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Manager & Coach Notes: Valentine, Riggleman, D’Backs

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While some teams continue looking for their new manager, other clubs are settling their 2011 coaching staffs.  Here's a collection of news items about both searches…

  • Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com (Twitter link) "keeps hearing" that Bobby Valentine is one of the finalists to be the next Brewers manager, though Rosenthal wonders if Valentine would take the job and if Milwaukee could afford him.  We heard yesterday that the Brewers had narrowed their search to four men, two of whom were Joey Cora and Bob Melvin and one of whom was suspected to be Ron Roenicke.  Valentine could be the mystery fourth man.
  • Jim Riggleman will manage the Nationals next season, according to a team press release.  The move was widely expected given Washington's 10-win improvement (from 59 wins to 69) in Riggleman's first full season as the team's skipper.  The Nats could have fired Riggleman and paid him a $100K buyout, according to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post, rather than be on the hook for his full 2011 salary.  The team also has an option on Riggleman for 2012.
  • Arizona announced the hirings of Alan Trammell the new bench coach and Charles Nagy as the new pitching coach in a team press release.  The D'Backs also confirmed the hirings of Don Baylor and Eric Young as the hitting and first base coaches, respectively.
  • Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune tweets that with Trammell leaving the Cubs for the Diamondbacks, there is a "door open" for Pat Listach to become his friend Mike Quade's bench coach in Chicago.  We heard today from ESPNChicago.com that Ryne Sandberg (a top contender for the Cubs' managerial job) wouldn't be staying with the Cubs as Quade's bench coach.
  • It sounds like something of a stock "never say never" answer, but Ozzie Guillen sounded open to the possibility of hiring Sandberg as the White Sox bench coach should Joey Cora become Milwaukee's manager.  Guillen made the remarks on WSCR-AM 670's "Mully & Hanley Show," and the news was reported by the Chicago Tribune.
  • Former Rockies manager and current Rangers hitting coach Clint Hurdle tells Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the Brewers didn't consider him to be a candidate for their managerial opening.  (Twitter link)
  • Fredi Gonzalez will bring back his old Marlins bench coach Carlos Tosca for the same job in Atlanta, reports David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.  Also, former Florida hitting coach Jim Presley is "a finalist" to take over as the Braves' hitting coach.
  • Presley could also end up as Baltimore's hitting coach, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com (Twitter link).  In other Oriole-related Rosenthal tweets, Billy Ripken and Mike Bordick are being considered for coaching jobs on Buck Showalter's staff, and Mark Connor and Rick Adair are the "leading candidates" to be, respectively, Baltimore's next pitching and bullpen coaches.

Odds & Ends: Duchscherer, Bruce, Nolasco, Votto

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Some links as the Rangers look to close out the Yankees at home..

Odds & Ends: Mets, Inge, Reynolds, Angels

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On this date in 1974, the Yankees and Giants swapped Bobby Bonds and Bobby Murcer in one of the many deals that had Bonds packing his bags. Now, the Yankees and Giants are preoccupied with something else entirely: trying to reach the World Series. Here are today's links…

Orioles Eyeing Some Japanese Players

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The Orioles will show interest in five to eight Japanese players if they become available, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. Orioles director of player development John Stockstill told Zrebiec that he scouted Japanese players personally as recently as September.

Japanese shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima has the Orioles’ attention; they have seen him play several times. The Mariners also have interest in Nakajima, according to Dave Cameron of U.S.S. Mariner and other teams will be involved in the bidding, too. There aren’t many shortstops with power available via trades or free agency, so Nakajima figures to draw interest if he’s posted.

The Orioles would have kicked the tires on Yu Darvish if he had become available this offseason. They have seen the right-hander throw about 30 times since 2008, but Darvish plans to stay in Japan for 2011.

