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AL East Links: Hardy, Farrell, Blue Jays, Red Sox

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The AL East is one of two divisions with a pair of 90-win teams (NL East is the other), but the Rays can make it three 90-win teams if they win four of their final five games. Here's the latest from Tampa Bay's division…

  • "I always said I signed that deal because I saw that there was potential with this team and organization," said Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy to Steve Melewski of MASNSports.com when asked about the three-year contract extension he signed last summer. "To be honest, I didn't think it was going to happen this quick. I saw a process that was headed in the right direction."
  • Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports explains why the Blue Jays should trade manager John Farrell to the Red Sox for a Major League player this offseason. Boston is known to have managerial interest in their former pitching coach.
  • Richard Griffin of The Toronto Star lays out a five-step plan to help the Blue Jays improve going into next year. Unsurprisingly, one of the first steps is to secure a better starting rotation.
  • The Red Sox are on the verge of landing a protected first round draft pick, writes Brian MacPherson of The Providence Journal. The bottom nine teams will have their first rounder protected from free agent compensation this offseason.

East Notes: Red Sox, Aviles, Vizquel, Guillen

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

  • Red Sox shortstop Mike Aviles isn't thrilled about his reduced role but still hopes to remain in Boston next season, writes Rob Bradford of WEEI.com.  Despite that, Aviles insists that he won't dwell too much on his baseball future as a great deal of his focus will remain on his family at home.
  • Blue Jays shortstop Omar Vizquel made it known earlier this summer that 2012 will be his final major league season and the 45-year-old hasn't had a change of heart.  The veteran reiterated today that he plans on retiring as a player effective Wednesday, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
  • In a session today with Spanish-language reporters, Marlins skipper Ozzie Guillen opined that it would be unfair if he is dismissed after just one season at the helm in Miami, writes Joe Capozzi of The Palm Beach Post.  Earlier this week, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com wrote that Guillen's job appears to be in "serious peril".
  • Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine told ESPN 98.7's Michael Kay that he wished he had listened to a particular piece of advice from former pitcher Al Leiter over the winter, writes Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com.  Leiter later told Kay that his advice was to work to get pitcher Josh Beckett on his side as he can be difficult at times.  Beckett, of course, would later be a part of the club's massive payroll purge in their deal with the Dodgers.

Managerial Notes: Francona, Indians, Varitek

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Soon after the Indians dismissed Manny Acta yesterday afternoon, it was reported that former MLB player Sandy Alomar Jr. is favored to obtain the permanent managerial position in Cleveland. Terry Francona, another candidate for the job, has already had some contact with the Indians. Here are today's managerial links…

  • Francona confirmed that he's interested in managing the Indians and that he plans to interview for the position at some point, MLB.com's Jordan Bastian reports (Twitter links). "I wouldn't come in and interview if I wasn't [interested]," Francona said.
  • There’s mutual interest between Francona and the Indians, Peter Gammons of MLB Network reports (Twitter link). Gammons points out that a peaceful, understanding environment may be more important than money to Francona, whose tenure in Boston ended poorly. The sides will have a better sense of how to proceed after the weekend, Gammons writes.
  • Indians GM Chris Antonetti told Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and MLB Network Radio that Francona and Alomar are the only two candidates that the team is "publicly acknowledging at this point" (Twitter link).
  • Jason Varitek joined the Red Sox as a special assistant, but declined to speculate about his future as an MLB manager. “I'm not in a position to make that a 'yes' or 'no' at this point,” he told reporters, including Rob Bradford of WEEI.com (Twitter link).

Quick Hits: Varitek, Rockies, Haren, Diamondbacks

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Earlier tonight, the Red Sox announced that Jason Varitek will serve as a special assistant to General Manager Ben Cherington.  “Jason was one of the most respected players of his era and will be a key voice as we move forward,” said the GM. “He will be involved in a number of areas including Major League personnel decisions, evaluations, and mentorship and instruction of young players. We are fortunate to have him in this role.”  The former catcher has long been rumored to be on the verge of a role with the club, but yesterday we learned that he would not be in the mix for the managerial job.  Here's more from around baseball..

