Latest On Red Sox Managerial Search
The Red Sox have begun talks with the Blue Jays in an effort to work out compensation for manager John Farrell, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (via Twitter). General Manager Ben Cherington is set to meet with Orioles third base coach DeMarlo Hale tomorrow but there is currently nobody scheduled to interview after that.
Boston has long been linked to Farrell but the skipper said in an interview late last week that he is happy in Toronto and has yet to speak with Cherington & Co. regarding their vacancy. Meanwhile, Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulous has said repeatedly that the club's policy precludes personnel from leaving for a lateral move. While Farrell is said to be at or near the top of the Red Sox's list, Padres special assistant Brad Ausmus and Dodgers third base coach Tim Wallach have also been linked to the position.
Red Sox Designate Che-Hsuan Lin For Assignment
The Red Sox have designated outfielder Che-Hsuan Lin for assignment, the team announced. The move creates room on the 40-man roster for the recently-claimed Sandy Rosario.
Lin, 24, had three singles in a dozen plate appearances with Boston this season, his big league debut. He's a .256/.347/.344 hitter in over 2,750 minor league plate appearances whose best attribute is his defense in center field. Lin was named MVP of the 2008 Futures Game after hitting a two-run homer off Ryan Mattheus.
Red Sox Claim Sandy Rosario
The Red Sox claimed right-hander Sandy Rosario off of waivers from the Marlins, according to Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald (on Twitter).
Rosario, 27, appeared in four games with the Marlins this past season. He spent most of the year in the minor leagues, where he posted a 1.99 ERA with 8.2 K/9 and 1.4 BB/9 in 31 2/3 innings. Though he started two games, Rosario was mostly used in relief.
WEEI.com's Alex Speier confirmed that Rosario has one minor league option remaining, meaning the Red Sox can send him to Triple-A next season without having to pass him through waivers.
AL East Notes: Beeston, Martinez, Scutaro, Orioles
Blue Jays president and CEO Paul Beeston will continue in his current role after the end of October, when his contract had been set to expire, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports. Beeston and the Blue Jays are believed to be working toward a two-year extension. The 67-year-old acknowledged to Davidi that the sides are "in discussion" and that he's "committed to seeing this thing through." Here are more notes from the AL East…
- Rays bench coach Dave Martinez hasn't heard from the Red Sox or Rockies about possible manager interviews, tweets Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Martinez was one of the top candidates to manage the Astros before they hired Bo Porter last month.
- The Red Sox shouldn't have any regrets about dealing Marco Scutaro last winter, writes WEEI.com's Alex Speier, despite Scutaro's strong performance down the stretch with the Giants.
- Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun lists the five biggest questions facing the Orioles this winter.
- It doesn’t appear that Red Sox bench coach Tim Bogar will be interviewed for the team’s managerial opening, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports (on Twitter).
- Jon Lester just completed a disappointing season, but as Rob Bradford points out at WEEI.com it could be a good time for the Red Sox to approach the left-hander about another contract extension. Lester, who's under team control through 2014, has said he's "always open" to extension talks. So far the sides haven't discussed a new deal, Bradford reports.
- Outfielder Nate McLouth would like to re-sign with Baltimore when he hits free agency this offseason, but the Orioles could decide to stick with internal options and try to find another McLouth-like performer next year, Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun writes. In case you missed it, Mike Axisa examined McLouth’s free agent stock over the weekend.
MLBTR's Mark Polishuk also contributed to this post
Managerial Notes: Guillen, Johnson, Red Sox, Pena
Here's the latest on some of the open (or possibly open) managerial vacancies from around baseball…
- "It is my belief that as more time passes, the greater the likelihood [Ozzie] Guillen keeps his job. Some others I've spoken with share the same sense," writes Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald, though he notes that this opinion is based on "nothing concrete." While Guillen may stay, there is a greater possibility that the Marlins will make some changes to the coaching staff.
