Odds & Ends: Blue Jays, Rockies, Crede
Links for Monday…
- The Astros received permission to interview Red Sox first base coach Tim Bogar for their managerial job, according to WEEI's Rob Bradford. Brad Mills and Manny Acta will also interview, according to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart (via Twitter). McTaggart adds Bob Melvin, Dave Clark, and Al Pedrique as other candidates, while Alyson Footer adds Ned Yost, Randy Ready, Phil Garner, and Pete Mackanin.
- Nationals scouting director Dana Brown has been hired away by new Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson.
- Rockies owner Dick Monfort told Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post that the team's postseason appearance won't significantly affect payroll. The Rockies have impending free agents in Jason Marquis, Yorvit Torrealba, Rafael Betancourt, and Joe Beimel (among others), and must also decide whether to tender Garrett Atkins a contract. Torrealba and Betancourt have pricey club options.
- Astros catcher J.R. Towles is a potential buy-low candidate for the Rays, says R.J. Anderson of DRays Bay. Towles hit .276/.386/.455 in Triple A this year, but Jason Castro is the Astros' catcher of the future.
- Cardinals GM John Mozeliak hopes to take advantage of the exclusive negotiating period for his free agents, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. In a separate article, Joe Strauss of the P-D notes that Rick Ankiel pulled a fast one on the media.
- Joe Crede is optimistic he'll have a quick recovery from his third back surgery, says MLB.com's Scott Merkin. Merkin says the Boras client "spoke more in generalities than about a specific return to Minnesota."
- Jack Morris almost signed with the Yankees in 1996, writes Jack Curry of the New York Times.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports speculates about the Red Sox trading closer Jonathan Papelbon.
Discussion: What’s Next For The Red Sox?
We discussed what the Cardinals may do this offseason following their season ending loss yesterday, and now that the Angels have swept the Red Sox out of October, let's talk about what could be in store for Boston this winter.
The team has a few impending free agents, most notably outfielders Jason Bay and Rocco Baldelli. Billy Wagner will also hit the open market since the Sox have agreed not to exercise his $8MM option. Josh Beckett's $12.1MM option for 2010 has already vested, and you would think Victor Martinez's $7.7MM option is a no-brainer pickup. The team still has decide what to do with the options they hold for Jason Varitek, Alex Gonzalez, and Takashi Saito, though Varitek also has a player option that could keep him in, well, red socks next year regardless of what the club decides to do.
Boston should be prepared for Jonathan Papelbon, Casey Kotchman, Manny Delcarmen, and Ramon Ramirez to receive raises via arbitration, then of course there's Tim Wakefield's perpetual $4MM club option. The Red Sox posted the third best run differential in baseball this year at +136, but let's hear from the readers; what should the Sox do this winter to improve their team?
Jason Bay Talks About “Uneasy” Future
WEEI.com's Alex Speier has Jason Bay's thoughts on his future in Boston, following today's loss to the Angels.
Bay and Matt Holliday will be heading the free agent class for left fielders, but Bay's destinations may be limited, as he says there aren't many other places he'd play.
This will be Bay's first venture into the open market, making him a bit uneasy about the process. It's been speculated that he'll receive a four or five year deal at as much as $15MM per season.
Bay made it clear that he would love to return to Boston, and described the thought of potentially playing his last home game in Fenway Park as "very weird." He had nothing but positive things to say about his time with the Red Sox:
“It’s very weird for me…This is uncharted for me. It’s a little uneasy,” said Bay. “I’ve loved every minute [of playing in Boston]. It’s been my quickest year and a half in the big leagues…The whole experience has been very, very positive. That makes it tough [about an uncertain future].”
Odds & Ends: Henry, Kikuchi, Accardo
Links for Friday…
- MLB.com's Brian McTaggart tells us via Twitter that the Astros released pitchers Chad Paronto and Billy Sadler.
- The Nationals interviewed longtime Braves scouting director Roy Clark, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
- The Blue Jays fired J.P. Ricciardi advisor Dick Scott, according to Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun.
- Interesting note from WEEI's Alex Speier. Back in 2002, upon purchasing the Red Sox and selling the Marlins, John Henry attempted to have Josh Beckett and A.J. Burnett transferred to the Sox.
- NPB Tracker's Patrick Newman says NPB is lobbying Japan's High School Baseball Federation to have Yusei Kikuchi appear in person for meetings with NPB teams but not MLB clubs. Newman still likes the Rangers as Kikuchi's top suitor, based on reports.
- Newman also tells us that pitcher Koji Mitsui, who was posted twice last winter but received no bids, has been released and will attempt to sign with an MLB team.
- Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times has a plan for the Cubs that includes signing Chone Figgins and avoiding long-term free agent deals.
- Padres exec Paul DePodesta explains the team's recent roster moves.
- Via Twitter, ESPN's Jorge Arangure Jr. passes along info from Miguel Angel Sano's agent Rob Plummer.
- In an MLB.com chat, Blue Jays reliever Jeremy Accardo says that his first choice is to stay with Toronto for his entire career, but his second choice is to pitch on the West Coast.
Odds & Ends: Henry, Kikuchi, Accardo
Links for Friday…
- MLB.com's Brian McTaggart tells us via Twitter that the Astros released pitchers Chad Paronto and Billy Sadler.
