Odds & Ends: Towers, Ricciardi, Trembley
Saturday afternoon linkage…
- Tim Sullivan of the San Diego Union-Tribune reflects fondly on Kevin Towers' 14-year tenure with the Padres. "Whatever you might think of his baseball decisions," Sullivan writes, "no one in the game can work a room more charismatically."
- Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News believes J.P. Ricciardi's biggest blunder — "and the one that most likely did him in" — was not trading Roy Halladay this summer. Other infractions of the Ricciardi era include massive contracts tendered to Vernon Wells and B.J. Ryan, and the trading of Jayson Werth for Jason Frasor.
- Tom Krasovic of Inside The Padres is beginning to hear names for the Padres' GM opening. Red Sox assistant general manager Jed Hoyer is a new one.
- Kevin Cowherd of the Baltimore Sun doesn't understand why the Orioles opted to pick up manager Dave Trembley's 2010 option. "I don't understand," Cowherd writes, "how you stand pat with your manager after another horrible collapse that includes a 13-game losing streak and a possible 100-loss finish."
Odds & Ends: Church, Macha, Farrell
Some more reading for the last Friday night of the 2009 regular season….
- Mark Bowman of MLB.com wonders if Ryan Church has played his last game for the Braves. Bowman thinks, because of Church's back injuries, the Braves may not want to pay for a salary bump through arbitration.
- Brewers GM Doug Melvin has not yet met with Ken Macha to discuss his future in Milwaukee, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. It looks as if Macha will be back in the Brewers' dugout in 2010, but Melvin probably won't make it official until after Sunday's finale.
- Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell attempts to dispel rumors that he'll be the next manager in Cleveland, via Anthony Castrovince at MLB.com.
- ESPN.com's Rob Neyer looks at the AL Rookie of the Year race and concludes that the candidate he'd most like to have for the next few seasons is Texas shortstop Elvis Andrus.
- Jon Heyman of SI.com (via Twitter) is surprised the Orioles picked up Dave Trembley's 2010 option.
- If Bobby Jenks is back in Chicago in 2010, White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper expects a better season out of the closer, according to MLB.com's Scott Merkin.
- Daniel Barbarisi of the Providence Journal writes that the Indians are still feeling the "punch to the gut" of losing Victor Martinez.
- T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com notes that it's not certain whether Rangers hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo will be back in Texas in 2010.
Odds & Ends: Church, Macha, Farrell
Some more reading for the last Friday night of the 2009 regular season….
- Mark Bowman of MLB.com wonders if Ryan Church has played his last game for the Braves. Bowman thinks, because of Church's back injuries, the Braves may not want to pay for a salary bump through arbitration.
- Brewers GM Doug Melvin has not yet met with Ken Macha to discuss his future in Milwaukee, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. It looks as if Macha will be back in the Brewers' dugout in 2010, but Melvin probably won't make it official until after Sunday's finale.
- Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell attempts to dispel rumors that he'll be the next manager in Cleveland, via Anthony Castrovince at MLB.com.
- ESPN.com's Rob Neyer looks at the AL Rookie of the Year race and concludes that the candidate he'd most like to have for the next few seasons is Texas shortstop Elvis Andrus.
- Jon Heyman of SI.com (via Twitter) is surprised the Orioles picked up Dave Trembley's 2010 option.
- If Bobby Jenks is back in Chicago in 2010, White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper expects a better season out of the closer, according to MLB.com's Scott Merkin.
- Daniel Barbarisi of the Providence Journal writes that the Indians are still feeling the "punch to the gut" of losing Victor Martinez.
- T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com notes that it's not certain whether Rangers hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo will be back in Texas in 2010.
Orioles Pick Up Dave Trembley’s 2010 Option
Dave Trembley will manage the Orioles next year despite a late-season slide that could see the club lose 100 games. The O's have picked up Trembley's 2010 option, according to a team press release.
Since taking over as manager midway through 2007, Trembley has led the O's to a 169-244 record. The team had lost 13 straight games before winning last night, but Jeremy Guthrie and Chris Tillman both told Steve Melewski of MASN.com how much they like Trembley, so the skipper doesn't appear to have lost clubhouse support.
Heyman On Best Moves & Managerial Changes
Jon Heyman of SI.com ranks the best moves of the year and Matt Holliday figures in prominently. Heyman says the Rockies made the move of the year when the acquired Huston Street, Carlos Gonzalez and Greg Smith for Holliday. And Heyman says the Cardinals made the third-best move of the year when they acquired Holliday for Brett Wallace and two other prospects. Here's the latest on some managers and potential managers:
- Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell appears to be the Indians' preferred choice to manage the club next year. In fact, he may be the only candidate they're seriously considering right now.
- In all likelihood, the Orioles will replace manager Dave Trembley. He couldn't steer the team to a strong finish, so they could lose 100 games.
- Jerry Manuel (Mets) and Ken Macha (Brewers) will likely return as "lame ducks" next year.
- Nats manager Jim Riggleman has a chance at winning the permanent managerial job.
Heyman On Best Moves & Managerial Changes
Jon Heyman of SI.com ranks the best moves of the year and Matt Holliday figures in prominently. Heyman says the Rockies made the move of the year when the acquired Huston Street, Carlos Gonzalez and Greg Smith for Holliday. And Heyman says the Cardinals made the third-best move of the year when they acquired Holliday for Brett Wallace and two other prospects. Here's the latest on some managers and potential managers:
- Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell appears to be the Indians' preferred choice to manage the club next year. In fact, he may be the only candidate they're seriously considering right now.
