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NL Central Links: Matheny, Little, Fielder

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Earlier tonight, the Cardinals hired Mike Matheny as their new manager, despite the fact that he's never managed at any professional level. Here's some more on that and other news from around the NL Central:

  • Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com calls it a "fascinating hire"and a tough job for Matheny to follow a legend that went out with a title. Knobler also wonders if the Cardinals will hire an experienced bench coach for their rookie manager, something the White Sox didn't do with Robin Ventura (Twitter links).
  • Former Red Sox and Dodgers manager Grady Little is an possible candidate for such a role, tweets Knobler.
  • Matthew Leach of MLB.com tweets that he hasn't covered a player in the last 10 seasons who was "better-regarded by EVERYONE" than Matheny.
  • The Brewers' financial situation has changed drastically since the club offered Prince Fielder a five-year, $100MM extension in the spring of 2010, writes Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Several players have been extended or traded for since then, and a big salary for Fielder no longer makes sense. Haudricourt says some in the organization feel it's time to let Mat Gamel have a shot at first base. The 26-year-old hit .310/.372/.540 with 28 homers in Triple-A last year.

Minor Moves: White Sox, Indians, Valdes

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The latest minor moves…

  • The White Sox announced that they signed left-handers Donnie Veal and Jose Quintana. Veal, 27, posted a 4.22 ERA with 8.7 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9 in the Pirates' system this past season. Quintana, 22, posted a 2.91 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 for the Yankees' Class A team in 2011.
  • The Indians announced that they signed catcher Michel Hernandez to a minor league contract and invited him to Spring Training. The 33-year-old hit .273/.384/.381 in the upper minors of the Indians' and Orioles' systems in 2011.
  • The Phillies have signed left-handed reliever Raul Valdes to a minor league deal that includes an invitation to Spring Training, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Valdes pitched 12 total innings for the Yankees and Cardinals in 2011 after spending the 2010 season with the Mets. In 63 2/3 innings at Double-A and Triple-A this past season, Valdes posted a 4.38 ERA with 9.3 K/9 and 1.6 BB/9.
  • The Twins re-signed Brian Dinkelman to a minor league deal, according to Morosi (on Twitter).
  • The Brewers re-signed Erick Almonte, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The 33-year-old utility player appeared in 16 games for the Brewers in 2011, playing first base and right field. Almonte spent most of the season at Triple-A, where he hit .303/.380/.447.
  • The Mariners signed right-hander Jeff Marquez to a minor league deal, according to his agency, Sosnick Cobbe Sports (via Twitter). Marquez, a first-round pick in 2004, was granted free agency by the Yankees last week.

NL Central Notes: Cubs, Marte, Brewers

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On this date in 2004, 42-year-old Roger Clemens won his seventh and final Cy Young Award. The Astros right-hander became the oldest pitcher to win the award and the first to win it with four different teams. Here are some links from Houston's division…

  • Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux told reporters, including MLB.com's Carrie Muskat, that he likes Chicago and is honored to be considered for the Cubs' managerial opening. As for Chicago executives Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer, Maddux says they're young and bright like Jon Daniels and others in the Rangers' front office. "Highly educated, very motivated, but very true and very honest and that's about all you can really ask for," Maddux said.
  • If the Pirates decide to address needs at first, catcher and shortstop via trade, Starling Marte's name could come up, according to MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch. 
  • At this stage in the offseason, "everybody has interest in everybody," Brewers GM Doug Melvin told Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. Until teams and agents start exchanging figures, it's hard to say which players fit in which payrolls. Jose Reyes is a possible fit for the Brewers, who declined their club option on Yuniesky Betancourt last week.

Red Sox Notes: Manager, Varitek, Ortiz, Papelbon

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Red Sox GM Ben Cherington suggested today that the Red Sox don't need wholesale changes. "This offseason is more about fixing what's under the hood than buying a new car," he told reporters. Here’s the latest on the team, starting with a note on their ongoing managerial search…

