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Quick Hits: Orioles, Sizemore, Sabathia, Rays

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On this date ten years ago, 42-year-old Tim Raines and his son, 22-year-old Tim Raines Jr., played outfield for the Orioles, becoming the second father-son duo to play in the same outfield (the Griffeys were the first). Here are some recent updates from around MLB…

  • Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail has not yet decided on his future role with Baltimore, according to MLB.com’s Brittany Ghiroli. It’s expected that MacPhail will step down and that the Orioles will find a replacement. 
  • The Indians announced that Grady Sizemore underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. The Indians say they expect the 29-year-old to be ready for spring training 2012, but it’s hard to be overly optimistic - Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer points out that it’s Sizemore’s fifth surgery in three years. GM Chris Antonetti told Hoynes that he isn’t going to speculate on Sizemore’s $9MM option for 2012.
  • FanGraphs’ Dave Cameron doesn’t deny that some batters have advantages over some pitchers, but he doesn’t endorse relying on past batter/pitcher confrontations to predict  future outcomes.
  • Dave Waldstein of the New York Times explains that there's a small chance C.C. Sabathia threw his last pitch for the Yankees last night, since the left-hander can opt out of his contract after the season. When MLBTR readers voted earlier today, they were divided on Sabathia's offseason earning power.
  • Rays owner Stuart Sternberg told Jim Caple of ESPN.com that he's frustrated that winning hasn't led to improved attendance in Tampa Bay. The Rays' attendance figures dropped by 15% this year and Sternberg says it's "untenable as a model going forward."

Quick Hits: Giants, Red Sox, Smith, Dodgers, Orioles

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Here are some items from around baseball to peruse after a great night of October baseball..

  • Giants GM Brian Sabean said that the club's paryoll in 2012 will be around $125MM but he may ask for more money based on a specific player they are targeting, writes Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle.  Schulman believes that if Sabean wants to re-sign Carlos Beltran and needs more payroll room to do it, ownership will be willing to listen.
  • Former Red Sox manager Terry Francona plans to manage next season if offered the opportunity, a source close to Francona told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney.
  • Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated (via Twitter) suggests that Torey Lovullo is a name to consider for the Red Sox managerial vacancy.  Lovullo managed Boston's Triple-A affiliate in 2010 and currently serves as the first base coach of the Blue Jays.
  • There's been a great deal of trade talk surrounding the Rockies' Seth Smith lately but the outfielder says that he's trying not to think about it too much, writes Jim Amstrong of The Denver Post.  If Colorado were to sign an everyday left fielder like Michael Cuddyer, Smith could be flipped for pitching.
  • The Dodgers have asked the judge in their bankruptcy case to reconsider limits he placed on their arguments, write Bill Shaikin and Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.  The team's attorneys want to present Bud Selig's dealings with other teams involving similar transactions.
  • Everybody is still waiting for both shoes to drop in the Orioles front office, writes Peter Schmuck of The Baltimore Sun.
Everybody is still waiting for both shoes to drop in the Orioles front office, where the respective status of president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail and manager Buck Showalter remain both intertwined and apparently undecided.

GM/Manager Notes: Cubs, Angels, Red Sox, Orioles

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The Cubs and Angels officially have general manager vacancies and, depending on what Buck Showalter decides to do, the Orioles could be looking for a GM, too. Throw in the uncertainty surrounding Theo Epstein's future and many expiring contracts for managers and there’s the possibility for a lot of leadership changes in the next month or so. Here are the details from around MLB… 

  • Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts declined to address rumors that Red Sox GM Theo Epstein may be interested in coming to Chicago, writes Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune.
  • The Angels dismissed assistant GM Ken Forsch and special assistant Gary Sutherland, according to Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times. They dismissed GM Tony Reagins on Friday.
  • ESPN.com's Buster Olney hears that the Red Sox have had informal conversations about what they'll do if Epstein is no longer their GM (Twitter link).
  • The Red Sox aren’t targeting Bobby Valentine or Joe Torre for their managerial opening, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com. It appears that Epstein is considering two candidates without MLB managerial experience, according to Heyman.
  • People who know Epstein tell Heyman that the GM doesn’t expect to work for the Red Sox for life. It’s possible that Red Sox ownership will add a couple years to Epstein’s contract (it expires after 2012) or change his title.
  • Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts likes the Red Sox organization, not just Epstein, according to Scott Miller of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). That could mean the Cubs are interested in assistant GM Ben Cherington.
  • The Red Sox would surely demand and obtain compensation if the Cubs hire Epstein, so Dave Cameron of FanGraphs wonders how much he is worth. Cameron isn't sure that spending big on recognizable executives makes sense, since there's a steady supply of qualified candidates who are available more cheaply.
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says it's time for the Red Sox to extend Epstein and that it would be a mistake on their part to let him go.
  • The Cubs' shortlist includes Cherington, White Sox assistant GM Rick Hahn and Braves director of professional scouting John Coppolella, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. 
  • Connolly explains that he expects the Orioles to hire someone from outside of the organization with a background in scouting and/or player development if Showalter continues managing the team.
  • Though GM John Mozeliak says he has a “very good” relationship with manager Tony La Russa, Heyman hears that some top Cardinals people don’t believe the skipper is worth his salary of $5MM or so.
  • Despite rumors connecting him to the White Sox, La Russa says he’s not going to manage another team, according to Heyman.
  • The Angels are meeting to start forming their list of GM candidates today and they seem likely to go outside of the organization for the position, Heyman writes.
  • Don't forget to check out our list of GM Candidates.