  • Rockies manager Jim Tracy says that he wants to return in 2013 despite a difficult season in which the team is set to post its worst record in franchise history, writes Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post.  The Rockies plan to discuss their managerial position but so far have made it sound as though Tracy is safe.
  • Dan Haren is less-than-thrilled about a report earlier this week that indicated the Angels are leaning towards turning down options for him and Ervin Santana this offseason, writes Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com.  Haren says that he and his fellow pitcher are dialed in on the season at hand and are not giving any thought to their respective contract situations.
  • Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic evaluates Trevor Cahill's performance with the Diamondbacks since being acquired from Oakland in December.  While Cahill hasn't given the club everything all that they could have hoped for, the 24-year-old has still delivered a reasonably strong year.

Managerial Notes: Porter, Marlins, Red Sox

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The Astros officially named Bo Porter their next manager today, publicly endorsing his experience and leadership skills. "He brings an energy to the clubhouse that is contagious and a teaching and motivating style that is appropriate for players of all ages and tenures," GM Jeff Luhnow said in a statement from the team. Here are more managerial notes from around MLB, starting with Porter and the Astros…

  • The Astros will wait until Porter finishes his season with the Nationals before making any decisions about the coaching staff, writes Clark Goble of MLB.com.  Porter will also be among those involved in the construction of the staff, according to Luhnow.  Interim manager Tony DeFrancesco will have a role with the club, but it's not yet known what that will involve.
  • The Astros considered a long list of candidates for the position before interviewing nine candidates, narrowing the list to four finalists and selecting Porter. Interim manager Tony DeFrancesco was another finalist for the position, according to the team.
  • The Nationals allowed Porter to meet with the Astros despite his obvious value in D.C., general manager Mike Rizzo said in a statement issued by the team. “He is smart, talented, and as fiery a competitor as there is in the game today,” Rizzo said.
  • The Marlins talked extensively about Porter, a former Miami coach, as a possible replacement for Ozzie Guillen, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reports (on Twitter).
  • Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington hasn’t officially said that Bobby Valentine will be dismissed at the end of the regular season, but he discussed the logistics of searching for a manager in an appearance on WEEI’s the Dennis & Callahan show (transcript via Kirk Minihane). “One of the things, as I look back at last offseason, that didn't go perfectly was simply the amount of time that we spent on the manager search and what that did to the rest of the offseason. I would like to spend less time on it this offseason, that's for sure." Though Cherington didn’t quite say Valentine is getting fired, there’s not that much room for interpretation here.

Heyman On Francona, Red Sox

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One managerial job was filled today, but hours later another one opened up. The Astros officially announced that they’ll make Bo Porter their next manager just a few hours before Manny Acta was dismissed in Cleveland. Here are some notes on MLB managers from Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com…

  • Francona’s name has surfaced in insider circles as a possible manager for the Indians or Tigers, Heyman reports. "I'm really uncomfortable talking about any jobs," Francona said, acknowledging he'd consider certain opportunities. Sandy Alomar Jr. is favored for the position in Cleveland, however.
  • Ben Cherington’s comments on WEEI seemed to suggest the Red Sox would be searching for a manager again this offseason, but the GM told Heyman he didn’t mean to allude to Bobby Valentine during his radio interview this morning. "It had nothing to do with Bobby,” Cherington said. “But if it came across that way, my mistake.''

Managerial Notes: Guillen, Valentine, Varitek, Rockies

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The 2012 regular season ends one week from today, and a slew of front office and coaching staff changes are sure to follow. It happens every year. Here's the latest managerial news from around the game…

  • The job of Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen "appears to be in serious peril," reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. President of baseball operations Larry Beinfest appears safe, however.
  • "We've talked – not about that … Which makes me think I'm coming back," said Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine to WEEI.com's Alex Speier when asked if ownership has given him any indications about next year (Twitter link).
  • While the Red Sox and Jason Varitek are discussing a role in the organization, they are not talking about the manager's position according to Heyman.
  • Heyman hears that the Rockies plan to discuss their managerial position even though Jim Tracy agreed to an "indefinite" contract earlier this year. The club makes is sound like he is safe for the time being, however.

