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Injury Notes: Braun, Nelson, Eovaldi, Folty, Hanley

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Here’s the latest on several injury situations around the league:

  • Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun will undergo back surgery after the season, he told reporters including MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy. It’s not immediately clear what procedure he’ll need, but Braun indicated that he expects to be able to work through a short rehab and be ready in time for a full Spring Training. “We have to make sure we don’t allow [a setback] to happen,” said the 31-year-old. “We’ve known for a while that I’m going to have to have surgery, so we’ve been trying to battle through it. The danger is that if it gets worse, then the recovery time with the surgery could get a lot longer.”
  • The Brewers have decided to shut down righty Jimmy Nelson after he was struck in the head by a line drive in his most recent outing, per a club announcement. Skipper Craig Counsell told reporters today that Nelson’s neurologist felt there was too much risk to allow him to return to the mound at this point, as club play-by-play man Joe Block tweets. Hopefully, of course, rest and recuperation will put the 26-year-old back on track for a normal spring.
  • Things are not progressing well for Yankees righty Nathan Eovaldi, as Brendan Kuty of NJ.com reports. Eovaldi is still experiencing soreness in his pitching elbow despite a two-week layoff. At this point, Eovaldi may not have much chance of being ready for the start of the postseason and could ultimately be shut down entirely, GM Brian Cashman indicated.
  • The Braves announced that righty Mike Foltynewicz underwent surgery to remove “the anterior half of his first rib.” Foltynewicz had been on the DL with rib inflammation and was then hospitalized yesterday after experiencing blood clots in his right arm. Atlanta assistant GM John Coppolella explained that, “our first and foremost thoughts are just for his health and that he is okay,” as Kevin McAlpin of Braves Radio Net reports (links to Twitter). The two issues are unrelated, per Coppolella, who indicated that the club is still trying to get its arms around the situation. It seems a safe be that Foltynewicz, a key part of last year’s Evan Gattis trade, will not pitch again this year, though there are no indications that he’ll have any lingering issues.
  • Hanley Ramirez will wait until he’s completely pain free to be activated by the Red Sox, as MLB.com’s Ian Browne writes. The club has made clear that it won’t utilize Ramirez at the plate until he is ready and able to play the field. Boston is set to begin the experiment of moving the pricey veteran to first base. While a late-season return won’t have much bearing on the standings, getting a look at Ramirez at another new position could have ramifications for Boston’s offseason plans.

Red Sox Progressing In GM Search, Will Interview Astros’ Quinton McCracken

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It’s been more than a month since Dave Dombrowski was appointed president of baseball operations for the Red Sox, prompting Ben Cherington to step down from his post as the general manager. To this point, a number of names as GM replacements have been bandied about, including former Major League GMs Frank Wren and Dan O’Dowd as well as current assistant GM Mike Hazen, current adviser Jerry Dipoto, D-Backs vice president De Jon Watson and Yankees AGM Billy Eppler. Obviously, those figure to be just some of the many names the Sox will consider to work under Dombrowski. Here’s the latest on Boston’s search…

  • The Red Sox have begun the hiring process, reports Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports, and one of their first interviews will go to Astros director of player development Quinton McCracken (Twitter link). McCracken, if hired, would be the second well-regarded executive picked from the Houston front office, as the Astros have already lost AGM David Stearns, who was officially named general manager of the Brewers just one hour ago. The 45-year-old McCracken has a 12-year playing career under his belt in addition to six years working in the player development departments for the Diamondbacks and Astros.

AL East Notes: Sabathia, Red Sox, Jepsen

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Though he gutted out a quality start after a tough first inning last night,Yankees southpaw  CC Sabathia is dealing with bone-on-bone arthritis in his right knee, the left-hander told MLB.com’s Barry Bloom last night. Sabathia told Bloom that he’ll eventually need knee replacement surgery, but “that’s the price you pay.” Sabathia has been wearing a brace on his injured knee which he says prevents the ligaments in the joint from rubbing together when he plants to throw a pitch. As such, he’s able to maintain his mechanics.

