expects a better season out of the closer, according to MLB.com's Scott Merkin.
- Daniel Barbarisi of the Providence Journal writes that the Indians are still feeling the "punch to the gut" of losing Victor Martinez.
- T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com notes that it's not certain whether Rangers hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo will be back in Texas in 2010.
Odds & Ends: Braves, Blue Jays, Reds, Mets
Time for another round of links…
- David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal Constitution wouldn't be surprised if the Braves could get a team to pick up Derek Lowe's contract. The righty has $45MM remaining on the four-year deal he signed last offseason.
- Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star says there's "significant discontent" towards Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston. It's just not as bad as Ken Rosenthal says it is.
- MLB.com's Jordan Bastian says the discontent has been building in the clubhouse all season long.
- From Jeff Blair's Twitter: "Poor Chicago: first they get screwed by [Alex] Rios, then they get screwed by Rio."
- As MLB.com's Mark Sheldon notes, the Reds fired pitching coach Dick Pole.
- Matthew Cerrone and Michael Baron of MetsBlog are divided on whether Carlos Zambrano would be a good addition for the Mets.
- ESPN.com's Buster Olney hears that it will cost about $500MM to buy the Rangers.