Mets, Brewers GM/Managerial Rumors
Earlier today, the Blue Jays officially tabbed John Farrell as their next skipper. The Brewers are still looking for their next manager and the Mets are looking to name their new GM. Here's the latest, with more to come throughout the evening:
Mets
The Mets, as expected, interviewed former Diamondbacks GM Josh Byrnes for a second time today, tweets David Lennon of Newsday. Sandy Alderson, reported by many to be the frontrunner for the position, is scheduled to come in for his second interview tomorrow. Both Lennon and Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com believe that a decision could come as soon as Friday.
Brewers
Dodgers Triple-A manager Tim Wallach is no longer in the running for the Brewers job, a "very good source" tells Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. It would seem that there are four finalists for the job, two of which are White Sox bench coach Joey Cora and former Arizona skipper Bob Melvin. Haudricourt suspects that Halos bench coach Ron Roenicke is one of the finalists as well. Melvin still appears to be the favorite as he is well-liked by the Brewers' decision makers.
Roenicke, when contacted by MLB.com's Adam McCalvy, refused to say whether he is among the four mystery finalists for the Brewers job. Updated at 10:00pm.
Farrell Offered Blue Jays’ Manager’s Job
9:41pm: It would be surprising at this point if Farrell turned down the Blue Jays job, a source familiar with the situation told Alex Speier of WEEI.
The Red Sox will look at both internal and external candidates to fill their pitching coach void if Farrell leaves. However, it is said that the club is underwhelmed with their in-house options.
8:23pm: Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell has been offered the managerial job in Toronto, multiple industry sources told Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com. Now the 48-year-old and the Blue Jays must work to come to an agreement on a contract.
McAdam notes if Farrell ends up taking the position, this would mark the second straight season that the BoSox have lost a key member of their coaching staff to a managerial vacancy. Last winter, former bench coach Brad Mills left Boston to become the manager of the Astros.
It would seem that the Blue Jays have left no stone unturned in their managerial search. By some estimates, McAdam writes, Toronto spoke to upwards of 20 candidates.
Odds & Ends: Duchscherer, Bruce, Nolasco, Votto
Some links as the Rangers look to close out the Yankees at home..
- MLB.com's Jane Lee doesn't expect to see Justin Duchscherer back with the A's in 2011.
- In a piece for RotoAuthority, Tim Dierkes takes a look at the fantasy potential of Jay Bruce.
- Former Mariners skipper Don Wakamatsu is a potential candidate for Buck Showalter's coaching staff in Baltimore, writes Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun. Wakamatsu says that he's still talking to the club about coaching and managerial jobs but declined to name specific teams.
- If the Marlins and Ricky Nolasco can't come to terms on a deal of at least three years, there is a strong chance the Fish will sign him to separate contracts for 2011 and 2012, writes MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. Yesterday, Nolasco's agent said that the two sides are off about 20% on salary.
- Two sources told Paul Daugherty of the Cincinnati Enquirer that Joey Votto can expect to earn close to $7MM in 2011. Our own Ben Nicholson-Smith arrived at a similar conclusion two months ago.
- Jon Heyman of SI tweets that Josh Byrnes would cost the Mets less than Sandy Alderson as Arizona is already paying him through 2015.
- Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com compiled some background info on Byrnes and Alderson.
Padres Seeking Production At The Top Of Lineup
The Padres are seeking top-of-the-order production this offseason, writes Don Norcross of the San Diego Union Tribune. The club went through nine players in the leadoff spot in 2010 and got little offense from David Eckstein who batted second.
As it stands now, Adrian Gonzalez and Chase Headley are set to play the corner infield positions while Will Venable and Ryan Ludwick will be the corner outfielders. Norcross writes that this means that the higher on-base percentage that San Diego is after will have to come from the middle of the field.
While Tony Gwynn turned in another excellent season in center field (32.9 UZR/150), his .204/.304/.287 slash line in 339 plate appearances left much to be desired. Meanwhile, shortstop Everth Cabrera took a major step back in 2010, hitting just .208/.279/.278.
The Padres' combined on-base percentage for the top two spots in their batting order was .310, third worst in the majors.
Jocketty: Reds “Probably Will” Pick Up Gomes’ Option
After recently disclosing that the club will exercise their option on pitcher Bronson Arroyo, GM Walt Jocketty says that he "probably will" pick up Jonny Gomes' option for the 2011 season, writes John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer. The outfielder's option is worth $1.75MM and costs $200K as he (easily) exceeded 350 plate appearances.
If the Reds have a change of heart and do not exercise Gomes' option, they are obligated to release him. The soon-to-be 30-year-old hit .266/.327/.431 with 18 homers in 571 plate appearances.
In addition to the aforementioned Gomes and Arroyo, the Reds also hold options on two other players. Shortstop Orlando Cabrera has a $4MM option for 2011 but we learned earlier this week that the Reds will likely decline it. They also hold a $12.5MM option on Aaron Harang but they certainly won't pick it up.