A few more notes from around the AL to kick off the week…

  • The Red Sox could use an “alpha dog” atop their rotation, writes Peter Gammons of the MLB Network and GammonsDaily.com. Gammons breaks down a number of options for the Sox, including Japanese right-hander Kenta Maeda (whom, according to one scout that spoke to Gammons, is “too slight” to pitch every fifth day in the Majors). Gammons outlines the case for and against the Sox reeling in top free agents David Price and Zack Greinke within his column, and he also looks at Johnny Cueto’s struggles since over the past month with the Royals.
  • Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes that while the trade of Kevin Jepsen from the Rays to the Twins doesn’t stand out as one of the more memorable deals from this past deadline, it had a significant impact on the Rays’ clubhouse. There was a feeling in the air that the team had given up by trading one of its top setup men to a team they were chasing in the Wild Card race, Topkin hears from people around the clubhouse, especially considering that the return was a pair of low-level minor leaguers who weren’t going to contribute in 2014.

AL East Notes: Ortiz, Tanaka, Orioles, Price

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David Ortiz made his 575th plate appearance of the season today, boosting the value of his 2016 contract to $15MM, Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe tweets.  The Red Sox held a club option on Ortiz for 2016 that vested for $11MM when the slugger hit the 425-PA plateau, and he has only been adding to his future salary ever since by making more and more plate appearances.  Big Papi can max out his deal at $16MM in 2016 by reaching 600 PA, which seems like a foregone conclusion with two weeks left on the schedule.  The deal is contingent on Ortiz passing a physical, though the slugger has been seemingly healthy and is still very productive, hitting .270/.357/.544 with 35 homers this year.

Here’s some more from around the AL East…

  • Masahiro Tanaka will miss his scheduled start against the Blue Jays on Wednesday due to a hamstring strain, Yankees manager Joe Girardi told reporters (including MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch).  Tanaka suffered the injury while running out a sac bunt in an interleague game with the Mets last Friday, though he was able to stay in the game and pitch six innings.  It is a Grade One strain, the lowest level, so the Yankees hope that Tanaka will only miss one outing; the righty himself “lobbied” to pitch as scheduled in the big AL East matchup.
  • The Orioles rotation hasn’t pitched up to expectations this season, though Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun doesn’t think the starting five will be too different in 2016.  The O’s have rarely been big free agent buyers, and are probably even less likely to spend big on pitching given how Ubaldo Jimenez hasn’t delivered much return on his four-year, $50MM deal.  Schmuck figures Wei-Yin Chen will depart in free agency, but Baltimore will still have Jimenez, Kevin Gausman, and arbitration-eligibles Miguel Gonzalez and Chris Tillman projected to return as the top four.  Chen will likely be replaced by an internal option, with Mike Wright or Tyler Wilson standing as the best candidates to be the fifth starter.
  • In an interview with Jim Bowden and Jim Duquette on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (Twitter link), Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos has been pleased to see what David Price has brought the team on the field and also “to see the impact that he’s had on the entire clubhouse. He truly loves his teammates and the environment.”  Price has made similar comments praising his team and the Toronto fans, which obviously can’t hurt the Jays’ chances of re-signing the southpaw in free agency this winter.  It will take more than good feelings, of course, to keep Price in town, as he is expected to command at least a $200MM deal this winter.
  • It sounds like former Rays notable Aubrey Huff could be interested in a comeback, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes.  Now 38 and retired since 2012, Huff took to Facebook recently and wrote: “I do feel mentally, and physically stronger than I ever have in my life. Hmmmmmm!???”  Huff retired after a 13-year big league career in which he posted a .278/.342/.464 line in 6,786 plate appearances for the Rays, Astros, Orioles, Tigers, and Giants.

Cafardo On Duquette, Showalter, Hunter, Howard

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In today’s column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe caught up with ex-Red Sox GM Ben Cherington.  Cherington reflected on some of the decisions he regrets but he also recognizes that he left Boston with a solid core of young talent to build upon going forward.  Many of those young players remain in Boston because Cherington resisted the urge to put together a package for Cole Hamels.

“We had a lot of conversations with [the Phillies]. I just didn’t want to give up our core and we couldn’t find another way to get it done,” Cherington said of the ace, who ultimately went to the Rangers.

Here’s more from today’s column..

