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Padres Fire Jayce Tingler

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After days of rumors, the Padres have officially parted ways with manager Jayce Tingler.  The former skipper has been offered the chance to stay with the organization in another role.

“Jayce accomplished a great deal in his two seasons with the Padres, leading our team through an unprecedented pandemic and into the postseason for the first time in 15 years,” president of baseball operations A.J. Preller said.  “I have tremendous respect for him as a coach, colleague and friend.  After much thought and consideration over the last several weeks, we felt change was necessary at this time to ultimately reach our championship potential in San Diego.”

Reports surfaced over the weekend that Tingler was going to be replaced, and while the Padres announced in response that “no decision has been made on Jayce’s employment status at this time,” the writing seemed to be on the wall given the rather stunning nature of the team’s collapse.

At the end of June, the Padres were 49-33 for the season and winners of 11 of their last 12 games.  The question at the time seemed to be which of the three NL West powers (the Padres, Dodgers, and Giants) would capture the division title and which two would be destined for a showdown in the wild card game.  Instead, the Padres cratered to a 30-50 mark over their final 80 games, including a nosedive that saw the club win only seven of their final 28 contests.

The result was a 79-83 record and the Padres’ 10th losing record in 11 seasons — a bitter pill to swallow for a club coming off an NLDS appearance in 2020 and with the highest of expectations.  Despite the star-studded nature of the Padres roster, several of the big names were undone either by injury or a lack of performance, with the starting rotation being particularly hampered by injuries down the stretch.

It was clear the late-season struggle was creating friction within the team, as there were reports of clubhouse discord at Tingler’s decision-making and his ties to Preller.  The Padres’ brutal record in September and October might have well been all the evidence necessary for Preller and ownership to decide that Tingler had lost the team, and now a new manager will be needed to get the Padres on track.

Tingler finishes with a 116-106 record in his two years as San Diego’s manager, still a winning mark thanks to his success in 2020, leading the Friars to the playoffs for the first time since 2006.  The Padres’ 37-23 record was the third-best record of any team during the shortened season, and San Diego’s victory over the Cardinals in the wild card series was their first postseason triumph since the 1998 NLCS.

While a manager is usually the first to go when a team doesn’t succeed, there were enough issues with the 2021 Padres that Tingler was hardly the only one at fault.  The Padres’ next manager will be the third Preller has hired to run the club in his seven-plus years in charge of the front office, and though Preller recently signed a contract extension that runs through the 2026 season, there will certainly a lot of extra pressure on the PBO to finally turn the Padres into a consistent winner.

On the more optimistic side, a case can easily be made that the San Diego job is a prime opportunity for any manager.  There is plenty of talent on the roster, and the Padres could certainly find themselves back in contention with better health alone in 2022.  Both Tingler and previous skipper Andy Green were first-time managers, so it will be interesting to see if Preller again looks for a younger voice in the dugout or if he looks to hire a manager with past experience.

MLB To Require Vaccinations For All Minor League Players Prior To 2022 Season

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Major League Baseball is preparing a policy that will require all minor league players to be vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to the start of next season, Yahoo Sports’ Hannah Keyser reports.  The news comes just a few weeks after the league’s requirement that all players participating in the Arizona Fall League be vaccinated.

Because minor leaguers aren’t part of the players union until they have actually played in the big leagues, MLB can issue mandates covering all of minor league baseball even though some players within the farm system have already made appearances in The Show and/or are on 40-man rosters.  The league would need the MLB Players Association to agree to a vaccination policy to cover all union members and MLB players in 2022 and beyond, and it could be that the AFL and minor league edicts are the first steps towards stricter policies the Commissioner’s Office could be planning for the coming season.

Many players have already received the vaccine, of course, and 24 of the 30 teams have already had their in-season COVID-19 protocols relaxed since 85 percent of players, coaches, and medical staff were fully vaccinated.  Getting any of the 30 teams to a 100 percent vaccination rate (or even the six holdout teams to an 85 percent rate) might not be possible, however, without MLB and the MLBPA signing off on a mandate covering all Major League personnel.

Twins Reassign Coaches Edgar Varela, Kevin Morgan

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Twins hitting coach Edgar Varela and Major League field coordinator Kevin Morgan won’t be turning to the coaching staff next season, as the club announced that two were reassigned to player development roles.  With the bench coach position also open and veteran coach Bill Evers retiring, Minnesota now has four vacancies to fill on Rocco Baldelli’s staff for 2022.

