Front Office Notes: Orioles, Cashman, Cubs, Padres
Theo Epstein is officially the Cubs' president of baseball operations and the Red Sox have announced that Ben Cherington will be Boston's next GM, but there's still lots of front office turnover on the horizon. Here are the latest details from around MLB:
- De Jon Watson's interview for the Orioles' GM job will take place on Wednesday, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). I spoke to Watson, the Dodgers' assistant GM, last month. He's up against Jerry Dipoto of the Diamondbacks and Tony LaCava of the Blue Jays.
- Chase Headley and Heath Bell told Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune that they expect a smooth transition from Jed Hoyer to Josh Byrnes when Hoyer leaves the Padres to become the Cubs' new GM.
- Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune explains that Cubs president Crane Kenney will move exclusively to the business side now that Epstein is the club's president of baseball operations. Kenney is a polarizing figure in Chicago and the role he played in obtaining Epstein is unclear, according to Sullivan.
- Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times says letting assistant GM Randy Bush go would be a mistake for the Cubs.
- Yankees GM Brian Cashman met with Hal Steinbrenner in New York today and Joel Sherman of the New York Post says the sides expect to be able to complete a new deal for Cashman with relative ease (Twitter link).
Minor Moves: Arias, Valdez, Cedeno
The Astros signed right-handers Alberto Arias and Jose Valdez and left-hander Xavier Cedeno to minor league deals, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. The Astros had outrighted the players off of their 40-man roster earlier in October.
Arias would have been arbitration eligible, but he spent the 2011 on the season on the disabled list after undergoing shoulder surgery in March. The 27-year-old has a 3.74 ERA with 6.6 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 in 74 2/3 career innings and hasn't pitched since 2009.
Valdez appeared in 12 games for the Astros in 2011, striking out 15 in 14 innings. He also posted a 5.47 ERA with 12.0 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 in 24 2/3 minor league innings. Cedeno made his MLB debut last month, pitching in three games as a September callup. The 25-year-old spent most of the 2011 season in the upper minors, where he posted a 4.38 ERA with 9.0 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 in 137 2/3 innings.
Angels Would Make Friedman Team President
The Angels are prepared to offer Andrew Friedman a position as club president, according to Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times. Despite their strong interest, the Angels don’t appear to have much of a chance of obtaining him from the Rays, according to DiGiovanna. The Angels, who met with Friedman last week, would hire a second executive to be the team’s general manager if the 34-year-old joins their baseball operations department.
The Angels have interviewed Jerry Dipoto of the Diamondbacks, Damon Oppenheimer and Billy Eppler of the Yankees, Rick Hahn of the White Sox and former GM Omar Minaya for the position. Kim Ng of MLB will interview this week and the Angels hope to interview Thad Levine of the Rangers after the World Series ends, according to DiGiovanna. Former GM Dan Evans also intrigues owner Arte Moreno and team president John Carpino.
The Angels asked for permission to interview Al Avila of the Tigers and Dan Jennings of the Marlins, but were denied. Los Angeles' new GM will have the authority to hire a new assistant GM, player personnel director and farm director, according to DiGiovanna.
The Angels are in direct competition with the Orioles, who interviewed Dipoto for their GM vacancy. For a complete look at the moves Friedman has made in Tampa Bay, check out MLBTR's Transaction Tracker.
Red Sox Managerial Links: Farrell, Blue Jays
The Red Sox announced that they will introduce Ben Cherington as their new GM tomorrow. Now that the Red Sox have resolved the uncertainty in their front office, it's time to find a new manager. Here are the latest links on the subject:
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post hears that Blue Jays manager John Farrell would be desired in Boston, under Cherington, and in Chicago, under former Red Sox GM Theo Epstein (Twitter links). Dale Sveum and Mike Maddux are two candidates who may appeal to Cherington and Epstein, according to Sherman.
- Farrell dismissed speculation about a possible return to Boston, where he was the pitching coach until he left for Toronto. "I am focused right now on preparing for what is best for the Blue Jays in 2012," he told Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link).
- Farrell told Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star that the Red Sox haven't asked the Blue Jays for permission to talk to him. Griffin says the rumors are "a slap in the face for Jays fans" and that it would be unseemly for Farrell to return to Boston after one year. However, the Red Sox would get permission to talk with Farrell if they want it, according to Griffin.
- Rob Bradford of WEEI.com says Farrell is the right manager for the Red Sox, since they need to rebuild their clubhouse for 2012. Bradford suggests the Blue Jays would likely require substantial compensation from Boston for Farrell and explains that a return to the Red Sox seems unlikely.
Jim Thome Intends To Play In 2012
Even after a climactic season in which he joined baseball's 600-homer club, returned to the franchise that drafted him and made a cameo appearance at third base, Jim Thome intends to keep playing. He told media outlets, including the Associated Press, that he's looking forward to a 22nd season in the Major Leagues.
"I'll keep playing," Thome said. "I just need teams to call me. I can't go play in the backyard by myself. I don't know the demand for a 41-year-old DH, but my passion is I want to continue to play."
