AL East Notes: MacPhail, Cano, Rays, Blue Jays
Bobby Valentine has officially been dismissed, which means the Red Sox will embark on their second managerial search in as many years. GM Ben Cherington has said he hopes to conclude the search earlier this time. Here are some notes on Boston’s division rivals…
- Former Orioles president Andy MacPhail told Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun that he's happy for the team’s fans, players and executives. He acknowledged that it "would have been a lot of fun" to be present for Baltimore's playoff run, but said he doesn't regret stepping down to spend time with his family. MacPhail said he's starting to think about working in baseball again and noted that, at 59 years old, he's "way too young" to do nothing. "I think there are a variety of things that would interest me," he told Connolly.
- MacPhail noted that Dan Duquette has done an excellent job of finding starting pitching depth this year.
- Executives suggest an extension for Robinson Cano could cost the Yankees $200MM, Yahoo’s Jeff Passan writes. The second baseman says he hasn’t “thought about anything," but the Yankees can’t allow him to hit free agency in Passan’s view. New York will exercise its $15MM option for Cano after the season, delaying his free agency until the end of the 2013 season.
- Rays executive VP Andrew Friedman said he's "not going to be flippant" about Tampa Bay's impressive pitching depth this coming offseason, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. Friedman also said he expects to talk with Larry Reynolds, the agent for B.J. Upton, even though the sides aren't expected to agree to a new contract.
- Mike Axisa rounded up the latest Red Sox-related rumors earlier today. Here's one more note from Boston: the Blue Jays would want “a decent player” in a deal for manager John Farrell, Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald reports.
Red Sox Notes: John Farrell, Bobby Valentine
The Red Sox dismissed manager Bobby Valentine earlier today, and GM Ben Cherington will presumably begin the search for his replacement right away. Here's the latest on the AL East cellar-dwellers…
- Boston has targeted their former pitching coach and current Blue Jays manager John Farrell as Valentine's replacement, reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today. It would require compensation to lure him away from Toronto, however.
- Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe (on Twitter) confirms that the Sox will go after Farrell, but they also won't rule out former captain Jason Varitek for their managerial post.
- In today's Insider-only blog post, ESPN's Buster Olney wrote about Valentine's tenure in Boston and where things went wrong. It started in Spring Training with an incident involving Mike Aviles.
- WEEI.com's Rob Bradford listed three key moments that contributed to Valentine's downfall with the Red Sox, including the Aviles incident.
Red Sox Fire Bobby Valentine
Manager Bobby Valentine will not return to the Red Sox next season, the team announced (on Twitter). GM Ben Cherington will lead the search for his replacement.
“This year’s won-loss record reflects a season of agony,” said Red Sox President/CEO Larry Lucchino in a release. “It begs for changes, some of which have already transpired. More will come. We are determined to fix that which is broken and return the Red Sox to the level of success we have experienced over the past decade."
Valentine led the Sox to a 69-93 record and a last place finish in his only season at the helm. His dismissal is not much of a surprise, especially in light of some of Cherington's recent comments. Valentine was under contract for next season at $2.5MM, which the team is still obligated to pay him.
Cherington On Matsuzaka, Valentine, Pitching
It's been a busy day in Boston as we learned earlier today that the Red Sox plan to dismiss Bobby Valentine after a turbulent season in which the club lost 90 games for the first time since 1966. Then in the afternoon, General Manager Ben Cherington told reporters that he has begun contract talks with both David Ortiz and Cody Ross. Here's more on what Cherington had to say to the press in advance of their season finale against the Yankees..
- Even though the Red Sox have begun working on new deals for Ortiz and Ross, they haven't done the same for other impending free agents, including Daisuke Matsuzaka, tweets Brian MacPherson of The Providence Journal. Mike Axisa recently looked at the Japanese hurler's stock, concluding that it's hard to envision him nabbing more than a one-year, low-base salary deal.
- Cherington once again decline comment on this morning's report that Valentine will be dismissed, but he didn't exactly offer an endorsement of the skipper, tweets Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald. "I'm not going to talk about it. We have a game tonight," said the GM.