  • There’s tension over Orioles owner Peter Angelos not allowing GM Dan Duquette to pursue a higher-profile and higher-paying job with the Blue Jays, major league sources tell Cafardo.  Sources also tell The Boston Globe scribe that Angelos has not compensated Duquette for the lost opportunity.  All in all, it’s a slight that baseball execs Duquette to be “bush league,” Cafardo writes.
  • There’s also been talk of friction between Duquette and manager Buck Showalter, Cafardo writes, although both men are signed through 2018.  Meanwhile, there’s fear that the Orioles will not spend the money necessary to retain free agents like Chris Davis, Matt Wieters, and Wei-Yin Chen.
  • The Twins want Torii Hunter back for at least one more season, according to a team official who spoke with Cafardo.  For his part, the veteran says that he’s going year to year. In 516 plate appearances this season, Hunter has posted a batting line of .245/.298/.414 which isn’t really in line with his career offering of .277/.332/.462.  However, he has played well in right field and the Twins like his veteran leadership.
  • The Phillies had a scout watching the Orioles last week in the event that the O’s lose Davis in free agency and gain interest in Ryan Howard.  Howard is not be expected to replicate Davis’ production, of course, but Cafardo notes that he still has power and would be better suited as a DH.
  • There’s “continued interest” in Red Sox utilityman Brock Holt, Cafardo writes.  Holt’s opportunities in the Red Sox’s outfield may be limited and new team president Dave Dombrowski should get a fair amount of offers this winter for him.

East Notes: Ichiro, Kelly, Heathcott

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Marlins outfielder Ichiro Suzuki reached 400 plate appearances last night, triggering another $400K bonus under his contract, as Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald notes on Twitter. He’ll have a chance to tack on $400K more if he can make another fifty trips to the plate before season’s end. Miami president of baseball operations Michael Hill tells Joel Sherman of the New York Post that the organization is “pleased with the job he’s done for us,” adding that “I anticipate us trying to bring him back.” Ichiro, who’ll soon turn 42, has slashed just .242/.298/.298 on the year, but he sits within striking distance of 3,000 hits.

Here are a few more notes from the eastern divisions:

  • Red Sox righty Joe Kelly has no injury concerns in his right shoulder, WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford reports. Though he left his most recent start in the third inning after experiencing tightness and failing to reach his usual velocity, it appears that there is no cause for immediate concern. With the end of the season drawing near, he’ll presumably look to rest up and try to continue his recent positive momentum into next spring. Kelly’s overall body of work probably won’t support a huge arbitration salary in his first year of eligibility. It remains to be seen how heavily Boston will rely on him in structuring its 2016 staff.
  • When the Yankees non-tendered former top prospect Slade Heathcott last winter, many teams around the league were ready to jump on the opportunity to add the outfielder, Sherman writes. But he never seriously considered changing caps, because he and the team had already worked out a “wink-wink understanding.” New York needed the 40-man space, but was able to get Heathcott to agree to a return by promising him a raise, a July 1 opt-out date (if he wasn’t added back to the 40-man), and the right to use his own medical providers in the offseason.

Heyman’s Latest: Samardzija, GMs, Ozuna, Managers, Giants, Iwakuma

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Despite a terrible second half following up what had been an already underwhelming season, multiple executives tell Jon Heyman of CBS Sports that they expect White Sox right-hander Jeff Samardzija to do just fine in free agency. As has been said on many occasions, scouts love Samardzija’s raw stuff and competitive nature, and as Heyman points out he’s a relatively low-mileage arm due to his days as a wide receiver and time spent in the bullpen early in his MLB career. Two execs told Heyman they expect Samardzija to top Ervin Santana’s four-year, $55MM contract, with one saying he should “blow it away.” Unsurprisingly, Heyman hears that the Sox will extend a qualifying offer to Samardzija. I’ll join Heyman and the execs to whom he spoke in saying I’d be shocked to see Samardzija accept.

