MLBTR Poll: Most Desirable Managerial Opening?
The Phillies fired Gabe Kapler on Thursday, leaving them as one of eight major league teams searching for a manager at the moment. Fellow National League clubs in the Padres, Mets, Pirates, Giants and Cubs are in the same position, while the Royals and Angels are seeking new skippers in the AL. The question is: Which team has the most desirable job?
For starters, we can probably rule out the Pirates and Royals. Both teams have been hamstrung by low payrolls, with notoriously penny-pinching ownership holding back Pittsburgh and Kansas City (a team whose ownership is in transition) coming off its second 100-loss season in a row. Neither team looks as if it’ll contend in the immediate future, and the same may apply to the Giants, though they are a club with big-spending capabilities and promising president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi at the helm. On the other hand, the rest of the league’s manager-needy organizations look to have decent odds of pushing for relevance sooner than later.
The Phillies just wrapped up their eighth consecutive non-playoff season, but with 81 wins, they weren’t exactly a basement dweller. Kapler’s successor will be taking over a team with big-time talent on hand (Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto and Aaron Nola, to name a few) and the spending power to amply address its most obvious weaknesses this offseason.
Like the Phillies, the Padres have been suffering for too long. They’re fresh off their 13th straight year without a playoff berth, but they’re another team with front-line talent (Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado and Chris Paddack). Moreover, the Padres remain loaded on the farm, and owner Ron Fowler has made it clear it’s time to start winning in 2020.
The Mets also have no shortage of top-line players, including ace Jacob deGrom and NL Rookie of the Year favorite Pete Alonso. However, their managerial position is probably the most pressure-packed of all the openings. Previous skipper Mickey Callaway oversaw an 86-win team in 2019, but he dealt with scrutiny from the media, fans and general manager Brodie Van Wagenen from start to finish.
There’s also high expectations in Chicago, where even an exemplary record over five years wasn’t enough to keep Joe Maddon employed. The Cubs and president of baseball ops Theo Epstein gave Maddon the boot even though he helped them break a 108-year World Series drought in 2016 and led them to an overall 471-339 regular-season record with four playoff berths during his reign. But the Cubs, another financially well-off club with enviable high-end talent (Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, Anthony Rizzo and Kyle Hendricks, for example), saw enough of Maddon after a late-season collapse and a non-playoff showing in 2019. Maddon’s replacement will be inheriting an 84-win team that will have playoff expectations for next year.
The Angels, who seem like the favorites to land Maddon next, are another franchise with a sense of urgency to win in 2020. Despite the presence of the game’s best player, center fielder Mike Trout, they haven’t gone to the playoffs since 2014. The Halos haven’t even won a playoff game since October 2009, just a few months after drafting Trout. With fourth-year general manager Billy Eppler set to enter the last season of his contract in 2020, it’s imperative for him to get this hire right (his previous selection of Brad Ausmus didn’t work out). Otherwise, he and the Angels’ next manager could be out a year from now.
That’s a basic overview of where the sport’s manager-less teams stand heading into the offseason. There are more factors you could consider, of course. Which job looks the most appealing to you?
(Poll link for app users)
Most desirable managerial opening?
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Cubs 26% (4,655)
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Padres 19% (3,458)
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Phillies 17% (3,034)
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Angels 13% (2,391)
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Mets 11% (1,967)
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Giants 9% (1,680)
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Royals 3% (561)
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Pirates 3% (505)
Total votes: 18,251
Mets Will Interview Twins Bench Coach Derek Shelton
Oct. 10: Shelton’s interview will be an in-person sitdown next week, Sherman tweets.
Oct. 9: Twins bench coach Derek Shelton has emerged as a name to watch in the Mets’ search for a manager. The club has received permission to speak with Shelton, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, though he notes it’s unclear whether the two sides will meet for a face-to-face interview. New York is reportedly doing some due diligence on candidates and won’t bring everyone to town for an in-person interview.
Shelton’s the fourth potential candidate to come to the fore today for the Mets, who will discuss the job with former major league manager Joe Girardi, ex-outfielder Carlos Beltran and current Diamondbacks vice president of player development Mike Bell as they seek a replacement for Mickey Callaway. Like Beltran and Bell, Shelton has no managerial experience at the big league level. However, the former minor league catcher did manage in the Yankees’ farm system several years back, and he has established himself as a well-regarded MLB assistant in more recent seasons.