Varela has been with the Twins for four seasons, serving as the hitting coach for the last two years.  Offense was the least of the team’s concerns when the “Bomba Squad” put up big numbers in 2020, but even that lineup was a little one-dimensional and too focused on power, and a lack of consistent production in 2021 was one of the many reasons the Twins fell to last place in the AL Central.

While Minnesota batters still finished fifth in home runs, the Twins were closer to the middle of the pack in most other offensive categories.  In fairness to Varela, the Twins’ statistics surely would’ve been more impressive if several regulars (i.e. Byron Buxton, Max Kepler, Mitch Garver) hadn’t missed a lot of time on the injured list, and if slugger Nelson Cruz hadn’t been dealt to the Rays.

Still, the Twins clearly felt some new voices were necessary, leading to both Varela and Morgan departing the staff.  Morgan just finished his first year in the field coordinator role, as he was moved up to the MLB coaching staff to help fill the void left when former bench coach Mike Bell passed away last March.

Earlier this week, The Athletic’s Dan Hayes wrote about how the Twins were looking to expand their coaching staff in terms of overall positions (from 10 coaches up to as many as 14), though potentially with some names being reassigned elsewhere.  The expectation is that Minnesota’s next bench coach will come from outside the organization, and the team might also look to add another pitching coach with big league experience.

David Ross, Cubs In “Preliminary Talks” About Extension

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TODAY: Speaking with MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian and other reporters today, Hoyer confirmed that negotiations were taking place with Ross.  Bastian writes that a Ross extension would begin with the 2024 season, as the Cubs would first exercise their club option for 2023.

OCTOBER 2: The Cubs and manager David Ross have “had some preliminary talks” about a contract extension, Ross told NBC Sports Chicago’s Gordon Wittenmyer and other reporters.  Ross is taking something of a laid-back approach to the negotiations, saying he is focused on the remaining days of the Cubs’ season, and that “if I’m meant to get extended, I’ll get extended.”

As Wittenmyer notes, there has been an expectation that Ross would indeed get a new deal, following up on the original three-year pact he signed with the team in October 2019.  The 2022 season will be the final guaranteed year of that deal and the Cubs also have an option on Ross’ services for 2023.  The nature of the extension talks aren’t yet known, though it could be that the Cubs might simply lock in Ross’ 2023 season now, giving the skipper a bit more security beyond just one remaining guaranteed year.

The Cubs made the postseason in Ross’ first year, posting a 34-26 record before being eliminated by the Marlins in the first round of the expanded 2020 playoff structure.  With a 38-27 record back on June 13 of this season, the Wrigleyville crew seemed well on their way to another postseason berth before the wheels completely came off, resulting in a major fire sale of veterans and impending free agents at the trade deadline.  The Cubs enter today’s play with a dismal 69-91 record, marking their first losing season since 2014.

Between the pandemic and all of the tumult surrounding the Cubs in particular over the last two years, it is hard to gauge Ross’ share of the blame for the team’s struggles.  Ownership and the front office have seemingly been more concerned with keeping the payroll in check rather than adding big pieces around the Cubs’ former core of talent, leaving Ross with less to work with on the field.

While president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer has said Chicago will be “really active in free agency” and “spend money intelligently” this winter, it remains to be seen how much of a push the Cubs will make towards contending in 2022, or if they’ll continue to reload on young talent and keep their spending limited.  As such, Ross’ role in the dugout could continue to be more focused around managing and developing younger players rather than being overtly concerned with wins and losses.

Dodgers Announce Wild Card Roster

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The Dodgers have announced the 10 pitchers and 16 position players that will comprise the roster for their wild card game with the Cardinals tonight.  Max Scherzer will make his first postseason start in a Dodgers uniform.

Left-handed pitchers

Right-handed pitchers

Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders

The injured Clayton Kershaw is of course prominent in his absence, and Walker Buehler and David Price are two other prominent arms absent from this hitter-heavy roster.  Buehler is being lined up to start Game One of the NLDS should the Dodgers advance.  With “only” 10 pitchers available, Los Angeles is counting on Scherzer to throw another gem, with Urias and Gonsolin on hand to provide depth if Scherzer falters.

