Los Angeles Notes: Beltre, Napoli, Dodgers
Both the Angels (86 vs. 80) and Dodgers (81 vs. 80) have already improved on last year's win totals with one game to play. Here's a look back at a couple moves that shaped the Angels' season and a look ahead to the Dodgers' offseason…
- Adrian Beltre, who lives 30 minutes from Angel Stadium, begged the Angels to sign him last offseason, according to Peter Gammons of MLB Network (on Twitter). Instead, he signed a five-year deal with the AL West Champion Rangers and has a .296/.332/.563 line with 32 home runs. It won't be surprising if the Angels are on the lookout for third base help this offseason.
- Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times explains that there's reason to consider the Vernon Wells–Mike Napoli trade one of the worst deals in Angels history. Wells is expensive and has struggled offensively, Napoli has had the best offensive season of his career and the Angels finished second to the Rangers. Manager Mike Scioscia says we should give the deal some time before calling it a poor one for Los Angeles.
- Dodgers GM Ned Colletti told Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times that he understands Los Angeles is a star-driven city and will consider the best players out there this winter, even if they cost $100MM or more. Still, Colletti says he's "very conscious" of the Dodgers' drop in attendance.
Quick Hits: Red Sox, Pirates, CBA
There's one day of regular season games remaining on the schedule and it's going to be a good one. The Rays and Red Sox are tied with 90-71 records and the Braves and Cardinals are tied with 89-72 records. Two of those clubs will make the playoffs as Wild Card teams and the others will be watching the postseason along with the rest of us. Here are today's links…
- The Red Sox could still acquire a starting pitcher for a possible play-in game with the Rays (it would take place Thursday). But as Rob Bradford of WEEI.com explains, the Red Sox would have to complete a deal by tomorrow night for MLB to allow it.
- Matt Kemp (NL MVP), Craig Kimbrel (NL Rookie of the Year), Jose Bautista (AL MVP), Justin Verlander (AL Cy Young) and Dustin Ackley (AL Rookie of the Year) would all win major awards this offseason if ESPN.com's Keith Law had the only vote for each honor.
- Ronny Cedeno told MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch that he hopes the Pirates exercise his $3MM option instead of buying him out for $200K. The Pirates don't have an obvious internal candidate to replace Cedeno and his .251/.299/.339 batting line.
- Tom Tango wonders if adding a salary cap would actually help small-market teams like the Pirates. If MLB implemented a salary cap, rich teams could spend more on player development and research.
- The owners are concerned that realigning MLB into two 30-team leagues would limit their ability to market interleague play, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney. No one is talking about expansion given the current issues troubling many teams, but at some point adding two clubs could be a way for owners to ensure that each league has an even number of teams.
NL West Notes: Padres, Kershaw, Iannetta
On this date 15 years ago, Barry Bonds stole his 40th base of the season to become the second member of the 40-40 club. Matt Kemp is now two homers away from joining the elite club himself. Here's the latest from Bonds' former division, starting with an update on Kemp's current club…
- Padres GM Jed Hoyer told Nick Canepa of the San Diego Union-Tribune that the 2011 season was an instructive one for him. "I missed on some guys we signed after they had off years and that helped lead to a disappointing 2011,” he said. Hoyer's also looking to improve his bench dramatically this offseason, when the Padres' payroll could climb over $50MM.
- Clayton Kershaw told MLB.com's Ken Gurnick that he has started to think about next year's contract. The Dodgers left-hander, who earned $500K this year says he's looking forward to the arbitration process and isn't overly concerned about obtaining a long-term deal. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes explained earlier today that Kershaw could earn a record $7.7MM as a first-time arbitration eligible starter if he wins the Cy Young Award.
- The MLB Players Association intends to monitor the Dodgers' offseason spending very carefully, according to Bill Shaikin of the LA Times. MLBPA executive director Michael Weiner sent team's players a memo explaining that all Dodgers have been paid what they're owed so far. The memo acknowledged that it's not clear how the financial issues surrounding Frank McCourt and his team will ultimately be resolved.