- Cherington isn't sure if the Red Sox will contend in 2013 and wouldn't offer a timetable, but insists that they will get back to winning at some point, Lauber tweets.
- The GM acknowledged that he didn't do enough to "help stabilize" the starting rotation last winter, MacPherson tweets. Cherington went on to say that the team's struggles in 2012 could not simply be blamed on injuries (Twitter link).
Red Sox In Talks With Ortiz, Ross
General Manager Ben Cherington confirmed to reporters that the Red Sox have begun contract talks with both David Ortiz and Cody Ross, according to Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald (via Twitter). Both players are set to hit the open market after this season.
Ortiz has made it clear that he is looking for a two-year deal this offseason, but isn't seeking anything longer than that. In the slugger's view, a two-year pact will allow him to avoid questions about his contract status in the 2013 and would mark a sign of respect from the organization. The soon-to-be 37-year-old earned his eighth All-Star selection this season, hitting .318/.415/.611 with 23 homers.
Ross, 31, says that his top priority this offseason will be signing with a contender. The Red Sox picked up the outfielder on a one-year, $3MM deal last winter and figures to see a significant bump in pay and contract length this time around.
Red Sox Intend To Dismiss Bobby Valentine
As expected, Red Sox upper management intends to dismiss Bobby Valentine once the season ends, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. The firing is expected to take place soon after the regular season ends and could occur Thursday or Friday. GM Ben Cherington declined to comment on the matter, Heyman reports.
It's been widely expected that the Red Sox will dismiss Valentine following the regular season. Blue Jays manager John Farrell appears to be a top target of Boston's front office executives. The Red Sox enter the final game of the season with a 69-92 record, having lost 90 games for the first time since 1966.
Valentine told reporters today that he "had every opportunity to succeed and didn't," according to Jack Curry of the YES Network (Twitter links). The manager also said he regrets commenting about Kevin Youkilis' engagement level early in the season.
Quick Hits: Ruiz, Mariners, Vargas, Gathright
The Orioles' record-setting success in one-run games continued on Tuesday as they eked out a 1-0 victory over the Rays at Tropicana Field. Both teams combined for just four hits in the game, with Chris Davis' solo homer accounting for the only run. James Shields was the tough-luck loser as he threw a complete game two-hitter while striking out 15 O's batters. The Yankees' 12-inning victory over the Red Sox tonight means that New York still holds a one-game lead over Baltimore for first place in the AL East.
Here's the latest from around the majors as we head towards the last day of the regular season…
- Picking up Carlos Ruiz's club option for 2013 is "a formality," said Phillies GM Ruben Amaro tells CSNPhilly.com's Jim Salisbury, though the club will still wait until after the World Series to make it official. The 33-year-old Ruiz delivered a career-best .327/.397/.542 line in 416 plate appearances, making his $5MM option a foregone conclusion to be exercised.
- Mariners players are happy that Safeco Field's fences will be moved in next season, reports MLB.com's Greg Johns, both for their own sakes and to help the team in acquiring free agent hitters. "Every time a guy gets on first base, that's all they talk about, how terrible this place is to hit," said Justin Smoak. "Everybody hates hitting here…I'm sure there are a lot of guys out there that have declined coming here because of that reason. This should definitely change some things. Everybody is excited about it."
- Safeco Field's adjustments will also impact Mariners pitchers, to the point that Fangraphs' Dave Cameron wonders if the M's could non-tender Jason Vargas. MLBTR's Matt Swartz projects that Vargas will earn $8.1MM in his third trip through the arbitration process, a high price for a pitcher who has had severe home/road splits in three of his four seasons in Seattle. This season, Vargas has a 2.74 ERA in 14 starts at Safeco and a 4.78 ERA in 19 road starts.
- Joey Gathright has tested positive for amphetamines and will face a 50-game suspension when he signs his next contract, reports Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star (Twitter link). Gathright last played in the Reds organization before being released by their Triple-A team in July.
- Gordon Blakeley, a long-time scout and special assistant to Yankees GM Brian Cashman, is reportedly interested in leaving New York for a position with the Red Sox, reports ESPN Boston's Gordon Edes.