With so many multi-position utility types on the roster, normal “infield/outfield” designations don’t mean as much for the likes of Taylor, McKinstry, Beaty, or even Lux.  The Dodgers are aiming to give manager Dave Roberts as much flexibility as possible in playing the matchups against St. Louis starter Adam Wainwright and the Cardinals bullpen.  The Dodgers’ position player mix is also missing a key name due to a recent injury, as Max Muncy’s dislocated elbow will keep him out of at least the wild card game, though Roberts hasn’t closed the door on Muncy returning if L.A. gets deep enough into the postseason.

Cardinals Announce Wild Card Roster

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The Cardinals have announced their roster for tonight’s showdown with the Dodgers in the NL wild card game.  Adam Wainwright has already been announced as the starting pitcher, one of 12 pitchers the Cards will carry along with 14 position players.

Right-handed pitchers

Left-handed pitchers

Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders

Of the Cardinals’ regular starting pitchers, Jon Lester, J.A. Happ and Jake Woodford weren’t included on the roster — none surprising omissions due to the one-game nature of the playoff.  Mikolas, Hudson, and Flaherty are there to provide some level of depth if Wainwright has to make an early exit from the game.  Of the position players, Yepez is the most intriguing name, as the 23-year-old has posted big numbers in Triple-A this season but has never appeared in a Major League game.

Cardinals Designate Seth Elledge, Select Juan Yepez

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The Cardinals have made a roster move in advance of tonight’s wild card game with the Dodgers, designating right-hander Seth Elledge for assignment.  The transaction opens up a 40-man space for the Cards to select the contract of first baseman Juan Yepez from Triple-A.

It is quite the opportunity for the 23-year-old Yepez, who has never played in a MLB game but could now get his first taste of the big leagues in the October spotlight.  While it’s safe to assume Yepez might be the proverbial last man on the 26-man depth chart for tonight’s game, the fact that the Cards are giving this spot is a sign of confidence in what Yepez could provide as a potential x-factor.

Acquired from the Braves in the Matt Adams trade in 2017, Yepez’s bat didn’t really start to heat up until 2019, when he jumped from A-ball to Double-A in his age-21 season.  After not playing in 2020 due to the canceled minor league season, Yepez suddenly exploded this year, batting a combined .286/.383/.586 with 27 home runs over 434 combined plate appearances for Double-A Springfield (77 PA) and Triple-A Memphis (357 PA).  Yepez’s slash lines were almost identical at each level.

This breakout was enough to merit a #27 ranking on MLB Pipeline’s list of Cardinals prospects.  Pipeline’s scouting report cites Yepez’s “high exit velocities” and gap power, plus an increased maturity at the plate and an ability to make swing changes.  Yepez has mostly played first base in his career, but could also fill in at third base or a corner outfield slot in a pinch.

Elledge made his MLB debut in 2020, and pitching in each of the last two seasons, the righty has a 4.63 ERA over 23 1/3 career innings out of the St. Louis bullpen.  A high 13.5% walk rate has been Elledge’s biggest issue, and he has shown similar control issues over 70 innings at the Triple-A level.

Indians Release Brady Aiken

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Left-hander Brady Aiken was among a set of minor leaguers released by the Indians, the team announced.  Aiken hasn’t played in two years, as he announced after the 2019 season that he was stepping away from baseball for an indeterminate period of time.

Cleveland selected Aiken 17th overall in 2015, a year after the Astros took the southpaw with the 2014 draft’s first overall pick.  In the wake of the Houston pick, however, the Astros had some last-minute concerns about Aiken’s left UCL and wanted to renegotiate a lower bonus, and the two sides didn’t reach agreement on a deal.  Aiken indeed ended up undergoing Tommy John surgery, though that didn’t stop the Tribe from still taking Aiken in the first round in 2015.

Over part of three pro seasons, Aiken has a 5.18 ERA over 179 innings, reaching as high as the Indians’ A-ball affiliate in Lake County.  Just about all of that experience took place in 2016-17, as after Aiken didn’t pitch in 2018, he returned to toss only two-thirds of an inning over two appearances for Lake County, walking six of his nine total batters faced.

