Odds & Ends: Reds, White Sox, Shimizu
More Thursday linkage…
- MLB.com's Mark Sheldon guesses the Reds will buy out Ramon Hernandez's option for $1MM, but then try to re-sign him. Sheldon also runs through the upcoming important hot stove dates.
- White Sox GM Ken Williams wouldn't reveal much about his offseason plans, talking to MLB.com's Scott Merkin. "I'm always looking at all the possibilities," said Williams.
- WEEI's Rob Bradford talked to Tim Wakefield, who is aiming for 200 victories. He's 11 shy, so he could pull it off in 2010. The Sox figure to exercise his $4MM option once again.
- Ryo Shinkawa of NPB Tracker says 33-year-old righty Naoyuki Shimizu has MLB aspirations. Shimizu posted a 4.42 ERA this year in 144.6 innings for the Chiba Lotte Marines, striking out only 88.
- Cot's Baseball Contracts informs us that Ryan Howard will earn $50K for his NLCS MVP award. Tack that on to his $15MM salary.
Odds & Ends: Parker, Okajima, Kikuchi, La Russa
Links for Thursday…
- Bad news for D'Backs fans: top prospect Jarrod Parker is headed for Tommy John surgery. Reynolds Sports Management broke the news via their Twitter feed, check it out.
- Red Sox reliever Hideki Okajima has dismissed agent Peter Greenberg in favor of Boston-based Joe Rosen, according to a Japanese report passed along by NPB Tracker's Ryo Shinkawa. Shinkawa takes this as a sign Okajima wants to stay with the Red Sox. He is already under team control through 2012 as an arbitration-eligible player.
- Yusei Kikuchi's NPB-vs.-MLB decision seems to be coming within a few days, says Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker.
- Cardinals manager Tony La Russa is nearing his decision on whether to manage in 2010, says Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says that "if La Russa manages next season, it will be with the Cardinals."
- Mark McGwire told The Sporting News' Jeff D'Alessio that Albert Pujols would be worth $30MM+ as a free agent.
- Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star feels the Royals should consider trading closer Joakim Soria.
- Baseball America's Jim Callis believes it's not far-fetched to think Bryce Harper could fall out of the first round in 2010 due to financial demands (hat tip River Ave. Blues).
- MLB.com's Matthew Leach and Jon Weisman of Dodgers Thoughts expect GM Ned Colletti to focus on the rotation this winter.
Red Sox Rumors: Bay, Drew, Bard
Red Sox GM Theo Epstein appeared on WEEI's Dennis & Callahan show this morning; let's take a look.
- Epstein admitted the Red Sox need a contingency plan in case Jason Bay leaves, but he still believes "[Bay] wants to be here, and we want to keep him and take a shot."
- Epstein says J.D. Drew has been worth "a tick more than $14MM per year," due to his offense, defense, and baserunning. FanGraphs has the best-known public player valuation system, and they say Drew has averaged $14.93MM in regular season value over 2007-09.
- The Red Sox GM was not trying to send a message through the media when he said DH David Ortiz needed to be a force in 2010.
- Epstein considers reliever Daniel Bard a "work in progress," and implies thrusting him into the closer role in 2010 wouldn't be beneficial long-term for Bard.
- In other Red Sox news, Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald says the team has "expressed interest in meeting with [Aroldis Chapman] and watching him throw, although it is premature to categorize their interest as anything beyond preliminary."
Hoyer “Closer” To Becoming Padres GM
THURSDAY, 9:09am: Chris Jenkins of the San Diego Union-Tribune describes the Hoyer hiring as "imminent," but says no announcement is scheduled for today.
WEDNESDAY, 2:25pm: Both MLB.com's Corey Brock and ESPN's Buster Olney are reporting that San Diego is moving closer to naming Boston Assistant General Manager Jed Hoyer as their next General Manager.
Hoyer and Los Angeles Assistant GM Kim Ng have both been interviewed. It is unclear if anyone else has been interviewed, with San Diego staying quiet about the search.