- Davey Johnson tells Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post that he has some "unfinished business" with the Nationals and wants to return as the team's manager next season. With GM Mike Rizzo also eager for Johnson to return, Kilgore notes that it will just take ownership approval to work out a new deal for Johnson, who is only contracted through 2013 as a consultant with the Nats.
- The Red Sox will interview Brad Ausmus on Wednesday and DeMarlo Hale on Thursday, reports Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald. No manager interviews are scheduled beyond Hale, though the team is open to adding more candidates. The Sox have yet to interview Sandy Alomar Jr. or Torey Lovullo, both of whom interviewed for Boston's manager's job last year.
- Yankees bench coach Tony Pena interviewed for the Red Sox job yesterday and told Lauber (Twitter link) that the two sides talked for six hours and had "a great baseball conversation."
- Jason Giambi is "more suited than most think" to be a manager, tweets Troy Renck of the Denver Post, who believes Giambi has "spent [the] last few years preparing for this transition." Renck reported earlier today that the Rockies would interview Giambi for their vacant managerial job.
Managerial Notes: Rockies, Red Sox, Baker
Earlier today the Reds extended Dusty Baker for another two years. The former Cubs and Giants skipper has led Cincinnati to a pair of NL Central Division titles since taking over the helm. Here are some more links pertaining to managers…
- Rockies bench coach Tom Runnells tells the Denver Post's Patrick Saunders that he's grateful to be considered for another managing position. Runnels has been the Rockies' bench coach for the past three seasons, and hasn't managed at the big league level since 1992 with the Expos. Saunders calls him the leading in-house candidate, and mentions Tim Wallach, Ryne Sandberg and Brad Ausmus as external candidates.
- Don't count Brad Ausmus out as a candidate to take over as the Red Sox manager, writes Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com. It may seem strange that he was called in for an interview since his competition all appears to have extensive managing experience, but Edes notes the success of Mike Matheny this season. He quotes Joe Torre, who managed Ausmus with the Dodgers, in saying that Ausmus reminds him of Yankees skipper Joe Girardi.
- Hal McCoy of the Dayton Daily News calls the decision to extend Baker a wise one. He notes that Baker overcame the loss of Ryan Madson, Nick Masset and Bill Bray before the season even started, and also lost Brandon Phillips and Joey Votto for notable amounts of time.
- McCoy's colleague, Greg Billing, writes that the decision can't be judged until next season. Billing writes that he doesn't often question the decisions of GM Walt Jocketty and the Reds' ownership, but notes that the decision has not been met kindly by fans online.
AL East Notes: Ortiz, Peralta, Jackson
Some links from around the AL East for your Monday reading pleasure…
- David Ortiz is still looking for two years and $25-30MM, according to the Boston Herald's John Tomase. Ortiz told Tomase that he expects the Red Sox to reach out to his representatives at SFX next week.
- Rich Dubroff of CSNBaltimore.com cautions Orioles fans not to buy into any rumblings that Ortiz could end up in Baltimore if he doesn't re-sign with the Red Sox. Dubroff notes that manager Buck Showalter felt handicapped by Vladimir Guerrero's inability to play in the field the last time the team had a strict DH in 2011.
- In his latest mailbag, MLB.com's Bill Chastain tells one reader that Joel Peralta is so intent on returning to the Rays that he will likely deal with them exclusively before talking to other teams. Chastain does opine that a multi-year deal from an outside team could sway Peralta's thinking.
- Chastain also says he believes that the Rays will open the season with Ben Zobrist as the shortstop, as Hak-Ju Lee may not be ready from an offensive standpoint yet.
- Danny Knobler of CBS Sports tweets that the Blue Jays had nine different scouts in attendance for Edwin Jackson's final three regular season starts. Jackson will be a free agent this offseason, and while he'd like to return to the Nationals, he could end up elsewhere. The Jays are planning to shop aggressively this offseason.
Latest On Boston’s Managerial Search
Padres special assistant Brad Ausmus and Dodgers third base coach Tim Wallach are candidates for Boston's managerial opening, but the former MLB stars aren’t the only ones being considered for the position. Here’s the latest news on the managerial search…
- Wallach was “very impressive” in his interview with the Red Sox, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports (on Twitter). It’s not clear if Wallach’s interview will be enough to land him the job, however.
