Latest On Giancarlo Stanton
The Cardinals have been linked to Giancarlo Stanton in trade speculation since the summer, and now Peter Gammons of GammonsDaily.com writes that the Cards are reportedly willing to offer the Marlins “one of their best young pitchers” in a Stanton trade, provided that Miami covers some of the $295MM remaining on the slugger’s enormous contract.
St. Louis is known to be looking for a difference-making bat this offseason, and few fit that description better than Stanton, fresh off a league-leading 59 homers in 2017. Acquiring Stanton, of course, will be no easy feat, even with the Marlins looking to pare down their payroll by getting Stanton’s contract off their books. Assuming Stanton, who has full no-trade protection, even approves of a deal to St. Louis, the Cardinals and Marlins would then have to work out what would undoubtedly be a complex set of negotiations to determine the players and money involved in such a trade.
The $295MM figure is enough to give any team pause, and Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak expressed wariness back in August about how large contracts can adversely impact a team’s performance. It isn’t surprising that the Cards would want the Marlins to eat some of Stanton’s contract to make a deal happen, though the dollar figure will surely hinge on just how many good prospects St. Louis is willing to send Miami.
Looking at young pitching within the Cardinals’ system, names like Alex Reyes, Luke Weaver, Jack Flaherty, Sandy Alcantara, Junior Fernandez, and Dakota Hudson all stand out as candidates to be the mystery arm on offer to the Marlins. Weaver, Flaherty, and (depending on his recovery from Tommy John surgery) Reyes are all expected to play roles on the Cardinals’ staff in 2018, however, and pitching depth will be necessary given Adam Wainwright‘s struggles and Lance Lynn‘s likely departure in free agency. The Cards could deal a young starter and then acquire a veteran via trade or free agency as a replacement, though that could require another sizeable financial commitment, which the club could be hesitant to make if it did land Stanton (even with Miami eating part of the contract).
Despite Stanton’s huge production last year, it seems inevitable that the Marlins will have to cover some of the money owed in order to make a deal happen. “Three different general managers of profitable market teams” tell Gammons that Stanton wouldn’t be claimed if he were to suddenly be placed on waivers, due to the financial commitment required to sign him.
The Red Sox have also been mentioned as a possible landing spot for Stanton, though Gammons finds it “unlikely” that the slugger would approve a deal to Boston — to this end, the Sox haven’t reached out to Joel Wolfe, Stanton’s agent. It has been rumored that Stanton, a California native, wouldn’t approve of a trade that would keep him on the east coast, though his only stated priority is avoiding another rebuilding situation. As Gammons notes, the Red Sox also can’t match the Cardinals when it comes to young pitching prospects that are close to MLB readiness.
Red Sox Name Tim Hyers As Hitting Coach
The Red Sox have hired Tim Hyers as the team’s new hitting coach, as per a team announcement. Andy Barkett will also join Alex Cora’s coaching staff as the new assistant hitting coach. Hyers will replace Chili Davis, who left Boston to become the Cubs’ new hitting coach last week. Along with yesterday’s coaching announcements, the Red Sox have just about filled out the staff for new manager Alex Cora, with the notable exception of pitching coach.
Hyers has long-standing ties to the Red Sox organization, working as an area scout and a minor league hitting coordinator from 2009-15. He also briefly worked on Boston’s Major League coaching staff in 2014, filling in for an injured Greg Colbrunn. Hyers has spent the last two seasons as the Dodgers’ assistant hitting coach and previously worked in the Tigers’ farm system before his first stint with the Red Sox.
Barkett has coached and managed in the farm systems of the Braves, Tigers, Marlins and Pirates since 2006, most recently managing Pittsburgh’s Triple-A affiliate in 2017. Both Hyers and Barkett worked in the Tigers organization when Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski was Detroit’s general manager.