The 49-year-old Shelton held important roles with the Indians, Rays and Blue Jays before joining the Twins prior to 2018. He worked under Paul Molitor that year before serving as rookie manager Rocco Baldelli’s right-hand man during an AL Central-winning campaign this season. Shelton interviewed for the job before the Twins selected Baldelli, and it seems he’s lining up as a popular candidate for teams that are currently searching for a manager. Shelton has also been connected to the Pirates, with “possibly others” in the mix for his services, per Sherman.
Offseason Option Decisions: Pitchers
Earlier tonight, we took a look at hitters whose clubs will soon have to decide whether to exercise their options for 2020. We’ll do the same here with pitchers…
Starters
- Chris Archer, Pirates ($9MM club option or $1.75MM buyout): Archer has undoubtedly been a major letdown for the Pirates since they sent Tyler Glasnow, Austin Meadows and Shane Baz to the Rays for him in July 2018. Nevertheless, it’s difficult to envision the Pirates turning down Archer’s option this offseason. Even for a low-budget club, it’s worth gambling on to see if Archer puts up any kind of a rebound year in 2020.
- Kendall Graveman, Cubs ($3MM club option): The Cubs signed Graveman, a former Athletic, last offseason knowing he probably wouldn’t pitch in 2019 as he recovered from Tommy John surgery. Graveman did indeed wind up sitting out the entire season, and now the Cubs have to decide whether he has progressed enough behind the scenes to justify a $3MM guarantee for next year.
- Corey Kluber, Indians ($17.5MM club option or $1MM buyout): Even though Kluber just went through an injury-ravaged season in which he didn’t pitch past May 1, and even though his option for 2020 is rich, the Indians plan to exercise it. Understandable on their part, as the soon-to-be 34-year-old Kluber’s a two-time Cy Young winner who was a force as recently as last season.
- Martin Perez, Twins ($7MM club option or $500K buyout): During the first half of the season, when Perez looked like one of the steals of last winter’s free-agent class, it appeared he was well on his way to having his option exercised. But the 28-year-old Perez’s bubble burst as the season advanced, making his option decision trickier for the Twins. He seems like a decent bet to return to the market after logging a 5.12 ERA/4.66 FIP over 165 1/3 innings this season.
- Jose Quintana, Cubs ($11.5MM club option or $1MM buyout): Although Quintana hasn’t provided the type of production the Cubs were probably expecting when they acquired him from the crosstown rival White Sox in July 2017, the North Siders still figure to keep the lefty in the fold for 2020. The 30-year-old Quintana’s coming off a 171-inning season in which he notched a 4.68 ERA (with a far better 3.80 FIP) and 8.0 K/9 against 2.42 BB/9.
- Julio Teheran, Braves ($12MM club option or $1MM buyout): This could be an agonizing call for the Braves, who’ve seen the 28-year-old Teheran post mostly strong bottom-line production (and eat plenty of innings) since his first full season in 2013. At the same time, the fact that Teheran’s ERA indicators have consistently fallen short of his actual run prevention, not to mention that he’s coming off a second consecutive high-walk season, could influence the Braves to go in another direction. They did leave him off the initial version of their NLDS roster this month.
- Jason Vargas, Phillies ($8MM club option or $2MM buyout): The 36-year-old Vargas’ output fell flat after the Phillies acquired him from the Mets over the summer. He’ll likely don a different uniform in 2020 as a result.
Relievers
- Tony Barnette, Cubs ($3MM club option): The Cubs will go in another direction here, as Barnette barely pitched this year on account of injuries and personal issues.
- Jared Hughes, Phillies ($3MM club option or $250K buyout): The grounder-heavy Hughes, 34, is probably bound for free agency after an unspectacular season divided between two teams. He didn’t survive the year with the Reds, who parted with him in August, and then joined the Phillies via waivers.
- Nate Jones, Rangers ($5.15MM club option or $1.25MM buyout): Injuries have laid waste to the once-great Jones’ career, having limited the righty to 30 or fewer innings in five of the past six seasons. He threw just 10 1/3 frames in 2019, and though Texas picked up Jones from the White Sox at the trade deadline, the Rangers may buy him out before he ever throws a pitch in their uniform. TR Sullivan of MLB.com suggested that would be the case at the time of the trade, though the team’s official plans in regards to Jones still aren’t known.
