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Guardians Part Ways With Three Coaches

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Third base coach Mike Sarbaugh, bullpen coach Rigo Beltran, and replay coordinator Mike Barnett won’t be returning to the Guardians’ staff next season, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.  These are the first known changes to be made to the composition of Cleveland’s staff now that Terry Francona will no longer be managing the team.

Sarbaugh has been a member of the Guardians’ coaching staff since 2013, mostly as the third base coach but also stepping into the bench coach role in 2020 when Sandy Alomar Jr. stepped in as interim manager while Francona was on medical leave.  However, Sarbaugh’s ties in the organization date back to 1990, as he played five seasons in the team’s minor league system before beginning a long stretch of coaching and managing at various affiliates within Cleveland’s farm system.

Barnett is also a longtime member of the staff, having worked as the replay coordinator since the 2015-16 offseason.  Barnett may be better known for his multiple stints as a hitting coach with the Blue Jays (2002-05), Royals (2006-8), and Astros (2011-12), and his 40-year career in baseball has also taken him to jobs with the Yankees, Diamondbacks, White Sox, and the University of Tennessee.

Beltran’s run on the big league coaching staff will end after just a single season, though he has been in Cleveland’s organization since 2014.  Prior to the bullpen coaching job, Beltran was the pitching coach for Triple-A Columbus for the previous four years.

Astros Interested In Craig Counsell

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With Craig Counsell already garnering interesting from the Mets and Guardians, it only makes sense that another team with a managerial vacancy would also look into the soon-to-be free agent skipper.  According to Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Astros “have expressed interest” in Counsell, “but it’s unclear how serious their pursuit would be.”

It could be that Houston is just doing its due diligence in checking in on Counsell, given his impressive track record over nine seasons with the Brewers.  The Astros naturally expect to contend again in 2024, so hiring a manager like Counsell who has proven he can consistently get teams into the postseason would seem like a logical way to fill the big shoes left behind by the retiring Dusty Baker.

Since it has been barely over a week since the Astros were eliminated from the ALCS and Baker announced his retirement, the club’s managerial search has yet to really kick into full gear.  Bench coach Joe Espada and former Tigers/Angels manager Brad Ausmus are seen as two of the top potential candidates, but word has yet to filter out about what other names Houston could be considering for the job.

As for Counsell, his contract with the Brewers officially ends today, so the manager will be fully available as of Wednesday to be hired by another team.  This doesn’t mean that a decision is necessarily coming quickly, as MLB Network’s Jon Morosi (X link) notes that there isn’t any known timeline Counsell might have in choosing his next job.  The potential inclusion of the Astros adds another wrinkle to a list of suitors that is already three teams deep.

The Brewers already granted the Mets and Guardians permission to interview Counsell, while Hogg hears from a source that the Brewers themselves “have begun the process of requesting interviews with potential managerial replacements.”  This is another natural due-diligence move since obviously the Crew don’t want to start a managerial search from scratch if Counsell does leave, though it does represent some “uncertainty” within Milwaukee’s front office over what Counsell’s decision will be.

By this point, it appears as though Counsell will certainly become the highest-paid manager in the sport, as it’s hard to imagine his next deal wouldn’t top the $4.5MM average annual salary Terry Francona received as the Guards’ former manager.  The Mets and owner Steve Cohen could certainly throw their financial weight around if it means bringing Counsell into the fold, but Hogg argues that the Brewers have no reason to not offer Counsell a big raise, as he was already making a $3.5MM salary.  As Hogg further notes, a manager’s salary is comparatively small in relation to the salaries that even a smaller-market team like the Brewers give to average players.

Marlins Outright Three To Triple-A

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The Marlins outrighted outfielder Jonathan Davis, left-hander Enmanuel De Jesus, and right-hander Jeff Lindgren off their 40-man roster, according to the team’s official transactions page.  Davis and Lindgren can opt for free agency instead of the assignment to Triple-A because they’ve each been previously outrighted during their careers, while De Jesus is likely to wind up in minor league free agency.

Davis first had to be activated from the 60-day injured list before being outrighted, as he has been out of action since undergoing right meniscus surgery back in July.  Davis suffered the injury diving for a ball in center field, and it ended up costing him the remainder of his 2023 season.  The meniscus procedure had a recovery timeline of 3-6 months, so while Davis’ normal offseason routine will be delayed, he can hopefully be ready for Spring Training — whether in the Marlins’ camp, or with another club.

Miami acquired Davis in a trade with the Tigers last May, as the Fish were looking to shore up their center field depth with Jazz Chisholm Jr. recovering from turf toe.  Davis ended up playing in 34 games and making 104 plate appearances (the most of any of his six MLB seasons) before getting hurt.  After being part of five different organizations since August 2021, Davis may now find himself on the move once more, almost surely on another minor league deal.

