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Red Sox Eyeing Mike Scioscia

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The rumors surrounding John Farrell and the Red Sox won’t go away, especially now that Farrell’s Blue Jays are visiting Boston, where he coached until 2010. Farrell is the top choice of Red Sox officials to replace Bobby Valentine as the team’s manager in 2013, but he isn’t the only American League manager the Red Sox are considering. The Red Sox will turn to Angels manager Mike Scioscia if the Angels fire Scioscia and Farrell isn’t available, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

The Red Sox are expected to fire Valentine soon after the regular season ends, Nightengale writes. By that point the availability of Farrell, who’s under contract for 2013, and Scioscia, who’s under contract through 2018, should be more clear. Red Sox president Larry Lucchino told Nightengale the team hasn’t made a decision about Valentine’s future in Boston. "We'll re-evaluate it at the end of the season," Lucchino said.

Red Sox Notes: Free Agents, Lucchino, Valentine

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Is there any doubt that the Red Sox will be one of the most talked-about teams of the 2012-13 offseason?  September has barely begun and yet there is already heavy speculation about how the Sox will approach the manager situation and the tens of millions in payroll space freed up by last month's trade with the Dodgers.  Here's the latest out of Beantown…

  • The Red Sox could eschew big moves this winter and instead making lower-profile one-year signings in January or February, writes Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal.  Dan Haren, Mike Napoli, Brandon McCarthy or Edwin Jackson are players Boston could look to sign to "pillow contracts" if those players couldn't find acceptable longer-term deals elsewhere.
  • Team president Larry Lucchino didn't comment on Bobby Valentine's controversial interview on WEEI radio, telling ESPN Boston's Joe McDonald that he hadn't heard the interview and that "talk shows are talk shows."  Lucchino did agree with Valentine's description of the Red Sox season as "miserable."
  • Lucchino confirmed owner John Henry's statement that Bill James will have a larger role with the team.  James has served as a senior adviser to the Red Sox since 2003.  "He's never been gone, but he will be even more active than he's been in recent years.  He will be more centrally involved in the evaluation process," Lucchino said.
  • The Mariners made the right move in hiring Eric Wedge as manager over Valentine in 2010, writes Larry Stone of the Seattle Times.  Valentine was one of several candidates who interviewed for the job and there were rumors that Ichiro Suzuki was pushing for Valentine to be hired, though this was denied by both Ichiro and the Mariners.

Farrell Likely To Be Top Choice In Boston

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John Farrell has a job and the Red Sox have a manager, but rumors about Boston’s interest in Farrell persist as the Blue Jays prepare for a series at Fenway Park. MLB sources indicated to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe that Farrell will be the top choice to replace Bobby Valentine in 2013. Furthermore, people who know Farrell say he’d welcome the opportunity to return to Boston, according to Cafardo. However, Farrell maintains that his focus remains in Toronto.

“My focus and my commitment has been and is here, unequivocally," he told reporters this week.

Farrell, who is under contract for 2013, was Boston’s pitching coach before being hired by the Blue Jays. The Red Sox attempted to acquire him from Toronto twice last year, according to Cafardo. Though the Blue Jays were willing to listen, the sides didn’t agree on compensation. The Red Sox eventually hired Valentine, who’s also under contract for 2013. However, there’s a widespread expectation that Valentine won’t return to Boston next year.

The Red Sox probably wouldn’t want to part with recently-acquired pitching prospect Rubby De La Rosa, but the Blue Jays would love to add someone like him to their organization, Cafardo writes.

Red Sox Notes: Valentine, De Jesus, Ellsbury

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The Red Sox are on track to finish below .500 for the first time since 1997. Here’s the latest as a disappointing season winds down:

