Managerial Notes: Bowa, Bogar, Scioscia
The latest managerial notes from around the Major Leagues…
- Astros owner Jim Crane said he hopes to have decided on a manager by the end of next week, Zachary Levine of the Houston Chronicle reports (on Twitter). Crane said the Astros have interviewed five or six candidates and have a few upcoming interviews, MLB.com's Brian McTaggart reports (on Twitter).
- Larry Bowa won't be the Astros' next manager, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports. Bowa said he and Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow agreed the team needs a younger manager. The 66-year-old Bowa added that he was "very impressed" by Luhnow when the two spoke earlier in the month.
- Red Sox bench coach Tim Bogar will interview for the Astros' managerial opening, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports. The Astros are expected to conduct the interview in the Tampa Bay area when the Red Sox visit the Rays. The interview will take place tomorrow, McTaggart reports (on Twitter). Bogar was also a candidate for Houston's managerial opening before the 2011 season.
- Nationals third base coach Bo Porter, Rays bench coach Dave Martinez and interim skipper Tony DeFrancesco have already interviewed for the Astros job.
- Angels GM Jerry Dipoto continues to support manager Mike Scioscia, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports. Dipoto pointed to Scioscia's "great track record of success," and declined to speculate about the manager's job security in detail. Scioscia is under contract through 2018.
Texas Notes: Lewis, Feliz, Astros, Bowa
Baseball's two Texas teams are currently at opposite ends of the spectrum, with the Rangers having won 87 games (third-best in MLB) and the Astros having just 48 victories (last in MLB). Here are some links surrounding the Lone Star State's two teams that will soon share a division…
- The Rangers hope to have both Neftali Feliz and Colby Lewis back mid-season in 2013, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. Lewis signed an extension with the AL West leaders earlier today.
- Astros owner Jim Crane's emphasis on building a strong minor league product is beginning to pay off, as evidenced by Class A Lancaster's championship, writes MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. McTaggart's piece provides a tremendously in-depth look at each level of the Astros' minor league system.
- SiriusXM's Mad Dog Radio interviewed Larry Bowa earlier today (hat tip: Andrew Fitzpatrick of SiriusXM). Bowa told host Chris Russo that he met general manager Jeff Luhnow and Crane in the process. Bowa sees value in Luhnow's sabermetric approach but told Russo that there's more to the game than the numbers can tell you. When asked if he is feeling the fire to manage another Major League team, Bowa replied: "…it’s a challenge and it would be something that I’d have to sit down and think about because they do have some talent down below."
Rosenthal On Yankees, Playoffs, Sabermetrics
The Yankees enter play today with a one-game lead over the Orioles and four games over the Rays. And, it's a good thing this isn't your father's Yankees, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com. If George Steinbrenner was alive today, Rosenthal believes he might have fired manager Joe Girardi after blowing a ten-game lead in the AL East and replaced him with the likes of Lou Piniella. Hal Steinbrenner is almost the polar opposite of his father. So much so that, when Rosenthal asked Brian Cashman of the potential fallout that might occur if the team fails to reach the playoffs, the Yankees' GM said, "We have objective, patient ownership." Also from Rosenthal's column:
- The new schedule hasn't been a cure-all for small market teams like the Rays. Rosenthal suggests one way to mitigate the Rays’ disadvantage would be to scale revenue sharing so they would receive a greater percentage than a low-revenue club such as the Indians, who compete in a division with lower payrolls.
- A criticism of the new playoff system is Wild Card teams who have better records than division winners are penalized in the seeding of the Division Series. Rosenthal's solution is to wait until after the Wild Card game to seed the Division Series.
- The AL CY Young Award voting will be a test of how accepted advanced statistics are by the Baseball Writers Association of America. Rosenthal points out the last eight AL pitchers to either lead or tie for the lead in those categories, like the Rays' David Price this year, each have won the award. The Tigers' Justin Verlander meanwhile leads in wins above replacement and Chris Sale of the White Sox leads in ERA+. Price is tops, however, in quality of opponents faced, based on the rankings of Vince Gennaro, president of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR).
- Larry Bowa's interview for the Astros' managerial vacancy is a good sign, as rival executives have worried that GM Jeff Luhnow is surrounding himself with too many like-minded sabermetric types rather than building a diverse baseball operations department.
