AL East Notes: Girardi, Lester, Rays, Price, Janssen
The Yankees have made a substantial offer to keep manager Joe Girardi, Andrew Marchand of ESPN New York reports. A source tells Marchand that Girardi could think about the offer through the weekend. "We are going to give him a real good reason to stay," says GM Brian Cashman. Rumors have connected Girardi to the Cubs' managerial job, which might be a possibility if he chooses to leave. The Nationals and Reds also have managerial openings that Girardi might find attractive. Girardi is currently under contract with the Yankees through the end of October. Here are more notes from the AL East.
- Last offseason, the Red Sox and Royals discussed a possible trade involving Jon Lester and Wil Myers, Lester tells WEEI.com's Alex Speier. "[Royals manager Ned Yost] is actually a pretty good friend of mine. I flat-out called him one day and was like, 'Hey, what do you got on this?' He said, ‘Yeah, we’re trying to make it work,'" Lester says. One reason the trade ultimately didn't happen is that the Royals finally traded Myers and three other players to the Rays, the Red Sox's current ALDS opponent, for a package headlined by James Shields.
- One assistant GM proposes that the Rays could trade David Price to the Dodgers for Corey Seager, Joc Pederson, Julio Urias and Chris Withrow, Peter Gammons writes. That would give the Rays two very good hitting prospects in Seager and Pederson, a very young arm in Urias, and a big-league reliever in Withrow. MLB.com ranks Pederson and Seager the top two prospects in the Dodgers system, with Urias at No. 4.
- The Blue Jays are "sure" to pick up their $4MM option on closer Casey Janssen, writes Shi Davidi of SportsNet.ca. Janssen is coming off a strong season, so the decision would seem to be an easy one. Davidi notes that Janssen would likely make twice as much on the open market, and win a multi-year deal to boot.
Diamondbacks Claim Alex Sanabia
The Diamondbacks have claimed pitcher Alex Sanabia off waivers from the Marlins, according to a team press release. Sanabia, 25, posted a 4.88 ERA with 5.0 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 in 55 1/3 innings out of the Marlins rotation this season. In late May, the Marlins placed Sanabia on the disabled list with a groin injury, and he did not appear again in 2013. He has a 4.15 ERA in parts of three big-league seasons.
Sanabia is a fly ball pitcher whose fastball typically comes in at around 90 MPH, and he has never posted impressive strikeout rates, so his upside appears to be somewhat limited. Teams typically value pitchers who are capable of making big-league starts, however, particularly when they aren't yet arbitration-eligible.
Quick Hits: Byrd, Angels, Mariners, Ripken, Weiss
The Reds could have claimed outfielder Marlon Byrd, who the Pirates acquired in August, but they passed on the chance, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports notes (on Twitter). Byrd was owed near the league-minimum salary and was in the midst of a solid year, and it was well-known that the Reds' division rivals in Pittsburgh needed an outfielder. The Reds had waiver priority, and thus could have blocked the Mets from trading Byrd to Pittsburgh. But they didn't, and he homered against them in their 6-2, season-ending loss to the Bucs Tuesday night. The primary purpose of claiming Byrd would have been to block the Pirates from getting him, but it's worth noting, too, that the righty Byrd could have been quite helpful for the Reds tonight against Bucs lefty starter Francisco Liriano, who baffled the Reds' lefty-heavy lineup with sliders. Here are more notes from around the big leagues.
- The Angels still haven't dismissed GM Jerry Dipoto or manager Mike Scioscia, and that might be an indication that both will still be with the team in 2014, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times writes. The Angels' massively disappointing season and reports of conflict between Dipoto and Scioscia have led to reports that one of them might depart at the end of the season, but so far that hasn't happened. Scioscia is owed around $27MM over the next five years, and Dipoto is under contract through next year.
- Mariners Chairman/CEO Howard Lincoln is expressing confidence in GM Jack Zduriencik, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports. After a recent series of poor seasons and the abrupt departure of manager Eric Wedge, the Mariners appear to be in disarray. But Lincoln says that firing Zduriencik would lead the organization in the wrong direction. "I know how frustrated the fans are. No one is more frustrated than I am," he says. "But we have to be patient and stick with the program we have invested so much in. We can't switch horses, change gears, whatever you want to call it now. That's not a good idea." Lincoln also says the Mariners have received inquiries from plenty of potential managerial applicants, even though Zduriencik's questionable status might appear to make the Mariners' managerial job an undesirable one.