Padres' CEO Jeff Moorad has said he'd like to name a GM prior to the World Series, so it is reasonable to expect an announcement sooner than later.
As for Kevin Towers, whom Hoyer would be succeeding, his destination remains unclear. Olney wrote last week that "it figures that Towers will take a job with the Yankees as a special assistant in the months ahead."
But Brock reports that Towers could "conceivably take a spot in the Red Sox front office — possibly as a special assistant or in the scouting department — if Hoyer is indeed hired by the Padres."
Odds & Ends: Yankees, Cardinals, Astros
Here are some links to take you through the end of your workday, instead of, you know, working.
- The Yankees aren't satisfied to simply win the 2009 World Series. They are concurrently planning to take 2010 as well, with Jon Heyman reporting that they are atop Matt Holliday's preferred list of teams, and Lohud.com's Chad Jennings writing that the Yankees should be meeting with Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman soon, though GM Brian Cashman wouldn't confirm it.
- Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that Jason LaRue would be a good fit for the Cardinals in 2010, and breaks down the other catching candidates as well.
- Manny Acta had his second interview for the Astros' managing job, while Bobby Valentine and Bob Melvin are candidates to take Acta's former position as skipper for Washington.
- Tim Wakefield had successful back surgery for the Red Sox, who have a number of 2010 contract options to consider, include Wakefield's. Alex Speier of WEEI.com runs it down nicely.
- The Rays hired Derek Shelton as their new hitting coach. Shelton had been the hitting coach for Cleveland.
- Former Mets' first base coach Tom Nieto is the new manager for Rochester, Minnesota's Triple-A farm team, among other minor-league hires.
Aroldis Chapman In New York
Aroldis Chapman's agent Edwin Mejia changed his mind – he won't make MLB teams come to Andorra to see his client. Instead, according to ESPN's Jorge Arangure Jr., Chapman is set to arrive in New York today to visit with several GMs.
Arangure Jr. still sees the hard-throwing 21-year-old lefty getting a contract in the $40-60MM range. He considers the Yankees and Red Sox top suitors for Chapman, with the A's and Giants in the mix. The Angels, Mets, and Orioles are also interested, based on previous reports. The Dodgers are not viewed as a serious suitor, according to one Arangure Jr. source.
Click here to read Keith Law's scouting report on Chapman for ESPN.
Odds & Ends: Sano, Towers, D’Backs, Fehr
Links for Wednesday…
- Kevin Towers has a standing offer from the Red Sox, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. For now, Towers plans on taking a few months off. In contrast, a week ago ESPN's Buster Olney wrote that "there would appear to be excellent odds that Towers will land with the Yankees as a special assistant sometime in the months ahead."
- The Cubs' contract with hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo is official.
- Miguel Angel Sano received his U.S. work visa, according to SI's Melissa Segura.
- The new Rays hitting coach is Derek Shelton, according to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times.
- Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic crafts an offseason plan for the Diamondbacks, who have a decent amount of money to work with. We did our Offseason Outlook for the team back in September.
- J.C. Bradbury of Sabernomics says tendering a contract to arbitration-eligible right fielder Jeff Francoeur is probably worthwhile for the Mets. I don't sense that non-tendering him is a serious consideration.
- Donald Fehr will receive an $11MM parting gift when he steps down from his MLBPA position, says ESPN's Amy K. Nelson. The players were mostly in favor of the decision, according to Curtis Granderson.
- The Rangers met with Jim Crane's group Tuesday, according to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. Two more potential investing groups are scheduled.
- Backup catcher Mike Redmond told MLB.com's Kelly Thesier he plans on playing next year, whether or not it's with the Twins.
- 41-year-old righty Keiichi Yabu also hopes to play in 2010, says NPB Tracker's Ryo Shinkawa.
- Reliever George Sherrill has no hard feelings about the Orioles trading him to the Dodgers, says Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun.
- MLB.com's Dick Kaegel talked to Zack Greinke, who was characteristically blunt.
