Rumors: Cards, Stanton, Yelich, Rangers, Yu, Cobb, Tribe
The Cardinals are more likely to trade for an impact bat than sign one, suggests Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Peter Gammons of GammonsDaily.com reported Saturday that the Cardinals are willing to offer “one of their best young pitchers” for Marlins right fielder Giancarlo Stanton, and Goold adds that the Redbirds will have discussions with Miami about both Stanton and center fielder Christian Yelich this offseason.
Meanwhile, a much-needed addition to the Cardinals’ bullpen could come soon. The Cards have reached out to representatives for certain impending free agent relievers this weekend, relays Goold, who expects them to pursue a closer and possibly a setup man. Trading for bullpen help also seems possible, as the Cardinals are facing a 40-man roster logjam in advance of next month’s Rule 5 draft. With the need to finalize his 40-man by the Nov. 20 deadline, president of baseball operations John Mozeliak told Goold that the team may “consider moving two roster players for one. That kind of thing. We have to be open to try.”
- Former Rangers ace and soon-to-be free agent Yu Darvish is not atop their offseason wish list, Jeff Wilson of the Star-Telegram reports. The Rangers will contact Darvish’s agent during free agency, but the likelihood is that he’ll be too pricey to return to the team, per Wilson. With a Darvish reunion looking like a long shot, the Rangers might turn to another established free agent right-hander in Alex Cobb, whom they covet, according to Wilson. The longtime Ray, 30, returned from a 2015 Tommy John procedure in earnest this year, tossing 179 1/3 innings of 3.66 ERA/4.16 FIP ball.
- The Indians aren’t optimistic that they’ll be able to re-sign impending free agent reliever Bryan Shaw, Paul Hoynes of cleveland.com reports. Shaw has been an effective workhorse out of the Indians’ bullpen since 2013, having pitched to a 3.11 ERA across 358 2/3 innings during that five-year span, and appears poised to parlay his success in Cleveland into a contract out of the club’s price range. MLBTR projects a three-year, $21MM deal for Shaw, which the Indians believe will prove close to accurate, Terry Pluto of cleveland.com writes. With the soon-to-be 30-year-old Shaw apparently on his way out, the Tribe could feel more urgency to re-sign fellow impending free agent reliever Joe Smith, Hoynes notes. Smith, who will play his age-34 season in 2018, is fresh off a terrific campaign divided between Toronto and Cleveland.
MLBTR Originals
Recapping MLBTR’s original content from the past week:
- Tim Dierkes released his annual Top 50 Free Agents rankings based on potential earning power for each player. With help from MLBTR writers Steve Adams, Jeff Todd and Jason Martinez, Tim also predicted signing destinations for all of those players – two of whom (No. 5 Masahiro Tanaka and No. 26 Michael Brantley) quickly came off the board and will remain with their current teams. For more on this winter’s rankings, check out the chat transcript between Tim and MLBTR readers.
- The MLBTR Offseason Outlook series continued with in-depth looks at what moves the Indians, Blue Jays, Cardinals, Rangers and World Series-winning Astros could make in the coming months.
Mets To Hire Gary DiSarcina As Bench Coach
The Mets are hiring Gary DiSarcina as their new bench coach, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports. Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe first suggested the Mets would tab DiSarcina to replace previous bench coach Dick Scott (Twitter links).
The 49-year-old DiSarcina spent 2017 as the bench coach for the Red Sox, but he lost the position when the team fired manager John Farrell after the season. Previously, DiSarcina held other roles with the Boston organization, including serving as its Triple-A manager in 2013. He also worked with the Angels on a couple of occasions, most recently as a third and first base coach on Mike Scioscia’s staff from 2014-16, after spending his entire playing career with the Halos as a shortstop from 1989-2000.
Thanks to his experience in multiple high-level positions, DiSarcina has drawn managerial interest in the past, even landing on the Phillies’ radar when they were searching for a manager last month. That job ultimately went to Gabe Kapler, paving the way for rookie Mets skipper Mickey Callaway to hire DiSarcina as his right-hand man.