Aiken just turned 25 in August, but given the circumstances, it is reasonable to speculate that his baseball career could be over.  If so, Aiken would join Steve Chilcott (1965) and Brien Taylor (1991) as the only first overall picks to retire without ever playing in a Major League game.

No Traction Between Mets, Theo Epstein On Front Office Position

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As expected, Mets owner Steve Cohen was in contract with Theo Epstein about the team’s president of baseball operations opening, but Epstein won’t be taking over the Mets’ front office.  According to SNY’s Andy Martino (Twitter link), Cohen and Epstein “had a good conversation and both agreed that this was not the right opportunity.”

Epstein has been linked to the Mets on the rumor mill essentially since the moment he stepped down as the Cubs president of baseball ops last November, though Epstein said that he intended to take some time off before getting back into team management.  He instead took a consultant job with the Commissioner’s Office, and it appears as though Epstein will remain in that role for the foreseeable future.  Barring a surprise move in the coming days, the Mets look to be the only team in search of a new front office boss this offseason.

While it made natural sense for Cohen to look into Epstein’s availability, reports suggested that Epstein was seen as something of a longshot of a hire.  Beyond just running a front office, there have been suggestions that Epstein has his eyes on being at least a minority owner of his next team, if his next baseball job is even with a team at all — there have even been rumors that Epstein might look to succeed Rob Manfred as the next commissioner.

With Epstein out of the running, speculation will continue about two other major names reportedly on the Mets’ list, as Cohen is expected to request permission to speak with Brewers president of baseball operations David Stearns and A’s executive VP Billy Beane.  Of the two, the “Mets still may have a legit shot at Beane,” MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweets, though Beane himself downplayed the speculation.

“I wouldn’t even know that, honestly,” Beane told Shayna Rubin of The San Jose Mercury News and other reporters about the Mets’ plans to request an interview.  “Normally the process is they would call the owner which has happened in the past.  But to worry about this is to lend credibility to it.  It’s all just press reports.”  Of note, Beane also owns a small ownership stake in the Athletics, so that could be another hurdle to a hiring if Beane did have interest in leaving Oakland or if A’s ownership was willing to part ways.

Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen Discusses Offseason, Plans For 2022

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When speaking with reporters two weeks ago, Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen said he’d wait until the season was over before issuing a verdict on whether or not the D’Backs would try to contend next year or look to rebuild.  That season-ending meeting has now taken place, as Hazen spoke with media (including The Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro and MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert) and acknowledged that “coming off a 52-win season, making up 30 games on our win total is probably going to be somewhat challenging.”

“I’m not going to sell the team short, but I’m also not going to be unrealistic about realizing that we are a 52-win team,” Hazen said.  “And you might get tired of me saying that but I’m going to keep saying it because I want us all to remember where we are right now, and it’s easily the worst place that I’ve ever sat, and I’m responsible for it, so it’s even more painful.”

Hazen didn’t officially label the Diamondbacks’ situation as a rebuild, reload, “step back,” or any similar terminology, and also indicated that it might not take too long to get the organization back on track.  Hazen spoke highly of Arizona’s young prospects in the upper minors (some of whom are expected to make their big league debuts in 2022), and pointed to this wave of talent as evidence that the organizational pipeline was in good condition.  “This isn’t a situation, for me, where we are relying on a series of top-five draft picks to get us back into a position where we should be.  That’s my opinion,” Hazen said.

Of course, the critical next step is turning those prospects into contributors at the MLB level.  To that end, Hazen gave credit to the division rival Giants as an example of a team that has been able to get the most of its roster, with both younger players and veterans.  “I’m not sure that from top to bottom the consistency through which we are executing and helping our players is being done to the level that we should be doing it at,” Hazen said.

In terms of the Major League roster, Hazen said that the bullpen needs to be “rebuilt,” and that “I envision going into Spring Training with a lot of competition” at various positions, including third base.  While this doesn’t necessarily mean the D’Backs will be moving veteran players, Hazen said that he has to consider every option in the wake of the team’s struggles over the last two years.

This represents a slight change from Hazen’s perspective back in June, when the Diamondbacks’ plan going into the trade deadline was to explore dealing shorter-term veterans but keeping a core group in place for future building.  If nothing else, Hazen’s most recent comments create a bit more possibility that the likes of a Ketel Marte could be traded, though it’s probably safe to assume that Marte wouldn’t be moved for anything less than a huge offer.

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