Free Agent Stock Watch: Ty Wigginton

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Coming off an .876 OPS season with Houston in 2008, Ty Wigginton signed a two-year, $6MM deal with the Orioles.   He had a .258/.313/.409 line in 1085 plate appearances for Baltimore and was named to the AL All-Star Team after a superb April and May last season.  Let's see what a team will get by signing the 33-year-old this winter…

The Pros

  • Wigginton appeared in 98 games at first, 40 games at second and 22 games at third last season.  A lot of clubs could use a utility infielder able to cover three positions, plus he also has corner outfield experience.
  • As MLBTR's Tim Dierkes noted last week, the free agent market for third basemen is very thin once you get past Adrian Beltre.
  • Wigginton is coming off a 22-homer season, though just nine of those home runs came after May 23.  He has always had some pop in his bat, compiling a .446 slugging percentage in his career.

The Cons

  • Wigginton may be versatile, but he has a below-average UZR/150 at all three of his infield positions, especially at second and third.  He does have a 9.5 UZR/150 in the outfield, however.
  • The right-handed hitter has a career .816 OPS against left-handed pitching (and a .755 OPS against righties), but his numbers against southpaws have dipped considerably over the last two seasons.  Wigginton posted a .650 OPS and a .679 OPS against southpaws in 2009 and 2010, respectively. 

The Verdict

Wigginton is probably in line for a one-year contract worth no more than $2-$2.5MM.  It's unlikely he'd be used in anything but a platoon or bench role, though his declining numbers against lefties will concern teams looking for a veteran right-handed bat.

Since Wigginton can play all over the diamond, any number of teams could see him as a useful bench option.  He could return to Baltimore at a lower price since there appears to be mutual interest between he and the Orioles, plus the O's would prefer a known quantity to fill in should Josh Bell not be able handle the everyday third base job.   MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli notes that Wigginton will be looking for a multi-year commitment, which Baltimore isn't keen to offer (Twitter link).

Wherever Wigginton plays in 2011, expect him to draw interest at the trade deadline as he did last July.  Wigginton's versatility makes him a candidate for any team looking to fill a hole created by a midseason injury.

Manager Rumors: Jays, Sandberg, Mariners, Orioles

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The Cubs made the day's big move, signing Mike Quade to a two-year deal, but there's lots of chatter about another candidate for the Cubs job and other teams around the league. Here are the details:

  • Sal Fasano, Dave Martinez, Luis Rivera and Rob Thomson have all been informed that they're no longer candidates for the Toronto manager's job, tweets Shi Davidi of The Canadian Press.  Don Baylor is also out of the running and is "not pleased about it," according to Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun (Twitter link).
  • Ryne Sandberg, a finalist for the Cubs job, may leave the organization, a source tells Ed Price of AOL FanHouse (Twitter link).
  • Sandberg told ESPN Radio 1000 in Chicago that he would like to manage elsewhere, though he was disappointed not to get the Cubs job.
  • Daren Brown, who managed the Mariners after Don Wakamatsu's dismissal, will either manage at Triple-A or be on the major league staff next year, according to Larry Stone of the Seattle Times (on Twitter).
  • Wedge said he's looking forward to working with Milton Bradley again, according to Stone (on Twitter). "I don’t hold any grudges," Wedge said. Bradley said yesterday that he's open to Wedge's hiring.
  • Orioles manager Buck Showalter will meet with president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail and owner Peter Angelos to discuss the team's offseason approach, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun.
  • Earlier today, Jon Heyman of SI.com reported that the Mets "love" Joe Girardi and noted that the Yankees skipper lost some leverage when Quade got the Cubs job (Twitter links).

Odds & Ends: Ross, Hale, Daniels, Mets, Coaches

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Some links to check out as Cody Ross attempts to follow up yesterday's two-home run performance and the Phillies look to even the score…

Cafardo’s Latest: Stairs, Pierzynski, Inge, Berkman

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Let's round up the highlights from Nick Cafardo's Sunday column for the Boston Globe….

