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Coaching, Front Office News: Eiland, Blue Jays, Feinstein

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The latest on the coaching and managerial front:

  • The Royals announced the hiring of Dave Eiland as their new pitching coach.  Eiland served as the Yankees' pitching coach from 2008-10 and spent this year as a special assistant with the Rays.
  • The Blue Jays announced an amendment to their employee permission policy: they will not grant permission for lateral moves.  GM Alex Anthopoulos will be holding a press conference today, presumably on this topic.  The implication is that the Red Sox will not be allowed to interview John Farrell for their managerial position.  
  • Rays director of baseball operations Dan Feinstein has joined the Athletics as their director of pro scouting and baseball development, according to the team.  

Theo Epstein Press Conference Quotes

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We've heard a lot from new Cubs president Theo Epstein today, as the team held a press conference this morning.

  • "It truly feels great to be a Cub today," said Epstein at the introductory press conference.  He considers his new job "the ultimate challenge."
  • "Our goal will be to build the best scouting department in the game," explained Epstein.  He stressed "sustained success" and noted that the Cubs' 2011 draft marked a "clear philosophical change" in his eyes.  Epstein will also be able to grow the Cubs' baseball operations staff.
  • As a first step with the Cubs managerial situation, Epstein intends to meet with Mike Quade in person over the next week.  Epstein also intends to "take a creative look at the big league team."
  • A third party may ultimately be required to determine the compensation Boston receives, but Epstein considers the teams' relations to be amicable.
  • Cubs owner Tom Ricketts said today in a welcome statement, "In his new role, Theo will be given the resources and opportunity to build a strong foundation and the winning culture that our organization and fans deserve."  At the process conference Ricketts added, "I simply cannot imagine a better person for this job than Theo Epstein."
  • The following bullet points are highlights from an op-ed piece Epstein wrote for the Boston Globe.  Epstein writes, "The reason I am leaving has nothing to do with power, pressure, money, or relationships. It has nothing to do with September, either."  Instead, he points to a Bill Walsh suggestion that coaches and executives should seek change after ten years with a team, to create a new challenge for the individual and a fresh perspective for the team.  Initially, the plan was for assistant GM Ben Cherington to take over the Red Sox after the 2012 season, and those discussions with ownership began this summer while the team was thriving.
  • The combination of the Red Sox needing a new manager for the long-term and the challenge presented by the Cubs prompted Epstein to leave earlier than he initially planned.  Epstein has complete confidence in Cherington to address Boston's clubhouse issues.  Epstein admits, "Things did indeed happen in the clubhouse that do not have a place at the Red Sox or anywhere in sports. But the reports about team-wide apathy and indulgence are exaggerated."
  • Epstein feels that Cherington is more prepared for the GM job than Epstein was nine years ago, and the Red Sox "remain one of the preeminent organizations in baseball, with an extremely bright future."

Agents Predict Darvish’s Posting Fee, Contract

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As of a few days ago, Nippon-Ham Fighters ace Yu Darvish was undecided about asking his team to post him as a means of moving to MLB for the 2012 season.  The 25-year-old righty posted a 1.44 ERA, 10.7 K/9, 1.4 BB/9, and 0.19 HR/9 in 232 innings this year, and there will be a bidding frenzy if the Fighters post him.

In the posting system, MLB teams have until a certain date to submit bids for the exclusive rights to negotiate with the player.  MLB GMs have the difficult task of choosing a bid that will be the highest but won't be significantly higher than the second-best bid.  After the posting fee, the team must then sign the player to a contract.  The player's only leverage is to return to Japan, in which case the posting fee is returned to the MLB team and the process is over for the year.

Five years ago, the Red Sox won the right to negotiate with Daisuke Matsuzaka for $51,111,111.  They then negotiated a six-year, $52MM contract with Scott Boras, bringing the total commitment to $103,111,111.  As we've seen with Boras' draft pick negotiations, he uses what little leverage he has to maximum advantage.  There was a point in the Dice-K talks where an agreement with the Red Sox did not seem likely.  Last year, the Athletics won the right to negotiate with Hisashi Iwakuma for $19.1MM, but the Rakuten Golden Eagles had to return the posting fee when the A's were unable to reach an agreement with agent Don Nomura.  Darvish is represented by Nomura and Arn Tellem of Wasserman Media Group.