Poll: Would The Yankees Do Burnett Deal Again?
In December of 2008, the Yankees signed righthander A.J. Burnett to a five-year, $82.5MM deal mere days after signing C.C. Sabathia to an even heftier deal. Their respective performances in the last two games of the ALCS have been microcosms of their performances this season. Today, Sabathia allowed two runs and fanned seven batters across six innings of work. Meanwhile, Burnett surrendered five runs in six innings last night, putting the Yankees on the brink of elimination.
Burnett has turned in a 5.26 ERA this season, the worst of his career along with a 7.0 K/9 ratio, his lowest since 2001. While the Yankees won a World Series with Burnett, they are now saddled with paying him roughly $50MM over the final three years of his contract.
Given the opportunity, would the Yankees make the same deal with Burnett again?
Odds & Ends: Listach, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Hill
Saturday evening linkage as the Phillies and Giants kick off the NLCS…
- Nationals third base coach Pat Listach confirmed to Tom Haudricourt of The Journal Sentinel that he will interview for the Brewers' managerial opening on Tuesday.
- Nick Piecoro lists some candidates for the Diamondbacks' scouting director job (Twitter links): Tim Huff (Rays), J.J. Lally (White Sox), Chuck Ricci (Indians), and Jeff Schugel (Angels). ESPN's Keith Law tweets that Huff would be an excellent hire, and says he's surprised that Ray Montgomery (Brewers) and Rick Wilson (Angels) aren't on the list (Twitter link).
- MLB.com's Sarah D. Morris doesn't think the Dodgers need an overhaul.
- Lefty Rich Hill has already had discussions with the Red Sox about returning in 2011, tweets Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com.
- McAdam (via Twitter) also expects to see Darnell McDonald back in Boston next season.
- If Tony La Russa comes back to the Cardinals, he should sign a multi-year deal, says Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
- Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. learned how to build a successful team by working under Ed Wade and Pat Gillick, writes Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
- The San Francisco Chronicle's Gwen Knapp praises the Giants' homegrown talent.
Manager Roundup: Brewers, Blue Jays, Cubs
Here's the latest news concerning managerial vacancies, with more to come..
Brewers
Bobby Valentine has had "conversations" with the Brewers but has yet to have a formal interview, according to the manager when he was a guest on SIRIUS XM's Mad Dog Radio yesterday. Bobby V added that he is unsure if he'll have another interview with Milwaukee, adding that he'll have to see what the next conversation leads to.
Meanwhile, the Brewers have asked for and received permission to talk to Nationals third-base coach Pat Listach, two baseball sources tell MLB.com's Bill Ladson. Listach, who managed in the Cubs' farm system for four seasons, will interview with GM Doug Melvin on Tuesday.
Blue Jays
In his interview with Russo, Valentine also said that he does not expect to have a follow-up conversation with Toronto. Yesterday we learned that the Blue Jays are looking into a whole lot of potential candidates for their managerial post.
Cubs
The Cubs are still scoping out Joe Girardi as a managerial candidate, writes Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. Wittenmyer also hears from a source that Eric Wedge had a strong interview with the Cubs before hooking on with the Mariners.
Mets, Rodriguez Closing In On Settlement
The Mets and closer Francisco Rodriguez will not go to a scheduled arbitration hearing on Monday as the involved parties feel that they are nearing a settlement, according to Dan Martin and Joel Sherman of the New York Post. There's now belief on all sides of the table that an agreement could be announced as soon as Monday or Tuesday.
It was said that a grievance hearing and subsequent arbitration process would have been rather lengthy. Instead, the Mets, Rodriguez, the Commissioner's Office, and the Players Association have worked behind the scenes to strike a compromise.
As it stands now, the closer is set to earn $11.5MM in 2011 with a $17.5MM vesting option ($3.5MM buyout) in 2012. A settlement prior to arbitration likely means that the club will still be on the hook for those years. However, the Mets may be able to recoup some or all of the cash paid to Rodriguez during the time of his injury late in the season.
Poll: Will The Reds Pick Up Cabrera’s Option?
Last winter the Reds signed Orlando Cabrera to a one-year deal in part because of his leadership abilities and playoff experience. The veteran earned $2.02MM in 2010 with a $4MM mutual option for 2011. If Cincinnati declines the option, the buyout will be for $1MM and if Cabrera declines, it will be for $500K.
While Mark Sheldon of MLB.com writes that Cabrera delivered on the leadership, his offensive numbers slipped in 2010. The soon-to-be 36-year-old hit .263/.303/.354 in 123 games while playing above-average (5.3 UZR/150) defense. Meanwhile, Paul Janish improved his offensive production, posting a slash line of .260/.338/.385 in 82 games while also playing a solid shortstop (2.2 UZR/150) in a limited role. Janish also did a solid job of filling in for Cabrera when he was injured for critical games in August.
Will the Reds pick up their end of Cabrera's option?