- The Marlins may have difficulty in sticking with their plan to keep Emilio Bonifacio in center field, play Donovan Solano at second, and make the acquisition of a third baseman their top priority. Rosenthal points out the market for third basemen is bare, so one alternative for the Marlins is to acquire an outfielder and move Bonifacio back to third base.
- Look for the Rays to exercise their $2.5MM option on Fernando Rodney. Rodney is bidding to become only the second reliever in history (Dennis Eckersley in 1990) to have a season of 40 or more saves and an ERA under 1.00. Rodney leads baseball with 43 saves and his ERA is 0.66.
- The Cubs will look again this offseason to move Alfonso Soriano, who is one home run and one RBI shy of his first 30-homer, 100-RBI season since 2005. If the Cubs fail to receive a sufficient offer, they could always bring back Soriano, owed $36MM over the next two years, and try to move him at the deadline again. Rosenthal cited the example of Carlos Lee of how it is easier to deal an overpriced player the closer he gets to the end of his contract.
Astros Notes: Bowa, Martinez, Rays
The Astros got their managerial search underway earlier this week when they interviewed Nationals third base coach Bo Porter. Yesterday, we learned that Houston also interviewed Rays bench coach Dave Martinez and interim skipper Tony DeFrancesco. Here's the latest out of Houston..
- Larry Bowa confirmed to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (via Twitter) that he interviewed for the Astros' managerial job on Friday. It was reported that Bowa met with General Manager Jeff Luhnow, but it was not known if Bowa was there to discuss the position of manager.
- Martinez said that his interview in Houston went well and he's excited about the opportunity to run his own ship, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The 47-year-old interviewed previously for openings with the Indians and Blue Jays. Last offseason he was linked to the White Sox but never interviewed.
- Rays manager Joe Maddon gave Martinez a strong endorsement for the job while adding that he would be disappointed to lose him, Topkin tweets.
Latest On Astros’ Managerial Search
The Astros interviewed Nationals third base coach Bo Porter for their managerial opening yesterday. Here’s the latest on some other possible candidates for the position…
- Astros GM Jeff Luhnow met with former MLB manager and player Larry Bowa at Minute Maid Park today, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports. Luhnow didn't say whether Bowa was interviewing for the managerial opening, but confirmed that the sides met to discuss "some baseball related matters.”
- The Astros interviewed Rays bench coach Dave Martinez for the managerial opening earlier in the week, McTaggart reports.
- Astros interim manager Tony DeFrancesco formally interviewed for the permanent managerial position yesterday, McTaggart reports (on Twitter).
East Notes: Villanueva, Red Sox, Nationals, Strasburg
Last night, Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos told reporters that he isn't sure if impending free agent Carlos Villanueva could last as a starter across the course of an entire season. Villanueva, who has a 3.58 ERA with 8.9 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 in 13 starts this year, told reporters that he isn't happy with the lack of public support, according to Tony Ambrogio of Sportsnet (via Twitter). The right-hander is looking to be a full-time starter going forward, which would call for a more lucrative contract. Here's more from the Eastern divisions..
- Villanueva told reporters, including MLB.com's Chris Toman, that he took some time to speak with Anthopoulos following his comments to the media. "It's OK for him to have that doubt. It's OK for him to have his own opinion, because there are 29 other teams that might have a different opinion — that's why we battle to get to free agency, so we can see what else is out there," Villanueva said.
- A person who is familiar with the Red Sox's ownership group told Peter Gammons of MLB.com (Twitter link) that the rumors of the club being for sale aren't true. Earlier today, Red Sox president and CEO Larry Lucchino took to the Boston airwaves to deny the rumblings. Owner John Henry also shot down the speculation of a sale.
- The Astros are set to interview Nationals third base coach Bo Porter for their vacant managerial position, writes Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Porter, 40, is the first name to surface as having interviewed for the position. Tony DeFrancesco has been managing the club on an interim basis since Brad Mills was let go last month.
- Rany Jazayerli of Grantland argues that the Nationals were wrong to shut down Stephen Strasburg. Jazayerli looks back at how other promising young pitchers were used it the past and also questions why the Nats imposed an innings limit on Strasburg rather than a pitch limit.
Quick Hits: LaRoche, Gregg, Astros
A few stray links to pass along as the Phillies reach the .500 mark for the first time since June 4 with a win over the Marlins …
- Nationals first baseman Adam LaRoche "would love to stay" in Washington, writes Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. Last week, we heard that the Nats are likewise interested in retaining LaRoche. However, the left-handed hitter is enjoying a career year and is likely to seek a multiyear contract since his 2013 mutual option calls for a salary of $10MM. Kilgore adds that the Nats will wait until the season is over to commence extension talks with their players, as the organization is focused on its impending postseason berth.