  • One AL executive tells Cafardo that he's never seen so many candidates interviewed for managerial openings: "It’s amazing to me that you wouldn’t know within, say, two or three candidates who you want. But I guess in some cases the GM’s job is also on the line if he picks the wrong guy."
  • Matt Stairs would like to play for at least one more season. While he says he'd like to return to Boston, he concedes that he'd probably play "anywhere."
  • An NL scout was positive about A.J. Pierzynski, suggesting that he'll be one of the most attractive catching options on the free agent market, behind Victor Martinez and John Buck. "With A.J., you know he’s not going to throw people out," said the scout. "But there’s nothing wrong with his receiving and he can still hit. I know the fire he has can rub people the wrong way, but I think that’s great for a team."
  • Brandon Inge has a good chance of landing a starting role this winter, given the lack of free agent third base options after Adrian Beltre. However, Cafardo wonders if Inge could eventually become a Bill Hall-esque utility player, given his ability to play a few different positions.
  • Possible bullpen targets for the Red Sox include Joaquin Benoit, Jesse Crain, Matt Guerrier, Jason Frasor, Scott Downs, and Brian Fuentes.
  • A market appears to be developing for Lance Berkman. Teams like the Rockies, Orioles, Mets, Blue Jays, and Diamondbacks could have interest.
  • Carlos Delgado underwent another hip procedure two and a half weeks ago, but is rehabbing the hip and feels like he'll be able to play in 2011.

Amateur Signing Bonuses: Orioles

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Let's continue our look at the five largest bonuses each team has given to amateur players with the Orioles…

  1. Matt Wieters, $6MM (2007)
  2. Manny Machado, $5.25MM (2010)
  3. Adam Loewen, $3.2MM (2002)
  4. Brian Matusz, $3.2MM (2008)
  5. Matt Hobgood, $2.422MM (2009)

Wieters was the fifth overall pick in the 2007 draft but was arguably the top talent available along with David Price. He destroyed the minors (.343/.438/.576) before making his big league debut last May. Wieters hasn't had the immediate impact the O's hoped for, but perspective is important here. There's nothing wrong with a 24-year-old catcher hitting .266/.328/.393 in his first 887 plate appearances while throwing out 27.6% of attempted basestealers in the AL East.

Another one of the talented young players on Baltimore's big league roster right now is Matusz. He was the fourth overall pick in 2008 and like Wieters he crushed the minors (1.91 ERA, 9.6 K/9, 2.5 BB/9) before debuting in the show. After an eight start cameo in 2009, Matusz's coming out party in 2010 was rock solid for a 23-year-old lefty in that division. His overall numbers won't wow you – 4.30 ERA, 7.3 K/9, 3.2 BB/9 in 175.2 innings – but he was superb down the stretch, posting a 1.57 ERA with a .178/.237/.282 batting line against in his final eight starts. Matusz and Wieters are two biggest pieces in the Orioles' rebuilding effort.

Machado was the third overall pick this past June and didn't sign until the August 16th deadline. He hit .306/.359/.472 in just 39 plate appearances this year, his pro debut. Hobgood was the fifth overall pick last year and has been good but not great so far: 4.48 ERA with 5.6 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 in 120.2 innings. He just turned 20 in August.

Loewen was the product of the now defunct draft-and-follow process. The O's took him fourth overall in 2002 but didn't sign until a year later, after he spent a season with Chipola College, a two-year school. Loewen cruised through the minors and debuted with Baltimore in 2006. He threw 164 innings with the O's over the next two seasons (5.38 ERA, 7.4 K/9, 5.8 BB/9) but his pitching career was derailed by chronic elbow issues. Loewen went the Rick Ankiel route and transitioned to an outfielder, and he's now working his way back to the big leagues in the Blue Jays system.

The Orioles have never been a big time player on the Latin American free agent market, but they opened a state-of-the-art academy in the Dominican within the last few years. Expect their presence in the international market to jump significantly in the coming years.

