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Cafardo On Gonzalez, Rays, Davis, Ortiz

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The Cubs and Red Sox are after managers that will take a lot of input from their front offices, writes Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe.  In fact, the two teams have quite a bit of overlap on their lists.  Meanwhile, the Cardinals will also be looking for their next skipper and it'll be interesting to see what type of manager they look for.  Cafardo writes that the important thing for the new managers in any of these cities is that they know the ground rules from the start.  Here's more from Cafardo's Sunday column..

  • A's lefty Gio Gonzalez remains a viable trade option for many teams, including the Red Sox and Marlins.  Meanwhile, the Athletics probably aren’t ready to contend.  The club appears to be buying time until they can build a new stadium in the San Jose area.  Until then, they may be in the mode of developing players and dealing them for players who might emerge a few years from now.
  • When all is said and done, the Rays are expected to be willing to deal right-hander Wade Davis this offseason.  A major league source says that while Tampa Bay will listen on James Shields, Davis is the pitcher they will likely end up dealing for an outfielder or a catcher.
  • Free agent David Ortiz seemed upset that the Red Sox did not re-sign him during the exclusivity period, but it made no sense for the club to do so with the veteran's limited options.  While Ortiz wants a three-year deal, the BoSox can wait and survey the market before committing to a multiyear deal for the 36-year-old hitter.
  • Red Sox assistant GM Allard Baird removed himself from the Orioles GM search this week and Cafardo wouldn't be shocked to hear of a new title for him within the Sox organization.
  • Cafardo envisions Tim Bogar winding up with a significant role with either the Cubs or Red Sox.
  • Former Rangers and Red Sox skipper Kevin Kennedy says that he enjoys his broadcast career but he sometimes gets the itch to return to the dugout.  Kennedy says that he would even consider being a bench coach.
  • Larry Bowa, currently working as an analyst for MLB Network, also has aspirations of managing in the majors again.

Orioles Notes: Duquette, GM Search, Prince

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The Orioles are on the verge of naming Dan Duquette their next general manager. Here's the latest on that, courtesy of Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com, as well as a couple other items of note:

  • The Orioles won't allow Duquette, who is meeting with owner Peter Angelos tonight, to leave Baltimore without a contract. The O's let Blue Jays exec Tony LaCava return home before making their offer, which LaCava eventually declined.
  • Duqette is unlikely to object to retaining some personnel, opines Kubatko, considering he hasn't worked in the Majors since 2002.
  • Angelos wanted to avoid hiring a GM who had recently been fired by another team, a source tells Kubatko.
  • Former Pirates GM Dave Littlefield, who was relieved of his duties in September 2007, came up in conversation, but his dismissal was deemed too recent, tweets Kubatko. 
  • If Duquette is hired, he'll have to hire a new scouting director and a minor league pitching coordinator. Both positions are presently vacant.
  • The Orioles would be taking a risk in hiring Duquette, opines Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com, but he could give them exactly what they need considering his success as the GM of the Expos and Red Sox, and his background in player development.
  • Rich Dubroff of CSNBaltimore.com wonders whether the O's will sign free agent first baseman Prince Fielder. After 14 consecutive losing seasons, signing Prince would show that the O's are serious about winning again, opines Dubroff.

Quick Hits: Cuddyer, Willingham, Duquette, Mets

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Let's take a look at some weekend links from around the league….