- Tracy Ringolsby of FOX Sports says Chris Iannetta will open the 2012 season with the Rockies (Twitter link). The catcher is no stranger to these pages, but his .370 on-base percentage and powerful right-handed swing give the Rockies lots of reasons to want him around, despite the presence of Jordan Pacheco and Wilin Rosario.
Marlins Notes: Guillen, Ramirez, Vazquez, Nunez
Ozzie Guillen will be the Marlins’ manager in 2012, when they break in their new stadium. Here’s some news on the Marlins with a focus on next year’s team…
- One GM told ESPN.com's Buster Olney that there's no way Guillen can co-exist with owner Jeffrey Loria, but Olney suggests the unpredictable Guillen will get along just fine with his new boss. Olney hears from one person who says Guillen adds value because he makes the Marlins interesting.
- Aramis Ramirez told Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times that the Marlins are more attractive to him now that Guillen is there (Twitter link). "I wouldn't mind going there and playing," Ramirez said.
- Javier Vazquez pitched a complete game tonight, allowing two runs and five hits and striking out nine without allowing a walk. Teams would be interested in signing the surging Vazquez this offseason, but there's no guarantee the right-hander will pitch in 2012. Vazquez told Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post that he'll decide on his future plans by December (Twitter link).
- Leo Nunez or, as he is now known, Juan Carlos Oviedo, won't face charges in the Dominican Republic for assuming a false identity, according to Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Orioles Leadership Notes: Showalter, MacPhail
It appears likely that Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail will step aside after the season, so before long the Cubs won't be the only team considering GM candidates around the league. It's possible that the Orioles won't have to look far though…
- Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun believes that the leading candidate to replace MacPhail is none other than current field manager Buck Showalter. Neither Showalter nor MacPhail will talk about the expected leadership change in Baltimore, but the club could announce that MacPhail is stepping down as soon as Thursday.
- Showalter hinted that the Orioles will make changes Thursday, according to Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun.
- Showalter will not attempt to be the manager and GM at once, according to Connolly. He'll either pick his replacement or help owner Peter Angelos find someone for the GM's role. MacPhail could also have input in the search, according to Connolly, who points out that Angelos tends to hire experienced baseball men.
- Connolly doesn't expect the Orioles to hire anyone under 45 and can't see the club selecting a "whiz kid" to take over baseball operations.
- MLB.com’s Brittany Ghiroli hears that John Hart, the former GM of the Indians and Rangers who has ties to Showalter, is not a likely candidate to succeed MacPhail.
- MLBTR's GM candidates series introduced Matt Klentak of the Orioles. I also spoke to Thad Levine of the Rangers, who once rooted for the Orioles with Josh Byrnes, the current Padres exec and former D'Backs GM.
White Sox Notes: Williams, Cooper, Alomar, Bell
GM Kenny Williams told Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune that he offered to move out of his current role until chairman Jerry Reinsdorf encouraged him to continue running the team (Twitter link). Here's the latest on the White Sox, who obtained two prospects for former manager Ozzie Guillen and are now looking for a permanent replacement…
- Don Cooper, the pitching coach and interim manager, and Harold Baines, the first base coach, agreed to multiyear deals with the White Sox, according to the team. They won't announce decisions on the rest of the coaching staff until they hire a new manager.
- Sandy Alomar Jr., a 20-year veteran who interviewed for the Blue Jays' managerial opening last year, told MLB.com's Jordan Bastian that he'll listen if the White Sox are interested in talking to him.
- Williams told Gonzales that Buddy Bell, the organization's director of player development, is not interested in the managerial job (Twitter link).
- White Sox infielder Omar Vizquel told Gonzales that he doesn't expect to sign with Guillen and the Marlins after the season, when he hits free agency (Twitter link).
- Williams hinted that the White Sox won't be spending on big name free agents this winter, according to Gonzales (on Twitter).