East Notes: Orioles, Rays, Rollins, Lee, Zambrano

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Some links pertaining to baseball's Eastern divisions for your Sunday evening reading:

  • Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun wonders if the reason we've yet to hear anything regarding Thursday's summit involving Orioles owner Peter Angelos and president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail is because Angelos has convinced MacPhail to stay with the club in an advisory capacity. MacPhail will give up his current title, but Schmuck believes Angelos would give him any title he desired short of co-owner to keep him around.
  • Steve Melewski of MASNsports believes Buck Showalter should remain the manager of the Orioles, not take over the position of GM. That said however, Showalter needs to work closely with the new GM to honestly evaluate the organization on all levels to turn the franchise around.
  • Rays manager Joe Maddon endorses his bench coach Davey Martinez wholeheartedly for the White Sox managerial opening, and told Dave van Dyck of the Chicago Tribune that he'd "do somersaults" if Martinez got the job, despite how difficult he'd be to replace.
  • It's probably implied by the five-year deal he's seeking, but Jimmy Rollins won't be offering the Phillies a hometown discount, according to this MLB.com report from Todd Zolecki, Brian McTaggart, and Nate Mink.
  • Tyler Kepner of the New York Times writes that Cliff Lee is one of the most popular athletes in recent Philadelphia history, and spoke with GM Ruben Amaro Jr. and the $120MM man himself about his decision to return to the Phillies last offseason.
  • The Miami Sun Sentinel's Juan C. Rodriguez questions whether pitching for Ozzie Guillen and the Marlins and getting away from Chicago would make Carlos Zambrano a better citizen. While Zambrano could change in Miami, Rodriguez points out his declining K/9 and increasing WHIP as red flags that need to be considered along with his character.

AL East Notes: Orioles, Red Sox, Francona

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The Yankees and Rays are in the playoffs but the rest of the AL East is in offseason mode…

  • Under John Henry's ownership, the Red Sox have fired three managers and each move seemed to work out for the club, writes Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald.  General Manager Theo Epstein says that he plans to use the same process as he did when hiring Terry Francona eight years ago.
  • The Orioles have lots of needs but finding a starter seems to be their top priority, writes Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com.  Kubatko asked manager Buck Showalter if the club might go against their grow-the-arms philosophy and sign a pricey free agent starter and the skipper left the door open to the possibility.
  • Speaking of Francona and the Orioles, don't expect the skipper to land in Baltimore, says Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun.  The O's will have a managerial spot open if Andy MacPhail leaves his position as president of baseball operations and Showalter moves up to that post.
  • After giving lucrative deals to John Lackey and Carl Crawford, the BoSox are committed to getting them to turn things around in 2012, writes Michael Vega of the Boston Globe.  Lackey signed a five-year, $82.5MM deal in 2010 while Crawford inked a seven-year, $142 million deal last December.

22 Triple-A Players Elect Free Agency

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A total of 22 players that finished the year in Triple-A elected free agency after the end of the regular season according to the transaction pages of the Pacific Coast and International Leagues. All but one of those 22 players (Matt Carson, formerly of the Rays) played in the big leagues this season. Here's the full list:

Dusty Brown (Pirates), Travis Buck (Indians), Armando Galarraga (D'Backs), Jay Gibbons (Dodgers), Edgar Gonzalez (Rockies), Steve Holm (Twins), Wil Ledezma (Blue Jays), Andy LaRoche (Athletics), Felipe Lopez (Brewers), Lastings Milledge (White Sox), Pat Misch (Mets), Pat Neshek (Padres), Mike O'Connor (Mets), Matt Palmer (Angels), Felix Pie (Orioles), Brad Snyder (Cubs), Brett Tomko (Rangers), Wyatt Toregas (Pirates), P.J. Walters (Blue Jays), Randy Williams (Red Sox), and Reggie Willits (Angels).