  • Michael Cuddyer is open to returning to the Twins, but even if Minnesota makes him the best offer, there's no guarantee he'll sign there, says Phil Mackey of ESPN 1500 (Twitter links). Last night we heard that the Phillies are seriously pursuing Cuddyer.
  • Approximately ten teams have expressed interest in Josh Willingham so far, according to David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal Constitution (via Twitter). O'Brien adds that the Braves, who could use a power-hitting outfielder, are not one of those clubs.
  • With the Orioles close to hiring Dan Duquette, MASN's Roch Kubatko (Twitter link) talks to one O's person who calls Duquette "brilliant" and says no one is more connected in Asian and Latin American markets.
  • As Alex Speier of WEEI writes, 60-year-old Pete Mackanin, a managerial candidate for the Cubs and Red Sox, would be an unconventional choice – no one 60 or older has been hired for his first full-time managerial job since Bobby Mattick in 1980 with the Blue Jays.
  • Jim Thome doesn't seem to be a great fit in Philadelphia, says ESPN.com's Keith Law (Insider link). The Phillies agreed to sign the 41-year-old slugger to a one-year deal and introduced him at a news conference this afternoon.
  • Rick Sofield, who has played and coached with Clint Hurdle in the past, is the latest addition to the Pirates' staff, reports Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
  • The Mets are attempting to attract potential investors by agreeing to pay an annual interest on minority stakes, according to a New York Post report.

Orioles Close To Naming Dan Duquette GM

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The Orioles are close to naming Dan Duquette as their new GM, reports ESPN's Tim Kurkjian. Duquette interviewed yesterday and is traveling to Baltimore today. According to MASN's Roch Kubatko, the Orioles have yet to officially offer Duquette a contract, but the two sides figure to work out a deal this weekend.

Kurkjian says the Orioles officially offered the position to just one other candidate, Tony LaCava, who turned it down. Allard Baird and De Jon Watson are among those that declined to interview for the position or removed themselves from consideration. Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reported earlier this week that Orioles' owner Peter Angelos would not let LaCava get rid of some long-time front office people, which is why he declined the job.

Duquette served as GM of the Expos from 1991-1994, then held the same position with the Red Sox from 1994-2001. The Red Sox fired Duquette shortly after John Henry's group purchased the team in early 2002. He's since worked with the Israeli Baseball League and the New England Collegiate Baseball League. He also interviewed for the Angels GM job before they hired Jerry Dipoto.

As a GM, Duquette twice traded for Pedro Martinez (once with Montreal and once with Boston), acquired Derek Lowe and Jason Varitek in trade, and signed Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon as free agents. Before becoming GM of the Expos, he oversaw the team's farm system, which produced Vladimir Guerrero and Cliff Floyd, among others.

Latest On Orioles’ GM Search

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The Orioles are interviewing former Expos and Red Sox general manager Dan Duquette for their open GM position today. John Stockstill of the Orioles and Scott Proefrock of the Phillies are still being considered for the position, while De Jon Watson of the Dodgers withdrew his name yesterday. Here's the latest on Baltimore's search:

  • Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun says (on Twitter) that Duquette is a serious candidate for the job. He has experience in the role and wants to get back into MLB.
  • Allard Baird has decided to not interview for the job according to SI.com's Jon Heyman (Twitter links). Connolly says the O's have not yet asked permission to interview any additional candidates.
  • MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli says the team had hoped to make their decision by Monday, but all the rejections will make it tough (Twitter link).
  • The Twins denied the Orioles permission to interview VP of player personnel Mike Radcliff, citing internal reorganization and promotions, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.
  • The Orioles requested and obtained permission to interview Yankees scouting director Damon Oppenheimer, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).
  • The Orioles are still waiting to set up meetings with Oppenheimer and Red Sox executive Allard Baird, according to Kubatko (on Twitter).
  • Andrew Friedman of the Rays and Rick Hahn of the White Sox declined the Orioles' interview requests, according to MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli. The Orioles will interview Baird, according to Ghiroli.

Quick Hits: Moyer, Beltran, CBA, Lincecum, Mariners

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It was 10 years ago today that the Diamondbacks set a World Series record for hits in a game, racking up 22 hits en route to a 15-2 rout of the Yankees in Game Six of the 2001 Series.  This set the stage for a legendary seventh game that saw Luis Gonzalez's bloop single in the ninth inning off Mariano Rivera give the D'Backs their first world championship.

Some news from around the majors….