- Tigers manager Jim Leyland told David Mayo of the Grand Rapids Press that he wasn't surprised to see the shakeup in Chicago take place.
- For more on the White Sox click here and for more on Guillen click here.
Mets Exercise Terry Collins’ 2013 Option
The Mets have exercised Terry Collins' contract option for 2013, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter). The manager signed a two-year deal for 2011 and 2012 last November, but GM Sandy Alderson has been pleased enough with Collins' work that he will bring him back for a third year.
Collins has led the Mets to a 76-84 mark in his first season as an MLB manager since 1999. The Mets suffered injuries to key players this season and received little to no contribution from Johan Santana, Jenrry Mejia and Ike Davis, so it's not fair to judge Collins on his team's unimpressive record.
The Mets will cut payroll next year, but they have many contracts coming off of the books, so they should have some cash to spend this offseason. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes explained yesterday that the Mets would have enough money for Jose Reyes and a few others if they tender contracts to most of their arbitration eligible players and remain quiet on the trade front, even if their payroll drops to the $100-110MM range.
Twins Claim Esmerling Vasquez
The Twins announced that they have claimed right-hander Esmerling Vasquez off of waivers from the Diamondbacks. Minnesota transferred Alexi Casilla to the 60-day disabled list in a corresponding move that creates 40-man roster space for the club's new acquisition.
The D'Backs designated Vasquez for assignment on Friday, when they obtained Mike Zagurski from the Phillies for a player to be named. Vasquez, 27, appeared in 31 games for Arizona this year, posting a 4.15 ERA with 5.9 K/9, 3.9 BB/9 and a 35.5% ground ball rate in 30 1/3 innings. The 27-year-old Dominican appeared in 50-plus games for the D'Backs in 2009 and 2010, when he posted higher strikeout rates, walk rates and ERAs than he did in 2011.
Mets Notes: Harris, Hairston, Alderson, Davis
The 76-84 Mets have assured themselves of a protected first round pick in next year's draft. They can sign another team's Type A free agent over the winter without losing a first rounder in 2012. The latest on the Mets before they host the Reds in the second-last game of the season…
- Willie Harris told Andy Martino of the New York Daily News that the Mets are his "first choice" when he hits free agency this offseason. The Mets could have interest in Harris and Scott Hairston after the season, but they intend to consider all free agent bench players before deciding whether to pursue their own players, according to Martino. It would be a while until Harris and Hairston are aware of the Mets' level of interest.
- Mets GM Sandy Alderson reflected on his first year on the job with Newsday's Ken Davidoff in a Q&A that's well worth your time. Alderson says the Wilpons' financial situation hasn't been the obstacle that most people perceive it to be and confirmed that the Mets' 2012 payroll will sit in the $110-120MM range.
- Alderson says he's not disappointed with the Mets' medical practices and doctors, despite the injuries his team has sustained.
- The Mets would like to have more certainty with Ike Davis' health, but they're "increasingly confident" in his ability to play in 2012.
Marlins, Omar Infante Agree To Extension
The Marlins have reached an agreement with second baseman Omar Infante on a two-year contract believed to be worth $8MM, according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. Infante passed his physical Tuesday, tweets Frisaro.
The Marlins acquired Infante in last November's Dan Uggla trade and plugged the 29-year-old Venezuelan in at second base this year. He has a .277/.316/.381 line in 629 plate appearances in his first season for the Marlins and final season before free agent eligibility.
Combine his 2011 performance with his All-Star 2010 campaign and you get a projected Type B ranking. That means the Marlins would have obtained a compensatory pick in next year's draft if Infante had turned down an offer of arbitration to sign with another club as a free agent.
On most nights, this would easily be the biggest Marlins news, but that's not the case tonight. Jack McKeon announced that he won't return as manager in 2012 and the White Sox released Ozzie Guillen, who is expected to sign with Florida. For even more Marlins links click here.