Johnny Cueto Will Not Opt Out Of Contract
Giants right-hander Johnny Cueto has decided not to opt out of the remaining four years and $84MM on his contract, Jon Heyman of FanRag was among those to report (Twitter link).
The Giants included the opt-out clause in Cueto’s deal when they signed the then-free agent to a six-year, $130MM pact after the 2015 season. At the time, Cueto was an established front-line workhorse who was coming off six straight outstanding seasons, most of which were spent with the Reds. Cincinnati traded Cueto to Kansas City in July 2015, and he went on to win a World Series with the Royals that year despite posting somewhat disappointing numbers along the way.
In the first year of his Giants tenure, Cueto lived up to his contract by delivering 219 2/3 innings of 2.79 ERA ball and logging 8.11 K/9, 1.84 BB/9 and a 50.2 percent groundball rate. Similar production in 2017 likely would have led Cueto back to the open market, but he instead endured one of the worst seasons of his career. Cueto threw just 147 2/3 innings, his lowest total since 2011, thanks in part to blister issues and a mild flexor strain. When he was healthy enough to pitch, Cueto looked more like a back-end starter than an ace. All told, the 31-year-old put up the second-worst ERA (4.52), walk rate (3.24 BB/9) and grounder percentage (39.4) of his career, contributing to the downfall of a Giants team that entered 2017 with playoff aspirations but wound up tying the Tigers for the majors’ worst record (64-98).
The Giants had no shortage of issues in 2017, including in their rotation, but most of their starting staff for next year already looks set. Along with Cueto, ace Madison Bumgarner, Jeff Samardzija and Matt Moore remain in the fold, as do fifth starter candidates Ty Blach and Chris Stratton.
Quick Hits: Yu, Rangers, Mariners, Brantley, D-backs, Nats
Reflecting on his six-year tenure with the Rangers, impending free agent right-hander Yu Darvish told Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News via text (through an interpreter) that he “listened and paid too much attention to any criticism I heard inside and outside the clubhouse” when he was a member of the team. Darvish also revealed that his relationship with his Rangers teammates “wasn’t great” at times. Those issues sapped Darvish of some of his joy for baseball, though he noted that he began regaining it after the Rangers traded him to the Dodgers on July 31. Darvish explained that his loss of enthusiasm wasn’t the fault of his previous club, however, as he came to realize “how much the Rangers and the fans cared about me” while in LA over the final three months of the season.
More from around the majors:
- The Mariners would like to retain impending free agent center fielder Jarrod Dyson, but his age (33) might stand in the way of them giving him a multiyear deal and lead to his exit, Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times writes. First baseman Yonder Alonso could return, on the other hand, considering both the Mariners’ need at the position and general manager Jerry Dipoto’s assessment of the late-season trade acquisition’s performance in Seattle. “He plays a pretty solid first base. I think he gave us a presence after we got beyond the middle of our order,” Dipoto said of Alonso, who batted .265/.353/.439 in 150 plate appearances after coming over from Oakland. While the M’s are open to keeping Alonso, he’ll be part of “a pretty flush class of free-agent first baseman,” according to Dipoto, who added that “there are a lot of different options for us, and we want to make sure that we’re maximizing our potential at that position.”
- Although Michael Brantley missed a large portion of this past season with right ankle problems and then underwent surgery Oct. 19, the Indians still picked up his $12MM option for 2018 on Friday. When discussing the decision with Ryan Lewis of Ohio.com and other reporters, president Chris Antonetti noted that Brantley’s surgery carries a high rate of success (Twitter link). While the Indians are optimistic about Brantley’s health, Antonetti won’t talk about how the 30-year-old fits on the Tribe’s roster until he’s further along in his rehab, per Lewis.