  • Manager Bobby Valentine is now fighting a battle that he cannot win, opines Scott Miller of CBSSports.com.  Miller writes that Valentine couldn't possibly be back as skipper in 2013 because either the Red Sox will lose patience or he will.
  • In a heated interview on WEEI, Valentine characterized the 2012 season as "miserable" but said he'd definitely like to manage the Red Sox again in 2013. "If that's what I'm asked to do, that's what I'm going to get paid to do," Valentine said. He also suggested he would like to punch radio host Glenn Ordway in the face and defended himself when asked about a late arrival to a game earlier this year (highlights via Alex Speier).
  • Blue Jays manager John Farrell would be an excellent hire for the Red Sox, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com writes. The Red Sox tried to acquire Farrell from Toronto twice last offseason, including once after the Blue Jays made it clear that Farrell was off-limits to teams seeking managers, Bradford reports. The Blue Jays asked for Clay Buchholz as compensation for Farrell, according to WEEI.com. Red Sox pitchers who worked with Farrell in Boston have a deep respect for their former coach based on both friendship and fear, Bradford adds.
  • Farrell said yesterday he’s  "unequivocally" focused on the Blue Jays.
  • Ivan De Jesus Jr. wanted to get traded from the Dodgers leading up to the non-waiver trade deadline, Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe reports. “I wanted a fresh start,’’ said De Jesus, who was sent to Boston in the recent blockbuster trade between the Red Sox and Dodgers.
  • The price tag on a potential extension for Jacoby Ellsbury would be “astronomical" should the Red Sox attempt to lock the outfielder up long term, ESPN.com's Buster Olney said on WEEI today (partial transcript via Kirk Minihane of WEEI.com). Olney said he's doubtful rival teams will overwhelm Boston with trade offers for Ellsbury, partly because he's a Scott Boras client.

Red Sox Notes: Francona, Valentine, Henry

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Red Sox owner John Henry and general manager Ben Cherington met the team in Seattle yesterday, but they don't appear to be there to implement further changes. Henry told reporters that he doesn't plan to fire manager Bobby Valentine despite Boston's recent struggles and 62-74 record. Here are some more Red Sox-related notes…

  • The Red Sox should dismiss Valentine and hire Terry Francona again, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes. Rosenthal makes it clear that Valentine won’t return to Boston in 2013, but reports that Francona won’t be invited back either, according to people familiar with the situation. The team’s owners will try to “lower the volume” with their next hire, Rosenthal writes. Plus, Francona could draw interest from other teams.
  • Red Sox players don’t trust owner John Henry, chairman Tom Werner and president Larry Lucchino, Yahoo's Jeff Passan reports. The players see the owners as the source of leaks and lies and they have an equally frustrated relationship with Valentine, Passan writes. The Red Sox need to dismiss Valentine before the 2013 season, Passan writes.

Red Sox Acquire Guillermo Quiroz

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The Red Sox acquired minor league catcher Guillermo Quiroz from Seattle for cash considerations, the Mariners announced. The 30-year-old has experience in seven MLB seasons, and last appeared in the Major Leagues as a member of the 2010 Mariners.

Quiroz posted a .278/.362/.483 batting line in 347 plate appearances at Triple-A Tacoma in 2012 after signing as a minor league free agent last December. He also hit 15 home runs and represented the Rainiers at this year's Pacific Coast League All-Star Game.

Quick Hits: Myers, Red Sox, Strasburg

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Early September is always a good time to be a minor league player on the 40-man roster of an MLB team. So far today 21 players have been recalled to the MLB level, where they’ll earn a pro-rated portion of the MLB minimum salary and collect service time. Here are today’s links…

  • Congratulations to Wil Myers, who was named Baseball America's 2012 Minor League Player Of The Year. He hit 37 home runs and posted a .313/.387/.600 batting line in the upper minors this year while playing third base, center field and right field. Before long he’ll be hitting in the middle of the Royals’ lineup, J.J. Cooper writes at Baseball America.
  • In light of Boston’s disappointing year, Alex Speier of WEEI.com recalls some recent teams that reached the postseason following losing seasons. Rarely have big ticket free agents played a role in these bounce-back campaigns, so it probably makes sense for Red Sox GM Ben Cherington to maintain a disciplined approach to spending, Speier writes.
  • Here are some more notes about the Red Sox from earlier today.
  • Manager John Farrell said he's "unequivocally" focused on the Blue Jays and acknowledged he has one year remaining on his contract with the team, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports (on Twitter).
  • Nationals GM Mike Rizzo deserves credit for protecting Stephen Strasburg and taking responsibility for his decision, Tom Verducci writes at SI.com. The decision to limit Strasburg’s innings is a truly modern one, “made with the kind of awareness, statistical study and medical information" that wasn't out there a decade ago, Verducci adds.