- In a Saturday post, Jon Weisman of Dodger Thoughts said he'd like to see how GM Ned Colletti handles the decreased payroll flexibility once his young players reach arbitration. Weisman is even-handed in his assessment of Colletti, but here's a funny quote: "I don't laud him for retaining the young core of the team: Kershaw, Kemp, Billingsley, Broxton, Martin, et al. Knowing not to dump those guys is like knowing not to show up to work in your underwear."
Odds & Ends: Pirates, Rockies, Brewers
What, two playoff games isn't enough baseball for you? Us either…
- Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com discusses the many problems with the Pirates. She doesn't think any of the traded Pirates are coming back, and addresses the improvement Pittsburgh needs to make in the starting rotation and up the middle.
- MLB.com's Thomas Harding dissects the state of the Rockies, position-by-position.
- Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel says there will be no pitching coach hiring announced today for the Brewers, in case you were staying up late waiting for that announcement.
- Boston Red Sox coaches Brad Mills and Tim Bogar interviewed for the Houston managerial vacancy.
Discussion: Jonathan Papelbon
MLB.com's Ian Browne doesn't think Jonathan Papelbon's final appearance with the Red Sox will be his meltdown in Game 3 of the ALDS. A reader inquired in Browne's mailbag column whether Papelbon could be jettisoned, with Daniel Bard getting a shot at closing duties.
Browne notes that Papelbon has been an All Star during each of his four years as closer, and says of Boston, "I think the Red Sox would much rather work with Papelbon to try to get him back to his 2006-08 form than trade him away."
There are some reasons to think the Red Sox would be well-advised to deal Papelbon if the price is right. Later in the same mailbag, Browne noted that Red Sox GM Theo Epstein shares the commonly-held belief that Boston's best prospects are 2-3 years away. A Papelbon deal for high-level prospects could allow the Red Sox to restock the upper tier of their farm system, with Bard or Billy Wagner (whom the Sox can offer arbitration to) closing in 2010.
Papelbon also had some warning signs in his 2009 statistical line. While his ERA actually dropped from 2008's 2.34 to 1.85 in 2009, that is deceptive. Papelbon's walk rate more than tripled, from 1.0 to 3.2 walks per nine innings. His Fielder Independent Pitching (FIP) rose more than a run, from 2.01 to 3.05. He'll be expensive in arbitration this winter, and will hit free agency in his early 30s (he turns 29 on November 23).
In his defense, he's Jonathan Papelbon. Few closers have been better, even during his "down year" in 2009.
So what should the Red Sox do? What should it take to pry Papelbon loose from Boston?
Odds & Ends: Saito, Jaramillo, Marlins
More Monday linkage…
- Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post says the Rockies want catcher Yorvit Torrealba back, but not at his $4MM option price.
- WEEI's Alex Speier explains that outrighting Takashi Saito makes a Boston re-signing more feasible.
- Rudy Jaramillo will likely reach an agreement soon with the Cubs for their hitting coach position, according to SI's Jon Heyman. Heyman says Jaramillo will be near the top of the coach pay scale, at $800K a year for multiple years. The Cubs are hoping Jaramillo can help Alfonso Soriano. Milton Bradley hit well in Texas, though he's a trade candidate.
- MLB.com's Joe Frisaro talked to first baseman Nick Johnson, who is approaching free agency for the first time in his career. Johnson seems unlikely to stay with the Marlins. (Check out our discussion post on him here). Frisaro says the Fish could further shake up the infield corners by trading Jorge Cantu.
- Newsday's David Lennon reminds us the Mets chose Oliver Perez over Randy Wolf last winter. Wolf supplied 214.3 innings of 3.23 ball for the Dodgers for $8MM.
- MLB.com's Jordan Bastian talked to Blue Jays defensive whiz/impending free agent John McDonald about the future and his popularity in Toronto.
- MLB.com's Bill Chastain feels the Rays will at least talk to free agent reliever Billy Wagner. Nice fit, though VP Andrew Friedman found it unlikely they'd sign a closer when asked a few weeks ago. It won't help if Wagner turns down an arbitration offer from the Red Sox, which would attach a draft pick cost.