Baer, Evans On Rotation, Payroll, Pagan, Aoki, Petit, Martinez
As was the case with several other eliminated clubs, three key Giants figures addressed the media today, as Alex Pavlovic of CSNBayArea.com was among those to report. CEO Larry Baer, GM Bobby Evans, and manager Bruce Bochy all offered comments as the club looks ahead to the offseason.
- The one unmistakable theme of the day was pitching, says Pavlovic. Evans explained that the team would “be open-minded” as it approached a market full of rotation options. There is “mutual interest” between the team and deadline acquisition Mike Leake, said Evans, who noted that “the timing may not be as quick as we would both like.” It isn’t clear what other arms may hold appeal, and the brass declined to indicate whether it would be active at the top of the market. Ultimately, the GM indicated that he’ll consider creative options, and left open the possibility that Chris Heston could continue in a starting capacity, which would leave only one spot to fill. Regardless, it’ seem a good bet that the club will look to add at least two starting-capable pitchers.
- Payroll, of course, is always a huge factor, and Baer indicated that it will continue to move up in moderate fashion, as Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News tweets. Baer didn’t give much in the way of clues as to how much cash could go to free agent pitching, but did make clear that the team would canvas the market “exhaustively” and would look for the “right fit” above all else, per Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter links).
- Looking further down the line, Evans offered significant praise for 22-year-old righty Clayton Blackburn. He “turned a corner” this year, said Evans, and joins a group of other younger arms as near-future rotation options.
- Center fielder Angel Pagan will undergo a minor knee surgery with hopes of setting himself up for a fully healthy 2016 season. Evans’ comments suggested that Pagan is viewed as an everyday option. He said that he didn’t see the veteran moving to a corner role and noted that it would be “a lot to ask” of youngster Kelby Tomlinson to slide into platoon duty in center given his relatively recent introduction to outfield play.
- Nori Aoki‘s $5.5MM does not represent an easy decision for San Francisco, according to Evans. “It will be a close call,” said the GM. “We’re not ready to [make the decision] right now.”
- The club has also yet to decide what to do with reliever Yusmeiro Petit. Evans called it “a hard choice to make if we decide to do anything different than tender” him in arbitration, but he’ll be building off of a $2.1MM salary. Skipper Bruce Bochy noted that the bullpen could use some reinforcement.
- It is expected that the signing of outfielder Eddy Julio Martinez will be made official in the near-term, with Evans confirming the sides have an agreement. Evans indicated excitement over the ability to add the young Cuban player, who he suggested could one day man center for the club (via Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle, on Twitter).
NL Notes: Reds, Phillies, Nationals
The Reds continue to run out a remarkable string of rookie starters, as Jonah Keri of Grantland explains. Cincinnati is testing that group out against major league hitters now due both to necessity and to take advantage of the opportunity to challenge its young arms. In the process, it’s set records for most consecutive rookie starts and most total rookie starts in a season. “When we went into this, we didn’t think about breaking any records,” said GM Walt Jocketty. “We’re just trying to finish off the season with our young starting pitchers of the future. [Going with all rookie starters] gives us a better idea of who those pitchers might be now, [compared to] what we had a couple years ago.”
Here are a few more notes from the National League:
- The Phillies will likely kick their GM search into high gear after the regular season is completed, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick tweets. Philadelphia could ramp up its interviews at that time, he suggests, though a complete hiring timeline remains unclear.
- Whoever takes over for the Phillies will, of course, have plenty of long-term decisions to make, but things will start with management of the team’s big league assets. Jake Kaplan of the Philadelphia Inquirer looks at every current member of the 40-man roster, breaking down some possible outcomes.
- The Nationals have parted ways with two front office members, as Bill Ladson of MLB.com reports. Director of international scouting Bill Singer and advance scout Bob Johnson have both been let go.
AL East Notes: Davis, Orioles, Hill
Orioles first baseman/outfielder Chris Davis said today that he was disappointed that the club never approached him to discuss a new contract during the season, as Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com reports on Twitter. The 29-year-old has frequently mentioned his interest in returning to Baltimore, though a recent report indicates that his representatives and the team did not progress very far when extension talks were last broached. Regardless, it seems as if the O’s would have a good shot at wooing back the league’s home run leader — if, that is, they are willing to play at (or at least near) the top of what figures to be a lively market for his services. Davis called the lack of contact “a little frustrating,” but said that he doesn’t “have hard feelings” as free agency nears.