Red Sox Notes: Valentine, Henry, Cherington

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Yesterday, Alex Speier of WEEI.com wrote that the Red Sox should act quickly on Bobby Valentine, a manager who no longer seems to be emotionally invested in his team.  Here's today's news on the situation in Boston..

  • Valentine's recent attitude change is a result of the fact that he and Cherington are now evaluating the team differently, writes the Boston Herald's Scott Lauber. Following the team's blockbuster trade, Cherington is focused on the long-term while Valentine's success as a manager is tied to the current on-field product. Lauber quotes Cherington: “When the manager is in the middle of it every day and he’s the one who has to answer the questions after the game every day, it’s hard … I don’t know how I’d react if I was in that position. I’ve never done it. I can imagine it’s tough.”
  • Owner John Henry and General Manager Ben Cherington are set to meet the club in Seattle as they get set to take on the Mariners this afternoon, writes Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald.  Silverman wonders if this could be the end of Valentine's tenure with the club as the team continues to struggle and the skipper appears to have grown tired of the drama.
  • Meanwhile, in an email to Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com, Henry insisted that he is not in Seattle to fire Valentine.  A team source also said that Valentine's future would not be addressed until the season is through.  Edes notes that when Henry fired Terry Francona and Grady Little, both were dismissed after the season.
  • The Red Sox have been hearing from player representatives in the last week who are upset with how their clients have been utilized, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com.
  • Valentine can't be blamed for all of the Red Sox's troubles this season, but it's hard to argue that he has put them in a better position to win, writes Brian MacPherson of The Providence Journal.  MacPherson writes that Valentine hasn't been communicating with half of his coaching staff and hasn't had a great deal of dialogue with most of his players lately.

East Notes: Ellsbury, Red Sox, Valentine, Mets

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Here's a look at items out of the AL and NL East..

  • Agent Scott Boras told Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald that a contract extension is possible between the Red Sox and client Jacoby Ellsbury.  Boras noted that Ellsbury likes playing in Boston and would be happy to continue playing there, but the agent will be looking for superstar money in a new deal.  “The only thing I can say about Jacoby is that there are few players like him. He is a proven successful player in Boston and in the American League East environment, and he plays a premium position at Gold Glove levels. He is a franchise player," Boras said.
  • Now is the time for the Red Sox to move on from Bobby Valentine, opines Alex Speier of WEEI.com.  Speier writes that it is now clear that Valentine is not the right manager to guide the club going forward and there is little sense in having him in place for the final month of the season.
  • The Mets should consider trading R.A. Dickey, Jonathon Niese, and David Wright this offseason, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post.  With the club financially handcuffed in the short-term, Sherman writes that it would make sense for them to replenish their system with eight-to-ten prospects that can help them build for the future.

Cafardo On Red Sox, Phillies, Ross, Hart

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Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe asked baseball executives which team has more work to do between the Red Sox and Phillies.  The general feeling was that Boston has more work to do than Philadelphia, even though they'll have more payroll room to work with.  One AL executive, however, sees both teams returning to prominence sooner rather than later.  “Both of these teams, I predict, will be back at the forefront of their respective divisions in no time.  The Red Sox made a sensational, dream-come-true deal with the Dodgers, and now they have so much payroll flexibility that they’re the envy of baseball. They can shape that team any way they want," said the exec.  Here's more from Cafardo..

  • Despite the turmoil in Boston, Cody Ross is still high on the organization and hopes to return next year, Cafardo writes.  Ross came to the Red Sox on a one-year, $3MM deal last year but could fetch a contract in the neighborhood of Josh Willingham's three-year, $27MM pact.
  • Corey Hart of the Brewers is always an interesting name for teams looking for an outfielder or a first baseman, but he won't be happy if he's traded from Milwaukee.  The Brewers passed on trading Hart prior to the deadline despite significant interest from other clubs.
  • There could potentially be seven managerial openings this winter with the Astros, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Indians, Phillies, Padres, and Rockies possibly looking to shake things up.  While San Diego's Bud Black is a well regarded manager, the Padres' new ownership may look to install their own hire.
  • After getting fired from the Astros, Cafardo writes that Brad Mills will be atop the managerial lists this winter along with Terry Francona, Jim Riggleman, DeMarlo Hale, and Joey Cora.
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