- DeMarlo Hale's interview will take place Thursday, according to Tim Britton of the Providence Journal (on Twitter). Ausmus will interview Wednesday, Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe reports (on Twitter).
- Alex Speier of WEEI.com provides a complete rundown of Tony Pena, the Yankees coach who's a candidate for Boston's managerial job.
- The Red Sox will interview Yankees bench coach Tony Pena today, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. The 55-year-old managed the Royals from 2002-05 before joining the Yankees, who have today off and will resume the ALCS in Detroit on Tuesday.
- The Red Sox have plans to interview Hale, the Orioles' third base coach, for the position at some point this week, according to Bradford.
- Joe Torre said he has no plans to manage and isn't a candidate for the Red Sox position, John Tomase of the Boston Herald reports. Nick Cafardo reported yesterday that there's talk Torre would consider managing again.
Managerial Notes: Giambi, Rockies, Red Sox
Late last week, the Rockies started the search for their next manager in earnest when they interviewed bench coach Tom Runnells. They're also set to interview Triple-A manager Stu Cole, but a third in-house name may join the mix. Here's more on that and other managerial notes..
- Jason Giambi remains a candidate for the Rockies' managerial vacancy until he's ruled out, writes Troy Renck of The Denver Post. It's possible that the slugger will interview this week as the club determines whether to stay in-house or look outside for their next skipper. Last week, a source close to Giambi indicated that he would retire if given the opportunity to manage the Rockies.
- Meanwhile, the Red Sox are giving consideration to another managerial candidate who comes without previous experience. Brad Ausmus doesn't have the resume of other available names but is considered to be a good stress-reliever with a competitive edge, similar to Terry Francona, writes Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald. The former catcher's only dugout experience came this summer as the manager of Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic qualifying round.
- One Rockies player told Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post that he is concerned that candidates will be put off by the lack of control they would have in Colorado. "We are essentially being managed by the front office now," said the player. "I'm really wondering what kind of manager — I'm talking about a good manager — would come in here and accept this."
Cafardo On Shields, Ortiz, Ross, Rodriguez
In today's column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe offers up a few ideas to help bolster the Red Sox. Cafardo suggests that the Red Sox need a pure middle-of-the-order hitter and writes that Joe Mauer of the Twins would fit the bill nicely. While the Twins might not be in a rush to deal him, Boston might be willing to put together an attractive offer to get a hitter of his caliber that can split time between first base and catcher. If they can't make Mauer the big get of this winter, Cafardo also suggests names like Nick Swisher, Mike Napoli, and even Josh Hamilton. Of course, the Red Sox may pass on some of the bigger names and price tags out there to avoid locking themselves into more unfavorable contracts. Here's more from Cafardo..
- Rays pitcher James Shields has a $9MM option for this year and will likely be unaffordable for the club after that. It seems likely that Tampa Bay will finally bite the bullet and trade pitching to get the offense that they need. One National League GM suggested that the Rangers would be a good partner as they could offer Elvis Andrus and someone else for Shields. Some baseball officials also haven’t ruled out the Rays moving David Price to fill a couple of positions.
- Word is that David Ortiz might accept a two-year deal from the Red Sox for $26-28MM if they offer it. If Boston won't go to two years, Ortiz may roll the dice and see what the Orioles, Yankees, Blue Jays, or Rangers offer.
- The Red Sox are trying to work out a multiyear deal with Cody Ross, but he'll have a strong market if he chooses to wait. The Braves could potentially be major players for Ross as they offered him a two-year deal last year. Ross wouldn’t mind a Western team either and the Giants may have interest if they move on from Melky Cabrera.
- Cafardo believes that the Dodgers would be willing to take on Alex Rodriguez as the Yankees would gladly eat some of his contract. The Dodgers also appear unlikely to re-sign Shane Victorino and will save some money by doing that.
- Talk is strong that Joe Torre would consider managing again and the 72-year-old has always had an affinity for Boston.