  • Cherington doesn't expect to interview additional managerial candidates after he meets with Blue Jays first base coach Torey Lovullo and Tigers third base coach Gene Lamont, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com (all Twitter links).
  • The Red Sox have asked the Brewers to extend their window to talk with hitting coach Dale Sveum, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (on Twitter).
  • Indians bench coach Sandy Alomar Jr., a candidate for Boston's managerial opening, is "going to be a Major League manager, whether that's in 2012 or sometime after that," Cherington said, according to Speier.
  • Cherington has exchanged messages with free agents David Ortiz, Jason Varitek and Tim Wakefield, according to Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald (Twitter links). However, he hasn't spoken with the representatives for Jonathan Papelbon recently.
  • There's no resolution on compensation between the Cubs and Red Sox for Theo Epstein, but the commissioner's office has given the sides more leeway, according to Lauber.
  • Speier explains how Ryan Madson's possible deal with the Phillies affects Papelbon and suggests the likelihood that Papelbon has thrown his last pitch for the Red Sox would increase "if Papelbon wants to dig in for a contract that clears the bar set by Madson."

Offseason Outlook: Milwaukee Brewers

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The Brewers could compensate for the probable loss of Prince Fielder by acquiring corner infielders, a shortstop, and a few late-inning relievers, but payroll flexibility may be limited.

Guaranteed Contracts

Arbitration Eligible Players (estimated salaries)

Free Agents

Prior to a stellar 2011 season, Brewers GM Doug Melvin had a fantastic offseason.  He put together a team that won a franchise-record 96 games, set an attendance record, and fell just two wins shy of a World Series appearance.  He also managed to lock up Braun and Weeks within a two-month span.  Melvin's follow-up act will be challenging — he's likely to lose first baseman Prince Fielder, and he drained his farm system of trade chips and potential impact players last winter.

Though Fielder said in September this was "probably" his last season with the Brewers, owner Mark Attanasio said, "We're planning on participating in the sweepstakes."  There is one scenario where I can see the Brewers retaining Fielder.  Say Fielder and agent Scott Boras do their thing all throughout December, visiting mystery teams and such, and all the offers fall short of Adrian Gonzalez's seven-year, $154MM deal.  Also say the Brewers refrain from making a major commitment to someone like Jose Reyes and keep first base open.  Then, in theory, they could jump in for around $120MM in January.  However, I can't remember Boras failing with a free agent in his prime.  There's no obvious candidate to overpay for Fielder right now, but the smart money is on Boras. 

26-year-old Mat Gamel hit .310/.372/.540 with 28 home runs in 545 Triple-A plate appearances this year, and the Brewers hope he's a late bloomer and potential Fielder replacement.  Otherwise, the free agent market features Michael Cuddyer, Carlos Pena, Casey Kotchman, and Derrek Lee as potential regulars for Milwaukee.

The left side of the infield presents another opportunity for the Brewers to improve.  The smart move at third base just might be hoping McGehee bounces back from a dismal season, because the market is bleak outside of the potentially pricey Aramis Ramirez.  McGehee would represent an arbitration gamble of $3.1MM or so.  If the Brewers do not intend to use McGehee as a starter, they should consider trading him.  Minor leaguer Taylor Green could be an internal option at third base.  Shortstop offers many opportunities to upgrade over Betancourt.  There's Jose Reyes and Jimmy Rollins at the high end, with Clint Barmes and Jamey Carroll also representing improvements on both offense and defense.  

The Brewers' final need is at the back end of the bullpen, with Hawkins, Saito, and Rodriguez now free agents.  Melvin could re-sign Hawkins and/or Saito or look at many other free agent options.

The problem with all these upgrades is cost.  Perhaps the Brewers' record attendance will result in a payroll increase, but right now they appear to have less than $10MM in flexibility.  The fact that the Brewers are willing to entertain re-signing Fielder suggests they could fit in a $20MM player and still address other needs.  However, we don't know if money potentially earmarked for a franchise player like Fielder would be reallocated to players like Reyes, Ramirez, or Cuddyer.  The Brewers gave up a lot to acquire Greinke and Marcum last winter, and the moves paid off.  With both pitchers eligible for free agency after 2012, the Brewers should take advantage of this window of rotation riches and stretch payroll as far as possible in an attempt to make another playoff run.