  • The Mariners, Orioles, Pirates, Rangers, Rockies and Royals are among the teams that have sent scouts to monitor Jamie Moyer's throwing sessions, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  Moyer now lives in San Diego, so Rosenthal guesses he'd prefer to pitch for a West Coast team — possibly a reunion with the Mariners, where Moyer is the club's all-time wins leader.  The 49-year-old Moyer missed the entire 2011 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, but two scouts tell Rosenthal that Moyer is throwing as well as ever.
  • The Blue Jays are getting closer to hiring Chuck LaMar as a scout, tweets Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun.  LaMar was the original GM of the then-Devil Rays from 1998-2005 and has since worked in the front offices of the Phillies and the Nationals.
  • Carlos Beltran could be re-signed if the Giants offer him a two-year deal with a vesting option on a third year, or three guaranteed years with a condition that Beltran plays left field, writes John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle.
  • A source tells ESPN's Jerry Crasnick not to expect any "meaningful news" about the new collective bargaining agreement until next week at the earliest.  The disagreement about hard slotting for draft picks remains the major point of contention, and Crasnick isn't sure if any other issue is holding up the new deal.
  • Dave Cameron of Fangraphs thinks the Giants could save a lot of money and improve the overall state of their roster if they traded Tim Lincecum.
  • Jack Zduriencik tells Larry Larue of the Tacoma News Tribune that veteran relief pitching and an answer at third base are goals for the Mariners this offseason, plus the broader goals of adding a bat and starting pitching.
  • The Padres have hired Chad MacDonald as their new vice-president and assistant general manager, reports Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  MacDonald had been the Mets' scouting director, and ESPN's Keith Law (Twitter link) reports that the Mets have hired former Blue Jays scout Tommy Tanous to fill the position.
  • Bob Garber, the agent for C.J. Wilson and Roy Oswalt, tells Andrew Marchand of ESPN New York that both his clients would enjoy pitching in New York and fit in well with the Yankees.  We've heard, however, the Yankees are worried about Oswalt's injury history and aren't willing to go all-out to sign Wilson.
  • Prince Fielder sits atop Keith Law's ranking of the top 50 free agents, edging out Albert Pujols for the #1 spot since Fielder is younger.  Law calls this year's free agent class "one of the thinnest I've ever seen."  MLBTR's Tim Dierkes flip-flopped Pujols and Fielder atop his own list of the top 50 free agents.  You can get in on the action by entering MLBTR's Free Agent Prediction Contest for the chance to win several terrific prizes.

Latest On Orioles’ GM Search

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The Orioles decided to expand their GM search this week, after learning that Blue Jays assistant GM Tony LaCava declined their offer in favor of Toronto. Here's the latest on Baltimore's candidates… 

  • De Jon Watson has removed his name from consideration for the job, tweets SI.com's Jon Heyman.
  • The team would like to have the new general manager in place by Monday, tweets Britt Ghiroli of MLB.com.
  • The Orioles only plan to interview four more candidates, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun: Allard Baird, Dan Duquette, Damon Oppenheimer and Mike Radcliff.  The O's haven't asked permission from other teams to speak to any other executives, which would seem to eliminate others on the Orioles' list such as Andrew Friedman and Rick Hahn.
  • The O's have contacted the Yankees about talking to director of pro scouting Billy Eppler, reports MASNsports.com's Roch Kubatko (Twitter link).  Kubatko says the Orioles also plan to talk to the Rangers about permission to interview executives Thad Levine and A.J. Preller, and to the Athletics about assistant GM David Forst.
  • Former Expos and Red Sox GM Dan Duquette will interview with the Orioles on Friday, reports Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link).
  • The Orioles are looking at Mike Arbuckle of the Royals and Allard Baird of the Red Sox, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). 
  • Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com repeats that Dodgers assistant GM De Jon Watson won’t get the job (Twitter link).
  • Watson and Orioles director of player development John Stockstill have interviewed for the position and Phillies assistant GM Scott Proefrock will interview as well. The Orioles also appear to have interest in Rays executive VP of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, Dodgers GM Ned Colletti, Rick Hahn of the White Sox and Mike Radcliff of the Twins.
  • ESPN.com's Buster Olney weighed in on the Orioles' GM search earlier today, explaining that Baltimore has a perception problem.