- Former Orioles great Cal Ripken Jr. isn't tipping his hand about whether he might be interested in managing the Nationals, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. He does, however, seem interested in managing a big-league team someday. "At some point I might like to do that," Ripken says. The Nationals will be looking for a manager to replace the retiring Davey Johnson. In August, in response to a question about managing, Ripken said, "I think I would be more curious at this stage in my life than I have been."
- Rockies manager Walt Weiss isn't under contract for 2014, but the team wants him to return, writes Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post. The Rockies hired Weiss after the 2012 season, signing him to a one-year deal. His next contract might be a two-year deal, or perhaps a one-year deal with an option.
- Renck also notes that, while the Rockies' main front-office personnel will likely remain the same, roles could change, perhaps with Bill Geivett moving into "more of a traditional GM role." Geivett currently reports to GM Dan O'Dowd, but Geivett currently runs Major League operations while O'Dowd works on the minor leagues.
Central Notes: Hinch, Royals, Tigers
The Cubs will contact A.J. Hinch as they search for a replacement for manager Dale Sveum, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports suggested earlier in the day (on Twitter) that Hinch might be a possibility. Hinch, who is now in the Padres' front office, served as the Diamondbacks' manager for parts of the 2009 and 2010 seasons. His work in the Diamondbacks organization with players like Justin Upton, Max Scherzer, Stephen Drew and Miguel Montero might be a positive for the Cubs, who have a strong core of prospects in place. Here are more notes from the Central divisions.
- It will be tough for the Royals to keep their roster together while staying within their budget, Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star writes. GM Dayton Moore says the Royals' 2014 payroll will be "about the same" as 2013, when it was around $82MM. Starting pitchers Ervin Santana and Bruce Chen will be free agents. Chen shouldn't be terribly hard to replace, but Santana will be, especially when, as Dutton points out,the Royals will have to pay James Shields, Alex Gordon, Jeremy Guthrie, Wade Davis and Salvador Perez a total of about $13MM more than they made in 2013. The Royals are expected to extend a qualifying offer to Santana.
- Compared to other playoff teams, the Tigers have relied less heavily on their farm system to build their roster, writes Jim Callis of MLB.com. GM Dave Dombrowski has acquired much of Detroit's roster through shrewd trades, getting, for example, Miguel Cabrera, Max Scherzer, Austin Jackson, Anibal Sanchez and Doug Fister. But he's also acquired players like Prince Fielder, Torii Hunter and Victor Martinez. There are only six players on the Tigers' projected playoff roster who came through their farm system, although one of those is Justin Verlander.
Cashman On Cano, Girardi, Drafts
Yankees GM Brian Cashman spent 50 minutes addressing the media on Monday, and Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger has much of the transcript. Some highlights:
- The Yankees have made, or will make, a "significant offer" to keep second baseman Robinson Cano. Cashman suggests that Cano has a chance to "experience what you just saw a little bit from Mariano," meaning that, by sticking with the Yankees, Cano would have a chance to build a legacy in New York.
- The Yankees would like to keep manager Joe Girardi. Cashman will not confirm whether the Cubs had asked to speak to him, and would not say whether he would grant the Cubs permission. Girardi is under contract until November 1. "I can’t speak to other opportunities. I can’t control what other options or interests may be out there," Cashman says of Girardi. "If you’re good at what you do, people are going to have some interest. You can’t predict the future on that. You can only control your side. But I feel we hired a good one."
- Cashman lists the starting rotation, second base, shortstop and third base as areas the Yankees might address in the offseason.
- Cashman cites signability and injuries as issues that have affected the Yankees' drafting. For example, the Yankees drafted Gerrit Cole in 2008 and did not sign him; another first-round pick, Ty Hensley, got hurt. Cashman also says the Yankees have sometimes had trouble keeping prospects healthy and moving in the right direction, mentioning Manny Banuelos as an example of the former and Dellin Betances as an example of the latter.
- The team's attempt to stay under the $189MM luxury-tax threshold is a "goal," not a "mandate," Cashman says. "It’s possible that there’s a lot of benefits to staying under that. But it’s not a mandate if it’s at the expense of a championship run."