- Shawn Kelley, Rangers ($2.5MM club option or $250K buyout): This is hardly a bank-breaking sum, though Kelley didn’t do himself any favors by floundering over the final two months of the season. The 35-year-old ended 2019 with a 4.94 ERA/5.52 FIP, 8.18 K/9, 2.09 BB/9 and a paltry 29.3 percent groundball rate over 47 1/3 innings. If the Rangers don’t bring Kelley back for next season, he has said he’ll retire.
- Brandon Morrow, Cubs ($12MM vesting option or $3MM buyout): The Cubs obviously won’t be picking up Morrow’s option after the 35-year-old suffered through yet another injury-plagued season in 2019. The formerly dominant Morrow hasn’t thrown a pitch in the majors since July 15, 2018.
- Pat Neshek, Phillies ($7MM club option or $750K buyout): This should be an easy buyout for the Phillies, as the 39-year-old Neshek struggled through his second injury-shortened season in a row in 2019. Neshek underwent right hamstring surgery a month ago.
- Dan Otero, Indians ($1.5MM club option or $100K buyout): The Indians are moving on from the once-effective Otero, who’s fresh off back-to-back seasons of dismal production.
- Yusmeiro Petit, Athletics ($5.5MM buyout or $1MM buyout): After Petit’s third straight high-inning, low-ERA, low-walk season (and second in Oakland), you’d think the A’s would bring him back for another reasonably priced season. To this point, though, there hasn’t been any official word on whether Petit will be an Athletic for his age-35 season in 2020.
- David Phelps, Cubs ($5MM club option): MLBTR’s Steve Adams recently explored the Cubs’ looming decision in regards to Phelps. At the time (mid-September), Phelps was seven appearances away from totaling 40 on the year and boosting the value of his option from $3MM to $5MM. The 33-year-old, whom the Cubs acquired from the Blue Jays at the deadline, ultimately got to 41. Phelps recorded a solid 3.41 ERA with 9.44 K/9 in that 34 1/3-inning span, though he also walked 4.46 per nine and saw his velocity, groundball percentage and swinging-strike rate trend downward in his return from 2018 Tommy John surgery. His future could be a tough call for Chicago.
- Adam Warren, Padres ($2.5MM club option or $500K buyout): The Padres seem likely to reject Warren’s option. Not only did the 32-year-old disappoint over the season’s first few months, but he didn’t pitch after June 7 on account of a forearm injury.
- Jake Diekman, Athletics ($5.75MM mutual option or $500K buyout): This could be too steep a price for the low-budget Athletics, with whom Diekman’s already shaky control spiraled after the A’s got him from the Royals in July. The hard-throwing 32-year-old walked 16 batters in 20 1/3 innings as an Athletic.
- Sean Doolittle, Nationals ($6.5MM club option or $500K buyout): Doolittle just closed out the Dodgers to help deliver a long-awaited playoff series victory for the Nationals. Although Doolittle didn’t have a banner regular season before that, he still looks worthy of a $6.5MM investment for 2020.
- Wade LeBlanc, Mariners ($5MM club option or $450K buyout): LeBlanc’s likely done in Seattle, having stumbled to a 5.71 ERA/5.49 FIP over 121 1/3 innings this year.
- Aaron Loup, Padres ($2MM club option): Loup dealt with elbow issues nearly all season and didn’t take a major league mound after April 7. A buyout’s probably on its way.
Angels To Interview Buck Showalter, John Farrell
Joe Maddon is reportedly the front-runner to take over as the Angels’ next manager, but they’re not going to hand him the job without first doing their due diligence on at least a few names. The club’s conducting interviews with three other candidates this week, including former managers Buck Showalter and John Farrell, per reports from Maria Torres of the Los Angeles Times and Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. The fourth contender’s unknown, but it’s not Angels special assistant Eric Chavez, according to Torres.
Like Maddon, both Showalter and Farrell have managed multiple major league teams apiece to this point. The 63-year-old Showalter is a three-time Manager of the Year who oversaw the Yankees, Diamondbacks, Rangers and Orioles for a combined 20 seasons from 1992-2018. The O’s parted with Showalter after last year, a 47-win season in which they launched a full rebuild.