Here’s more from the AL East:
- This winter could be one of great change for the Orioles, and manager Buck Showalter notes that it may not come just from the players reaching free agency, as Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports. The organization has a host of players set to qualify for arbitration, and not all of them are obvious tender candidates. “A lot of decisions,” Showalter said. “I’m sure our guys have it wired about the order in which those decisions need to be made.”
- Red Sox lefty Rich Hill has spun an interesting storyline late in the season, allowing just five earned runs over 29 innings in which he owns an outstanding 36:5 strikeout-to-walk ratio. (He was also quite good in Triple-A this year, though it should be noted that he carried a more typical 4.6 BB/9 walk rate.) The 35-year-old tells WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford that he’s ready to hit the open market this winter with vigor. “I’ve never spoke like this before in the past because for me to be humble is extremely important,” he explained. “But in this part of the game you have to go out and stand up for yourself and that’s something I’m looking forward to doing in the offseason. It’s confidence. It’s going out there and saying, ‘I can pitch for anybody, against anybody, anytime, anywhere.’ I feel very [full of conviction].” Hill says he is looking for a guaranteed big league deal and a legitimate shot to earn a rotation spot. It’s nearly impossible to gauge what kind of market he’ll have, but that is precisely what will make him so interesting to follow in free agency. The piece is well worth a read to see the veteran’s thoughts after an excellent and unexpected run in the Boston rotation.
White Sox To Retain Robin Ventura
White Sox GM Rick Hahn said today that the club will retain skipper Robin Ventura for the 2016 season, as Dan Hayes of CSNChicago.com was among those to report on Twitter. Though Ventura was already under contract for next year, there had been plenty of speculation about his job security after a disappointing campaign.
Hahn did confirm that bench coach Mark Parent has been fired from his position, as Hayes earlier reported (Twitter links). The rest of the staff will remain intact except for assistant hitting coach Harold Baines, who has decided to move into a different role in the organization.
Ventura has compiled a 295-350 win/loss record since taking the helm before the 2012 season. He directed a winning club in his first year, but has overseen sub-.500 efforts in each of the last three.
Increased spending and heightened expectations couldn’t prevent another middling season, leaving Ventura seemingly at risk. But Hahn explained that he still believes the former All-Star third baseman can lead a team to a championship, as Hayes tweets.
The White Sox already seem to have a pretty clear idea of what they’d like to do with next year’s staff, MLB.com’s Scott Merkin reports (Twitter links). Adding a coach with a Latin American background is one priority, and the team may prefer that its new bench coach have managerial experience. One name that appears to be getting some consideration is Raul Ibanez, according to Merkin, though it’s not clear what role he’d be in play for.
Paco Rodriguez Undergoes Tommy John Surgery
Braves lefty Paco Rodriguez has undergone Tommy John surgery, MLB.com’s Mark Bowman reports on Twitter. That means he’ll almost certainly miss all of next season.
Rodriguez, 24, came to Atlanta as one of the thirteen players to change hands in this summer’s three-team swap with the Dodgers and Marlins. While Hector Olivera headlined that deal, the young southpaw looked like a useful secondary piece.
Since moving quickly to the big leagues, Rodriguez has thrown 85 1/3 innings of 2.53 ERA ball, with 9.6 K/9 against 3.2 BB/9. Those results aren’t a mirage, either, as all the major ERA estimators see him as a sub-3.00 performer during his time in the big leagues.
But Rodriguez hasn’t thrown since joining the Braves. That was expected, to a degree, as he was coming off of surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow and was set to miss eight to ten weeks.
Still, there is no indication that Atlanta anticipated it would lose Rodriguez for all of next year when it added him. Assuming he spends 2016 on the 60-day DL, Rodriguez will head into 2017 with 3.120 years of service and will reach arbitration eligibility before he ever takes the mound in a big league game for the Braves. On the positive side, the team should have plenty of time to evaluate the progress of his elbow before making a decision.
NL East Notes: Coppolella, Escobar, Thornton, Ruf
The Braves held a press conference today to announce the long-expected elevation of John Coppolella to the general manager’s seat. As MLB.com’s Mark Bowman reports, top club executives John Schuerholz and John Hart both offered high praise for the younger Coppolella, who had already been performing many traditional GM functions under Hart’s oversight. “The fans of Atlanta should be very comfortable that there is not going to be any stone that is left unturned with [Coppolella] there,” said Hart. “Brightness and creativity is one thing. But his unrelenting work ethic is something that stands out as much as anything.”