Olney On Orioles, Red Sox, Cubs

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The Orioles have a significant perception problem, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney. Executives on other teams believe Baltimore’s next general manager will have less power than any other GM in baseball. Here are the details, plus other notes from around MLB:

  • Orioles owner Peter Angelos is less involved in baseball operations than it may seem and manager Buck Showalter would love to work with bright executives, but outside executives don’t see Baltimore as an attractive place to work.
  • Jerry Dipoto and Tony LaCava have turned away the Orioles in favor of other teams and some other highly-regarded assistant GMs have said they wouldn’t be interested if Baltimore called.
  • One executive suggested Showalter should take over as GM and hire a new field manager, according to Olney.
  • Red Sox executive Allard Baird has come up in the Orioles’ GM conversations, according to Olney (on Twitter). Here are the latest details on Baltimore’s search.
  • Brewers hitting coach Dale Sveum has a good chance of obtaining his first permanent job as an MLB manager, since the Cubs and Red Sox are both interested in his services. As Olney notes, the Red Sox and Cubs are working from similar managerial lists.

Latest On Orioles’ GM Search: Friedman, Hahn

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Orioles director of player development John Stockstill and Dodgers assistant GM De Jon Watson are candidates to become Baltimore's next GM, but they aren't alone. Jerry Dipoto is now the Angels' GM and Tony LaCava turned down an offer from the Orioles to remain in Toronto, so the Orioles are expanding their search. Here's the latest, with the most recent updates up top:

  • The Orioles would like to interview Dodgers GM Ned Colletti if he leaves Los Angeles, according to Kubatko.
  • The Orioles have requested permission to interview Andrew Friedman of the Rays, Rick Hahn of the White Sox and Mike Radcliff of the Twins, according to Kubatko (on Twitter).
  • Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun explains that the Orioles haven't yet contacted the Rangers about executives such as Thad Levine or A.J. Preller. Connolly suggests former Red Sox GM Dan Duquette and current Yankees scouting director Damon Oppenheimer could be candidates for the position.
  • Scott Proefrock, the Phillies' assistant GM, will interview for the Orioles' GM vacancy, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Proefrock is the Orioles' former assistant GM.
  • LaCava said his decision to stay in Toronto was about the Blue Jays, not the Orioles. But Danny Knobler of CBS Sports hears that his decision was about the Orioles. LaCava wanted to make front office changes that owner Peter Angelos refused to approve, according to Knobler. LaCava would have obtained a competitive salary from the Orioles.
  • Knobler hears that Watson and Stockstill are “very unlikely” to be offered the job.
  • Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com, who reported this morning that the Orioles are expanding their search, notes that manager Buck Showalter and director of baseball operations Matt Klentak are handling the front office responsibilities for now.
  • Kubatko adds that the Orioles have contacted the Rays, White Sox, Twins and Phillies for permission to interview GM candidates from the teams' front offices.
  • For a complete look at MLBTR's GM Candidates, click here. Two people on the list, Jerry Dipoto (#1) and Ben Cherington (#4), have already landed GM jobs.

Minor Moves: Indians, Dodgers, Jake Fox

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Here's where we'll keep track of today's minor moves…

  • The Indians announced that outfielder Jerad Head elected free agency. The 28-year-old spent most of the season at Triple-A, where he posted a .284/.338/.526 line with 24 homers.
  • Double-A right-hander Will Savage re-signed with the Dodgers on a minor league deal according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The 27-year-old posted a 3.95 ERA with 5.5 K/9 and 1.7 BB/9 in 141 1/3 innings in 2011.
  • Jake Fox refused an assignment to the Orioles' Triple-A affiliate and has elected free agency, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (on Twitter). Baltimore had outrtighted Fox off of its 40-man roster last week. The 29-year-old posted a .756 OPS in 67 plate appearances this year, appearing behind the plate, in left field and at first base.
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