Davis has a .198/.295/.276 slash line over 205 games and 464 PA at the big league level, appearing in each of the last six seasons.  Despite the lack of offense, Davis is a well-regarded baserunner who can play all three outfield positions, making him a useful depth option at either Triple-A or on a Major League bench.  The outright assignment is essentially an early non-tender for the Marlins, as Davis was eligible for salary arbitration for the first time this winter and projected to earn $800K for 2024.

De Jesus made his MLB debut this season, tossing 6 1/3 innings over two appearances and allowing eight earned runs.  That 11.57 ERA notwithstanding, De Jesus could finally call himself a big leaguer after a long minor league career that began in the Red Sox system in 2014.  De Jesus pitched with Boston until he spent the 2022 season with the Giants’ Triple-A affiliate, and he then caught on with the Marlins on a minors contract.

Working as both a starter and reliever over his career, De Jesus has a 4.01 ERA over 749 1/3 innings in the minors as a whole, and a 4.61 ERA in 191 1/3 frames at Triple-A.  The 26-year-old’s control has become an increasing issue over the last couple of years, hampering his success in the upper minors.

Lindgren was a 24th-round pick for the Marlins in the 2019 draft, and he also reached the majors for the first time in 2023, appearing in three games and delivering a 5.14 ERA over seven innings pitched.  The number of appearances didn’t quite outpace the number of outrights, as this is now the fourth time Miami has removed Lindgren from their 40-man roster in 2023.  As such, he could’ve opted into free agency on multiple occasions this season, but since he chose to remain with the Marlins on those previous occasions, he might well choose to stay once more.

Padres Considering Phil Nevin, Benji Gil As Managerial Candidates

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Former Angels manager Phil Nevin and Angels infield coordinator Benji Gil are on the Padres’ radar for interviews as the club continues its managerial search, according to The Athletic’s Dennis Lin and Britt Ghiroli (both links to X).  Nevin might interview this week while Gil “is in preliminary discussions” about a potential interview.

Nevin has plenty of Padres ties, as he lives just outside San Diego and played seven (1999-2005) of his 12 Major League seasons in a Padres uniform.  Since retiring from playing, Nevin has had a lengthy career as a coach and manager in the majors and minors, culminating in his first MLB managerial gig with the Angels over the last two seasons.  Taking over as Los Angeles’ interim skipper when Joe Maddon was fired in June 2022, Nevin was properly made the manager following the season, though given only a one-year contract.  Nevin posted an 119-149 overall record as the Angels’ manager, and he wasn’t given a new deal following the 2023 campaign as the Halos chose to instead look for a new dugout boss.

Gil has never managed at the Major League level, and has been on the Angels’ coaching staff for only the last two seasons.  Still, the 51-year-old Gil has the past experience of an eight-year playing career in the bigs, as well as some managerial experience outside of the affiliated minors.  Gil has worked as a manager in Mexican baseball, most notably helming Mexico’s national teams during the 2020 Summer Olympics and during the 2023 World Baseball Classic.  The Angels reportedly had interest in Gil as a possible candidate for their own managerial vacancy, though it isn’t yet known if the former infielder has sat down for a former interview with the Angels’ upper management.

In a sense, the two candidates represent the four (non-interim managers) who have run the Padres’ dugout during A.J. Preller’s tenure as the club’s president of baseball operations.  Nevin is a veteran baseball man with past managerial experience, like Bud Black (who Preller inherited Bud Black as his first skipper) and Bob Melvin (who managed the Padres over the last two seasons).  In between those hires, Preller went with Andy Green and Jayce Tingler, both first-time managers with relatively little coaching experience on a Major League staff.

This same dynamic exists between the other two known candidates for the San Diego job.  Bench coach Ryan Flaherty has never managed at the MLB level but has been on the Padres’ coaching staff for the last four seasons, while senior associate Mike Shildt was the Cardinals’ skipper from 2018-21.  Flaherty and Shildt are considered the favorites to be the next Padres’ manager, though Preller said that the team would be exploring external candidates out of more than due diligence.  “We’re going to make sure we exhaust all the different possibilities to get the right choice….We want to try to get it right,” Preller said.

Ghiroli also notes that Eric Chavez is “no longer expected to be in the mix” after garnering some level of interest from the Padres in their search.  Chavez has long been seen as a possible future manager, and he has worked on the Mets’ staff for the last two seasons, including a bench coach role in 2023.  Since the Mets are themselves looking for a new manager to replace Buck Showalter, Chavez’s future in New York could well be in flux, though it appears he won’t be part of the Padres’ search.