Farrell, 57, is an ex-major league right-hander who was a member of the Angels from 1993-94. He’s better known for his post-playing career, though, having managed the Blue Jays and Red Sox between 2011-17. In his greatest accomplishment in the role, Farrell helped the Red Sox to a World Series title in his first year atop the club in 2013. The rest of Farrell’s tenure with the team produced mixed results. The Red Sox finished below .500 twice in a row from 2014-15, but they took home AL East crowns in each of the next two seasons.
Despite its regular-season success under Farrell from 2016-17, Boston parted with him after back-to-back first-round knockouts in the playoffs. Farrell has stayed in the game since then by working as a scout and a pitching consultant for the Reds.
Padres Interview Brad Ausmus
The Padres have narrowed their managerial search down to “no more than five men,” Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes. The club interviewed experienced major league manager Brad Ausmus for the role on Wednesday, according to Acee. Jon Heyman of MLB Network previously reported the two sides would likely meet to discuss the job.
It’s been a whirlwind couple weeks for the 50-year-old Ausmus, whom the Angels fired Sept. 30 after just one season in the position. The Angels mustered a horrid 72-90 record under Ausmus in 2019, though it would be unfair to place all the blame on him after the team dealt with so much adversity that was out of his control. Injuries to key players weighed the Angels down throughout the season, but there was no worse blow than the death of one of their top starters, Tyler Skaggs, on July 1.
Before Ausmus’ lone year running the Angels’ dugout and clubhouse, he managed the Tigers to a 314-332 record with one playoff berth from 2014-17. Ausmus is also well-known for a long run as a major league catcher from 1993-2010, during which he played his first three-plus seasons with the Padres. He now has a home in San Diego, Acee notes.
Along with Ausmus, Rangers player development field coordinator Jayce Tingler and former Rangers manager/current Braves third base coach Ron Washington are reportedly among the Padres’ candidates. But it’s not clear whether they’ve interviewed anyone other than Ausmus yet.
Latest On Ryan Zimmerman’s Future
Longtime National Ryan Zimmerman is slated to reach free agency after the season, but it doesn’t appear he’ll retire or wind up in another uniform in 2020. Odds are Zimmerman and the Nationals will hammer out a new agreement prior to next season, Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com suggests.
The Nationals already control Zimmerman for another year, but they’re sure to decline his $18MM club option in favor of a $2MM buyout. That’ll bring an official end to the six-year, $100MM extension the Nationals gave Zimmerman in 2012 when he was their franchise player and one of the premier third basemen in the game. Unfortunately, injuries have been an all-too-common problem for Zimmerman since his deal kicked in during the 2014 season – the last time he lined up at the hot corner.
Zimmerman transitioned to first base in 2015 and has since offered up-and-down production, with 2019 sure to count among the least effective campaigns of his career. The 35-year-old is coming off yet another injury-limited regular season, in which he amassed 190 plate appearances and hit .257/.321/.415 with six home runs.
Zimmerman did come up with a heroic swing in the Nationals’ Game 4 win over the Dodgers in the NLDS, though it’s still fair to say his output has typically fallen short since the club made a long-term commitment to him. Nevertheless, the affinity he and the Nationals have for each other seems as if it will pave the way to another contract, per Zuckerman.
A Nat since they chose him fourth in the 2005 draft, Zimmerman told Zuckerman his time in Washington has been “special,” and added “my family’s close. My wife is from here. So I’m lucky: I get to see my kids for 81 games. A lot of guys are on the road. So I look at it more as I’m lucky to be in this situation. I think a lot of guys would love to have this situation, but don’t really have the opportunity that I’ve had. So I think I feel more lucky than anything.”
Regardless of whether Zimmerman does remain a National, he’ll go into the offseason as an obvious candidate for an inexpensive short-term deal. At the moment, he’s one of a few Nationals first base options with uncertain futures ahead. Matt Adams also has a club option (for $4MM), but the team seems likely to buy him out for $1MM. Meanwhile, Washington’s control over soon-to-be free agents Howie Kendrick and Gerardo Parra is about to expire.