Managers And GMs On Expiring Contracts

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If you haven't gotten enough of this offseason's dugout and front office hot stove action, it's never too early to look ahead to what positions could be open next winter.  With a tip of the hat to Cot's Baseball Contracts, here's a look at the managers and GMs who are entering the final year of their current deals.

  • Baltimore — We've already heard that Andy MacPhail, the team's president of baseball operations, isn't planning to discuss an extension this winter.  This isn't necessarily a sign that MacPhail is either a lame duck or wants to leave after next season, since Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun points out that MacPhail isn't the type to negotiate a new contract in the media.
  • Boston — Terry Francona is technically on this list since 2011 is the last guaranteed year of his contract, but he has club options for both 2012 and 2013.  Barring something totally unforseen, it's a lock that the Red Sox will pick up those options and have their two-time World Series-winning manager in the dugout for years to come.
  • Chicago — Ozzie Guillen has a club option for 2012 that becomes guaranteed if the White Sox win the AL Central next season, and the manager has been vocal about wanting to "know where he stands in the eyes of the organization."  Given the roller-coaster relationship between Guillen and GM Kenny Williams, who knows what might happen next winter if the Sox aren't division champions.  Williams, for his part, has a unique perpetual contract with the club that rolls over every season and pays him a year's severance if he's fired.  Williams would probably be favored to stay if he and Guillen's relationship ever deteriorated into a 'he goes or I go' showdown.
  • Cincinnati — Manager Dusty Baker has already received an extension from the Reds, and GM Walt Jocketty is likely to receive the same treatment this offseason.
  • Detroit — The Tigers have almost $70MM worth of salaries coming off the books, thus making it a very important winter for GM Dave Dombrowski to set up not just the 2011 Tigers as contenders, but the next several editions of the team.  Dombrowski and manager Jim Leyland built up a lot of goodwill in Detroit after winning the AL pennant in 2006, but the Tigers haven't returned to the postseason since.  Leyland already feels the pressure, and though Dombrowski has done an admirable job in rebuilding the Tigers from their laughingstock status at the start of the century, the GM could be on the hot seat too if this winter's moves backfire in 2011.
  • New York — The three-year extension that Brian Cashman signed after the 2008 season is up after 2011, but it's hard to see Cashman leaving, especially if he gets another World Series ring this fall.  As we've seen with Joe Girardi, Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera, the Yankee policy of avoiding in-season negotiations extends to even the franchise's biggest names, so we likely won't hear any news about a new deal for Cashman until October 2011 at the earliest.
  • Philadelphia — Charlie Manuel signed a one-year extension for 2011 after the Phillies won the 2008 World Series, and GM Ruben Amaro Jr.'s deal also runs out after next season.  The Phils won't let either man go anywhere. 
  • Pittsburgh — GM Neal Huntington signed an extension through 2011 last winter and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him receive another one-year extension this offseason.  The Pirates have seen their loss total increase in each of the three seasons of Huntington's tenure (95 to 99 to 105) and the firing of manager John Russell indicates that there is some urgency in Pittsburgh to get the franchise back on track.  Expectations are still very modest for next year's club, but another 105-loss campaign will probably get Huntington fired.
  • San Francisco — Bruce Bochy and Brian Sabean both have club options for 2012 that look like locks to be picked up given the Giants' ongoing playoff success.
  • Texas — Jon Daniels is under contract through 2011 but he has the option of opting out of his Rangers contract this winter since the team was sold.  There have been whispers about the Mets being interested in Daniels, but there has been no contact between the Amazin's and the Texas GM.  As in the Giants, Phillies and Reds situations, playoff success is a great way to earn an extension.  Count on Daniels and manager Ron Washington to still be at the Ballpark through 2012.
  • Washington — Though Stephen Strasburg's injury erased any hope the Nationals had of contending next season, the team is ready to spend some money this winter, even looking at top-tier free agents like Cliff Lee.  The bottom line is that continued improvement is expected in Washington, or else manager Jim Riggleman won't have his club option picked up for 2012.

 

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