Reds Rumors: Hernandez, Rhodes, Bruce
We heard yesterday that the Reds are likely to decline their half of the $4MM mutual option on Orlando Cabrera for 2011 and that the club has interest in retaining Jonny Gomes and Ramon Hernandez. Here’s more news on the 2010 NL Central Champs from John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer:
- Devin Mesoraco’s progress could impact the offers the Reds make to Hernandez. Mesoraco, a 22-year-old catcher, had an excellent season at the plate this year. The 2007 first rounder hit .302/.377/.587 at three minor league stops with 26 total homers. He’s now playing in the Arizona Fall League and figures to need more minor league seasoning given his lack of experience in the upper minors.
- The Reds have talked to Arthur Rhodes’ agent about bringing the lefty back in 2011. Rhodes told Fay he’d like to return and talks will resume next week, so there’s a chance the sides work something out before Rhodes hits the open market.
- The Reds expect Jay Bruce to qualify as a Super Two, but they haven’t heard official word yet. Bruce would likely earn a few million if he’s arbitration eligible this year and that commitment would likely affect the Reds’ ability to spend on other players.
- MLBTR's Tim Dierkes heard in June that the Super Two cutoff will be earlier than usual this year and that Bruce will be the Super Two with the fewest days of service time. With just two years and 125 days of service time, Bruce will have less big league experience than any Super Two in recent years.
Braves Release Melky Cabrera
The Braves released Melky Cabrera, according to MLB.com's Mark Bowman. Cabrera, who joined the Braves in last winter's Javier Vazquez trade, was a non-tender candidate after a disappointing season in Atlanta. The 26-year-old hit just .255/.317/.354 in 509 plate appearances this year, so the Braves decided not to tender him a contract worth anything close to his 2010 salary of $3.1MM.
Cabrera can play all three outfield positions and was useful at the plate for the 2009 World Champion Yankees, so he figures to draw interest as a fourth outfielder. Whichever club signs Cabrera will have him under team control through 2012.
The Braves expected more from Cabrera, but they did obtain Arodys Vizcaino in the Vazquez deal. The 19-year-old right-hander was pitching well in the minors before a torn elbow ligament forced him out of action for most of the second half.
Cubs Hire Mike Quade
The Cubs signed manager Mike Quade to a two-year deal with a club option for 2013, according to the team. Quade, 53, became Chicago’s interim manager on August 23rd after Lou Piniella retired. He was the team’s third base coach from 2007-10 after managing the Triple-A Iowa Cubs for four seasons.
Iowa’s most recent manager, Ryne Sandberg, was also a finalist for the major league managerial job. Mariners manager Eric Wedge interviewed for the position and the Cubs also appeared interested in Yankees manager Joe Girardi, whose contract expires after the season.
Quade led the Cubs to a 24-13 record down the stretch, though he had never before managed in the major leagues. He has managed for 17 years in the minors, though, and got his first managerial gig 25 years ago.
Minor Deal, Major Impact: Unheralded Moves Pay Off
The Yankees probably wouldn't be in the ALCS if they hadn't spent big on Mark Teixeira and C.C. Sabathia. The Giants probably wouldn't be in the NLCS if they hadn't drafted Buster Posey and Tim Lincecum. But less celebrated moves also contributed to the success of the four teams in the LCS. Here's a closer look at four acquisitions that have shaped this year's pennant race:
- As I wrote in September, the Giants' decision to sign Pat Burrell to a minor league deal changed the NL West from that point on. Not only did the Giants get 18 home runs and a .266/.364/.509 line from the slugger, they kept him away from the Padres and kept their division rivals out of the playoffs. This is about as impactful as a minor league deal gets.
- When the Yankees signed Marcus Thames to a minor league deal, they probably weren't expecting him to hit .288/.350/.491, but that's exactly what he did. Brian Cashman deserves credit for adding Thames to Joe Girardi's bench.