Red Sox Notes: Varitek, Pedro, Lester

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The Red Sox now have a 69-86 record, which means they’re at risk of losing 90 games for the first time in 46 years. The last time they reached the 90-loss threshold, back in 1966, Ben Cherington hadn’t been born, Bobby Valentine was in high school, and Carl Yastrzemski and Tony Conigliaro roamed the Fenway Park outfield. Here’s the latest from Boston…

  • The roles that the Red Sox envision for Jason Varitek and Pedro Martinez “will not be ceremonial,” Peter Gammons of MLB Network reports (on Twitter). Gammons cites Padres executives Trevor Hoffman and Brad Ausmus as possible parallels for the Red Sox.
  • Varitek is "close" to returning to the Red Sox organization. He will likely return as a special assistant to Cherington, Gordon Edes reported yesterday. The switch-hitting 40-year-old retired this spring.
  • Jon Lester discussed the team's "nightmare" year with Rob Bradford of WEEI.com, saying he's looking forward to forgetting about baseball for a while once the season ends. "The offseason for a lot of people hopefully is going to do good," Lester said.

Quick Hits: Baker, Varitek, LaHair, Padres, Berkman

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Reds manager Dusty Baker suffered a minor stroke on Friday, the team told reporters (including MLB.com's Mark Sheldon).  Baker was already in hospital being treated for an irregular heartbeat and was supposed to be released on Friday.  The 63-year-old was released instead on Sunday and is reportedly in good condition, addressing the Reds clubhouse this afternoon.  Bench coach Chris Speier has managed the team in Baker's absence and will continue to do so at least through Cincinnati's weekend series with the Pirates, though Baker is hopeful of returning for the Reds' final series of the year.

Here's some more news from around the baseball world…

AL East Notes: Upton, Escobar, Farrell, Red Sox

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As the Orioles host the Blue Jays and the Rays play at Fenway Park, here's the latest from the AL East…

  • It seems as if B.J. Upton is entering his final days with the Rays, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.
  • It shouldn't be seen as a foregone conclusion that the Blue Jays will part ways with Yunel Escobar, opines MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm in a series of tweets.  The Jays aren't in the habit of selling low on players, plus Chisholm argues that Escobar is still an asset given his team-friendly contract and the Jays' need for a second baseman.
  • Also from Chisholm, the Jays were never "actively" looking to deal Escobar before the trade deadline and trade rumors about the shortstop were "drastically overblown." 
  • The Escobar controversy and the Blue Jays' poor record may hurt John Farrell's standing as the perceived favorite to become the next Red Sox manager, an unnamed baseball executive tells ESPN Boston's Gordon Edes.  The executive also suggests that Boston should hire a new manager quickly and make it clear that he is the consensus choice, as opposed to the feeling last winter that team ownership hired Bobby Valentine over GM Ben Cherington's objections.
  • Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe makes a few predictions and thoughts about what the Red Sox need to do this offseason.  Abraham guesses Farrell, Tim Bogar or Torey Lovullo will manage the Sox next year, David Ortiz and Cody Ross will re-sign and the Sox will hire a "director of pitching" to oversee pitchers throughout the organization.
  • Ichiro Suzuki's recent performance has spurred the Yankees and changed the conversation about his playing future, says Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times.  "Two weeks ago, the big talk about Ichiro was that his most likely destination next season was Japan. Now, you hear talk that the San Francisco Giants could represent a likely landing spot," writes Baker.  Though the Giants have a history of signing veteran free agents and their outfield will be in flux this winter, I'm not sure they're a good fit for Ichiro given his age and demands for playing time.
  • MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith compiled another set of AL East notes earlier today.
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