Coaching Notes: Amaro Jr., Astros, Pirates, Red Sox, Tigers
Ruben Amaro Jr. will leave the Red Sox‘ coaching staff and join the Mets as their new first base coach and outfield/baserunning coach, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (via Twitter). Amaro, long the general manager of the Phillies, has spent the past two seasons as the first base coach in Boston. While his path from the front office to a big league coaching staff is anything but conventional, but his experience in a front office will add a unique perspective to rookie manager Mickey Callaway’s staff. It was reported yesterday that the Mets were also promoting Pat Roesseler to hitting coach and hiring veteran pitching coach Dave Eiland.
A few more notes out of the dugout from around the league…
- The Astros will hire Yankees third base coach Joe Espada as their new bench coach, reports ESPN’s Marly Rivera. Espada will step into the role that was vacated when Alex Cora left the Astros to become the new manager of the Red Sox. Like Cora, the 42-year-old Espada will bring a relatively youthful presence to the Houston coaching staff. He’s spent seven seasons as a third base coach at the big league level (2010-13 in Miami, 2015-17 in New York) and has also served as a professional scout in the Yankees organization for a year. He’s also served as a minor league hitting coach and infield coordinator in the Marlins organization.
- After recently extending general manager Neal Huntington and manager Clint Hurdle, the Pirates announced yesterday that their entire coaching staff has been extended through the 2019 season. Hurdle’s current contract runs through the 2021 season. Renowned pitching coach Ray Searage is the most oft-discussed member of Hurdle’s staff, which also includes bench coach Tom Prince, first base coach Kimera Bartee, third base coach Joey Cora, bullpen coach Euclides Rojas, hitting coach Jeff Branson and Major League coach Dave Jauss.
- The Red Sox will have a former big league manager on their staff to support rookie skipper Alex Cora, the team announced yesterday. Former Brewers manager Ron Roenicke, who spent the 2016-17 seasons as the Angels’ third base coach, will serve as Cora’s bench coach. Former Mets first base coach Tom Goodwin will join Boston’s staff as the first base coach and outfield instructor, effectively meaning the Mets and Red Sox have swapped first base/outfield coaches. The Sox also announced that Carlos Febles, who managed their Double-A affiliate in 2017, will join the club as its new third base coach and infield instructor. Bullpen coach Dana LeVangie, will return for his sixth season in that role. He’ll also serve as a catching instructor and assist in advance scouting.
- The Tigers also announced their full staff under new manager Ron Gardenhire yesterday. Former Twins coach Steve Liddle will serve as Gardenhire’s bench coach, returning to the dugout for the first time since 2012 after an 11-year run in Minnesota. Third base coach Dave Clark and hitting coach Lloyd McClendon will return to the staff, and the Tigers are adding minor league hitting coach Phil Clark to the big league staff as an assistant hitting coach as well. Former big league infielder Ramon Santiago, who recently retired from his playing career, will jump right onto the Tigers’ staff as a first base coach. As had already been reported, the Tigers plucked Twins bench coach Joe Vavra to serve as a Quality Control coach and hired former Twins pitching coach Rick Anderson to serve as the bullpen coach. Both were with Gardenhire throughout his tenure as Twins skipper. The club also confirmed its hiring of recently dismissed Cubs pitching coach Chris Bosio to occupy that same role in Detroit.
Red Sox Exercise Options On Chris Sale, Craig Kimbrel
The Red Sox announced this morning that they’ve formally exercised their 2018 club options over ace Chris Sale and closer Craig Kimbrel. Sale will earn $12.5MM in 2018, while Kimbrel will be paid $13MM.
Additionally, the Sox announced that they’ve outrighted left-hander Robbie Ross Jr. and infielder Josh Rutledge, each of who has elected free agency. Boston has also selected the contracts of outfielder Bryce Brentz and left-hander Williams Jerez from Triple-A Pawtucket.
The option decisions on Sale and Kimbrel were among the easiest in all of baseball. The pair finished out the season as two of the most valuable players on the Red Sox and two of the best in all of baseball in their respective roles. Sale led the American League with 214 1/3 innings and a remarkable 308 strikeouts (12.9 K/9), pitching to a stellar 2.90 earned run average along the way. Kimbrel, meanwhile, posted a 1.43 ERA with 35 saves in 69 innings and struck out a staggering 49.6 percent of the batters he faced (16.4 K/9). Sale’s contract includes a $13MM option for the 2019 season as well, while Kimbrel will be a free agent for the first time next winter.