- Wilson Valdez, who signed a minor league deal with the Phillies last fall, didn't hit like Burrell or Thames, but he played second when Chase Utley was injured and short when Jimmy Rollins got hurt. He didn't hit badly, either, posting a .258/.306/.360 line.
- None of the Rangers minor league deals (Alex Cora, Endy Chavez, Mark Prior and others) made a difference at the major league level this year, but a look back at GM Jon Daniels' first Rule 5 draft reveals a decision that's looking smart now: the Rangers plucked Alexi Ogando from the A's in the 2005 Rule 5 draft. The right-hander has yet to allow a run in two postseason appearances, after posting a 1.30 ERA in the regular season.
What They Were Saying: NL West GMs
The NL West has a few of baseball's longest-tenured general managers and one of the game's newest. Here's what they were saying about the group back when they got their first GM jobs:
Jed Hoyer
“Hoyer, 35, clearly is among the new generation of young general managers who put a great deal of stock in statistics and quantitative analysis, but he's also said to place an equal emphasis on scouting. Perhaps most importantly, he has experience as an assistant GM under baseball's true Boy Wonder, Red Sox ramrod Theo Epstein.” – Chris Jenkins, The San Diego Union-Tribune, October 25th, 2009
Ned Colletti
“Colletti, 50, has a reputation of being an old-school executive, having learned the trade under hard-bitten Giant General Manager Brian Sabean. [Former Dodgers GM Paul] DePodesta, 32, represented the trend of young Ivy League-educated executives who are making their way into front offices.” – Steve Henson, The Los Angeles Times, November 16th, 2005
Dan O’Dowd
“O'Dowd, 41, oversaw the Indians' farm department from 1988 to 1992 and spent six years as the Indians director of baseball operations and assistant general manager. He renounced the final four years of a five-year, $1.5MM contract a year ago to pursue a general manager's job, initially interviewing but coming up short in Baltimore, the organization he worked in for five years before moving to Cleveland.” – Tracy Ringolsby, The Rocky Mountain News, September 21st, 1999
Brian Sabean
“Sabean emphatically said he will have the final say in all baseball matters, which will start this week with the expected changes in the coaching staff after a series of meetings with Manager Dusty Baker. Sabean was hired by [former GM Bob] Quinn as an assistant G.M. and director of scouting and player personnel and made such an impression in rebuilding the Giants' farm system that three teams sought permission to interview him as a G.M., [Managing General Partner Peter] Magowan said.” – Mark Gonzales, The San Jose Mercury News, October 1st, 1996
Kevin Towers
“Bright, personable and a Padre through and through – he was the organization's first-round draft choice in 1982 – Towers looks like a good hire. Any time you believe you have the right prospect in-house, it cuts down considerably on the education process. Kevin knows this organization – and what's needed – as well as anybody. And Towers is a former pitcher. You can talk all you want, but spotting good young arms is what makes a successful general manager.” Nick Canepa – The San Diego Union-Tribune, November 18th, 1995
El Duque Intends To Pitch In 2011
Orlando Hernandez hasn't pitched in the majors for three years, but he intends to play in 2011, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson (on Twitter). The Cuban right-hander has tried to reach the majors in each of the past two seasons without making it higher than Triple-A. But even at 45 years old, the former playoff hero believes he has the stuff to pitch in the major leagues.
Hernandez's minor league numbers suggest he may have what it takes to pitch at the highest level. He has stuck out more than a batter per inning at each one of the four minor league stops he has made over the course of the past two seasons. His ERA has never been above 2.45 in that time, but he has logged just 26.2 innings, so the sample size is small.
The Rangers, who signed Hernandez last year, and the Nationals, who signed him this year, did not call him up despite his numbers. If anyone can match Jamie Moyer's late-career success, it could be El Duque, who has never relied on an overpowering fastball and has always had a deceptive delivery.