Rangers Remove Adolis Garcia, Max Scherzer From World Series Roster

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6:11PM: The Rangers have officially replaced Garcia and Scherzer on the World Series roster with Duran and left-hander Brock Burke, the league announced.  Burke had a 4.37 ERA, 20.8% strikeout rate, and 3.8% walk rate over 59 2/3 innings for Texas this season, initially working as a multi-inning reliever before settling into a more standard one-inning bullpen role.  The southpaw has made only one appearance during the Rangers’ playoff run, tossing one-third of an inning in Game 2 of the ALDS against the Orioles.

5:12PM: Adolis Garcia and Max Scherzer each left yesterday’s Game 3 with injuries, as Garcia was removed with an apparent side injury after a big swing in the eighth inning and Scherzer lasted only three innings on the mound due to back tightness.  Providing updates on both players today, Rangers manager Bruce Bochy told media that the club had yet to make a formal decision about whether or not either Garcia or Scherzer would be replaced on the World Series roster, but that decision might come prior to the start of tonight’s Game 4.

“It’s not great news” about Garcia, as Bochy bluntly put it, as the outfielder has suffered “a moderate strain of the oblique.”  Garcia took some swings to test his readiness and is undergoing treatment from team trainers, but he has already been ruled out of the starting lineup, as Travis Jankowski will instead get the nod tonight in Garcia’s customary right field spot.  As for Scherzer, the veteran right-hander’s back is still “pretty locked up,” putting his readiness for another appearance later in the Series into serious doubt.

Since a player cannot return to action in the World Series once he is removed from the roster, it is understandable why Texas is being as cautious as possible before making a final call on Garcia and Scherzer.  That said, it is hard to imagine either getting healthy enough to play within the short window of time remaining in the postseason.  The Rangers simply can’t afford to play essentially two men down, and even though Scherzer probably wouldn’t have pitched again until a possible Game 7 if healthy, the Rangers would still be fielding a shorthanded roster in the event that Scherzer was given an extra day or two for more observation.  Getting a fresh arm in Scherzer’s place would also help the bullpen sooner rather than later.

Ezequiel Duran has already been tabbed as the replacement should Garcia indeed be removed from the roster, yet obviously there’s no way to truly replace his huge contributions to the Texas lineup.  Garcia has been perhaps the biggest star of the Rangers’ playoff run, as he has hit .323/.382/.726 with eight home runs over 68 plate appearances this postseason.  Garcia’s 15 RBI during the ALCS set a new record for most RBI in a postseason series, and Garcia was rightly named ALCS MVP for his heroics in the Rangers’ seven-game triumph over the Astros.

Nationals Hire Gerardo Parra, Ricky Gutierrez As Coaches

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With a number of vacancies to fill on their coaching staff, the Nationals will fill two of those spots with Gerardo Parra as the new first base coach and Ricky Gutierrez as the new third base coach, Andrew Golden of the Washington Post reports (via X).  Parra and Gutierrez will respectively take over from Eric Young Jr. and Gary DiSarcina, as the Nats parted ways with both base coaches following the season.

This is the first coaching job for the 36-year-old Parra, who has spent the better part of the last two seasons as a special assistant to Nationals GM Mike Rizzo.  2021 was the final season of Parra’s 12-year Major League career, and he sandwiched two seasons with the Nats around a stint in Japan with the Yomiuri Giants in 2020.

Parra enjoyed a number of highlights during his lengthy career, including two Gold Gloves when playing for the Diamondbacks from 2009-14.  However, Parra’s most famous broadly famous moments came with Washington in 2019, as his use of “Baby Shark” as his walkup song made him a viral sensation.  Parra’s arrival with the Nationals after a May 2019 trade with the Giants was also considered a chief turning point in the Nats’ season, as Parra’s clubhouse leadership and contributions as an outfield regular helped get a then-struggling Washington team on track.  The result was the Nationals’ first World Series championship, cementing Parra’s position as a fan favorite in the District for life.

The 53-year-old Gutierrez also has 12 seasons of Major League playing time on his resume, suiting up for six different teams from 1993-2004.  Post-playing career, Gutierrez worked with the Reds’ player development department for five years and was the manager of their Double-A affiliate in 2021.

Gutierrez moved on from that job to join the Nationals prior to the 2022 season, first working as a Latin American scout and in a special assistant’s role, and he was part of the MLB team’s coaching staff in 2023 as a run prevention coordinator.  That somewhat unique title meant that Gutierrez was focusing on improving the Nats’ defense, and Gutierrez (himself a former shortstop) in particular worked with CJ Abrams and Luis Garcia in the middle infield.