Ross, 28, was limited to just 15 innings between the Majors and Triple-A this season due to a back injury that ultimately required surgical repair. Prior to that, however, he was a quality setup man in Boston, pitching to a 3.57 ERA with 8.5 K/9, 3.3 BB/9 and a 49.4 percent ground-ball rate in 116 innings in 2015-16. Lefties hit just .200/.302/.297 against Ross in that time, while righties hit him at a .260/.333/.388 clip. Ross would’ve been eligible for arbitration this offseason after earning $1.825MM in 2017. He’s expected to be healthy for Spring Training and could make for an affordable and experienced option for a team seeking left-handed bullpen help.
Rutledge, also 28, logged 118 plate appearances in 2017 — his third year with Boston. He’s seen very limited action with the Sox dating back to 2015, though, hitting just .252/.319/.313 in 259 plate appearances across those three seasons. The versatile Rutledge can handle second base, third base and shortstop, and he even saw 13 innings at first base for the Sox in 2017. He’ll likely land a minor league pact somewhere this offseason and compete for a bench role in Spring Training.
Red Sox Hire Tony La Russa As Vice President, Special Assistant
NOV. 2: The Red Sox have formally announced the addition of La Russa to their baseball operations department. Per the team’s release, La Russa “will assist Dombrowski in all areas of baseball operations, including player development and consultation with the major and minor league coaching staffs.”
NOV. 1: The Red Sox are set to add Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa to their organization, according to a report from Chad Jennings and Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald. La Russa just wrapped up a stint with the Diamondbacks, which he began as “chief baseball officer” and ended as “chief baseball analyst” after a front office shakeup.
We’ll likely know more soon, as the Herald reports an announcement could come tomorrow. What is clear is that La Russa will not be wearing a uniform. Jennings and Silverman say that he’s not slated to take a role on the staff of incoming skipper Alex Cora.
La Russa, who is now 73 years of age, instead seems slated to join a front office that’s helmed by Dave Dombrowski. (The two go way back, Jon Heyman of Fan Rag notes on Twitter.) It seems likely that La Russa will function in some kind of senior advisory capacity rather than taking up a spot with everyday duties in the chain of command, though that’s just speculation at this stage.
Boston has failed to make its way out of the divisional round in each of the past two postseasons, despite capturing consecutive AL East crowns. In the aftermath, skipper John Farrell lost his job and was ultimately replaced by Cora — who’ll be a rookie manager but is currently experiencing a deep run in his job as the Astros bench coach. It’s not entirely clear whether La Russa will have any role in helping to mentor Cora, but his vast experience will surely be drawn on as the organization looks both to repeat its divisional title and advance further into the playoffs.
East Notes: Girardi, Nats, Yanks, Red Sox
The latest from the majors’ East divisions:
- The Nationals ended their managerial search Sunday when they agreed to hire Cubs bench coach Dave Martinez. While former Yankees skipper Joe Girardi did not interview for the job before it went to Martinez, the Nationals “at least made a cursory inquiry about” him, Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post tweets.
- Martinez received a three-year contract, which demonstrates that Nationals ownership has learned a lesson, Eddie Matz of ESPN.com opines. Between taking over the franchise in 2006 and hiring Martinez, the Lerner family hadn’t given any of Davey Johnson, Matt Williams or Dusty Baker a contract longer than two years. Bud Black backed out of a deal to become the Nationals’ manager in 2015 thanks to their unwillingness to hand him a three-year deal, but the team avoided a repeat this time by committing to the respected Martinez.
- Yankees third base coach Joe Espada interviewed for the same position with the Red Sox and the bench coach job with the Astros, according to George A. King III of the New York Post. King first reported the interviews Saturday, but it was unclear then which roles Espada discussed with those teams. Espada’s contract with the Yankees is set to expire Tuesday.
