Odds & Ends: Gammons, Braves, Hurdle, Marlins
As we hope for Wilson and Cain rather than clouds and rain in San Francisco tonight, here are a few news items…
- In an appearance on WEEI's The Big Show this afternoon, Peter Gammons predicted that Cliff Lee will re-sign with Texas and Victor Martinez will sign a four- or five-year contract with Detroit since "I don't think anyone else is going to give him four or five years." Gammons also reiterated that the Red Sox have a big interest in Carl Crawford this winter. WEEI's Kirk Minihane has a partial transcript here.
- The Braves have signed Beau Torbert to a minor league contract, according to the Sioux Falls Fighting Pheasants, Torbert's American Association team. Torbert, a 17th-round pick of the Astros in 2004, was Baseball America's Independent Player Of The Year for 2010.
- The Pirates haven't interviewed a managerial candidate in two weeks, but FOXSports.com's Tracy Ringolsby believes the Bucs are waiting to speak to Clint Hurdle, who is "a serious consideration" for the job. Pittsburgh has to wait until the World Series is over to interview Hurdle, the former Rockies manager and current Rangers hitting coach.
- The Marlins hope to settle on a manager by next week, tweets Newsday's Ken Davidoff. Edwin Rodriguez is "still in the mix" according to Davidoff, which coincides with news earlier this week that the Fish were "leaning toward" keeping their current manager.
- Pedro Martinez is "looking for motivation to come back," tweets Enrique Rojas of ESPN. Martinez is training with the Dominican League's Licey Tigers, whose pitching coach is Pedro's brother (and former major league pitcher) Ramon.
- Andy MacPhail tells MASN.com's Steve Melewski that the Orioles aren't likely to re-sign any of their pending free agents before the deadline.
- Tom Gage of the Detroit News implies that Jim Thome could be the Tigers' backup plan if the team fails to sign any bigger-name free agents.
- We had heard that John Gibbons wasn't a managerial candidate in New York, but Jack Curry of the YES Network reports that the Mets have already contacted other teams for infomation about the Royals bench coach. Curry says the Mets haven't contacted Gibbons himself, but will probably do so once Sandy Alderson officially takes over as GM. (All Twitter links)
- Hoping your team can unload a bad contract this winter, or at least trade one for another team's problem? ESPNNewYork.com's Adam Rubin has a rundown of each team's most unwieldly financial commitments.
Pirates, Mets, Blue Jays Managerial Rumors
The Blue Jays, Marlins, Pirates, Brewers and Mets are still looking for managers. Here's the latest, with more updates to come throughout the evening:
Pirates
Former Brewers skipper Ken Macha told Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe (via Twitter) that he is no longer in the running for the Pirates job.
Mets
Josh Byrnes and Sandy Alderson, the two finalists for the Mets GM job, both submitted lists of four or five managerial candidates in their initial interviews, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Both lists included Mets Class A manager Wally Backman, according to sources.
Blue Jays
Update: DeMarlo Hale has been told he is no longer in the running for the job, according to Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com (on Twitter). That means it's down to John Farrell and Brian Butterfield.
Peter Gammons said on WEEI that the Blue Jays may decide on their next manager by tonight. Alex Anthopoulos leans toward DeMarlo Hale and assistant GM Tony LaCava and others lean toward John Farrell, according to Gammons.
Farrell, the Red Sox pitching coach, is the favorite to manage, but Hale, the Boston bench coach is still in the running. One person not being considered: Sandy Alomar Jr. The former catcher was one of four finalists for the job, but he won't be getting it, according to Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com (on Twitter). That leaves Farrell, Hale and Blue Jays third base coach Brian Butterfield.
Manager Roundup: Blue Jays, Brewers, Pirates
A few managerial openings have been filled since baseball's regular season ended, but there are still a handful of clubs looking for skippers. Here's the latest on some of the searches, with any new updates added to the top of the page throughout the evening:
Blue Jays
We know that DeMarlo Hale, John Farrell, Sandy Alomar Jr., and Brian Butterfield are considered finalists for the Blue Jays job. MLB Network's Peter Gammons spoke to multiple GMs who believe that it's only a matter of time until Toronto hires Farrell (Twitter link). Shi Davidi of the Canadian Press (via Twitter) is also hearing that Farrell could be the Jays' man, though nothing is certain yet.
Butterfield could be a leading candidate to become the Orioles' third base coach if he's not hired by the Jays, writes MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli.
Brewers
The Brewers have interviewed eight candidates so far, and will cut the list of contenders down to four, GM Doug Melvin tells Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Reports have suggested the team has interviewed Tim Wallach, Ron Roenicke, Pat Listach, Joey Cora, and Bob Melvin, whom Haudricourt thinks is the frontrunner (Twitter link). According to the club's GM, however, "some of the names (reported) are right and some aren't right."
The Brewers will conduct second interviews with the four finalists, and they expect the process to last another week to ten days.
Pirates
The Pirates haven't interviewed any managerial candidates in a week and GM Neal Huntington tells Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that he's considering additional interviews. Biertempfel suggests the Pirates may be waiting to interview Yankees coach Tony Pena.
Meanwhile, John Gibbons has removed himself from the Pirates' search, according to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star (on Twitter). ESPN.com's Buster Olney heard earlier today that the former Blue Jays manager was a serious candidate for the job.
Ben Nicholson-Smith contributed to this post.
Bradley Open To Wedge’s Hiring
One of the questions surrounding the Mariners' hire of Eric Wedge as their new manager was how (or if) Wedge could co-exist with Milton Bradley. Larry Stone of the Seattle Times recaps their checkered history, stemming from a 2004 situation when Wedge pulled Bradley from a spring training game, Bradley got upset, and then was dealt to Los Angeles a few days later.
