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Rosenthal On Darvish, Towers, Pirates, Brewers

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Let's check out what Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has for us in his latest edition of Full Count..

  • A source tells Rosenthal that Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish is highly likely to be posted this offseason.  The Yankees, unsurprisingly, are keeping close watch on the righthander.  One scout says that he doesn't see the 24-year-old as being much more than a No. 3 starter.  The ball in Japan is smaller, starters only work once a week, and as we've seen the transition for those starters can be very problematic.
  • If Kevin Towers becomes GM of the Diamondbacks, it could wind up haunting not only his former employers, the Padres, but also the Dodgers.  When Dennis Gilbert tried to buy the Rangers he was ready to name Towers as his GM and now Gilbert could be a buyer for the Dodgers if they are sold.  Towers, however, isn't going to wait around for the dust to settle in Los Angeles.  If he does become the D'Backs GM, the guy he would replace, interim GM Jerry Dipoto, could become a candidate for the Mets.
  • Pirates president Frank Coonelly has said that the club's losing is unacceptable and rival execs expect the team to make changes.  Both GM Neal Huntington and manager John Russell are under contract through next season but the team has offered no assurances that either man will return next season.  Russell appears to be in greater danger of getting the axe than Huntington as the GM was tabbed by Coonelly.
  • Brewers manager Ken Macha is "almost certain" to be fired and his coaches are also uncertain to return.  That includes bench coach Willie Randolph who was once seen as the heir apparent to Macha's position and could include pitching coach Rick Peterson, who has a year remaining on his deal. 

Poll: The AL East

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Last Saturday we took a look at the race in the NL West, but let's change leagues and coasts today to look at the battle for the AL East crown.

The Yankees have more or less led the division since mid-June (with a few exceptions here and there), though the Rays have closed the gap this month and the two teams are now separated by just half-a-game. In fact, they've alternated that half-game lead for six days now. The Yanks have been done in by a stretch in which they've won just three of their last 11 games, though Tampa has gone 5-6 during that span and hasn't fully taken advantage. 

Of course winning the AL East isn't crucial to either team's playoff hopes. Barring a spectacular collapse, both the Yanks and Rays will make the playoffs thanks to the Wild Card. The Twins are just one game back for the best record in baseball, so winning the East no longer guarantees home field advantage through the AL playoffs like we've assumed basically all season. A division title would be more about bragging rights than anything else.

The Red Sox are seven games out in AL East and are playing spoiler more than anything, but they do have six games left against New York and stranger things have happened. If nothing else, they could make things a little stressful for the teams up top over the next two-plus weeks. 

Who will win the AL East?

Click here to vote in the poll, and here to view the results. 

Indians Claim Chad Huffman

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The Indians claimed Chad Huffman off of waivers from the Yankees and optioned him to Triple A, according to MLB.com's Bryan Hoch (on Twitter). The Yankees, who claimed Huffman from the Padres in April, designated him for assignment earlier in the week.

Huffman, a 25-year-old outfielder, struggled through 21 plate appearances for the Yankees back in June and July, but hit 274/.353/.410 at Triple A this year. It was the first time in his five-year minor league career that he posted an OPS under .800. The 2006 second-rounder made the Pacific Coast League All-Star team a year ago and won the league's Home Run Derby.

Jack Of All Trades: Mike Lowell

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Normally, JOAT likes to look at players who were dealt three or more times. But Mike Lowell, in honor of his participation in two blockbuster trades, rumors for the better part of a year, and impending retirement, gets the wanderer treatment today.

The New York Yankees drafted Lowell in the 20th round of the 1995 draft, and he quickly climbed the prospect lists, crushing a combined 56 home runs in 1997-1998. But with Scott Brosius manning third base, the Yankees viewed Lowell as surplus and dealt him to Florida on February 1, 1999 for three pitching prospects: Todd Noel, Mark Johnson and Ed Yarnall.

The deal turned out to be a massive win for the Marlins. The three pitching prospects amounted to very little. Brosius, meanwhile, posted a 121 OPS+ in 1998 and managed a combined mark of 86 in 1999-2001 before retiring.

Lowell beat cancer in the spring of 1999 and came back to post an OPS+ of 90 that season before achieving stardom in 2000. From 2000-2004, his age 26-30 seasons, Lowell had an OPS+ of 117 with tremendous defense at third base. In 2003, Lowell had an OPS+ of 128 for the World Series-winning Marlins, hitting 32 home runs and finishing 11th in MVP voting.

But in 2005, Lowell, now 31, appeared to lose his ability to hit. His season line of .236/.298/.360 was good for an OPS+ of just 77, though he did win a Gold Glove. Eager to shed his salary, the Marlins worked out a deal with the Red Sox. On November 24, 2005, Florida traded Lowell, Josh Beckett and Guillermo Mota to the Boston Red Sox for Jesus Delgado, Harvey Garcia, Hanley Ramirez and Anibal Sanchez.