East Notes: Nationals, Price, Wheeler, Matsuzaka
The Nationals do not plan on making huge changes this offseason, reports Amanda Comak of the Washington Times. They will, of course, hire a new manager to replace the retiring Davey Johnson, and they'll also look for left-handed relief help, perhaps, as Comak suggests, from someone like J.P. Howell or Oliver Perez. Other than that, they're mostly happy with the roster they have. "But I think the team, as far as the core group, is set up pretty good. The core rotation and the core bullpen is set up pretty good," GM Mike Rizzo says. The Nationals could take a shot at someone like David Price of the Rays to improve their rotation, but that doesn't appear likely, given the cost it would take to get him. Here are more notes from the East divisions.
- If the Mets want to contend in the NL East next year, they should think about dealing Zack Wheeler, Andy Martino of the New York Daily News writes. For example, Martino suggests dealing Wheeler to the Rays in deal for Price might make sense if Price is willing to agree to a contract extension. Chris Sale of the White Sox might also be a possibility. Alternatively, Martino suggests the Mets could trade Wheeler for a hitter and then acquire Ervin Santana or Matt Garza as a free agent instead.
- Pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka is now represented by Mark Pieper and SFX, Liz Mullen of Sports Business Journal writes (on Twitter). Scott Boras was Matsuzaka's previous agent. Matsuzaka posted a 4.42 ERA with 7.7 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 in 38 2/3 innings for the Mets in 2013.
NL Central Notes: Pirates, Reds, Hinch, Brewers
The Pirates, who tonight will host their first playoff game since 1992, were built not only through the draft, as small-payroll teams often are, but also through trades and free agency, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes. Andrew McCutchen, Neil Walker and Tony Watson were drafted by Neal Huntington's predecessor Dave Littlefield, and Huntington drafted Pedro Alvarez, Jordy Mercer, Justin Wilson and Gerrit Cole. But the 2013 Pirates were shaped, in large part, by two 2012 acquisitions of former Yankees — the Bucs traded for top-of-the-rotation starter A.J. Burnett before the 2012 campaign, and signed catcher and defensive wizard Russell Martin to a two-year deal after the season was over. Here are more notes from around the NL Central.
- A loss for the Reds tonight could raise questions about the team's future, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes. Outfielder Shin-Soo Choo is set to become a free agent. And if pitching coach Bryan Price becomes a top managerial candidate with the Mariners, there might be questions about Dusty Baker's future with the Reds as well, since the Reds would likely want to keep Price. Such questions probably wouldn't be resolved right away, however — Baker is due around $4MM next year, and the Reds had 90 wins this year, so there would be no rush to replace him.
- After dismissing Dale Sveum, the Cubs are looking for a manager, and Rosenthal (via Twitter) thinks former Diamondbacks manager A.J. Hinch might be one possibility. Hinch is currently an assistant GM for the Padres. Rosenthal tweets that, among Padres personnel, Hinch appears more likely for the Cubs job than special assistant Brad Ausmus.
- First base tops the Brewers' list of priorities this offseason, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com writes. Brewers first basemen hit just .206/.259/.370 in 2013, and their primary first baseman was Yuniesky Betancourt, who hit .212/.240/.355. GM Doug Melvin suggests the Brewers could bring back Corey Hart after Hart missed the entire 2013 season, but the Brewers want to learn more about the condition of his knees.
AL Notes: Cruz, Yankees, Wedge, Blue Jays
Rangers outfielder Nelson Cruz will be back for Game 163 against the Rays, writes Scott Miller of CBS Sports. Cruz, who was suspended for 50 games for his involvement in the Biogenesis scandal, will be activated in time for the game on Monday. Cruz adds a big bat to Texas' lineup, and for what it's worth, he has good numbers against Rays starter David Price in a small sample. Miller contrasts Cruz's situation with Melky Cabrera's disappearance from the Giants last season — unlike Cabrera, Cruz put his team in a good position to opt to activate him because he expressed regret about what he had done and stayed in touch with his teammates. Here are more notes from the American League.
- Upper-level Yankees employees were frustrated that the team got so little high-end help from its farm system this year, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes. There may be "a scapegoat or two" for that problem, but not GM Brian Cashman or manager Joe Girardi. Instead, scouting director Damon Oppenheimer or senior vice president of baseball operations Mark Newman could be out of a job.
- Eric Wedge, who managed his last game with the Mariners on Sunday, left his post with dignity, says Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times. His decision to leave the team may have seemed strange, particularly after GM Jack Zduriencik said he had no plans to fire Wedge. But, Baker says, Wedge "doesn’t just talk the talk. He walks the walk, even when it required him to swallow some job security and walk the walk right on out of here."