More from Heyman’s latest Inside Baseball column…

  • Frank Wren is seen as a likely hire for Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, though Heyman notes that Wren may receive a role other than GM. Turning to other GM openings, Heyman lists Jerry Dipoto as the favorite for the Mariners’ GM gig and calls current A’s assistant GM Dan Kantrovitz a favorite for the Brewers. Milwaukee is said to be seeking someone who is extremely analytical, and they’ve felt that some who have interviewed haven’t fit that description well enough. Billy Eppler is still the favorite for the Angels’ slot, Heyman writes. He doesn’t list a favorite for the Phillies, though he again connects Angels AGM Matt Klentak and Royals AGM J.J. Picollo to the position. Also according to Heyman, Ben Cherington turned down an interview with the Mariners, as his current plan is to take some time away from the rigors of GM work.
  • Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald recently wrote that Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria is very open to trading Marcell Ozuna, but president of baseball operations Michael Hill expressed a desire to keep the talented-but-struggling center fielder when speaking to Heyman. “He’s extremely talented and very much in our plans moving forward,” said Hill, although such a line is to be expected from an on-record executive anyway. Even if the intent is to shop Ozuna, Hill wouldn’t come out and say it.
  • Nationals skipper Matt Williams is “all but assured of a pink slip” following the season barring a miraculous playoff surge, per Heyman. On the opposite end of the spectrum is interim Phillies manager Pete Mackanin, who looks like he’ll be given a chance to shed the “interim” portion of his title in 2016. Brad Ausmus is indeed expected to be let go by the Tigers following the season, he also writes, and Ausmus could find himself in the dugout for the Padres if that comes to pass.
  • The Giants hope to add at least one, if not two starting pitchers this offseason, and a run at retaining Mike Leake appears to be one possible scenario. San Francisco is expected to work out a reunion with Tim Lincecum as well, he adds; the two-time Cy Young winner had hip surgery that ended his season earlier this month, though his surgeon strongly believes that the operation will help Lincecum restore some of his disappearing velocity.
  • Mariners ownership and those remaining in the front office want Hisashi Iwakuma back, so much so that they told other clubs at the deadline that they wouldn’t even consider trading him, Heyman writes. Iwakuma is keen on returning to Seattle as well, he notes. Of course, a run at Iwakuma would have to align with the thinking of whichever new executive steps into the GM’s chair.
  • Not that there should’ve been any doubt, but Heyman notes that the Blue Jays intend to pick up the club options on Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Bautista. That’s hardly a surprise, as the respective $10MM and $14MM options on the right-handed sluggers are probably two of the easiest option decisions you’ll ever see.
  • Joel Hanrahan isn’t in a rush to return from his second TJ surgery and may not attempt to pitch in the Majors again until 2017. Best of luck to Hanrahan, who has seen injuries destroy the past three seasons of his career.

East Notes: Williams, Cespedes, Boxberger, Kelly, Tazawa

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Star Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper provided a ringing endorsement for embattled skipper Matt Williams, as Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post reports. “Truly, I love him as a manager,” said Harper. “Flat out I absolutely do. If I didn’t, everybody would know.” Player sentiment only goes so far, of course, but the comments do seem particularly meaningful with Harper set to finish off a compelling, breakout season as one of the lone bright spots on a disappointing team.

Here’s more from the eastern divisions:

  • While there was a report yesterday that the Braves could have interest in Yoenis Cespedes as a free agent, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution hears (Twitter link) that the team has no such intentions. As I noted at the time, that match seemed curious on paper not because Cespedes wouldn’t be an appealing target for the team — he would — but because his price tag seems likely to move quickly into a range that the Braves would not find palatable.
  • Rays closer Brad Boxberger says that his recent struggles may be the result of inconsistent usage earlier in the year, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes. Another strong campaign from Boxberger, 27, has started to trend downward in recent weeks, and he said that could be due to “all of the early use in non-closing situations.” While Boxberger says he does not want to place blame on the team’s lack of a designated closer role — which he has filled, de facto, for much of the year — he obviously seemed to suggest that as a possibility. Boxberger will still be a season away from reaching arbitration eligibility after this year, though his saves tally this year will set him up for a big payday thereafter — if he can remain healthy and effective.
  • Red Sox righty Joe Kelly has flipped the narrative on his season, but as Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com reports, he may have thrown his last pitch of 2015. While that decision has yet to be made, the 26-year-old exited his outing last night with shoulder tightness — obviously not an area that the team will want to take any chances at the tail end of a lost season. Kelly’s solid late-year results have surely given nsew president of baseball operations plenty to think about in planning next seasons rotation.
  • Another Red Sox right-hander, reliever Junichi Tazawa, has already been declared shut down for the rest of the year, as Tim Britton of the Providence Journal reports. The move is not related to any injury, says interim manager Torey Lovullo. Instead, Boston wants to avoid too much stress on the 29-year-old’s arm after he topped sixty frames in each of the last two years. The steady Tazawa has faded down the stretch this year after a typically strong first half. He’ll enter his final year of arbitration in the offseason.