The Fighters have a lot to gain financially by posting Darvish now.  Sure, they could wait until after the '12 or '13 seasons, but Darvish is healthy and at the top of his game right now.  Agents I spoke to were divided on whether Matsuzaka's posting fee is relevant information in trying to predict what Darvish would require.  Misinformation abounds from the Dice-K posting period, but most reports suggested $20-30MM bids until the Red Sox came in over $51MM.  Only the Seibu Lions know for sure what the second-highest bid was, but in hindsight Boston might have been able to win the rights at $35MM.  

Last week, I polled five agents and one team executive about Darvish's potential posting fee and contract.  Guesses on the posting fee ranged from $30-55MM, with the team executive making the highest prediction.  The average of the six guesses was $45MM.  As for the contract, most people predicted a five or six-year deal in the $72-75MM range.  One agent wondered if the winning team will "try to force some options down his throat," especially if it's the Blue Jays.

The bottom line: everyone I talked to expects a minimum of a $100MM commitment to acquire Darvish if he's posted this year.  It's possible we'll see as many as six $100MM commitments this offseason, not including extensions.

Heyman On Pujols, Wilson, Angels, Crane

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SI's Jon Heyman leads his latest column with an examination of Albert Pujols' impending free agency.  An additional $20MM in total dollars wouldn't compel Pujols to leave St. Louis, says one person who knows the slugger well.  The preseason gap was large, though, as Heyman says the Cardinals were at nine years and "a bit more than $200MM" while Pujols wanted to beat Alex Rodriguez's ten-year, $275MM deal.  Wherever he lands, Pujols is certainly putting an exclamation point on his season.  Heyman's other rumors…

  • The Rangers almost surely would be out of the C.J. Wilson bidding if it reaches five years and $75MM, hears Heyman.  A Rangers person tells Heyman Wilson hasn't actually named an exact asking price.  The lefty is looking forward to free agency and noted to Heyman that he doesn't have a wife, a child, or a dog, implying the decision will be entirely his.  The Nationals, Marlins, and Royals are likely to pursue Wilson, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
  • The Angels' desire for a scouting type in their GM job may favor the Yankees' Damon Oppenheimer, hears Heyman.
  • Prospective Astros owner Jim Crane seeks a $50MM discount for moving to the American League.
  • "I wish I stay here," remarked Rafael Furcal on his upcoming free agency.  The 34-year-old shortstop joined the Cardinals at the trade deadline and is playing in his first World Series.

Free Agent And Trade Market For First Basemen

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The Orioles, Rays, Blue Jays, Indians, Cubs, Brewers, Pirates, Cardinals, and Dodgers could be in the market for first base help this offseason.  Despite internal options at the position, the Angels, Mariners, Rangers, Marlins, and Nationals can't escape speculation either.  It's a good time to be a free agent first baseman, as power pays and plenty of teams are looking even if the Yankees and Red Sox sit this one out.

Starting First Basemen Available In Free Agency

As many as six qualified starting first basemen are eligible for free agency this winter.  Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder are the best offensive free agent tandem in many years, and they'll sign contracts well over $100MM.  The terms will be a minimum of five years.  The many teams that cannot afford to bid at that level can still look at Michael Cuddyer, Carlos Pena, Casey Kotchman, and Derrek Lee.  Cuddyer is undoubtedly a starter, though it's possible his preference will be right field.  I think he'll find a three-year deal.  Pena has an outside shot at two years, but his low batting averages may limit him to one.  Kotchman needs to prove 2011 wasn't a fluke, while Lee has to get past memories of his ugly Baltimore stint if he decides to play in 2012.

Thinking Outside The Box

The Padres' signing of Brad Hawpe as a first baseman last winter didn't work out, but teams may still look beyond the six players listed above.  While we won't be seeing David Ortiz putting on a glove regularly, it's less of a stretch to think Josh Willingham, Raul Ibanez, or Ryan Doumit could spend significant time at first base in 2012.  Willingham is a lock for a two-year deal, with a ceiling of three.