Once again, the team that acquired Lowell turned out to be a big winner, though this trade wasn't one-sided. Florida, after all, received a no-hitter from Anibal Sanchez, and Ramirez has blossomed into one of the game's best shortstops.

Beckett, the centerpiece of the deal, performed as expected, but Lowell's resurgence surprised the baseball world. His 2006-2009 in Boston included three seasons of above-average offense and strong, though regressing defense. His 2007, naturally, stands out from the pack.

That year, Lowell's OPS+ was 124. His age-33 season included 120 RBI, a fifth-place showing the the regular-season MVP voting, and a World Series MVP trophy. And Fitzgerald said there are no second acts in the American League. (That may be a paraphrase.)

Lowell gradually broke down, however, with his troublesome hip merely one of many injuries. This past winter, the Red Sox made a deal to send him to Texas for catching prospect Max Ramirez, because Theo Epstein loves grabbing decent prospects when their value is artificially low. The deal was called off, however, when Lowell needed surgery on his right thumb.

Barring a late comeback by Boston, Lowell's career will end when the regular season does. With nine seasons of 103 OPS+ or better, a strong glove for most of his career, and the postseason heroics, it is hard to believe that two teams sold low on Lowell. Stranger still, perhaps, is that Lowell played for three organizations – the Red Sox, the Marlins, and the Yankees – and made postseason appearances with everyone but New York.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Fusco, Thome, Cubs, Jeter

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On this date in 1998, former New York Highlander and St. Louis Brown Red Hoff passed away. At 107 years, four months, and nine days old, the left-handed pitcher had the longest life span of any player in Major League history, out-living his closest competition by more than five years. He pitched to a 2.49 ERA in 83 innings from 1911-1915, but never played after serving in World War I.

Here are a few interesting links from around the blogosphere…

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.

Heyman On Mets, Towers, Blue Jays

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It won’t be a surprise if the Mets replace GM Omar Minaya and manager Jerry Manuel after the season. At this point, Jon Heyman of SI.com says it’s “all but certain” that they’re goners. Here are the details on who might replace them, plus other details about GM and managerial openings around baseball:

  • The Mets appear to be looking for a “high energy” manager, so it’s hard not to wonder if Bobby Valentine is a candidate to manage the team for a second time.
  • The Mets are ready to consider former Padres GM Kevin Towers, former D’Backs GM Josh Byrnes and White Sox assistant GM Rick Hahn as possible replacements for Minaya.
  • Some have suggested that Towers would prefer to work for a team in the West, but he’d consider GM jobs in the East. "I don't think I'm in position to be picky,” Towers said.
  • The Blue Jays will likely consider third base coach Brian Butterfield and Yankees third base coach Rob Thomson for their managerial opening this offseason. Some say current manager Cito Gaston is pushing the Jays to hire former Rockies manager Don Baylor.

Yankees Designate Chad Huffman For Assignment

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The Yankees designated Chad Huffman for assignment to create roster space for Royce Ring, according to Chad Jennings of the Journal News (on Twitter). Huffman, 25, didn't do much in 21 big league plate appearances back in June and July, but he has a solid minor league resume. He hit .274/.353/.410 at Triple A this year, posting an OPS under .800 for the first time in his five-year minor league career. Huffman has mostly played in left, but he can play first base, too.

Ring, 29, last appeared in the majors in 2008. Like Huffman, he spent most of the season at Triple A. The lefty pitched well, posting a 1.93 ERA with 8.4 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 out of the bullpen.

Heyman On Yankees, Dodgers, Beltre

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Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. told Jon Heyman of SI.com that you could make the case for Cole Hamels as the team’s 2010 MVP. Roy Halladay might have something to say about that, but more importantly, the Phillies are red-hot. Here are the rest of Heyman’s rumors:

  • The Yankees don’t let executives under multi-year deals interview for jobs in other organizations, which is why scouting director Damon Oppenheimer won't interview for the D’Backs GM job. The policy means Oppenheimer won’t be a candidate for other GM openings this winter.
  • Triple A manager Tim Wallach remains the favorite to become the Dodgers’ next skipper if Joe Torre doesn’t return, as many of Heyman’s sources expect.
  • Some “Red Sox people” say they won’t be surprised if Adrian Beltre looks to match the $64MM deal he signed after the 2004 season. They say the team won’t offer close to $64MM.

Odds & Ends: Sandberg, Werth, Mets, Drabek, Dunn

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Links for Sunday, as Chris Volstad goes for his fifth win vs. the Nationals this season….

Odds & Ends: Backe, Ellis, Crisp, Macha, Holliday

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Some links to check out as the Rockies try to win their ninth straight…

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