NL East Notes: Mets, Nationals, Marlins
As the Mets look to take the next step forward in their rebuilding process, they should take a page out of the Indians' playbook, opines Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Many suggest the Red Sox as a good example for GM Sandy Alderson & Co., but their offseason additons actually cost them about $61.5MM in 2013 alone. Sherman believes that the Mets' payroll bump will be closer to $30MM based on conversations with multiple executives, which is just $6MM shy of what the Indians spent last winter to retool their lineup. Here's more out of the NL East..
- After Mike Rizzo finds the club's next skipper, the focus will be on bolstering the Nationals' pitching staff for 2014, writes MLB.com's Bill Ladson. It looked like the Nationals would be in the market for a new third baseman because of Ryan Zimmerman's throwing troubles early in the season, but they no longer have a need there as he appears to be back on track.
- It's no longer a given that the Nationals will go out-of-house for their next manager and people who speak regularly with team management now believe bench coach Randy Knorr also has a strong chance to get the job, writes Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com. Knorr is said to have strong support within the organization and looks to be a frontrunner along with D'Backs coach Matt Williams.
- The Marlins have reassigned hitting coach John Pierson to the minors, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets.
- The Marlins also relieved Mike Wickham of his duties as director of baseball operations while promoting Dan Noffsinger to the position, tweets Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald.
- Earlier today, Steve Adams rounded up today's news on the Mets.
Mets Would Consider Re-Signing Johan Santana
The Mets are looking to bolster their rotation this winter and they may not have to dig too far into their rolodex for some help. In an interview with WFAN today, GM Sandy Alderson said that he wouldn’t rule out bringing Johan Santana back to New York this winter.
“I think that’s a possibility,” Alderson said, according to Matt Ehalt of ESPNNewYork.com. “I don’t really know what Johan’s thinking. We’ll talk to him, I’m sure, over the next couple of weeks but I think he wants to pitch. We’ll just have to see what the market is for these guys and how much of our resources we want to allocate to somebody coming off injury or somebody you hope was able to pitch for you at a higher level.“
Santana is coming off of a year in which he made $25.5MM with the Mets despite not throwing a single major league pitch thanks to a torn anterior capsule in his left shoulder. There was speculation after the injury that the 34-year-old might call it a career, but he has since indicated a desire to return to baseball. Santana spent six seasons in Queens but only pitched in four, posting a 3.18 ERA with 7.6 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9.
Rockies Notes: Weiss, Offseason, Front Office
There's been plenty of manager news today, with the Twins extending Ron Gardenhire, the Cubs firing Dale Sveum and the Mets making Terry Collins' two-year pact official. Troy Renck of the Denver Post adds to the subject matter, noting that the Rockies will address manager Walt Weiss' contract this week at their organizational meetings in Scottsdale. The issue at hand with Weiss, according to Renck, isn't whether or not he'll be back, but for how many years (Twitter link). Here's more on the Rockies…
- Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post runs down the Rockies' biggest needs for this offseason. Colorado's top priorities will include finding another quality starter, landing a right-handed slugger, and rebuilding the shaky bullpen. When it comes to their relievers, Colorado will have a decision to make when it comes to their $4.5MM option on Matt Belisle for 2014.
- Owner Dick Monfort doesn't anticipate any changes to the front office, according to Renck and Saunders. However, ESPN's Buster Olney hears differently and tweets that changes are on the horizon for the Rockies' brass.
- The Rockies will have to add a couple of pieces this winter and they'll have a larger payroll to help make that happen, writes MLB.com's Thomas Harding.
Steve Adams contributed to this post.
Phillies Notes: Coaching Staff, Ruiz, Amaro, Halladay
The Phillies have already found their manager for the next three years (or so they hope) in Ryne Sandberg, but there was more work to be done. Earlier today, the team announced that longtime pitching coach Rich Dubee will not have his contract renewed and that Paul Fournier will be the team's new Major League strength and conditioning coordinator. Fournier had served the same role in the Phils' minor league system and has also been a high-ranking conditioning coach for the Marlins and Expos. Here's some more on Phillies-related news…
- Carlos Ruiz hopes to return to Philadelphia in 2014 and finish his career with the Phillies, writes Ryan Lawrence of the Philadelphia Daily News. GM Ruben Amaro Jr. wouldn't comment as to whether or not he'd begun discussions with Ruiz's agent, Marc Kilgman, but the Phillies are known to be prioritizing catching help this offseason.