Quality Backups

Eric Hinske, Lyle Overbay, Casey Blake, Eric Chavez, Mark DeRosa, Greg Dobbs, Carlos Guillen, Conor Jackson, Juan Rivera, Jorge Posada, and Jason Giambi are candidates for big league deals that could involve time at first base.

Non-Tender Candidates

The Dodgers' James Loney and the Athletics' Daric Barton are candidates to join the free agent frenzy as non-tenders.  They're both more likely to be tendered than not at this point though.  Both could become trade bait.  Luke Scott is another name to watch when the December 12th deadline nears.

Other Trade Candidates

The Reds appear to have no interest in trading Joey Votto.  It's easier to picture Adam Lind, Mark Reynolds, Adam LaRoche on the market, depending on how their teams' offseasons play out.  The Angels could have a surplus between Mark Trumbo and Kendrys Morales, but only if Morales comes on strong after missing all of 2011.  The Yankees could potentially consider Nick Swisher a trade chip, once they pick up his option.

Upgraded iPhone App Now Available

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Just in time for the offseason, our iPhone app has received an upgrade!  It is listed as Baseball Trade Rumors (Version 2.0) in the app store and costs $2.99.  You can search the store or just click this link. Version 1.0 of the app was been described as "beyond belief" by legendary journalist Peter Gammons.

By popular demand, we've added the ability to filter the news page by teams or transactions for Version 2.0.  We've revamped the refresh functionality to use the pull-down method, and a "last updated" timestamp has been added.  We've also completely redesigned the graphics and made other minor improvements.  Those who purchased the app previously can download the new version for free.    

The bread and butter of the app is still the customizable push notifications.  By default it sends an alert to your iPhone for all transactions, and you can also add alerts for any combination of players, teams, and leagues you desire.  If you want to be the first to know where Prince Fielder is headed, who the Yankees are looking at, or anything else hot stove-related, this app can accommodate you.  The headlines page of the app shows our 40 latest posts, no banner ads, easily refreshed.  Individual posts with hyperlinks can be viewed, of course.  You can also leave comments on MLBTradeRumors.com through the app.  Check it out today!

Free Agent Stock Watch: Edwin Jackson

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Last night's seven-walk World Series performance was one to forget for the Cardinals' Edwin Jackson, though the righty certainly isn't turning his attention to free agency yet.  Jackson might be the fourth-best free agent starter this offseason; let's take a closer look.

EJax

One point Jackson's agent Scott Boras is sure to play up is sure to play up is his client's age; he just turned 28.  No accomplished free agent starter is younger, and most are over 30.  For Boras that will translate into years, perhaps with a target of four.  Last winter only Cliff Lee exceeded three years, and only a handful of guys reached that level.

Though Jackson will be fighting a reputation of inconsistency, he has made at least 31 starts every year since 2007.  Including the 2011 postseason, Jackson has averaged about 214 innings from 2009-11.  In '09 with the Tigers Jackson's innings pitched per start jumped past 6.4, and it has stayed there since.  He's not much different than Mark Buehrle in that regard.

Despite these numbers, Jackson doesn't feel like anything close to a #1 or #2 starter.  He averages almost 95 miles per hour on his fastball, yet his strikeout rate stays around seven per nine innings and he's quite hittable.  His last two pitching coaches were the game's best, Dave Duncan and Don Cooper.  While Jackson had a flash of brilliance for 75 innings with Chicago last year, his strikeout rate came back down and his walks back up this year.  Jackson was arguably worse in his Cardinals stint, with both his strikeout and groundball rates plummeting.  Jackson's ERAs have bounced around and even his SIERAs tell us to expect anything from 3.85 to 4.30.  

Six teams have tried to harness Jackson's potential, and potential suitors will have to wonder why he's been deemed so movable.  Though he's had some moderate AL East success, I don't expect the Yankees and Red Sox to seriously enter the mix.  I could see the Orioles, Blue Jays, Royals, Twins, Marlins, Nationals, Cubs, Pirates, and Rockies as matches for Jackson instead.     

Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.

Free $400 Fantasy Football Contest (Sponsored Post)

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Looking to show off your fantasy football genius this week?  Try DraftStreet, where you can put together a new fantasy team each week and compete against other users for real money.