- The Nationals interviewed longtime Braves scouting director Roy Clark, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
- The Blue Jays fired J.P. Ricciardi advisor Dick Scott, according to Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun.
- Interesting note from WEEI's Alex Speier. Back in 2002, upon purchasing the Red Sox and selling the Marlins, John Henry attempted to have Josh Beckett and A.J. Burnett transferred to the Sox.
- NPB Tracker's Patrick Newman says NPB is lobbying Japan's High School Baseball Federation to have Yusei Kikuchi appear in person for meetings with NPB teams but not MLB clubs. Newman still likes the Rangers as Kikuchi's top suitor, based on reports.
- Newman also tells us that pitcher Koji Mitsui, who was posted twice last winter but received no bids, has been released and will attempt to sign with an MLB team.
- Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times has a plan for the Cubs that includes signing Chone Figgins and avoiding long-term free agent deals.
- Padres exec Paul DePodesta explains the team's recent roster moves.
- Via Twitter, ESPN's Jorge Arangure Jr. passes along info from Miguel Angel Sano's agent Rob Plummer.
- In an MLB.com chat, Blue Jays reliever Jeremy Accardo says that his first choice is to stay with Toronto for his entire career, but his second choice is to pitch on the West Coast.
Odds & Ends: Red Sox, V-Mart, Nats, Tigers
Some more links before another playoff triple-header…
- If you're rooting for the Red Sox this month, you have more in common with Theo Epstein than you might expect. The Boston GM tells Adam Kilgore of the Boston Globe that he spends October "watching the fates unwind." Epstein has assembled a good team, but he sits back and watches this month with an understanding that good teams can't always win it all.
- As WEEI.com's Rob Bradford reports, the Red Sox were in talks this summer to acquire Victor Martinez and Cliff Lee from the Indians for a prospect-rich package including Clay Buchholz.
- WEEI.com's Alex Speier points out that it would have been hard for the Red Sox to find a more perfect fit than V-Mart.
- The Nats dismissed Jose Cardenal according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson. Cardenal had been a special advisor to the GM since 2005.
- Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski was upset that Miguel Cabrera got drunk between games last weekend, according to the AP (via ESPN).
Odds & Ends: Red Sox, V-Mart, Nats, Tigers
Some more links before another playoff triple-header…
- If you're rooting for the Red Sox this month, you have more in common with Theo Epstein than you might expect. The Boston GM tells Adam Kilgore of the Boston Globe that he spends October "watching the fates unwind." Epstein has assembled a good team, but he sits back and watches this month with an understanding that good teams can't always win it all.
- As WEEI.com's Rob Bradford reports, the Red Sox were in talks this summer to acquire Victor Martinez and Cliff Lee from the Indians for a prospect-rich package including Clay Buchholz.
- WEEI.com's Alex Speier points out that it would have been hard for the Red Sox to find a more perfect fit than V-Mart.
- The Nats dismissed Jose Cardenal according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson. Cardenal had been a special advisor to the GM since 2005.
- Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski was upset that Miguel Cabrera got drunk between games last weekend, according to the AP (via ESPN).
Mets, Red Sox Complete Billy Wagner Trade
The Mets and Red Sox completed the Billy Wagner trade today, according to Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post. Hubbuch says the Mets acquired outfielder Chris Carter and first baseman Eddie Lora to finish the deal. The Red Sox had to wait until the offseason to send Carter to the Mets because of a waiver claim made by the Yankees in August.
Wagner pitched well in his time with Boston, posting a 1.72 ERA, 26 strikeouts, and 8 walks in 15.6 innings. He could also have an impact in the playoffs. The Red Sox agreed to decline Wagner's $8MM option for 2010, but the pitcher expects the team to offer arbitration. He told WEEI's Rob Bradford he'll probably turn it down, which would mean a new team will have to surrender a draft pick to sign him.
Discussion: Takashi Saito
Let's talk about Red Sox reliever Takashi Saito, who is a sleeper closer candidate for 2010 after bouncing back well (2.43 ERA, 52 strikeouts, 25 walks in 55.6 innings) from an interesting elbow procedure. WEEI's Alex Speier has the details - the Red Sox have a $6MM option on Saito for 2010. If the option is declined as expected, Saito will be an unfettered free agent. Through an interpreter, Saito told Speier he'd like to return to the Red Sox. Speier speculates that the two sides could negotiate a new deal.
If Saito doesn't re-sign, which clubs might be interested? Last winter, the Cardinals and Twins were in on him before he signed with Boston. This year, if Saito wants to return to a closer role, the 39-year-old might find opportunities with the Orioles, Rays, Tigers, Braves, Marlins, and Astros.
Heyman On Padres, Rockies, Abreu
The latest from SI's Jon Heyman…
- Heyman talked to Padres CEO Jeff Moorad, who is looking for a disciplined and strategic general manager rather than an intuitive exec like Kevin Towers. Heyman says the new GM will be hired within weeks. Boston's Jed Hoyer is in the mix, and Oakland's David Forst fits the profile.
- The Rockies will offer new contracts to GM Dan O'Dowd and manager Jim Tracy.
- The Angels made an offer to Bobby Abreu, who is finishing up a one-year deal that will pay him at least $6MM. Heyman says "no progress has been reported thus far." Abreu said in September that he wants to return.