- Amaro admitted to reporters, including MLB.com's Todd Zolecki, that he feels pressure to get the Phillies back to their winning ways. “I always feel under the gun,” Amaro said. “I put myself under the gun. I don’t listen to a lot of it. But listen, I’m the GM of the club, so I fully expect to take heat for it. I’m the one making the decisions on player personnel. I’m accountable for the things that have happened. I didn’t have a very good year; our team didn’t have a very good year."
- The GM went on to say that while they'd like to fill the right field hole with a quality right-handed hitter, they could go out and get a left-handed batter instead if that's what's out there. Amaro doesn't feel Darin Ruf is an everyday option in right field.
- Amaro reiterated his desire to see Roy Halladay back with the Phillies but before the two sides can try and work out a risk-controlled deal, the pitcher may want to see if the Phillies will be in a position to contend before re-signing.
- Because of missteps in player evaluations in recent years, Amaro says that they will "build more analytics" into the gameplan going forward, Zolecki writes.
Steve Adams contributed to this post.
Giants, Tim Lincecum Talking Extension
SUNDAY: Giants Vice President and Assistant General Manager Bobby Evans told reporters at the news conference announcing Hunter Pence's extension the team wants to re-sign Lincecum. "We've begun those discussions and hopefully there’s an opportunity to bring Timmy back and in short order," Evans said (as quoted by Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com). "That's our hope. We don't intend to wait if Timmy's willing to work with us right now. And that's the impression I'm getting — that they're willing to work with us."
Lincecum may be willing, but he isn't in a hurry to work out a new deal. "I've still got time to think about this," said Lincecum last night. "It's not a pressing thing for me, and I'll make a decision when the time comes."
SATURDAY: The Giants locked up Hunter Pence earlier today, but they're not done just yet. With the outfielder taken care of, the Giants are now discussing a new deal with pitcher Tim Lincecum, a source tells Hank Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter). As the MLBTR Agency Database shows, both players are represented by the Beverly Hills Sports Council.
Lincecum's value obviously isn't where it once was, but he has helped his stock this season with an improved performance over his 2012 effort. So far in 2013, the 29-year-old has posted a 4.37 ERA with 8.8 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 versus a 5.18 ERA with 9.2 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9 last season. Meanwhile, his FIP (3.73), xFIP (3.56), and SIERA (3.75) are all better than his 2013 ERA as well as his 2012 marks.
While The Freak hasn't quite regained his Cy Young form, he has certainly shown that he can be a contributor for the Giants or any club going forward. A recent MLBTR poll pitting Lincecum against Ubaldo Jimenez showed that most readers would prefer the San Francisco notable over the Indians hurler this winter.
Edward Creech contributed to this post.
Blue Jays Likely To Keep Lind, DeRosa, Janssen
Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos told reporters that there's a "good chance" they'll exercise Adam Lind's option for 2014, according to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet (on Twitter). Veteran Mark DeRosa is also in good position with his option and Casey Janssen is a lock to have his club option triggered.
It now looks like Lind will get $7MM to stay in Toronto next season rather than getting a $2MM buyout to ply his craft elsewhere. The Jays also have options on Lind's services for 2015 ($7.5MM) and 2016 ($8MM). In 2013, Lind has hit .287/.356/.497, his best slash line since 2009.
DeRosa's $750K option was expected to be triggered, but he could opt to retire rather than return. The 38-year-old, who has a .229/.322/.398 slash line on the year, has earned nearly $30MM over the course of his career. Meanwhile, Janssen's $4MM option is a slam dunk after turning in a 2.56 ERA with 8.5 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 in 56 relief appearances.
Anthopoulos also expressed confidence that the Blue Jays' rotation can turn things around with "a starter or two" added this offseason, Davidi tweets.
East Notes: Oliver, Davis, Roberts, Mets, Nats
This is the end of the line for Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte, but 2013 will also mark the final season for Blue Jays reliever Darren Oliver. After 20 seasons, more than 1,900 innings and two near-retirements, the 42-year-old is ready to walk away from the game, writes Evan Peaslee of MLB.com. Here's more out of the AL and NL East..
- Slugger Chris Davis says that he's eager to sign a long-term extension with the Orioles, tweets Rich Dubroff of CSNBaltimore.com. Davis, who owns a .286/.369/.634 slash line on the season, avoided his first go-round in arbitration last winter by agreeing to a $3.3MM, one-year deal.
- Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts says that he understands if the club opts not to bring him back for next season, writes Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com. Roberts, who has been with the organization since 1999, has a has a .265/.341/.429 slash line with six homers over his last 41 games.
- OF all the Mets' free agents, LaTroy Hawkins is the most likely to return, tweets Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com.
- Matt Williams refuses to comment on the possibility of him managing the Nationals, but people around him are more than happy to discuss his credentials, writes Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.
- Nationals GM Mike Rizzo says that the next manager of the club will have some input on the roster, writes Bill Ladson of MLB.com. In addition to Williams, bench coach Randy Knorr and third base coach Trent Jewett are considered strong candidates for the job.
- Wally Backman, who was long rumored to be in line for the Mets' managerial job if Terry Collins was fired, is unlikely to join the coaching staff in 2014, tweets Andy Martino of the Daily News. General Manager Sandy Alderson previously said that Backman would likely be offered a position inside the organization if Collins was brought back.
Yankees Notes: Cano, Rivera, Pettitte
Robinson Cano absolutely wants to stay in New York, but he's following a script to create the illusion that he has no problem with bolting this winter, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Of course, that doesn't mean that the second baseman is staying put if there is a far more lucrative offer out there for him. However, the free-spending Dodgers might be on the verge of being maxed out, the Cubs aren't spending yet, the Angels are still reeling from the Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton signings, and Sherman hears that it won't be the Nats or Tigers with the winning bid. For now, despite their crowded middle infield, Sherman sees the Rangers as the team to watch. Here's more out of New York..
- There's a pretty wide gap between the Yankees and Cano at the starting point of negotiations as Cano's reps want to use Alex Rodriguez's $300MM+ deal as a starting point while the Yankees see David Wright (eight-year, $138MM extension) as a good comp, writes Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated.
- Cano says that he's not ready to start talking about his free agency, writes Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. "I know a lot of things are going to come out and say, 'A source, friends of Robbie's and this,' but I know what we're doing and what we're not doing," Cano said over the weekend. "I just want to go on vacation, sit down and enjoy, not be watching the news and everything. Then you're going to go crazy."
- The retirements of Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte underscore the importance of a strong farm system, writes Bill Madden of the New York Daily News. While other clubs, like the Red Sox, have tons of young talent, Madden fears that the Yanks' system is lacking.
Rosenthal On Blue Jays, Rangers, Kemp, Francona
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports posted his latest edition of Full Count. Here's a look at some of the highlights..
- The Blue Jays constantly get calls on Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Bautista and as always, they're willing to listen on anything. The shortage of quality hitters out there could lead to better offers than they've gotten in the past, but their stance remains the same: neither one will be moved unless it leads to an improvement of their big league team.
- Whether the Rangers are postseason-bound or not, their biggest need this winter will be a No. 3 hitter with Nelson Cruz hitting the open market. The Marlins swear that they're keeping Giancarlo Stanton and Robinson Cano isn't a fit for a team that already has too many middle infielders. One option could be Matt Kemp, if the Dodgers will part with him.
- Indians manager Terry Francona has an out clause in his contract that will allow him to go elsewhere if the club fires GM Chris Antonetti, according to sources. The length of Antonetti's contract isn't clear, but he has at least through 2014 and given their success, they're unlikely to make a GM change or lose Francona anytime soon.
- A shakeup of the D'Backs coaching staff is imminent, the only question is how expansive it will be. If Matt Williams bolts for a managerial job elsewhere, he could take a couple of coaches with him as well.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Donaldson, Balentien, Pence
On this date in 1998, the Yankees won their seventh straight game to end the season with a .704 winning percentage. The Bombers (114-48) became the first team since the 1954 Indians (111-43) to play over .700 ball for the entire season. Here's this week's look around the baseball blogosphere after witnessing a classic moment out of the Bronx last night..
- Hot Stove Heat profiles Josh Donaldson's rise to the majors.
- I R Fast scouts Wladimir Balentien.
- The Giants Cove asks if Hunter Pence is the new Aaron Rowand.
- Camden Depot gets into Manny Machado's knee injury.
- i70 Baseball runs down the Cardinals' top prospects.
- Inside The Zona wants the D'Backs to stop talking.
- Rays Colored Glasses looks at Jeremy Hellickson's playoff role.
- The MLB Nation weighs in on Chris Antonetti.
If you have a suggestion for this feature, Zach can be reached at ZachBBWI@gmail.com.