NL West Notes: Kelly, Pham, Dodgers, Padres, Preller

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Merrill Kelly’s gem of an outing in Game 2 has made him the talk of baseball, and The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal took a look back at the right-hander’s unique path to the World Series stage.  Beginning his career in the Rays’ farm system, Kelly signed with the KBO League’s SK Wyverns and spent four seasons pitching in South Korea, despite feeling an urge to return to North American baseball halfway through that stint.  Still, pitching in the KBO League sparked Kelly’s career to the point that Diamondbacks had interest in a free agent deal during the 2018-19 offseason, and Kelly signed a two-year, $5.5MM deal with club options attached for 2021 and 2022.

This was the only multi-year offer Kelly received that winter, so he jumped at the chance at some extra security as he made his MLB debut at age 30.  Between that initial contract and a subsequent extension signed prior to the 2022 season, Kelly’s time in Arizona has now included five seasons, at least $32.5MM in guaranteed salary, and now a key role in the postseason.  Kelly has a 2.25 ERA over four starts and 24 innings in these playoffs, and holds an interesting distinction as the first pitcher to earn a win in both the Korean Series (helping the Wyverns capture the 2018 title) and the World Series.

Some more from around the NL West….

  • Before the Diamondbacks picked up Tommy Pham from the Mets at the trade deadline, the Dodgers were known to be one of several other teams who considered acquiring the veteran outfielder.  Pham told Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times that he wanted to join the Dodgers last offseason, but president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman twice turned down overtures from Pham’s agent, as L.A. was focused on adding a left-handed hitting outfielder instead.  David Peralta ended up being that lefty swinging outfielder, and while Peralta had a subpar season, Pham hit .256/.328/.446 over 481 combined PA with the Mets and D’Backs this season.  Pham has continued to contribute during Arizona’s playoff run, including a four-hit night in Game 2 of the World Series.
  • A.J. Preller’s management style as the Padres’ president of baseball operations has come under increased criticism due to the team’s disappointing 2023 season, as well as the reported discord between Preller and now-former manager Bob Melvin.  Preller spoke with Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune and other reporters about what he is looking for in hiring the Padres’ next skipper, with Acee adding details and anecdotes within the piece related to Preller’s approach, his (to some, overbearing) attention to detail, and the communication breakdown that occurred between Preller and Melvin over the last year.

James Outman, Breakout Man

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As a fan of dad joke-level wordplay, I was tempted to title this post “James Outman Came Outta Nowhere,” except that wasn’t really the case.  The Athletic’s Keith Law had Outman on his list (in 89th) of the 100 best prospects in baseball heading into the 2023 season, the outfielder tore up minor league pitching in 2021-22, and Outman even had a 1.409 OPS over the very small sample size of the 16 plate appearances he received with the Dodgers in 2022.  That put Outman in good stead to win a spot on Los Angeles’ Opening Day roster, and he indeed secured his place with a big Spring Training.

From there, it isn’t a stretch to call Outman one of the Dodgers’ most valuable players of 2023.  In fact, Outman and Will Smith tied for third on the club with 4.4 fWAR, as only NL MVP candidates Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman has more fWAR among all Dodgers position players.

The season had its share of ups and downs for Outman, as his hot start in April was followed up by a .551 OPS over 166 plate appearances in May and June.  Just when it looked like Outman might’ve just been a flash in the pan, his bat steadied once more, and he posted an .852 OPS over 292 PA over the remainder of the regular season.  It all added up to a .248/.353/.437 slash line and 23 home runs, which translated to a 118 wRC+.  Beyond the offense, Outman was also a stellar center field defender in the view of the Outs Above Average metric (+9), and the UZR/150 (+1.8) and Defensive Runs Saved (+1) metrics at least had his glovework slightly above average.

This defensive performance ended up being particularly important given how center field might’ve otherwise been a big problem area for Los Angeles.  With Cody Bellinger gone to the Cubs in free agency, the Dodgers went into 2023 prepared to give Trayce Thompson a big chunk of center field time, as Thompson unexpectedly hit very well after coming to L.A. in 2022.  Thompson was slated for the majority of playing time up the middle, with a pair of left-handed bats (Outman and veteran minor league signing Jason Heyward) in position as complements for platoon purposes.

Unfortunately for Thompson, everything went downhill after a three-homer performance in his first game of the season.  Thompson struggled badly over the first two months and then missed two more months on the 60-day injured list due to an oblique strain before he was included in the trade package that brought Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly from the White Sox prior to the trade deadline.  Heyward was having a nice comeback year but had an increased amount of playing time in right field, as Mookie Betts was needed at second base and shortstop due to injuries in the Dodgers’ middle infield.