- The fact that next year’s free agent class is far more star-studded than this winter’s will complicate the Red Sox‘s offseason plans, Chad Jennings of the Boston Herald writes. With the likes of Bryce Harper, Clayton Kershaw, Manny Machado and Josh Donaldson among those who could reach the market in a year, the Red Sox and other teams will have to weigh whether to spend significant money on anyone in the coming months. Although, there are still plenty of impending free agents and trade candidates who could pique Boston’s interest, notes Jennings, who runs down a variety of potential targets for the club.
Coaching Notes: Pads, Yanks, Astros, BoSox, Bucs, Mets
The Padres are set to name Skip Schumaker their first base coach, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune was among those to report (Twitter link). Schumaker, who had been the Padres’ assistant to baseball operations and player development, will take over for the reassigned Johnny Washington. As part of his new role, Schumaker will also be in charge of the team’s baserunning and work with its outfielders, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com tweets. Schumaker garnered plenty of firsthand experience on the bases and in the field as a utilityman with three major league teams from 2005-15.
- The manager-less Yankees sent an email to the majors’ other 29 teams Friday granting them permission to contact any of their coaches who served under Joe Girardi, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports (Twitter link). So far, third base coach Joe Espada has interviewed with the Astros and Red Sox for openings on their staffs, per George A. King III of the New York Post (on Twitter). While King didn’t specify which position(s) Espada spoke those clubs about, the scribe reported earlier this week that he’s a candidate to be the next bench coach for either team.
- There was speculation that Pirates third base coach Joey Cora would join younger brother Alex Cora’s staff with the Red Sox, but that won’t be the case, according to Jon Heyman of FanRag (Twitter link). Joey Cora will return to Pittsburgh for a second season in 2018.
- Former major league hurler Jason Bere could interview to become the Mets’ pitching coach, Paul Hoynes of cleveland.com writes. Bere spent the previous 12 years in the Indians organization, including the past three as the team’s bullpen coach, giving him familiarity with ex-Tribe pitching coach and newly minted Mets manager Mickey Callaway. Cleveland and Bere parted ways earlier this week after it didn’t consider promoting him to Callaway’s vacated role. Bere and the Mets have been in contact since then, Hoynes relays.
Cafardo’s Latest: BoSox, Hosmer, Braves, Cherington, Rockies
The Red Sox and impending free agent first baseman Eric Hosmer look like an “ideal” match as the offseason draws closer, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe opines. The 28-year-old Hosmer is coming off a career season (.318/.385/.498 in 671 plate appearances) and may price himself off the Royals in the coming weeks. On paper, he’d easily upgrade a dreary-looking first base situation in Boston. Red Sox first basemen combined to hit a mediocre .248/.326/.430 in 2017, and the club will enter the winter without an obvious solution at the position.
More from Cafardo:
- Former Boston general manager Ben Cherington has emerged as a potential GM candidate for the Braves, according to Cafardo. Cherington, who has been Toronto’s vice president of baseball operations since September 2016, was atop Boston’s baseball operations from October 2011 until the team hired Dave Dombrowski in August 2015. The Red Sox won a World Series during the Cherington era (in 2013), though that stretch also included multiple sub-.500 seasons and a few questionable big-money signings (Pablo Sandoval, Hanley Ramirez and Rusney Castillo, to be specific).
- The Rockies are still deciding whether to give impending free agent outfielder Carlos Gonzalez a qualifying offer, per Cafardo. It’s difficult to imagine the Rockies taking a $17.4MM chance on Gonzalez, though, considering he’s fresh off the worst year of his career. Despite playing his home games at Coors Field, the 32-year-old Gonzalez hit just .262/.339/.423 with unspectacular power numbers (14 home runs, .162 ISO) across 534 trips to the plate. As has typically been the case, the lefty-swinger struggled against same-handed pitchers and away from Colorado.
- There’s a “feeling” that Pirates third base coach Joey Cora could become the Red Sox‘s bench coach, Cafardo writes. The 52-year-old is the brother of Boston’s new manager, Alex Cora, 42. The elder Cora has only been on the Pirates’ big league staff for a year, but he brings significant major league coaching experience – including as Miami’s bench coach in 2012.
