Red Sox Notes: Managerial Search, Farrell, Gonzalez
With the Red Sox expected to name Ben Cherington as their GM on Tuesday, the organization must now focus on finding their next manager. Here's the latest on their search and more..
- Commissioner Bud Selig told reporters before tonight's game that the Red Sox and Cubs will have until November 1st to work out a deal before he intervenes, writes Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com. Meanwhile, it's expected that Mike Hazen, the current director of player development for the BoSox, will be promoted to assistant GM when the dust settles.
- There will no more dialogue between the Red Sox and Cubs on compensation for Theo Epstein until after the Tuesday press conferences, Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com (via Twitter) has been told.
- Recently, Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos told Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca that they do not require rival teams to seek permission to interview their employees. That leads Davidi (via Twitter) to believe that they would not seek compensation should John Farrell decide to leave for the Red Sox.
- While there has been industry speculation that the Red Sox could go after a current manager of another big league team, they have no such plan at this time, a source familiar with the team's search told Alex Speier of WEEI.com. That would rule out possible candidates such as John Farrell of the Blue Jays and the Padres' Bud Black.
- Once he takes over as GM, Ben Cherington figures to interview candidates like Tim Wallach of the Dodgers, Dale Sveum of the Brewers, Pete Mackanin of the Phillies, and Dave Martinez of the Rays, writes Scott Lauber of The Boston Herald. If the Cubs decide to replace Mike Quade, Cherington may find himself vying with Epstein for Ryne Sandberg. Boston courted Sandberg to manage Triple-A Pawtucket before he took the Phillies’ Triple-A job instead.
- More from Alex Speier of WEEI.com as he wonders aloud if the Red Sox's first baseman of choice still would have been Adrian Gonzalez if they waited until after 2011 to make their move. Gonzalez's seven-year, $154MM contract goes into effect in 2012.
Cafardo On Farrell, Red Sox, Rollins, Oswalt
When the Red Sox and manager Terry Francona parted ways, Blue Jays skipper John Farrell was the preferred candidate to manage the team, a major league source told Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe. There's conflicting information on how much the Red Sox have explored this possibility but they've internally considered a few managers and the one who would fit best would be Farrell. One source said the BoSox wouldn't want to give compensation to a division rival while another thought the issue already had been brought up and the discussions didn't get very far.
The Red Sox have been hesitant to turn to bench coach DeMarlo Hale for the job because of a feeling that he’s too close and tied into Francona, but Cafardo notes that Farrell also learned his managerial style from him. Farrell took the Toronto job because it appeared that Francona was deeply entrenched in Boston. Had he known that Francona and the team would part ways, Cafardo wonders if he would have stayed. Here's more from Cafardo..
- Free agent shortstop Jimmy Rollins will have to back off from his desire for a five-year deal for the Phillies to seriously consider re-signing him. They probably won’t be interested in free agent Jose Reyes because of his price tag. If they don't retain Rollins, the club may find a cheaper stopgap to replace him such as Marco Scutaro if the Red Sox don’t pick up his option ($6MM club/$3MM player, $1.5MM buyout).
- Phillies right-hander Roy Oswalt could become available in free agency as he is due $16MM on a mutual option and the team will likely either buy him out for $2MM or try to negotiate a lesser deal. If he becomes a free agent, one major league talent evaluator said that he would be a great acquisition for anyone on a two-year deal, but obviously not at a $16MM rate.
- In the event that the Red Sox decide on Farrell and reach agreement with the Blue Jays, there are an endless number of candidates the team could hire to replace him. Those options include current bench coach Don Wakamatsu and third base coach Brian Butterfield.
- Since the Padres have allowed Jed Hoyer and Jason McLeod out of their respective contracts, Cafardo wonders if they'd let Bud Black walk to become the Red Sox's next manager. Black could straighten out the pitching staff and got the most out of John Lackey as pitching coach for the Angels.
- Francona probably needs to sit out a half-year before taking on another managerial job sometime next season. In the meantime, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he took on a job as a special assistant. An American League GM said that the former Red Sox skipper would have "an endless number of opportunities" along those lines.
- DeMarlo Hale has a year remaining on his contract and eventually he'll meet with new GM Ben Cherington to determine his fate. Hale hopes to interview for the Sox managerial job and could also could be a candidate with the Cubs under Theo Epstein. Davey Johnson is still expected to return to the Nationals job but there may be an interview process and Hale will likely be a candidate given the strong backing he’ll receive from Nats special adviser Bob Schaefer.
- Don't be surprised if Brewers hitting coach Dale Sveum emerges as a top candidate for the Boston job.
Quick Hits: Pujols, La Russa, Red Sox
A few stray items to pass along as the Cardinals close in on a 2-1 World Series lead over the Rangers …
- Albert Pujols' snafu with the media following the Redbirds' loss in Game 2 wouldn't bode well for him in larger market like New York, opines Ken Davidoff of Newsday, so it may be in Prince Albert's best interest to remain in city like St. Louis, where he won't face intense media scrutiny.