Offseason Option Decisions: Hitters
The Twins’ outstanding 2019 campaign just ended Monday, though they’re already set to address one important piece of offseason business: They plan to exercise star designated hitter Nelson Cruz‘s $12MM option for 2020. That was something of a no-brainer move for the Twins, with whom the ageless Cruz thrived in 2019, but several other teams with club option choices to make in the coming weeks could have harder times with their decisions. With the offseason now underway for most teams, let’s take a look at the rest of the hitters who have club options for next year…
Catchers
- Welington Castillo, White Sox ($8MM club option or $500K buyout): The White Sox will turn this down in the wake of a rough season for Castillo, who hit .209/.267/.417 with minus-1.0 fWAR in 251 plate appearances. Thanks in part to Castillo’s struggles, he took a backseat to fellow backstop James McCann, who’s the front-runner to serve as the White Sox’s No. 1 option behind the plate for the second year in a row in 2020.
- Tyler Flowers, Braves ($6MM club option or $2MM buyout): While Flowers was less effective this season than he was over the past few, bringing him back for what amounts to $4MM for the Braves doesn’t seem unpalatable (especially with Brian McCann facing an uncertain future). The soon-to-be 34-year-old Flowers batted .229/.319/.413 in 310 PA this year, which looks weak but is actually passable for a catcher. He also continued to earn high marks behind the plate.
- Yan Gomes, Nationals ($9MM club option or $1MM buyout): The 32-year-old Gomes had a rough regular season, hitting .223/.316/.389 in 358 trips to the plate, but his production did turn around in the second half. However, Kurt Suzuki – not Gomes – has been the Nationals’ preferred choice in their playoff matchups against the Brewers and Dodgers. Suzuki’s still under control for next season for a reasonable $6MM, so the Nats could feel comfortable cutting the cord on Gomes and using the $8MM they’d save to address other areas.
First Basemen
- Matt Adams, Nationals ($4MM mutual option or $1MM buyout): Adams stands out as another likely buyout for the Nationals, with whom he hit a woeful .226/.276/.465 across 333 PA during the regular season. The 31-year-old has taken just one at-bat in the playoffs for the club.
- Edwin Encarnacion, Yankees ($20MM club option or $5MM buyout): The soon-to-be 37-year-old is more of a DH than a first baseman, which makes it seem all the more likely the Yankees will let him go into free agency. While the prolific masher has once again been productive in 2019, New York has no shortage of other players it could utilize in the DH spot a year from now.
- Anthony Rizzo, Cubs ($16.5MM club option or $2MM buyout): An easy yes for the Cubs, for whom the franchise icon continued to stand out in 2019.
- Eric Thames, Brewers ($7.5MM club option or $1MM buyout): Very iffy. Thames, who will turn 33 next month, is coming off a respectable offensive season (.247/.346/.505 with 25 home runs in 459 PA). That said, the left-hander’s output dropped off as the year went on, and he did little to no damage against same-handed pitchers. The Brewers aren’t exactly a huge-budget club, so they could decide to allocate Thames’ money elsewhere in 2020.
- Ryan Zimmerman, Nationals ($18MM club option or $2MM buyout): Hey, look, another National! Despite Zimmerman’s heroics in the NLDS, they’ll certainly buy out the fading 35-year-old.
Second Basemen
- Starlin Castro, Marlins ($16MM club option or $1MM buyout): Castro rebounded from a horrid start as the year progressed, but that won’t be enough to keep him in a Marlins uniform for another season (at least not at an exorbitant cost). He’s a clear-cut buyout candidate.
- Wilmer Flores, Diamondbacks ($6MM club option or $500K buyout): Six million dollars may be a lot for a team like the Diamondbacks to spend on a part-time player whose main purpose is to hit southpaws, though Flores did make a solid case to remain in the desert next year. The ex-Met slashed .317/.361/.487 with a minuscule 10.9 percent strikeout rate over 285 trips to the plate.
- Jedd Gyorko, Dodgers ($13MM club option or $1MM buyout): The Dodgers will buy out Gyorko after a year in which he batted a mere .174/.248/.250 in an injury-limited, 101-PA campaign divided between LA and St. Louis.
- Jason Kipnis, Indians ($16.5MM club option or $2.5MM buyout): We already know the Indians intend to buy out Kipnis.
Shortstops
- Freddy Galvis, Reds ($5.5MM club option or $1MM buyout): Let’s lean toward a buyout here. Galvis is a useful player, but his ceiling isn’t especially high, and this is a position at which the Reds could stand to make an improvement (Didi Gregorius, anyone?) during what’s setting up as an active offseason for the playoff-hungry franchise.