Here’s more from the NL East:
- With the Nationals expected to shift Anthony Rendon back to third base next year, the club will face a decision on fellow infielder Yunel Escobar, as Mark Zuckerman of CSN Washington writes. Escobar could shift to second, where he was expected to play this season, return to his natural shortstop, or even be dealt. The Nats’ roster could be tweaked in any number of ways over the winter, but deciding upon a strategy up the middle is a clear need.
- Nationals lefty Matt Thornton just logged his tenth straight season of sixty-or-more appearances, as James Wagner of the Washington Post writes. Thornton has delivered excellent results since he was acquired via waiver claim last August. He turned 39 in the meantime, but says he has plenty of gas left in the tank. “Right now, I’m focused on finishing this year healthy and finishing strong here and looking forward to my opportunity next year and the years after that,” said Thornton. “I feel great right now. I really do. I look forward to continuing my major league career. I love this game. I love the ins and outs of it.”
- Phillies first baseman Darin Ruf has favorably impressed the organization with his play of late, CSNPhilly.com’s Jim Salisbury reports. Manager Pete Mackanin indicated that the club was glad to be getting a look at Ruf in more regular duty, which he’s received since Ryan Howard went down. “He’s swinging the bat very well,” said Mackanin. “We’re trying to get him at-bats so we can make a decision on him for next year. He’s swinging the bat better now against right-handers and he’s just been dominant against left-handers. It’s good to see.” Ruf’s situation obviously is interwoven with that of Howard. As Ryan Lawrence of the Philadelphia Daily News writes, Mackanin says that the veteran slugger needs to get his legs healthy and improve his glovework at first base to command playing time next year.
AL East Notes: Jones, Davis, Stanton, Bogaerts
Orioles star Adam Jones continued to express his feelings on an important offseason for the organization, as Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports. The highly-respected veteran said that he thinks re-signing Chris Davis is “probably the highest priority” for the organization this winter. Skipper Buck Showalter addressed the subject in a less direct manner. “We’d like to keep everybody, obviously,” he said. “I think everybody shares that. Let’s see where it goes. We all have our own personal feelings about it. You can probably guess what mine are. Some things you reach for because, let’s be frank, it makes your job easier. But you also know what your job description is.”
Here’s more from the AL East:
- The Orioles “briefly” pursued extension talks with Davis and his representatives at the Boras Corporation, per Connolly. But despite stated interest from both sides in an ongoing relationship, those discussions never gained much traction.
- Looking even further back into “what-if” transactional history, the Red Sox had a legitimate chance a few years ago to land Giancarlo Stanton from the Marlins, according to ESPNBoston.com’s Gordon Edes. But Miami was insistent that any deal would have to include shortstop Xander Bogaerts, and that proved a sticking point that prevented further progress.
- The Red Sox have obviously received exactly what they hoped for when they placed a high value on Bogaerts. As he turns 23 today, the shortstop is putting the finishing touches on an outstanding season in which he’s been worth about 4.5 to 5 wins above replacement. The same holds true, of course, of the versatile Mookie Betts. (He’ll reach 23 years of age within the week.) Those performances raise the possibility of extension talks, says Alex Speier of the Boston Globe, who analyzes the history of similarly-situated young players as well as that of new president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski.
NL West Notes: Murphy, Streich, Upton, Vogelsong, Anderson
Padres interim skipper Pat Murphy tells Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune that he is grateful for the chance to take the helm, even if he doesn’t end up keeping the seat for next year. The industry expectation is that San Diego will search for a new manager, says Lin, though the club has yet to make its direction clear. Murphy covers the full scope of his career in the interesting interview, concluding with a pitch for a full shot at running the Pads’ dugout: “I’m certain I can do it,” he says. “I’d love the opportunity to go to spring training and try to change the culture and create a dynamic that leads the Padres into great success in the future.”
Here’s more from San Diego and the rest of the NL West:
- Padres righty Seth Streich, who came to San Diego along with catcher Derek Norris in last winter’s trade with the Athletics, recently underwent Tommy John surgery, MLB.com’s Corey Brock reports on Twitter. Streich had already missed this season due to shoulder surgery — as the club expected when it acquired him — but the new procedure will bump out his recovery window by at least another year.