Darvish Intends To Stay In Japan
Yu Darvish, the 24-year-old right-hander who has intrigued MLB teams for years, says he expects to play in Japan next year. He said on his personal blog that he's staying put according to Jason Coskrey of the Japan Times (via Twitter). Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker translates Darvish’s statement.
"Next year … I’ll be wearing a Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters uniform," Darvish wrote.
Earlier in the fall, some suggested that the Nippon Ham Fighters would post Darvish and make him available to MLB teams. That would likely have made Darvish one of the most highly coveted starters available, after Cliff Lee and possibly Zack Greinke. Darvish did not post an ERA above 2.00 his first four seasons in Japan and he struck out more than a batter per inning with an above-average walk rate (2.1 BB/9) during that period.
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Nationals Eye Lee, Ready To Spend On Pitching
Several baseball officials tell Ben Goessling of MASNSports.com that they believe the Nationals will target Cliff Lee this winter. Washington would like to add a top-of-the-rotation pitcher and Lee will be by far the most appealing free agent to become available after the season.
After a third consecutive dominant campaign, Lee was already in position to demand a nine-figure deal at the beginning of the month. Two shutdown playoff starts later, his stock has only risen and he may be looking to match C.C. Sabathia’s $161MM contract.
That’s a lot of money, but baseball sources tell Goessling that the Nationals are ready to spend big. Apparently the club would be willing to commit $125MM over five years to an ace pitcher. Troy Renck of the Denver Post also hears that the Nationals are telling agents they’re willing to overspend on starting pitching if necessary.
Signing Lee would give the Nationals a fearsome duo atop the rotation once Stephen Strasburg returns from Tommy John surgery. However, the Yankees, Rangers and other clubs figure to have visions of Lee atop their respective rotations, too.
Re-Introducing Sandy Alderson
There was a time when Sandy Alderson needed no introduction. Back in 1997, when he stepped aside as general manager of the A’s to make room for Billy Beane, Alderson was the longest-tenured GM in baseball.
But for a new generation of baseball fans, Alderson is far less recognizable than, say, Theo Epstein. After more than a decade of behind-the-scenes work – first as Padres CEO and then confronting identity fraud and drug use in the Dominican Republic – Alderson is re-emerging as a GM candidate, this time for the Mets.
Some consider Alderson the favorite for the position, even though he hasn’t been a GM since Ruben Tejada was a third grader. Thirteen years later, Alderson signings like Miguel Tejada and Miguel Olivo still appear on major league rosters, but don’t let that fool you – most of Alderson’s players retired long ago.
Dusty Baker and Willie Randolph, two players involved in Alderson trades, have since become major league managers. Joe Morgan, Goose Gossage, Rickey Henderson and Reggie Jackson are among the Hall of Famers who played under Alderson.
The 62-year-old is well-established enough that even veteran GMs like Beane and Kevin Towers look up to him.
“Having seen what Sandy did in Oakland, he's always been kind of a mentor,” Towers told the San Diego Union-Tribune in 2005.
And while Beane is the poster boy for “Moneyball” thinking, Alderson was a forward thinker in the A’s front office. He surrounded himself with people trained in quantitative analysis to make the most of the team’s resources.
The A’s, like the Padres, operate on a limited budget, so despite all of his time in the game, Alderson’s experience comes mostly from small West Coast markets. In fact he has a history of speaking out against massive contracts. Ten years ago, when Scott Boras negotiated a $252MM deal for Alex Rodriguez, Alderson was not pleased.
"On hearing it for the first time, a certain amount of disbelief set in on my part,'' Alderson told the Los Angeles Daily News at the time. ''I'm sort of stupefied by the whole thing. We have effectively doubled the previous most lucrative contract [Mike Hampton's] in two days. I don't like the exponentiality of all that. To me, it's incredible. I think every club is going to have to consider the impact on them.”
Even if he gets the Mets job, there’s a good chance Alderson will never sign anyone to a $252MM deal. But in New York he’d likely have more spending power and more exposure than he had in Oakland or San Diego – a new challenge for a veteran GM.