Thome's 604 home runs place him eighth all-time. He hit 15 of those homers in 2011, posting a .256/.361/.477 line for the Twins and Indians. He's an unranked free agent who won't be tied to draft pick compensation and would likely cost a couple million dollars on a one-year deal. Thome could be a fit for American League clubs such as the Orioles and Athletics or could contribute as a bench bat on any number of National League teams.
Phillies Decline Options On Lidge, Oswalt
The Phillies announced that they have officially declined the 2012 options for right-handers Brad Lidge and Roy Oswalt. Lidge obtains a $1.5MM buyout instead of a $12.5MM salary and Oswalt obtains a $2MM buyout instead of a $16MM salary. The team hasn't ruled out a new deal with either Lidge or Oswalt.
"We will remain in contact with representatives for both players about the possibility of bringing them back for the 2012 season,” GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said in a statement.
Lidge, 34, appeared in just 25 games in 2011 because of a rotator cuff injury. He posted a 1.40 ERA with 10.7 K/9 and 6.1 BB/9 in 19 1/3 regular season innings before pitching two scoreless frames in the Division Series. Though he's a Type B free agent, an offer of arbitration seems highly unlikely given his extended DL stint and 2011 salary of $12MM. For fantasy analysis on Lidge, check out Dan Mennella's latest at CloserNews.
Oswalt, also 34, posted a 3.69 ERA with 6.0 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in 139 innings in 2011. He made just 23 starts, as lower back issues landed him on the DL twice. A Type A free agent, Oswalt almost certainly won't receive an offer of arbitration.
Red Sox To Name Ben Cherington GM
OCTOBER 24th: Cherington will be announced as executive vice president/general manager of the Red Sox at a 3pm press conference tomorrow, announced the team. The Cubs, meanwhile, will introduce Epstein as president of baseball operations three hours prior.
OCTOBER 13th: The Red Sox are calling on Theo Epstein's top assistant to restore order in Boston. They have told assistant general manager Ben Cherington that he'll be the team's next GM, according to Yahoo's Tim Brown. Cherington will assume the responsibilities of the GM once the Cubs and Red Sox finalize the arrangement that will send Epstein to Chicago.
Cherington started his baseball career with the Indians in 1998. He joined the Red Sox under Dan Duquette and worked extensively with Epstein, who he considers a mentor.
"I learned more [from Epstein] about the game and people and how to get things done and how to do all of that with a sense of humor and compassion," Cherington told me in August. "It has made me a better person and if I’m ever lucky enough to be a GM it’ll make me a much better GM."
Cherington has experience as an area scout and has also worked on player acquisitions, arbitration and quantitative analysis. His first job as a general manager will begin with a search for manager Terry Francona's replacement.
Theo Epstein Rumors: Friday
The Cubs and Red Sox have been working toward compensation for Theo Epstein for days without resolution. The Padres are heavily implicated as well, since it appears likely that GM Jed Hoyer and assistant GM Jason McLeod will join Epstein in Chicago with Josh Byrnes becoming San Diego's new GM. Though today's World Series off-day would be an ideal time to announce an agreement, we'll have to wait if there's nothing for the sides to announce. We'll keep track of the latest rumors right here with the most recent rumors up top:
- Commissioner Bud Selig has not yet interceded in the talks between the Cubs and Red Sox, tweets Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe.
- The Red Sox and Cubs are working hard to complete a deal and there appears to be some progress, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (Twitter links). There's lots of optimism that the sides will complete a deal.
- It's "doubtful" that the sides will resolve the deal today, according to Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald.
AL East Notes: Ortiz, Orioles, Hellickson
Until the Red Sox and Cubs agree to compensation for Theo Epstein’s departure, Boston’s GM situation will dominate headlines out of the American League East. Here’s the latest news from the division, starting with an update on the Red Sox…
- Alex Speier of WEEI.com previews the market for David Ortiz and concludes that he won't have an overwhelming number of suitors this offseason. Speier suggests the Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Angels and Mariners are possible fits for the slugger, though some of those teams won't have strong interest. I can see the Orioles getting involved, depending on who their next GM is.
- Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com previews the Orioles' 2012 bullpen and points out that there's a lot of uncertainty at this point. Jim Johnson could move to the rotation, Willie Eyre and Jo-Jo Reyes could be non-tendered and the Orioles are likely to add relievers from outside of the organization.
- Congratulations to Rays starter Jeremy Hellickson, who is Baseball America's 2011 Major League Rookie of the Year. The 24-year-old right-hander posted a 2.95 ERA with 5.6 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 over the course of 189 innings in his first full season.
Lewis, Woodward, Wise Elect Free Agency
The Blue Jays announced that left-hander Rommie Lewis, infielder Chris Woodward and outfielder Dewayne Wise have elected free agency (Twitter link). The Blue Jays also announced that they claimed right-hander Jesse Chavez from the Royals.
Lewis, 29, appeared in six games for the Blue Jays, but spent most of the season at Triple-A Las Vegas, where he posted a 6.60 ERA with 7.7 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9. Woodward spent time with the Blue Jays in April and September. In between his big league stints, the 35-year-old veteran played 108 games at Las Vegas, posting a .296/.353/.474 line. Wise appeared in 20 games for the Blue Jays after they claimed him off of waivers at the end of August. He hit .202/.231/.303 as an extra outfielder for the Jays and Marlins.