Third Basemen
- Mike Moustakas, Brewers ($11MM mutual option or $3MM buyout): The Brewers would welcome Moustakas back for $11MM in 2020, but he’ll have other ideas. Moose is almost a shoo-in to head back to free agency for the third straight winter after yet another quality season.
Outfielders
- Kole Calhoun, Angels ($14MM club option or $1MM buyout): If not for the presence of rising prospect Jo Adell, it would be easier to imagine the Angels paying Calhoun $14MM next year. Calhoun’s coming off his latest above-average season as a defender and hitter, after all. However, the Angels – with needs in their pitching staff and elsewhere – seem likely to cut the cord, save $13MM and plug in Brian Goodwin as their main right fielder until Adell’s ready for a promotion.
- Adam Eaton, Nationals ($9.5MM club option or $1.5MM buyout): This ought to be a yes for the Nationals, as the always solid Eaton turned in a .279/.365/.428 line with 15 homers, 15 steals and 2.3 fWAR over 656 regular-season PA. He’ll play his age-31 season in 2020.
- Alex Gordon, Royals ($23MM mutual option or $4MM buyout): Gordon’s not making $23MM next year, but if he does keep playing, the career-long Royal has insisted it’s Royals or bust. Likewise, KC general manager Dayton Moore has indicated he’d love to retain Gordon. The two sides will work out a more team-friendly salary if Gordon does return for what would be his age-36 season.
- Billy Hamilton, Braves ($7.5MM mutual option or $1MM buyout): The fleet-of-foot defensive maven will go to free agency after yet another season of weak production at the plate.
- Juan Lagares, Mets ($9.5MM club option or $500K buyout): The Mets will be happy to get the once-promising Lagares off their books after an uninspiring age-30 showing.
- Nick Markakis, Braves ($6MM club option or $2MM buyout): This may not be a slam-dunk choice either way for the Braves. Markakis is far from the most exciting corner outfielder, but at least you know what you’re going to get (durability, high on-base percentage, few strikeouts and the ability to play him versus righties and lefties alike). For what amounts to a $4MM decision, the Braves could certainly do worse.
- Starling Marte, Pirates ($11.5MM club option or $2MM buyout): Marte, whose 31st birthday is today, remains eminently valuable. The Pirates won’t have a tough time picking up his option, then. The question is whether they’ll trade him during the offseason.
MLBTR Poll: Who’s Going To The NLCS?
If you like baseball (you’re reading this, so you probably do), Wednesday evening already looks rather promising. All four of the National League’s remaining playoff teams will square off then in win-or-go-home contests to conclude their thrilling NLDS matchups. The top-seeded Dodgers will take on the Nationals in Los Angeles, while the Braves will host the Cardinals.
To many, a third straight pennant for the perennially dominant Dodgers looked like a foregone conclusion entering the playoffs. But the 106-win club has had its hands full with the Nationals, a 93-69 team that needed a miraculous comeback over the Brewers in the wild-card game just to reach the NLDS. The Dodgers have led this series twice (1-0 and 2-1), but they’ve been unable to stamp out the Nationals, thanks in part to the heroics of Washington co-aces Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg. The latter’s slated to take the ball in Game 5 against Walker Buehler, who has supplanted Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw as LA’s most valuable starter. Buehler put forth his latest ace-caliber effort in the Dodgers’ Game 1 win last Thursday, when he fired six scoreless, one-hit innings.
In Atlanta, the Braves will send Mike Foltynewicz to the mound to battle Jack Flaherty, who – like Buehler – has burst on the scene as an elite young arm. Foltynewicz entered the season as one of the Braves’ clear-cut top starters, though it nonetheless may seem hard to believe they’re turning to him with their season on the line. After all, the team did demote the 28-year-old to the minors in late June on the heels of a horrid few months. To his credit, however, Foltynewicz has rebounded since his early August return, and he continued to roll with seven shutout innings during a Game 2 victory over the Flaherty-led Cards. He’ll again contend with a St. Louis offense that has gotten exceptional production from Paul Goldschmidt and Marcell Ozuna in the series.
The 23-year-old Flaherty will deal with an Atlanta club that has seen outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. continue to stake his claim as one of the sport’s up-and-coming superstars in October. Runs may be hard to come by for Acuna & Co., though, as Flaherty hasn’t yielded more than three in a start since July 2. Dating back to then, Flaherty has given up a ridiculously low 14 earned runs in 113 1/3 innings and 17 starts.