- Back on the field, Pujols dominated tonight's game in Arlington, leading Buster Olney of ESPN.com to muse that the Cards may no longer have any choice but to up their offer to their star first baseman as he embarks on free agency (Twitter).
- Cardinals manager Tony La Russa wasn't entertaining questions pertaining to whether he'd manage again in 2012, tweets Olney. However, we did hear last week that La Russa has been hinting at coming back.
- In an upcoming interview with Bob Costas of MLB Network, commissioner Bud Selig said he's confident the Red Sox will take care of any issues like players drinking in the dugout, according to Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe. So, it sounds like there won't be any league sanctions or policing related to the alleged transgressions.
- Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle have been elected vice president of the Baseball Writers Association of America, according to the Associated Press. The VP of the BBWAA becomes the president after one year, putting Slusser in line to become the organization's first female president next year. So, congratulations to her. The BBWAA, of course, is the organization whose members vote for the Hall of Fame and various post-season awards.
Epstein, Hoyer, Cubs Links: Saturday
The Red Sox officially announced last night that GM Theo Epstein had resigned from his position to take over as the the Cubs president of baseball operations. Both teams will hold press conferences on Tuesday; the Cubs to introduce Epstein, and the Sox to likely announce that Ben Cherington is taking over as GM. The two sides have "reached an agreement regarding a process by which appropriate compensation will be determined" and the issue will be "resolved in the near term."
Meanwhile, the Padres have officially granted the Cubs permission to speak to GM Jed Hoyer and assistant GM Jason McLeod. San Diego has already agreed to a list of players from which they will choose their compensation package. Former Diamondbacks GM Josh Byrnes is expected to replace Hoyer after the World Series, and the Cubs will not raid the Padres' front office any further. As news trickles in about the three-way GM carousel, we'll keep track of it all right here, with the latest up top…
- Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe cautions Red Sox fans not to expect a "windfall" in exchange for Epstein. Abraham expects Boston to receive two or three prospects, or one prospect and a complementary Major Leaguer like Jeff Baker.
- Dan Hayes of The North County Times says (on Twitter) we're unlikely the learn the full list of players the Padres can choose from, but a source confirmed that Starlin Castro and Andrew Cashner are not on it. That's not surprising, the Padres are expected to receive minor leaguers in exchange for letting Hoyer and McLeod leave.
- In a pair of tweets, WEEI.com's Alex Speier notes that because he is coming in as an outsider, Epstein is likely to value the Cubs' prospects differently than those already in the organization. That could lead to a swift resolution of the Cubs-Red Sox compensation talks.
- ESPN's Buster Olney points out (on Twitter) that Epstein will cost the Cubs about the same as what Alfonso Soriano makes per month. He calls it a "huge per-dollar talent grab" for the north siders.
- With a handful of front-office types and a manager changing teams this offseason despite being under contract, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe wonders whether the Red Sox could seek another team's manager to be their next skipper (Twitter).
Quick Hits: Braves, Diamondbacks, Padres, Epstein
On this day 36 years ago, Joe Morgan's ninth-inning RBI single helped earn the Big Red Machine a Game Seven win over Boston. That 1975 World Series was ranked by ESPN as the second-greatest in baseball history. While this year's Fall Classic has a long way to go to reach that level, the Cardinals and Rangers are off to a good start, having traded one-run victories so far. Here are today's links from around the league, as we await Game Three….
- The Braves have hired Greg Walker, formerly of the White Sox, as their hitting coach, writes David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Walker was one of three candidates interviewed by Atlanta.
- Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic shares scouting reports and biographies for eight international free agents signed by the Diamondbacks this summer. The reports, via Arizona's international scouting director Carlos Gomez, are must-reads for D'Backs fans.
- Within Piecoro's piece, he adds that the Diamondbacks re-signed a pair of players, Mike DeMark and D.J. Johnson, to minor league deals.
- Dan Hayes of the North County Times spoke to Baseball America's Jim Callis about the improvement of the Padres' farm system this season.
- With Theo Epstein officially heading to Chicago, Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald lists the five best and five worst moves the former GM made for the Red Sox.
Red Sox Links: Gathright, Young, Cherington
Here are a few links from Boston as we wait to hear what players the Red Sox will receive from the Cubs as compensation for Theo Epstein…
- The Red Sox have outrighted Joey Gathright to Triple-A according to the International League transactions page. Gathright had one at-bat and a handful of pinch-runner/defensive replacement appearances in September. Boston's 40-man roster is currently at 39 with an additional five players on the 60-day DL.
- The Athletics announced in a press release that they have hired former Red Sox pitching coach Curt Young to be their pitching coach, his second stint in that role for Oakland. Young spent just one year in Boston, and Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the Sox will pay "a significant portion" of his salary.
- Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe put together a laundry list of things that new GM Ben Cherington must address in the coming weeks, including hiring a new manager and coaching staff.