Right now DraftStreet has an NFL freeroll for MLB Trade Rumors readers, meaning you can take a shot at a chunk of the $400 prize pool for free, with no strings attached.  Here's how it works.

The NFL freeroll begins Sunday at 1:00pm eastern time, so you have until then to create your team.  You're given a $100K salary cap, and each player is assigned a price by DraftStreet.  Your roster will cover these positions: 2 QBs, 2 RBs, 2 WRs, 1 TE, 2 FLEX, and 1 Defense.  You get points based on how your team performs through Monday night's game.  The teams with the most points get the prize money.  For example Cam Newton might be good value even with a $19K price tag.  Below is a screenshot of a sample roster: 

Draftstreet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you're interested, sign up and create a roster prior to Sunday's games (1:00pm eastern time).  It's quick, easy, fun, and the MLBTR league gives you a free chance to win some of the $400 prize pool.  If you enjoy the competition you can try other leagues (college football, for example) for free and earn credits, or deposit real money.

Orioles GM Rumors: Dipoto, Levine

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Arizona's Jerry Dipoto interviewed for the Orioles' GM opening yesterday, and Toronto's Tony LaCava is scheduled for today.  The latest:

  • Jon Heyman of SI.com hears that Dipoto has a “good shot” at the job (Twitter link).
  • The Orioles originally planned to interview at least four candidates, according to Steve Gould of the Baltimore Sun.  They've interviewed Dipoto and Blue Jays assistant GM Tony LaCava so far and it would be surprising if they don't interview more people.
  • Dipoto will also interview for the Angels job, and Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com expects him to get one of the two GM positions.  Kubatko notes that the Orioles are likely to reassign director of player development John Stockstill, replacing him with coordinator of minor league instruction Brian Graham.
  • Kubatko hears Rangers executive Thad Levine could be interviewed later, but he'd be surprised if the Orioles hire him (Twitter link).  Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun believes Levine will be interviewed if the Orioles haven't hired someone by the end of the World Series.  The Rangers' assistant GM is an Alexandria, Virginia native who told MLBTR he "grew up a big Orioles fan."
  • Connolly tweets that as of Tuesday evening, the Orioles had not asked permission to talk to Levine, the Dodgers' De Jon Watson or Logan White, or the Angels' Tony Reagins, and the Marlins' Dan Jennings may be denied permission.  He also considers the Tigers' Al Avila a longshot.

Padres Rumors: Front Office, Lackey, Bell

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The latest Padres rumors:

  • Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts met with Padres owner Jeff Moorad, Byrnes and Hoyer during the regular season finale, according to Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com.
  • Most baseball people expect Hoyer, not Byrnes, to join Epstein in Chicago, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).
  • The Padres have internally discussed the possibility of acquiring John Lackey from the Red Sox if Boston takes on most of the right-hander's salary, according to Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune.  Lackey pitched for the Angels when Padres manager Bud Black was the team's pitching coach. 
  • When Theo Epstein joins the Cubs, he'll likely bring along someone from the Padres front office, according to Center.  GM Jed Hoyer, assistant GM Jason McLeod and senior VP of baseball operations Josh Byrnes are candidates to join Epstein in Chicago. 
  • Contract talks have begun between the Padres and Heath Bell, tweets Center.  The Padres are aiming for a two-year deal with an option, while Bell wants three guaranteed years.  He's never had a multiyear deal in his career.  Center recently wrote that the Padres are in the two-year, $15-16MM range.  If no deal can be worked out, the Padres must decide by November 23rd whether to offer arbitration to the Type A reliever.
  • Theo Epstein wouldn't tell the people he'd want to bring to Chicago until he's officially part of the Cubs, a source close to Epstein tells Dan Hayes of the North County Times (Twitter link).  The source believes recent rumors are "just speculation."  Yesterday, SI's Jon Heyman reported that Epstein is interested in poaching some combination of top Padres executives Jed Hoyer, Jason McLeod, and Josh Byrnes.  Today, Heyman writes that Hoyer is "definitely in the mix for a job with the Cubs once Epstein officially goes to Chicago."  
  • Tom Krasovic thinks that if Hoyer joins the Cubs he'd bring McLeod with him.  Byrnes, a favorite of Padres owner Jeff Moorad, would likely become San Diego's GM.

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