- Diamondbacks infielder/outfielder Chris Owings underwent surgery on his right middle finger on Friday, the club announced. Owings previously had surgery on that same finger July 31, a day after he suffered what proved to be a season-ending fracture. The latest procedure “was performed to ensure continued proper and complete healing,” the D-backs stated.
- Bobby Henley will stay on as the Nationals’ third base coach under new manager Dave Martinez, Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post reports (Twitter link). As Washington’s third base coach since the 2014 season, Henley has survived the ousters of skippers Matt Williams and Dusty Baker.
Offseason Outlook: Houston Astros
MLBTR is publishing Offseason Outlooks for all 30 teams. Click here for the other entries in this series.
On the heels of their seven-game World Series triumph over the Dodgers, the Astros have finally entered an offseason with the rest of Major League Baseball aspiring to surpass them. It took until the 55th year of the franchise’s existence to win a championship, but the team and its fans might not have to wait much longer to celebrate another title.
Thanks largely to general manager Jeff Luhnow, whom Houston hired in December 2011 and who executed an arduous rebuilding effort to perfection, the Astros have the makings of a club that will contend for more World Series in the near future. And while professional sports teams that win titles often see key players defect in free agency in the ensuing offseason, the Astros are in the luxurious position of having all of their top contributors under control for at least another year. Luhnow won’t face much pressure to make improvements this winter, then, but he’ll nonetheless look to upgrade a roster that finished the regular season with the American’s League’s second-best record (101-61) and third-ranked run differential (plus-196).
Guaranteed Contracts
- Justin Verlander, SP: $40MM through 2019
- Josh Reddick, OF: $39MM through 2020
- Yuli Gurriel, 1B: $30MM through 2020
- Brian McCann, C: $11.5MM through 2018 (club option for 2019)
- Charlie Morton, SP: $7MM through 2018
- Tony Sipp, RP: $6MM through 2018
- Will Harris, RP: $2.8MM through 2018 (club option for 2019)
- Jon Singleton, 1B: $2MM through 2018 (club option for 2019)
Contract Options
- Jose Altuve, 2B: Exercised $6MM club option
- Marwin Gonzalez, UTIL: Exercised $5.125MM club option
Arbitration-Eligible Players (service time in parentheses; projections via MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)
- Dallas Keuchel (5.089) – $12.6MM
- Evan Gattis (5.000) – $6.6MM
- Mike Fiers (4.085) – $5.7MM
- Collin McHugh (4.085) – $4.8MM
- George Springer (3.166) – $8.9MM
- Brad Peacock (3.165) – $2.9MM
- Jake Marisnick (3.145) – $2.0MM
- Ken Giles (3.113) – $5.0MM
- Lance McCullers (2.140) – $2.6MM
- Non-tender candidate: Fiers
Free Agents
[Astros Depth Chart; Astros Payroll Information]
As you’d expect, not much went haywire for the Astros during a successful postseason run that saw them upend the Red Sox, Yankees and Dodgers. One glaring exception was their bullpen, whose struggles forced manager A.J. Hinch into some unconventional maneuverings this fall. Ken Giles, Chris Devenski and Joe Musgrove offered elite-caliber production across a combined 172 1/3 innings during the regular campaign, but they were anything but reliable in the postseason. As a result, Hinch turned to three members of his regular-season rotation – Lance McCullers, Brad Peacock (who functioned solely as a reliever in the playoffs) and Charlie Morton – for multi-inning, win-preserving appearances during the Astros’ series against the Yankees and Dodgers.
Although Giles was one of baseball’s premier closers in 2017, he was dreadful on the sport’s biggest stage, and his Game 4 blowup against LA went down as the last time he took the mound this year. While Giles’ track record indicates he should remain the club’s closer in 2018, it’s worth noting that the Astros zeroed in on a couple other established late-game options – the Orioles’ Zach Britton and then-Tiger Justin Wilson – in advance of this past summer’s trade deadline. The fact that Houston tried to significantly fortify its bullpen even before Giles’ issues cropped up suggests its relief corps may be an area of focus this offseason. MLBTR colleagues Tim Dierkes, Steve Adams, Jeff Todd and Jason Martinez expect that to be the case, evidenced by their prediction that the Astros will sign free agent closer Wade Davis to a four-year, $60MM contract.