Theo Epstein To Officially Join Cubs
The Red Sox and Cubs have announced that, effective immediately, Theo Epstein will take over as the Cubs' new President of Baseball Operations, according to a joint press release by the two clubs. Both organizations will forego further comment until Tuesday, which is the next scheduled non-game day in the World Series.
The press release indicates that the two sides have "reached an agreement regarding a process by which appropriate compensation will be determined" and the issue will be "resolved in the near term." If the two sides cannot work out an agreement in the next few days, Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com (via Twitter) hears that Bud Selig could step in and act as an arbitrator.
The Red Sox will announce their next GM at a presser Tuesday and it is expected to be Assistant General Manager Ben Cherington. Meanwhile, Padres GM Jed Hoyer is expected to leave San Diego in order to assume the same title under Epstein. Hoyer will reportedly bring assistant GM Jason McLeod along as well.
The Padres have granted permission to the Cubs to speak with Hoyer and McLeod, tweets Dan Hayes of the North County Times. The Padres have a pre-agreed list of Cubs players to choose from as compensation and no other employees will be taken, Hayes tweets. Meanwhile, San Diego won't officially christen Josh Byrnes as GM until after the end of the World Series, says Hayes (via Twitter).
Theo Epstein Rumors: Friday
The Cubs and Red Sox have been working toward compensation for Theo Epstein for days without resolution. The Padres are heavily implicated as well, since it appears likely that GM Jed Hoyer and assistant GM Jason McLeod will join Epstein in Chicago with Josh Byrnes becoming San Diego's new GM. Though today's World Series off-day would be an ideal time to announce an agreement, we'll have to wait if there's nothing for the sides to announce. We'll keep track of the latest rumors right here with the most recent rumors up top:
- Commissioner Bud Selig has not yet interceded in the talks between the Cubs and Red Sox, tweets Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe.
- The Red Sox and Cubs are working hard to complete a deal and there appears to be some progress, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (Twitter links). There's lots of optimism that the sides will complete a deal.
- It's "doubtful" that the sides will resolve the deal today, according to Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald.
AL East Notes: Ortiz, Orioles, Hellickson
Until the Red Sox and Cubs agree to compensation for Theo Epstein’s departure, Boston’s GM situation will dominate headlines out of the American League East. Here’s the latest news from the division, starting with an update on the Red Sox…
- Alex Speier of WEEI.com previews the market for David Ortiz and concludes that he won't have an overwhelming number of suitors this offseason. Speier suggests the Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Angels and Mariners are possible fits for the slugger, though some of those teams won't have strong interest. I can see the Orioles getting involved, depending on who their next GM is.
- Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com previews the Orioles' 2012 bullpen and points out that there's a lot of uncertainty at this point. Jim Johnson could move to the rotation, Willie Eyre and Jo-Jo Reyes could be non-tendered and the Orioles are likely to add relievers from outside of the organization.
- Congratulations to Rays starter Jeremy Hellickson, who is Baseball America's 2011 Major League Rookie of the Year. The 24-year-old right-hander posted a 2.95 ERA with 5.6 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 over the course of 189 innings in his first full season.
Quick Hits: Byrnes, Reds, Uehara, Young, Inge
The World Series is tied at a game apiece after the Rangers' thrilling 2-1 victory over the Cardinals tonight. As we look forward to Game Three on Saturday night at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, here are a few news items to round out the evening…
- The Diamondbacks will receive "a significant level of financial relief – and perhaps total relief" when and if Josh Byrnes becomes the Padres' new general manager, reports Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. Byrnes had five and a half years remaining on his contract with Arizona when he was fired on July 1, 2010, but the Snakes could be off the hook for the remaining four years left on that deal should Byrnes get another GM job.
- There is nothing new to report on the Reds' negotiations with Brandon Phillips or Francisco Cordero, Reds GM Walt Jocketty tells MLB.com's Mark Sheldon.
- Koji Uehara has told people close to him that he wants to return to the Orioles, reports MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli. After being dealt to Texas in July, Uehara struggled in the first two rounds of the playoffs and was left off the Rangers' World Series roster. The Japanese right-hander made enough appearances to activate a $4MM vesting option for 2012, so if the O's want Uehara back, the Rangers would probably be happy to unload him.
- The Red Sox have given the Athletics permission to interview pitching coach Curt Young about the pitching coach vacancy in Oakland, reports Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald. Joe Stiglich of the Bay Area News Group (Twitter link) reports Young and the A's are already in negotiations. Young served as Oakland's pitching coach from 2004-2010 before going to Boston to replace John Farrell last winter.
- The Tigers have enough money coming off the books this winter that Tom Gage of the Detroit News thinks Brandon Inge's contract could be swallowed if the team can find a better third base option on the trade market. Inge is set to earn $5.5MM in 2012 and the Tigers hold a $6MM club option on their longtime third baseman for 2013.