- The Blue Jays could aim to trade relievers this offseason, Shi Davidi of SportsNet.ca writes. "The club’s surplus of relievers is one area of depth we might have that could be attractive to other teams," says GM Alex Anthopoulos. "[I]t will not surprise me if maybe we use some of that depth to help the club in some other areas." Despite suffering through a disappointing season in 2013, the Jays finished with the fourth-best bullpen ERA in the American League, at 3.39. Given their salaries and 2013 performance, Casey Janssen, Steve Delabar, Brett Cecil and Aaron Loup would all make attractive trade candidates.
2014 MLB Draft Order
With the 2013 MLB regular season now over, here's the current order for the first round of the 2014 MLB Draft. First, some notes:
- The draft order is determined in reverse order of record. If two or more teams have the same record, the tie-breaker is 2012 record, with the team with the worse 2012 record getting the higher pick. That's why, for example, the Cubs (61-101 in 2012) pick ahead of the Twins (66-96 in 2012), even though the two teams had the same record this season.
- Notably, the Athletics and the Braves had identical 96-66 records in 2013 and 94-68 records in 2012. MLB.com's Jim Callis confirms in an email that the next tie-breaker is 2011 record, and the A's were worse that year, so they will pick before the Braves.
- The winner of Monday's Wild Card tie-breaker between the Rangers and Rays (which counts as a regular-season game) will get the No. 23 overall pick, while the loser will take No. 22.
- The Jays have pick No. 11 in addition to their usual first-round pick, since they did not sign 2013 No. 10 overall pick Phil Bickford. The No. 11 pick is a protected pick for the Jays.
- Teams may have to forfeit first-round draft picks when they sign free agents who have been extended qualifying offers, so this list is subject to change later this season.The first eleven picks of this year's draft, however, are protected, so those teams would lose a second-round pick for signing a player who has received and rejected a qualifying offer.
Without further ado, here's the order.
1. Astros
2. Marlins
3. White Sox
4. Cubs
5. Twins
6. Mariners
7. Phillies
8. Rockies
9. Blue Jays
10. Mets
11. Blue Jays (for failing to sign 2013 No. 10 pick Phil Bickford)
12. Brewers
13. Padres
14. Giants
15. Angels
16. Diamondbacks
17. Orioles
18. Yankees
19. Royals
20. Nationals
21. Reds
22. Rangers or Rays
23. Rangers or Rays
24. Indians
25. Dodgers
26. Tigers
27. Pirates
28. Athletics
29. Braves
30. Red Sox
31. Cardinals
Retirement Notes: Helton, Johnson, Oliver, Konerko
The season ended Sunday for 19 of baseball's 30 teams, many of which feature players who will not be back in 2014. Here are some notes on players whose careers might (or might not) be over.
- Rockies great Todd Helton's illustrious career ended in Los Angeles, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports. Dodgers broadcaster recorded a tribute to Helton that played on the scoreboard before the game, and he received a standing ovation for his last plate appearance. "The last at-bat, I got a little emotional, but other than that, it's Sept. 29th and I'm ready to go home," Helton says. Helton finishes his 17-year career with 369 home runs.
- Nationals manager Davey Johnson leaves the game with a 1372-1071 career record, writes Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. Johnson will continue on with the Nationals as a senior adviser, although he's not expected to play a strong role in the organization.
- Veteran lefty Darren Oliver ended his two-decade career with a perfect inning for the Blue Jays on Sunday, MLB.com's Evan Peaslee reports. "20 years — very few guys get to do that," Jays manager John Gibbons says. "Longevity in this business is hard to come by, but to do it for that long and be that effective until the very end that speaks volumes." Oliver, 42, also pitched for the Cardinals, Red Sox, Rockies, Marlins, Astros, Mets and Angels, and he had three separate stints with the Rangers. He finishes his career with a 4.51 ERA, 5.9 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 over 1,915 2/3 innings.
- White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko still hasn't announced whether he's retiring, but he left Sunday's game against the Royals to applause, reports MLB.com's Scott Merkin. After a tough .245/.314/.356 season, it's unclear whether Konerko will be back, and if so, if that might be in a part-time role. Merkin notes that Konerko think for a month this offseason about whether or not to return in 2014. If he does want to return, the White Sox will have to decide whether to re-sign him.