Davis is one of many proven relievers the Astros might go after in free agency (Greg Holland and Addison Reed are other high-end possibilities), or they could subtract from their rich farm system to make a splash on the trade market by landing someone like Britton (he’s likely to stay put, however), Brad Hand (Padres) or Raisel Iglesias (Reds). Britton, Hand or a free agent such as Jake McGee or Mike Minor would give the Astros a southpaw reliever who’s capable of handling both lefty- and righty-swingers, which is something they currently lack. The Astros’ lone left-handed reliever is Tony Sipp, who has been a bust during his two-year tenure with the club and wasn’t even on its playoff roster. The only lefty in the Astros’ bullpen during the postseason was longtime starter Francisco Liriano, a July trade pickup who made five playoff appearances and is now headed for free agency.
Luke Gregerson and late-season addition Tyler Clippard are the other two 2017 Astros relievers without contracts. Gregerson was third among Astros bullpen options in innings in 2017 (61), but his regular-season output was uncharacteristically mediocre and he was barely a factor in the playoffs (3 2/3 frames). Clippard, meanwhile, failed to pitch his way into Houston’s postseason plans after coming over in an August deal with the White Sox.
Liriano, Gregerson and Clippard may be on the way out, but the Astros still have Giles, Devenski, Musgrove, Will Harris, James Hoyt and Sipp (barring a release or trade) as locks or strong bets for their bullpen next year. Like most of those hurlers, Michael Feliz and Francis Martes had substantial relief roles in 2017. Feliz was somewhat of a disappointment, though, and Martes figures to open 2018 in Triple-A Fresno’s rotation.
Given his experience as a reliever, Peacock may return to the bullpen if the Astros don’t trade Collin McHugh, who has worked exclusively as a starter during his four-year tenure with the club and may slot in behind Justin Verlander, Dallas Keuchel, McCullers and Morton at the outset of next season. Alternatively, the Astros could shift Peacock to the bullpen, trade McHugh, jettison Mike Fiers and use a large portion of their available payroll space on one of the two front-end starters on the open market. Yu Darvish, whom the Astros tormented in the World Series, and Jake Arrieta will easily collect the largest deals among starters this year. The Astros don’t need either of those two, though the idea of adding one of them to an already strong rotation is enticing. Plus, as good as Houston’s starters look on paper, Keuchel, McCullers and Morton have each had their share of injury issues during their careers, and Morton is only under contract for another season.
No matter which pitchers comprise the Astros’ staff in 2018, their hurlers will again have the benefit of working with a group of all-world position players. The foundational trio of AL MVP front-runner Jose Altuve, World Series MVP George Springer and Carlos Correa will be back, as will a supporting cast that consists of budding star Alex Bregman, Yuli Gurriel, Josh Reddick, Marwin Gonzalez, Brian McCann and Evan Gattis. That group of nine did nearly all of the damage for an Astros offense that laid waste to the opposition in 2017, topping the majors in position player fWAR (33.0), runs (896), wRC+ (121) and strikeout rate (17.3 percent).
The sole regular who was a weak link for the Astros was potential Hall of Famer Carlos Beltran, who was among the worst designated hitters in the league during a season in which he raked in a pricey $16MM. While Beltran didn’t live up to his deal from a statistical standpoint, Astros management, coaches and players would likely argue that the revered 40-year-old justified the pact behind the scenes. Either way, the impending free agent’s second tenure with the Astros is probably over. As such, finding a new DH figures to be on the agenda for the Astros, whose free agent targets could include two-way Japanese sensation Shohei Otani (who would also beef up Houston’s rotation), Carlos Santana, Jay Bruce, Logan Morrison, Carlos Gonzalez and Lucas Duda, to name several. Any of those six would add a lefty-capable bat to a lineup whose only left-handed regulars are Reddick, McCann and the switch-hitting Gonzalez. Santana, in particular, would give the Astros yet another hard-to-strike out offensive weapon.