Heyman On Posada, Dodgers, Beltran, Morrison

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The latest rumors tweeted from SI's Jon Heyman…

Quick Hits: Servais, D’Backs, Cubs, Dodgers, Astros

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Some links as Saturday night turns into Sunday morning…

  • The Angels have hired Rangers director of player development Scott Servais to be their assistant GM, reports Mike DiGiovanna of The Los Angeles Times (on Twitter). MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan first reported that Servais appeared to be leaving Texas. GM Jon Daniels declined to speculate about Servais' replacement, according to Anthony Andro of FOXSportsSouthwest.com (on Twitter).
  • Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers will have more money to work with in 2012, managing partner Ken Kendrick told Jack Magruder of FOXSportsArizona.com (Twitter link). The D'Backs won the NL West with payroll of about $55MM this past season.
  • The Cubs have hired Joe Bohringer to be their pro scouting director, reports Bruce Levine of ESPN Chicago. Bohringer had been working as a scout for the Diamondbacks since 2006.
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports makes a case for the cash-strapped Dodgers to sign Albert Pujols or Prince Fielder.
  • Richard Justice of The Houston Chronicle wonders if Jim Crane would take his time making front office changes once his purchase of the Astros is official.
  • The Brewers have hired Rangers pitching instructor Andy Pratt as a pro scout, reports Jeff Wilson of The Star Telegram (on Twitter).

Brewers To Decline Options On Rodriguez, Betancourt

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A Brewers spokesperson confirmed that the club has declined the $17.5MM option on Francisco Rodriguez and the $6MM option on Yuniesky Betancourt, tweets MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. The pair will receive buyouts of $3.5MM and $2MM, respectively.

The Brewers acquired Rodriguez from the Mets in a July deal that saw Adrian Rosario and Danny Ray Herrera shipped off the New York as players to be named later. He excelled in 29 innings for the Brew Crew, posting a 1.86 ERA and a 10.2 K/9. It was reported at the time of the trade that the Mets would be responsible for the $3.5MM buyout on Rodriguez's deal.

Betancourt, 29, came to the Brewers along with Zack Greinke in last year's deal with the Royals. He acted as the starting shortstop for the NL Central champs all season, hitting .252/.271/.381 in 584 regular season plate appearances before heating up in the playoffs (.310/.326/.500).

While there should be some interest in Betancourt as a part-time player, it seems unlikely that he'll land another full-time job this winter. It's even less likely that he'll match the guaranteed money he earned when he signed his last contract, a four-year, $13.75MM deal. Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel tweets that the Brewers would consider bringing him back at a lower price.

To follow the status K-Rod and Betancourt, along with the rest of the 2012 free agents, check out our Free Agent Tracker.

MLBTR's Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Quick Hits: White Sox, Indians, Sabathia, Sizemore

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A grab-bag of links on the first Sunday of what should be a fun offseason….

  • Don't expect the White Sox to pick up any big-ticket players on the free agent market, writes MLB.com's Scott Merkin.  The club is unlikely to bring Juan Pierre back in 2012 and if they look to replace him with a traditional leadoff type, Merkin expects the team to do so via trade.
  • It would be a surprise if the Indians re-signed Chad Durbin as the club has several promising young relievers who could take his spot, writes Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer.
  • The Yankees will make a contract offer to C.C. Sabathia this weekend, tweets SI.com's Jon Heyman. However, most people expect the lefty to opt out of his current deal and "look around."
  • Newsday's Ken Davidoff predicts destinations and contract details for his top 30 free agents, in slideshow form.
  • The Rangers, Nationals, and Brewers top Buster Olney's list of potential landing spots for Grady Sizemore (ESPN insider link).
  • Hisashi Iwakuma confirmed that he will attempt to sign with an MLB team again this winter, according to NPB Tracker's Patrick Newman (via Sponichi). Iwakuma was unable to work out a deal with the Athletics last offseason.
  • New Angels GM Jerry Dipoto will have complete decision-making power, says Angels owner Arte Moreno. Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times has details and quotes.
  • The Padres will hire Phil Plantier as their new hitting coach, tweets FOX's Ken Rosenthal.

Outrighted To Triple-A: Mitch Stetter

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Here are today's outright assignments…

  • The Brewers announced that they outrighted left-hander Mitch Stetter to Triple-A. Stetter, 30, appeared in 16 games for the Brewers in 2011, but spent most of the season on the disabled list with a left hip injury. He has a 4.08 ERA with 9.3 K/9 and 5.4 BB/9 in 86 innings over the course of five seasons with the Brewers. Milwaukee's 40-man roster now stands at 39.
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