- Orioles manager Buck Showalter said reliever Kevin Gregg's DFA earlier today was the best situation for both the club and the pitcher, writes Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com. The Orioles needed the roster space, while Gregg may have the opportunity to start anew with a different team and pitch more regularly — as he had several long stretches without seeing game action this season — and perhaps set himself up to latch on with a team in 2013, Showalter explained.
- Gregg was nonetheless "really disappointed" to be leaving the O's, writes Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun.
- Astros interim manager Tony DeFrancesco is a candidate to assume the role on a full-time basis when Houston conducts its interviews during the offseason, writes Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. DeFrancesco has spent most of his professional coaching career in the Athletics' organization, which he said prepared him well for a managerial job with a team like the Astros that relies heavily on advanced analytics.
Managerial Notes: Astros, Indians, Red Sox
A few links of interest regarding one managerial vacancy — and two that may be open once the offseason rolls around.
- The Astros were thought to be interested in former Nationals manager Jim Riggleman, who previously worked for Houston GM Jeff Luhnow with the Cardinals, though the sides have not spoken, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com (Twitter links). Houston's manager, Tony DeFrancesco, is helming the club on an interim basis following the dismissal of Brad Mills last month, while Riggleman is currently the manager of the Reds' Double-A affiliate.
- Indians GM Chris Antonetti has joined the team in Texas, but he said the visit was scheduled and has nothing to do with a potential shakeup, according to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. When asked about the job security of manager Manny Acta, Antonetti said: "I don't feel any differently than when we talked earlier. I think I'll save any sort of assessments until the end of the season. I think that's probably the best thing to do.
- Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine says he's "the best man for the job" in Boston, Alex Speier of WEEI.com reports. The manager said he has suffered along with Red Sox fans this year and expects to return in 2013.
MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith contributed to this post.
Astros Release Francisco Cordero
The Astros have released Francisco Cordero, according to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart (on Twitter).
Houston acquired Cordero as part of a 10-player trade with the Blue Jays that also netted them Ben Francisco and five minor leaguers. Cordero was installed as Houston's new closer, but struggled mightily in five innings for the 'Stros. The 37-year-old allowed 11 runs on 13 hits before hitting the 15-day disabled list. He hasn't appeared in a game since Aug. 1.
Cordero signed a one-year deal worth $4.5MM late in January to serve as the setup man for new Blue Jays closer Sergio Santos. Neither Santos nor Cordero wound up latching onto the closer role in Toronto, however, as Casey Janssen emerged as the team's ninth inning stopper following Santos' injury problems and Cordero's ineffectiveness. Cordero endured far and away the worst season of his career in 2012, pitching to a 7.55 ERA in 39 1/3 innings thanks to a whopping nine homers allowed.
Cordero owns a 3.38 ERA, 8.7 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 over the course of 824 2/3 career innings. His 329 saves rank 12th all-time. He's just one save behind John Wetteland and 13 saves behind Rollie Fingers. If he ends up closing for a team again in his career, he could work his way into the all-time Top 10.
Astros Notes: Managerial Search, Clemens
The Astros have won 10 fewer games than any team in baseball, setting them up to have the No. 1 overall pick in the draft for a second consecutive season. Having already added Carlos Correa and Lance McCullers Jr. to his system, Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow should have another opportunity to add some top tier talent to his organization. Here are some Astro-centric links for your Monday reading pleasure (all links go to Twitter)…
- Owner Jim Crane told reporters, including MLB.com's Brian McTaggart, that the team has begun interviewing managerial candidates. The Astros' list of candidates contains six to eight candidates.
- Crane also added that Craig Biggio, who spent 20 years playing for the Astros, is assisting in the interview process (McTaggart reporting).
- Luhnow told reporters today that the team has scheduled out its rotation for the remainder of the season, and it doesn't include Roger Clemens, who won't pitch in the Major Leagues in 2012 (via McTaggart). Clemens recently told reporters he hopes to be with the Astros in 2013, though he conveniently neglected to specify whether that meant as a coach or a player.
- Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune reports that Crane still wants Clemens to pitch in 2012, but not against a contender. Sullivan adds that Cubs manager Dale Sveum thinks it would be good for his team to face Clemens.