AL East Links: Red Sox, MacPhail, Yankees

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Two of the five AL East clubs made the playoffs, and both will begin their quest for the World Series later today. The Rays and Rangers play at 5pm ET, the Yankees and Tigers at 8:30pm ET. Let's round up some notes from the only division with four 81+ win teams in 2011…

AL East Notes: Red Sox, Rays, Orioles

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The AL East delivered two memorable games last night: the Rays overcame a 7-0 deficit with two Evan Longoria homers to beat the Yankees and the Orioles had a dramatic comeback of their own against the Red Sox. The result: the Rays play the Rangers in the ALDS and the Red Sox start preparing for the offseason. Here are some links from the division…

  • Rob Bradford of WEEI.com says manager Terry Francona deserved better than this, though his decisions didn't always work out. It's unclear if the Red Sox want Francona back next year; they now have ten days to decide whether to pick up two $4.25MM options for 2012 and 2013.
  • GM Theo Epstein, who admits this month has been "one for the ages," tells Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe that he and his staff were doing little things behind the scenes to stop the steady stream of losses (the Red Sox were 7-20 in September).
  • It was because of Carl Crawford that the Rays initially installed low fences in the left field corner, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Crawford, who signed with the Red Sox for $142MM last offseason, missed a critical catch for Boston last night and it was Longoria who cleared the short wall with a game-winning home run.
  • Orioles owner Peter Angelos, president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail and manager Buck Showalter are scheduled to meet today, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. MacPhail is expected to step down, yet there's a sense that Angelos will want MacPhail around in some capacity. Showalter appears to be torn between his current role and the possibility of becoming the GM, according to Connolly.

AL East Notes: Blue Jays, Rays, Orioles

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The Orioles host the Red Sox and the Rays host the Yankees in the 162nd game of the regular season tonight. The Red Sox and Rays are hoping that they will have advanced as the American League Wild Card team within a few hours, but there's a chance they'll have a play-in game tomorrow to determine which team gets the final playoff spot. Here's some off-field news about the AL East as Boston tries to hold off the O's and the Rays try to come back against the Yanks…

  • Blue Jays manager John Farrell told MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm that improving the rotation would be his top offseason priority.
  • When Joel Sherman of the New York Post asked people in the know about Terry Francona's job security, he expected to hear that the skipper had nothing to worry about, but he heard otherwise. Some say the Red Sox manager hasn't stopped his players from getting out of shape and that he has made certain players feel over-privileged. Sherman also hears that Francona feels "bulletproof" after winning two World Series and has stopped attending to some of his job's minor responsibilities.
  • The Cubs have reached out to Andrew Friedman, the Rays executive VP of baseball operations, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). It's hard to imagine Friedman entertaining the idea of joining the Cubs with his club so close to the playoffs.
  • Orioles manager Buck Showalter told Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com that the club hasn't reached a "firm decision" about his role next year (Twitter links). The Orioles figure to reach a decision on their complex front office situation soon.

Orioles Leadership Notes: Showalter, MacPhail

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It appears likely that Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail will step aside after the season, so before long the Cubs won't be the only team considering GM candidates around the league. It's possible that the Orioles won't have to look far though…

  • Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun believes that the leading candidate to replace MacPhail is none other than current field manager Buck Showalter. Neither Showalter nor MacPhail will talk about the expected leadership change in Baltimore, but the club could announce that MacPhail is stepping down as soon as Thursday. 
  • Showalter hinted that the Orioles will make changes Thursday, according to Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun.
  • Showalter will not attempt to be the manager and GM at once, according to Connolly. He'll either pick his replacement or help owner Peter Angelos find someone for the GM's role. MacPhail could also have input in the search, according to Connolly, who points out that Angelos tends to hire experienced baseball men. 
  • Connolly doesn't expect the Orioles to hire anyone under 45 and can't see the club selecting a "whiz kid" to take over baseball operations.
  • MLB.com’s Brittany Ghiroli hears that John Hart, the former GM of the Indians and Rangers who has ties to Showalter, is not a likely candidate to succeed MacPhail.
  • MLBTR's GM candidates series introduced Matt Klentak of the Orioles. I also spoke to Thad Levine of the Rangers, who once rooted for the Orioles with Josh Byrnes, the current Padres exec and former D'Backs GM.
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