As for Marwin Gonzalez, it’s unclear whether he’ll be the Astros’ regular left fielder, which he was in the playoffs, or revert to a super-utility role next year. It’s also up in the air just what Houston will get from Gonzalez, whose .303/.377/.530 line in 515 regular-season PAs may not be a harbinger of what’s to come. According to Statcast (via Baseball Savant), Gonzalez’s actual weighted on-base average (.387) far outdid his expected wOBA (.320), which suggests that his career season was largely the product of good batted-ball fortune. If the Astros agree with that, and if they allow August acquisition Cameron Maybin to leave in free agency, it could put them in the market for outfield help (though free agency won’t offer many clear solutions).
If Luhnow is in an especially bold mood, he could try to swing a trade for on-the-block Marlins right fielder Giancarlo Stanton, who would make the Astros’ offense all the more video game-like. Granted, the $295MM remaining on Stanton’s contract through 2028 – not to mention his right to opt out of the deal after 2020 – may render that idea wholly unrealistic. Teammates Marcell Ozuna and Christian Yelich would be more pragmatic possibilities for the Astros, but the Marlins reportedly aren’t looking to part with either. The Pirates’ Andrew McCutchen, with a year and $14.5MM left on his contract, seems like a more practical target. The 31-year-old would be a solid stopgap for a Houston club with two touted young outfielders, Kyle Tucker and Derek Fisher, waiting in the wings.
After constructing a championship-winning roster in 2017, Luhnow could make any number of headline-grabbing transactions this offseason to better the Astros’ chances of repeating next year. However, considering the overwhelming amount of talent in the fold and the paucity of integral free agents set to leave Houston, no one would blame Luhnow for taking a modest approach this winter. In the end, his most important moves may come in the form of extensions for core players such as Altuve, Springer and Keuchel, who each have three or fewer years of team control remaining.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Jays, Bucs, Mets, Phils, Marlins, Brewers
This week in baseball blogs:
- Jays Journal examines the possibility of Toronto acquiring Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis.
- Pirates Breakdown wonders if the Bucs should attempt to land Athletics slugger Ryon Healy.
- Mets Daddy doesn’t want the club to pursue a trade for Marlins second baseman Dee Gordon.
- Sports Talk Philly could see the Phillies making a run at one of Gordon’s infield mates, third baseman Martin Prado.
- Reviewing The Brew names other Brewers extension candidates after they locked up Chase Anderson.
- Off The Bench (links: 1, 2) calls Alex Cobb this year’s most underrated free agent and encourages readers to participate in its Free Agent Predictor contest, which offers cash giveaways to its winners.
- The Runner Sports (links: 1, 2) celebrates the Astros’ first World Series championship. TRS also argues that the Yankees need to pick up a veteran catcher.
- Camden Depot ponders whether Orioles second baseman Jonathan Schoop has the potential to be an even better offensive player than he was in 2017.
- Angelswin.com (links: 1, 2) submits the next two parts of its offseason primer.
- The Point of Pittsburgh evaluates how the potential “juiced” ball could affect Pirates hitters and pitchers next year.
- Call to the Pen makes a pitching wish list for the Phillies.
- District On Deck lists three lessons the Nationals could learn from recent World Series winners.
- The Sports Tank focuses on Charlie Morton, one of the Astros’ playoff heroes.
- BASEBALLDOCS names potential suitors for Marlins right fielder Giancarlo Stanton.
- Jays From the Couch doesn’t expect Toronto to sign free agent shortstop Zack Cozart.
- A’s Farm talks to Athetlics prospects Sheldon Neuse and Sean Murphy from the Arizona Fall League.