- The Rays and Angels fell short of the postseason due to injuries and unexpected rises from the Orioles and Athletics, but MLB.com's Matthew Leach also points the finger at both teams' failed low-cost signings. Luke Scott and Carlos Pena provided little offense for Tampa Bay, while LaTroy Hawkins and Jason Isringhausen didn't help stabilize the Halos' bullpen.
AL East Notes: Banuelos, Farrell, Ortiz, Steinbrenner
Yankees prospect Manny Banuelos will undergo Tommy John surgery on Thursday, which is expected to keep the left-hander out of action for the entire 2013 season. The 21-year-old was plagued by injuries this season and made just six Triple-A starts, posting a 4.50 ERA and an 8.2 K/9 rate in 24 innings. Coming into the season, Banuelos was ranked as the 29th-best prospect in the sport by Baseball America.
Here's some more news from around the AL East…
- Blue Jays manager John Farrell denied a recent internet report that claimed there was tension between he and GM Alex Anthopoulos, telling media (including MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm) that the report was "unfounded" and "irresponsible."
- Also from Farrell, "there's nothing to suggest right now changes will be made" to the Blue Jays' coaching staff, tweets Sportsnet.ca's Shi Davidi.
- In the opinion of David Ortiz, the Red Sox didn't err in acquiring Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez, the slugger tells Gordon Edes of ESPN Boston. "No, I think when it comes down to that, I'm a big-time believer that you go for the best that is out there," Ortiz said. "Now if you don't get what you're expecting, that's a different story, but they went for what was the best out there." Edes opines that the Sox should re-sign Ortiz to a two-year contract this winter.
- Though the Yankees went from a big AL East lead in mid-summer to fighting for the division title with two games left, managing general partner Hank Steinbrenner told reporters (including MLB.com's Bryan Hoch) that the team's minor collapse won't lead to any offseason changes. "Are jobs riding on this? Not that I know of," Steinbrenner said. "Jobs are not riding on this, but that's not something I'm concerned about right now. We look at everything in the offseason, as we always do."
Mets Notes: Wright, Dickey, Pelfrey, Davis
The Mets will “turn over” the roster this coming offseason, team sources tell Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. Here are the details, starting with the team’s franchise player…
- Team officials remain optimistic that they’ll be able to retain David Wright long-term, Rubin reports. Mets executives hope the third baseman will succeed Tom Seaver as the unofficial ambassador for the organization once he retires as a player, according to Rubin. Wright told Rubin over the weekend that he hopes his next contract will cover the remainder of his playing career.
- Relievers Jon Rauch and Ramon Ramirez are expected to leave as free agents after the season, Rubin reports.
- Rubin hears from Mets sources that Andres Torres and Mike Pelfrey will likely be non-tendered this winter.
- R.A. Dickey’s contract includes a club option for 2013 that will surely be exercised, but his long-term future with the organization is not entirely secure, according to Rubin. Mets executives seem wary of making a “sizable commitment” to the Cy Young candidate.
- One Mets person said the team would require “a boatload” to part with Ike Davis, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. The Red Sox had two scouts in attendance at last night’s Mets-Marlins game and could have interest in trading for the first time arbitration eligible first baseman, Heyman reports.
Teams With Protected First Round Picks
Playoff races rightfully get most of the attention this time of year, but there’s intrigue at the bottom of the standings, too. Seven teams have clinched protected first round picks in the 2013 amateur draft with three days remaining in the regular season. The Astros, Cubs, Rockies, Twins, Marlins, Indians and Red Sox will have top ten selections in next year’s draft even if they win the remainder of their games.
These teams can sign elite free agents this offseason (players who turned down qualifying offers from their former clubs) and retain their first round selections. Instead, these teams would surrender second round selections.
As MLBTR detailed last week, the nine teams with the worst records in baseball will have protected first round selections in 2013. The Pirates will also have a protected first round pick, since they did not sign their top 2012 selection, Mark Appel.
The Blue Jays and Royals are currently positioned to obtain the remaining two protected 2013 picks. The Mariners and Mets could pass the Blue Jays or Royals depending on the results of the season's final series.