East Notes: Girardi, Travis, Braves
Earlier this week, the Yankees announced that Joe Girardi will not return to manage the Bombers next season. But as Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated points out, 53-year-old Girardi might not have lost the job due to the team’s performance or his body of work. The three oldest managers in baseball (Terry Collins, Dusty Baker and Pete Mackanin) all lost their jobs this season, and John Farrell (55) will be replaced by the 42-year-old Alex Cora. This points to a trend in baseball wherein the game is being run by younger players, and it might just be that the ability of younger managers to connect with those youthful stars is being seen as a major asset. Fluency in analytics is also becoming increasingly vital to the manager position. As Verducci also points out, World Series skippers Dave Roberts (45) and A.J. Hinch (43) both fit the bill for this type of “modern manager”. With Girardi lacking the youth and analytic mindset required for the new mold, the Yankees may have simply decided he is no longer relevant in today’s game.
Some other items from around baseball’s Eastern Divisions…
- Red Sox number four overall prospect Sam Travis received his first small taste of major league action this year. But he didn’t fare as expected in the power department, slugging just .342 in the majors and .375 at the Triple-A level. Alex Speier of Baseball America (subscription required and recommended) writes that he spent a lot of last offseason rehabbing from knee surgery, which may have contributed to his struggles. Still, Travis has been seen in recent years as player with a big-league ready bat who needed to improve his defense at first base, and the former second-rounder’s offensive performance didn’t match the billing in 2017. His vastly improved defense, however, has led the organization to give him a shot in left field in the Dominican League, which could improve his prospect stock headed into next season.
- The Braves have been denied permission to speak with Royals GM Dayton Moore, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN reports. The Braves organization is still reeling after the scandal broke surrounding then-GM John Coppolella, but they won’t have the chance to interview the 50-year-old Moore for the open position. Moore declined to comment on the request, stating that he’s “focused on what we need to do here in Kansas City.” The two ballclubs are in very different stages headed into 2018; the Royals are likely entering a rebuild with many key players set to reach free agency, while the Braves seem ready to come out of theirs and focus on contending. But because Moore signed a contract extension with Kansas City back in 2016, club owner David Glass would need to give explicit permission to any club interested in reaching out to him.
Coaching Notes: Bosio, Honeycutt, Espada, Padres
The latest on some coaching vacancies (or potential vacancies) around baseball…
- The Tigers are “close” to hiring Chris Bosio as their next pitching coach, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times tweets. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal previously reported that Bosio was Detroit’s top choice for the job. Bosio worked as the Cubs’ pitching coach for the previous six seasons before being fired after Chicago’s elimination in the NLCS.
- It isn’t yet certain if longtime Dodgers pitching coach Rick Honeycutt will remain in his current job in 2018, Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times reports. Honeycutt’s two-year contract is up after the World Series and, at the time of the contract’s signing, it was believed that Honeycutt would into a front office job at deal’s end. GM Farhan Zaidi, however, said that “If there’s mutual interest in him continuing in this role, I wouldn’t rule it out,” noting that “We just want to leverage his expertise and experience however we can, with whatever [job] makes the most sense.” Both Zaidi and Honeycutt said that no decisions would be made until after the season is over, with Honeycutt adding “I’m enjoying it as much this year as I ever have. I still enjoy what I do.”
- Yankees third base coach Joe Espada could be a candidate to be the next bench coach for either the Astros or Red Sox, George A. King III of the New York Post writes. Espada has worked in his current role for three seasons, and has previously worked as a Yankees scout, a manager in the Puerto Rican Winter League and as a minor league coach in the Marlins organization. Espada has also been mentioned as a potential contender for the Yankees’ managerial vacancy.
- The Padres will move first base coach Johnny Washington to the assistant hitting coach role and outfield coach Jon Matthews has been reassigned to a new role, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports (Twitter links). 2017 was Washington’s only season as a first base coach; he spent the rest of his nine-year coaching career as a hitting coach at various levels of the Dodgers’ and Padres’ farm systems. Lin notes that the Padres will fill their first base coaching vacancy from within the organization.