- Clubhouse Corner’s Bernie Pleskoff gives his scouting reports from the AFL on Max Freid, Yusniel Diaz, Kyle Tucker and Albert Abreu.
- Notes from the Sally previews the 2018 Rome Braves.
- Pop Culture Abstract looks at 20 years of Cardinal stats and compares them to the NL and MLB averages for those seasons.
- BP Toronto explains how the majors’ home run spike resembles a video game.
- Underthought examines the five-home World Series performances of George Springer and Reggie Jackson.
- MetsMind highlights Amed Rosario‘s plate discipline issues.
- Pinstriped Prospects profiles Jay Bell, a potential candidate for the Yankees’ managerial job.
- Outfield Fly Rule is ranking 50 Braves prospects in 50 days.
- Extra Innings UK interviews Mets prospect Blake Taylor, who pitched for Great Britain in the World Baseball Classic.
- Rotisserie Duck revisits some preseason fantasy baseball prognostications.
Please send submissions to ZachBBWI @gmail.com.
Wilin Rosario, Roger Bernadina, Nolan Reimold Hope To Return To MLB
Former major leaguers Wilin Rosario, Roger Bernadina and Nolan Reimold are each hoping to return to MLB in 2018, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN reports (Twitter links). Rosario and Bernadina spent 2017 in the Korea Baseball Organization, while Reimold had a brief stint with the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League before retiring in May.
All three players experienced unspectacular big league careers in their first tries, with Rosario enjoying the most success before heading to the KBO after the 2015 campaign. Rosario, who once ranked as Baseball America’s 49th overall prospect, hit a Coors Field-inflated .270/.312/.530 with 28 home runs in 426 plate appearances as a rookie catcher with the Rockies in 2012. He posted similar numbers the next year (.292/.315/.486 with 21 homers in 466 PAs), but his defense behind the plate was a problem even during his best days as a hitter, and his offensive decline from 2014-15 brought an end to his MLB career.
The Rockies designated Rosario for assignment in November 2015, and after he was unable to find a deal to his liking in the majors, he signed with the Hanwha Eagles of the hitter-friendly KBO in January 2016. Rosario played first base in the KBO and tore through the league over the past two seasons, hitting .330/.390/.625 with 70 long balls in 1,042 trips to the plate, and is now seemingly hoping to follow in the footsteps of Eric Thames. Now with the Brewers, who awarded him a three-year, $16MM contract last winter, Thames feasted on KBO pitching from 2014-16 after serving as a mediocre major league hitter from 2011-12. Thames’ KBO output (.348/.449/.715, 126 HRs across 1,638 PAs) was vastly superior to Rosario’s, though, and the latter also made an unsuccessful attempt to rejoin the majors last offseason. There’s no guarantee any MLB teams will have interest in Rosario this time around, then, but he’ll only be 29 in 2018 and could land on the radar of clubs in search of an inexpensive power source.
Bernadina, 33, is fresh off his first season in the KBO, where the outfielder batted .320/.372/.540 with 27 homers and 32 stolen bases over 621 PAs as a member of the Kia Tigers. It was the third straight year outside of the majors for Bernadina, who last appeared in the bigs in 2014 (nine PAs with the Dodgers) and spent 2015-16 at the Triple-A level. In his most productive season in the majors, 2012, Bernadina hit .291/.372/.405 and stole 15 bases in 261 PAs with the Nationals – his team from 2008-13. Overall, Bernadina owns a .236/.307/.354 line in parts of seven major league seasons with the Nats, Phillies, Reds and Dodgers.
Reimold, also an outfielder, put up a .246/.323/.422 line in 1,556 trips to the plate with the Orioles, Blue Jays and Diamondbacks from 2009-16. In his top season, which was also his rookie year, Reimold slashed .279/.365/.466 with personal highs in HRs (15), steals (eight) and PAs (411).