That left center field for Outman, who rose to the occasion.  Heyward, Chris Taylor, Jonny Deluca, and deadline pickup Enrique Hernandez chipped in for playing time, but by and large, Outman was the Dodgers’ everyday center fielder.  This looks to be the case heading into 2024 as well, even though the 26-year-old has some flaws to correct in his game.

The .343 BABIP could indicate some natural regression is in order, even if Outman has a lot of speed and can challenge for hits even on weak-ish contact.  This baserunning skill came in handy since Outman’s hard-contact numbers were nothing special — a 39.9% total that ranked in the 44th percentile of all hitters, even if his strong barrel and sweet-spot rates generated some power.  The bigger issues were a 31.9% strikeout rate that was among the worst in the league, and an overall lack of production against left-handed pitching.  Outman had just a .665 OPS over 154 PA against southpaws, compared to an .836 PA against righties.

These splits and the high strikeout totals also troubled Outman in the upper minors, and even Law’s positive scouting report praised Outman’s other tools but noted that “there’s too much swing and miss in the zone here to say he’ll be more than an average hitter.”  The obvious volatility within Outman’s numbers might make him a candidate for a sophomore slump, now that opposing teams have more of a book on him and know to keep throwing him breaking balls.

On the other hand, Outman could be partially shielded simply by becoming a bit more of a platoon player.  He’d still get the bulk of at-bats as the left-handed side of a center field platoon, but having a righty-swinger to split time would help Outman avoid southpaws.  As to who that right-handed center fielder might be, Taylor, Deluca, and Andy Pages are in the mix, even if Deluca might be the only real center field option of that group from a defensive standpoint.  Hernandez is a free agent and a candidate to be re-signed.  Betts might even factor in for the occasional cameo in center field, even if the Dodgers would ideally like to see Betts mostly back in his normal right field spot, and the middle infield shored up by a healthy Gavin Lux and perhaps a new acquisition to join veteran Miguel Rojas.

The Dodgers have enough pressing offseason needs that a platoon center fielder is relatively down their list of priorities, not to mention the fact that left field is a bigger question mark in the outfield alone.  That said, Outman’s emergence provides some major relief for Los Angeles, and gives hope that despite all the middle infield issues, the Dodgers can at least get some strength up the middle with a solid center field option.

Managerial/Coaching Notes: Thomson, Counsell, Guardians, Orioles

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There haven’t yet been any talks between the Phillies and manager Rob Thomson about a contract extension, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told reporters (including the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Alex Coffey) this week.  Thomson was named interim manager during the 2022 season after Joe Girardi was fired, and after the Phillies’ run to the World Series, Thomson was given a new two-year pact as the club’s new full-time skipper.  No club options were attached to the deal, so the 60-year-old Thomson is only locked up through the 2024 campaign.

Despite the relative lack of contractual stability, it doesn’t appear as though Thomson is going anywhere, given how successful the Fightins have been under his watch.  With still plenty of time left for an extension to be negotiated, it wouldn’t at all be surprising to see a new contract for Thomson announced prior to Opening Day.  Though Thomson had been planning to retire from baseball heading into the 2022 season, his first run as a big league manager has re-energized his spirits.  “I love this city, this organization, this team.  I have never had as much fun in my life as I have the last couple of years.  So yeah, I can envision [managing beyond 2024,” Thomson told Coffey and company.

More on other dugout situations around baseball….

  • The Guardians are set to interview Craig Counsell after being granted permission by the Brewers earlier this week, creating speculation that the Guards might be able to find another experienced, successful manager to replace Terry Francona.  However, a Counsell/Cleveland pairing looks to be “a long shot,” as a source tells Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.  Pluto feels Counsell will ultimately end up staying in Milwaukee, though he thinks “the Guardians should go hard after Counsell” by giving him a deal akin to Francona’s past status as the highest-paid manager in baseball.  Of course, this wouldn’t stop the Brewers from also offering Counsell a raise, or the deep-pocketed Mets (who are also pursuing Counsell) from going overboard in a bidding war.
  • The Orioles’ coaching changes earlier this week could be “akin to the principal becoming the headmaster of a school and a new principal coming in beneath him to handle the day to day,” The Baltimore Banner’s Jon Meoli writes.  Chris Holt will remain the club’s director of pitching, even if he will no longer be acting as the Orioles’ pitching coach and quite so intimately involved in game-day operations.  Odds are that the Orioles will fill the pitching coach role from within, though Meoli feels an outside hire would represent some alteration in Baltimore’s approach in managing and developing their hurlers.

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