- It remains to be seen whether outfielder Justin Upton will play again for the Padres this year, tweets Brock. As Brock had reported previously, Upton had suffered a scary-looking collision with the outfield wall. It’s obviously good news that the injury seems minor, but it could well spell the end of the pending free agent’s tenure in San Diego.
- Ryan Vogelsong says he’s committed to pitching next year, but doubts it will be with the Giants, as Alex Pavlovic of the Mercury News reports. “The last month, not getting a lot of time on the mound, I’m probably not high on the priority list – which is something hate to say, as much as I love it here and love everybody in the clubhouse,” said Vogelsong. While he declined to shut the door on a return, he explained that his usage “pretty much puts the writing on the wall.” The 38-year-old continued: “I really don’t have any expectations now other than I want to play and I’d like a chance to start and I still feel I can take the ball for 32 starts in a season. We’ll see where the wind blows me. Physically I feel as good as I have. My arm feels good. I still feel I have a lot to offer to somebody, and we’ll see who that is.”
- Dodgers lefty Brett Anderson had a strong outing tonight to cap a nice year, and was rewarded for it. By topping 180 innings, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles News Group was among those to note, Anderson moved past two bonus milestones (175 and 180 innings) in his contract. All told, after adding $750K this evening on top of already-earned payouts, the 27-year-old has tacked on $2.4MM to the $10MM guarantee he received as a free agent. Even better, a healthy and productive season has Anderson set up nicely for his return to the open market this winter.
Latest On Marlins’ Managerial Hunt
The Marlins are continuing to look around at new managerial candidates even as current skipper Dan Jennings finishes out the season. Of course, the former GM has reportedly been offered a chance to return to the front office after the year. Regardless of what happens there, Miami owner Jeffrey Loria and his staff are reportedly aiming to find a new hire with previous experience as a big league skipper, and the names they’ve been connected with reflect that predilection.
Here’s the latest:
- Bo Porter has interviewed for the Marlins’ managerial post, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. The former Astros skipper has been the Braves’ third base coach this season and held that role for the Marlins over 2007 to 2009. Porter also has spent time with the Nationals and Diamondbacks in recent years. While he never meshed in Houston, Porter had been one of the more highly-regarded, younger coaches in the game prior to taking that gig and is still just 43 years of age.
- Manny Acta is the only other candidate to have interviewed, at least so far as has been reported. He, too, has experience as a MLB skipper — with the Nationals and Indians — despite being a fairly youthful candidate at 46 years of age. Acta’s ability to communicate in both Spanish and English is also said to represent an important factor.
- The hiring effort is expected to be “extensive,” per Heyman, which seems to suggest that multiple other names could arise. Veteran skipper Dusty Baker has reportedly drawn interest from Miami, though we’ve yet to hear indication that he has been brought in for an interview.
Dodgers Release Mat Latos
SEPTEMBER 25: The Dodgers have announced that they’ve released Latos.
SEPTEMBER 17: The Dodgers have designated righty Mat Latos for assignment, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reports on Twitter. His 40-man spot will be used for the activation of reliever Carlos Frias from the 60-day DL.
Latos, 27, was acquired from the Marlins at the trade deadline in a complicated, three-team deal. That move also brought several other pieces to Los Angeles, with the bulk of the assets (featuring lefty Alex Wood and infielder prospect Jose Peraza) coming from the Braves.
It was certainly a calculated to risk to add Latos, who has an excellent track record but had dealt with injuries and performance issues in recent years. He had shown improved velocity and results in the run-up to the deadline, suggesting that his still-youthful arm could have some punch left down the stretch.
Needless to say, Latos did not perform to expectations for the Dodgers. He surrendered 18 earned runs over just 24 1/3 innings, though he did manage a fairly typical 18:6 strkeout-to-walk ratio.
It is hard to see any other teams having interest in the righty for the rest of the season, given his recent struggles and the fact that he wouldn’t be eligible to pitch for a new club in the postseason. But he’ll still probably draw plenty of interest as a buy-low arm when he hits free agency in a few months. Latos will hit the market in advance of his age-28 season, and organizations will no doubt recall that he averaged about 200 frames of sub-3.30 ERA pitching annually over the 2010-2013 seasons.