East Notes: Girardi, Nats, Yanks, Red Sox
The latest from the majors’ East divisions:
- The Nationals ended their managerial search Sunday when they agreed to hire Cubs bench coach Dave Martinez. While former Yankees skipper Joe Girardi did not interview for the job before it went to Martinez, the Nationals “at least made a cursory inquiry about” him, Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post tweets.
- Martinez received a three-year contract, which demonstrates that Nationals ownership has learned a lesson, Eddie Matz of ESPN.com opines. Between taking over the franchise in 2006 and hiring Martinez, the Lerner family hadn’t given any of Davey Johnson, Matt Williams or Dusty Baker a contract longer than two years. Bud Black backed out of a deal to become the Nationals’ manager in 2015 thanks to their unwillingness to hand him a three-year deal, but the team avoided a repeat this time by committing to the respected Martinez.
- Yankees third base coach Joe Espada interviewed for the same position with the Red Sox and the bench coach job with the Astros, according to George A. King III of the New York Post. King first reported the interviews Saturday, but it was unclear then which roles Espada discussed with those teams. Espada’s contract with the Yankees is set to expire Tuesday.
- The fact that next year’s free agent class is far more star-studded than this winter’s will complicate the Red Sox‘s offseason plans, Chad Jennings of the Boston Herald writes. With the likes of Bryce Harper, Clayton Kershaw, Manny Machado and Josh Donaldson among those who could reach the market in a year, the Red Sox and other teams will have to weigh whether to spend significant money on anyone in the coming months. Although, there are still plenty of impending free agents and trade candidates who could pique Boston’s interest, notes Jennings, who runs down a variety of potential targets for the club.
5 Key Stories: 10/23/17 – 10/29/17
Recapping the biggest stories from the past week at MLBTR…
The end of an era in the Bronx: The Brian Cashman-led Yankees chose not to re-sign manager Joe Girardi, which was quite surprising after the club came within one win of a World Series berth this season. Girardi’s 10-year run in New York’s dugout was a fruitful one, as the team went 910-710 during the regular season, made six playoff trips and won a World Series (2009).
Controversy mars the World Series: With Houston and Los Angeles even through four games, the Fall Classic has lived up to its name thus far, but Astros first baseman Yuli Gurriel made headlines for the wrong reasons following Game 3. After hitting a second-inning home run off Dodgers starter Yu Darvish, Gurriel returned to the Astros’ dugout and made a racist gesture aimed at the right-hander. Gurriel was contrite after the game, but it still looked possible on Saturday that commissioner Rob Manfred would suspend him for at least one World Series contest. Instead, Manfred issued Gurriel a five-game ban to begin the 2018 season.
Washington elects a new leader: The Nationals moved quickly to replace manager Dusty Baker, whom they parted with Oct. 20, agreeing to a deal Sunday with Cubs bench coach Dave Martinez. Washington’s managerial job hasn’t been a stable one in recent years, as both Matt Williams and Baker were only at the helm for two seasons apiece, but it seems Martinez will have a longer leash. The Nationals gave the Joe Maddon disciple a three-year deal with a club option for 2021.
Dustin Pedroia goes under the knife: Boston’s star second baseman could miss the first two months of next season (and perhaps even more time) after undergoing left knee surgery this week. The procedure came on the heels of a campaign in which the 34-year-old franchise icon played in just 105 games – his third-lowest single-season total since his rookie year, 2007 – thanks in part to knee problems. With the offseason approaching in earnest, it’s worth noting that Red Sox president Dave Dombrowski doesn’t expect Pedroia’s absence to significantly affect the team’s plans this winter.
Milwaukee extends a core starter: Righty Chase Anderson broke out in 2017, his age-29 season, with a 2.74 ERA and 8.47 K/9 against 2.61 BB/9 across 141 1/3 innings. That was enough to convince the Brewers to award Anderson a two-year contract with club options for the 2020 and ’21 seasons. The pact could be worth up to $31.35MM for Anderson, who otherwise would have gone through arbitration for the second time this offseason. Milwaukee bought out one free agent year by extending Anderson.