- In all likelihood, the Orioles will replace manager Dave Trembley. He couldn't steer the team to a strong finish, so they could lose 100 games.
- Jerry Manuel (Mets) and Ken Macha (Brewers) will likely return as "lame ducks" next year.
- Nats manager Jim Riggleman has a chance at winning the permanent managerial job.
Odds & Ends: Mariners, Marlins, Orioles
Time for your afternoon snack (naptime optional):
- The question isn't so much if all the Marlins will return, Joe Capozzi writes in the Palm Beach Post, but which Marlins will be dealt. The $36.8MM payroll would expand to around $43MM next season with the current roster.
- Geoff Baker writes in the Seattle Times that the Mariners can't expect the same group to win as many games in 2010.
- The Baltimore Sun's Peter Schmuck says that Dave Trembley's job status will be determined "in the next 4 or 5 days."
- A front office person tells Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus that Miguel Angel Sano has incredible power for a 16-year-old. The "sky is the limit" for the Dominican infielder.
- Goldstein reports that plenty of teams are doing their "digging" on Dominican outfielder Wagner Mateo. The Cards voided Mateo's contract last month after agreeing to a $3.1MM deal with him in July.
- MLB.com's Bryan Hoch says the Yankees still expect Phil Hughes to develop into a starter.
- ESPN.com's Jorge Arangure Jr. explains that Hanley Ramirez couples impressive work habits and awesome talent with a dismissive and distant demeanor.
Miguel Angel Sano Lowers Asking Price
Dominican shortstop Miguel Angel Sano has lowered his asking price in recent weeks, according to MASN's Steve Melewski. The Orioles admitted "things have stepped up" in their talks with Sano, but a gap remains. (Just a week ago, Orioles president Andy MacPhail characterized the talks as on the backburner.) Melewski heard eight to ten teams are in on Sano, perhaps large-market clubs like the Yankees and Red Sox included. Melewski believes Sano may sign in October. The player's age remains unconfirmed, but he's saying he's 16.
The Pirates were the frontrunner for Sano a few months ago, but Sano's agent turned down their $2.6MM offer (ESPN's Jorge Arangure Jr. reporting). Since then, Wagner Mateo's $3.1MM deal with the Cardinals was voided.
Odds & Ends: Griffey, Harden, Guzman
Let's have a look at a few evening links….
- John McGrath of the Tacoma News Tribune notes that the uncertainty regarding Ken Griffey Jr.'s future with the Mariners could make for an uncomfortable PR situation, given Griffey's popularity in Seattle. We've already heard that Griffey would be open to returning and that the Mariners would not reject the idea. McGrath rightly points out though that it would be a mistake to bring the 39-year-old back as the same middle-of-the-order DH he was this year, since he has hit just .214/.323/.395. If the Mariners do retain Griffey, McGrath says it has to be a pinch hitter and part-time player.
- After earlier reports that the Cubs might not be interested in retaining Rich Harden, we get a follow-up from Keith Law at ESPN.com wondering what type of deal Harden might get. Law compares Harden to Brad Penny, suggesting that, like Penny, the Cubs righty may not be able to secure a multi-year deal because of health concerns.
- Bill Ladson of MLB.com blogs that Cristian Guzman is still unsure about playing second base for the Nationals in 2010. GM Mike Rizzo and interim manager Jim Riggleman requested the move, feeling that Guzman "no longer has the range to play shortstop."
- The White Sox should consider keeping Jermaine Dye, according to Matt Meyers of ESPN.com. Although he acknowledges that the outfielder's declining slugging percentage and subpar fielding make for a scary combination, Meyers contends that Dye is a better fit in Chicago than anywhere else, since he could replace the departed Jim Thome as the team's full-time DH. Dye would like to return and Ozzie wants him back too, but the Sox aren't about to pick up the $12MM option just because it's the best fit for Dye.
- Corey Brock at MLB.com talks to San Diego Padres' GM Kevin Towers about the focus on speed for the Padres. Towers believes there is such a thing as a "PETCO Park player," and that athleticism is a crucial characteristic for playing in the spacious ballpark. Given this approach, it'll be interesting to see who the Padres might target from this offseason's free agent pool.
- Baseball America's Ben Badler tweets that the Pittsburgh Pirates' win this afternoon once again clinched the No. 1 pick for the Washington Nationals in next June's draft. The Pirates and Baltimore Orioles are still in the mix for No. 2.
Odds & Ends: Wagner, Astros, Haren, Mora
Some more links to check out…
- Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reconstructs the day that the Red Sox acquired Billy Wagner with help from the hard-throwing lefty himself.
- If you ask Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle, Astros owner Drayton McLane sets an open tone for the entire organization.
- Justice believes the Astros need to add an innings eater this offseason and says he expects them to shop for bargains.
- Dan Haren says he wants the D'Backs to bring Brandon Webb back next year, according to Dan Bickley of the Arizona Republic.
- Melvin Mora tells Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun that he'll never tire of thanking the Orioles, even if they don't exercise his option after the season. It would be a shock if the O's picked up Mora's $8MM option.