Of course, it would be foolish to only mention the starters who are lined up for these two games. With all four clubs’ seasons on the line, they’ll likely be in all-hands-on-deck mode (or something close to it) as they attempt to reach the final round of the NL playoffs. As is often the case in the postseason, the teams’ bullpens will probably play integral roles in the outcomes. Which clubs do you expect to advance Wednesday?
(Poll link for app users)
Dodgers-Nationals: Who Wins Game 5?
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Nationals 51% (7,449)
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Dodgers 49% (7,016)
Total votes: 14,465
(Poll link for app users)
Braves-Cardinals: Who Wins Game 5?
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Cardinals 51% (7,356)
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Braves 49% (7,109)
Total votes: 14,465
Latest On Padres’ Manager Search
While there hasn’t been any word about the Padres conducting formal interviews for their vacant managerial position, the belief is they’re looking at four to five candidates for the job, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. Rangers player development field coordinator Jayce Tingler is among those in the mix, per Acee.
The Padres are reportedly “expected” to select an experienced manager to replace Andy Green (they’ve been connected to ex-MLB skippers Ron Washington, Joe Maddon, Ron Washington, Brad Ausmus and Buck Showalter). However, having a built-in rapport with general manager A.J. Preller, who’s leading the search, could prove to be of greater importance. Washington, the Braves’ third base coach, managed the Rangers when Preller was in their front office from 2007-14. According to Acee, Preller developed a deep respect for Washington during that period, in which the Rangers made three trips to the playoffs and won a pair of American League championships.
Preller also knows Tingler from Texas, as the latter has worked in various coaching and front office positions with the organization dating back to 2007. The 38-year-old Tingler has no experience as a major league skipper, though the Rangers did consider hiring him last offseason before choosing Chris Woodward. Tingler’s currently managing in the Dominican Winter League.
NL Notes: Keuchel, Cards, Mets, Reds, Wood, Fish, DJ
Dallas Keuchel and the Braves are squaring off against the Cardinals in a memorable NLDS, but the left-hander recently told Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch he’s surprised the Redbirds didn’t make a bigger effort to sign him when he was a free agent from November to June. “Honestly, I was fully expecting an offer from them,” said Keuchel. “Just never really came about.” Keuchel, whom the Braves signed to a one-year, $13MM deal after a protracted standoff between him and the entire league, added that he viewed St. Louis as “a good destination,” which could be notable with the soon-to-be 32-year-old set to hit free agency again in the coming weeks. Meantime, his club will try to eliminate the Cardinals in a do-or-die Game 5 on Wednesday.
- The manager-needy Mets may have a couple in-house candidates for the job in quality control/outfield coach Miguel Rojas and Single-A manager Edgardo Alfonzo, per Mike Puma of the New York Post. The 38-year-old Rojas, who’s the son of longtime MLB outfielder/first baseman/manager Felipe Alou and the brother of former outfielder Moises Alou, has been a member of the Mets organization for 14 seasons (including eight as a minor league skipper). Now 45, Alfonzo’s best known for a highly productive run as a second/third baseman for the Mets from 1995-2002. Having coached in the organization since 2014, Alfonzo’s hoping New York considers him to replace the fired Mickey Callaway, Puma reports.
- If the Reds are going to re-sign pending free-agent left-hander Alex Wood, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com estimates it would happen by way of a minor league contract. Considering Wood’s past success and relative youth (29 in January), getting him to accept a non-guaranteed deal may be unrealistic. Regardless, it’s inarguable Wood is coming off a contract year to forget. Acquired from the Dodgers last winter, Wood made only seven starts and threw just 35 2/3 for the Reds this year as he battled nagging back issues. Wood managed an ugly 5.80 ERA/6.38 FIP with 7.57 K/9, 2.27 BB/9 and a 38.2 percent groundball rate when he was healthy enough to take the ball for Cincy.
- It’s already known the Marlins had interest in DJ LeMahieu last winter, but Joe Frisaro of MLB.com writes the Fish “made a strong push to sign” the second baseman in free agency. The former Cub and Rockie ultimately accepted a two-year, $24MM contract from the Yankees, with whom he has enjoyed a career season. The low-budget Marlins, meanwhile, ended up guaranteeing a mere $4.5MM to players in free agency, inking infielder Neil Walker (who served as a lesser version of LeMahieu for the club) and reliever Sergio Romo to one-year contracts.