Angels GM Candidates Include LaCava, Hazen, Atkins, Eppler

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When former general manager Jerry Dipoto left the club in the middle of the summer over an apparent lack of compatibility with manager Mike Scioscia, it became apparent that the Angels could have a unique GM search on their hands. The team has been increasingly active recently and is said to be hopeful of making a decision within a few weeks’ time.

Here’s the latest on the Angels’ search for a new leader of their baseball operations department, with updates on the preliminary interview process added as information is reported:

  • Blue Jays assistant general manager Tony LaCava interviewed for the Angels’ GM vacancy today, reports Buster Olney of ESPN (via Twitter). LaCava has been an AGM with Toronto since 2007 and also currently holds the title vice president of baseball operations. He’s been strongly considered for GM openings in the past, and he even (reportedly) turned down an offer to become the Orioles’ GM back in 2011.

Earlier Updates

  • Red Sox AGM Mike Hazen will interview with the Angels as soon as today, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports on Twitter. Hazen has long been considered likely to head up a baseball ops department at some point. His name has also come up with regard to Boston’s own internal GM opening.
  • Angels pro scouting director Hal Morris has also been given an interview for the post, MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez reports on Twitter. He joins Klentak and Servais as internal candidates who have reportedly been given a chance to sit down with the top-level brass.
  • The Angels interviewed Indians VP of player personnel Ross Atkins today, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports on Twitter. Atkins has been in the Cleveland organization for quite some time, and has occupied his current post since a promotion last year. Indians AGM Mike Chernoff has received more press as a possible GM hire, though he also seems to be an internal promotion candidate if current Cleveland GM Chris Antonetti takes the vacated president’s role. Antonetti has previously noted that Atkins holds the promise of a future general manager.
  • We learned yesterday that Yankees assistant GM Billy Eppler had his interview with the Halos, as had been widely expected. Eppler has been tabbed by some as the leading candidate, and is reportedly interested in the position — despite any possible limitations of authority owing to the presence of Scioscia — due in part to his ties to Southern California.
  • Los Angeles is said also to have conducted interviews with its own assistant general managers, Matt Klentak and Scott Servais.

AL East Notes: Lovullo, Buchholz, Hill, Rodriguez

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Let’s take a look in at the latest out of the AL East:

  • Interim Red Sox skipper Torey Lovullo has acquitted himself nicely since taking over for John Farrell, who is battling cancer, as WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford writes. While it certainly isn’t an audition he’d have asked for, Lovullo has successfully guided the team to an 18-10 record under difficult circumstances. That performance certainly does not hurt as he looks ahead to another offseason of managerial vacancies. As Bradford notes, Lovullo has frequently had opportunities to interview with other teams, but has yet to be offered a permanent job to run a team’s dugout.
  • The Red Sox’ rotation has been a source of fascination all season long, and that has continued down the stretch. In addition to improved work from several key long-term pieces, there are other storylines worth watching. As Bradford writes, righty Clay Buchholz — whose club option for next year represents a key decision for president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski — still has his sights set on returning late this year to pitch from the pen. And then there’s Rich Hill, the journeyman reliever who has suddenly morphed into an interesting swingman or rotation candidate on the upcoming free agent market (story also via Bradford).
  • One of the best developments this year for the Red Sox has been the emergence of young lefty Eduardo Rodriguez, acquired at last year’s trade deadline from the Orioles for ace reliever Andrew Miller. As ESPNBoston.com’s Gordon Edes writes, Baltimore knew what it was parting with when it chose to go all-in for 2014, though that won’t necessarily make it easier to watch Rodriguez blossom with a division rival. Edes speaks to Calvin Maduro, one of the first Baltimore scouts to identify Rodriguez as a youngster, about his incredible development into a top-flight arm. Somewhat ironically, the inclusion of Rodriguez is reportedly what swayed Boston to divert Miller to Baltimore; otherwise, he’d have ended up with Dombrowski in Detroit.
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