Wedge made it clear to Seattle management that he had moved past the incident, however, and it appears that Bradley also wants to move on. Stone heard from a Mariners official who revealed two texts sent by Bradley praising the club's hire: "Whatever took place was six or seven years ago and I'm over it" and "[Wedge] was a disciplinarian and I felt our team lacked discipline last year. Hopefully, he instills some of that.''
As Stone pointed out in his original post, however, Bradley doesn't appear to have much of a choice. His options are to either make up with Wedge and play out the season, or else get released. Bradley would still get the $12MM he's owed for 2011, but the Mariners are committed to paying him anyway and Bradley would be burning bridges with yet another franchise. Stone notes that Bradley is all-but-untradeable unless the M's agree to pay most of the contract or deal Bradley for another bad contract, a la their original Carlos Silva swap.
Stone brings up Pittsburgh as one potential trade partner for the Mariners, though surely one that would require the Mariners to cover Bradley's contract. Neal Huntington is a long-time supporter of Bradley and might be one of the few GMs willing to add Bradley to the roster. Bradley's injury history makes him a bad fit for the NL, however, since he wouldn't be able to handle playing the outfield. A player with Bradley's baggage is also not the kind of veteran influence that the Pirates would want to bring to their young clubhouse.
Manager Roundup: Marlins, Pirates, Blue Jays
The Braves hired Fredi Gonzalez and the Mariners chose Eric Wedge, leaving the Marlins, Pirates, Blue Jays, Brewers, Cubs, and Mets with managerial openings. The latest:
Marlins
Bo Porter "has emerged as the frontrunner," heard MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. Frisaro says Porter "has been making inquiries about candidates for his coaching staff." Edwin Rodriguez remains in the mix despite not speaking with the team since the end of the season.
Pirates
John Gibbons is "a serious candidate," says ESPN's Buster Olney. Others linked to the Bucs in the past: Porter, Dale Sveum, Ken Macha, Jeff Banister, Bobby Valentine, and Carlos Tosca.
Blue Jays
Red Sox third base coach Tim Bogar is no longer a candidate, tweets Maureen Mullen. The Jays have been linked to more than a dozen names. One of those, Rick Renteria, was announced as the Padres' new bench coach today.
Brewers
MLB.com's Adam McCalvy profiled eight candidates who have been linked to the Brewers. Bob Melvin is the favorite, in the opinion of a few baseball writers.
White Sox bench coach Joey Cora will interview for the job on Tuesday, writes Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune. Updated at 4:11pm.
Nothing new on the Cubs, and it's too early for the Mets, but we'll keep you posted on all manager rumors here.
GM/Manager Rumors: Pirates, Valentine, Marlins, Avila
With the reports that Seattle has hired Eric Wedge, one spot on the managerial carousel has been filled. Here's a look at some other management rumors…
- Wedge wasn't just Seattle's first choice, but he was also "seen as the favorite" in Pittsburgh according to Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated (Twitter link). Heyman says the "job seems wide, wide open" even though the Pirates have interviewed a half-dozen other candidates.
- Bobby Valentine spoke to SIRIUS XM's Chris Russo today and Tom Haudricourt of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has some transcribed highlights. Valentine says he doesn't have a "burning desire" to manage again, but rather a desire that has to be "cultivated" by an interested suitor. Valentine also noted that he doesn't expect to hear back from the Blue Jays, and that he has had "conversations" about the Brewers job but not a formal interview.
- The Miami Herald's Clark Spencer says the Marlins might wait 7-10 days before even starting the interview process. Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com tweets that Bo Porter is the favorite of some Florida officials.
- The Mets have asked the Tigers for permission to interview Detroit assistant GM Al Avila, reports John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press (and passed on by Newsday's Ken Davidoff).
- Don Baylor has been replaced as Colorado's batting coach, reports The Denver Post's Troy Renck. Baylor, who's a candidate for at least one managerial job (Toronto), has been offered a new position with the Rockies as a special assistant to GM Dan O'Dowd.
- Nolan Ryan "would be shocked" if Rangers GM Jon Daniels exercised the opt-out clause in his contract this winter, tweets the New York Post's Joel Sherman.
Manager Roundup: Jays, Pirates, Mariners, Cubs, Marlins
The managerial rumors don't take a break, even if the playoff schedule does. Here are yesterday's rumors and here are today's rumblings, with the latest updates at the top of the page:
Blue Jays
Rays bench coach Dave Martinez will interview for the Jays' opening, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
The Blue Jays have interest in a third Red Sox coach. Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun hears that John Farrell is in the mix for the Jays job, along with DeMarlo Hale and Tim Bogar (Twitter link). Lauber heard that Farrell hadn't interviewed for a managerial job yet, but perhaps he has an interview coming up.
Rosenthal reports that the Blue Jays will interview Farrell if they haven't already. The Blue Jays will also interview Padres first base coach Rick Renteria, but another NL West coach will not interview for the position. The Dodgers didn't allow the Jays to speak with Tim Wallach, though he was allowed to interview with the Brewers, according to Rosenthal.
Pirates
Joel Sherman of the New York Post believes the Pirates should be looking to land Bobby Valentine. According to Sherman, Valentine would be the perfect choice for Pittsburgh, since, in addition to being a great evaluator of talent, he could make the Pirates relevant. The team doesn't appear to be considering him though.
The Pirates interviewed former Blue Jays manager Carlos Tosca for their managerial vacancy today, according to Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com.
Mariners
Bobby Valentine’s interview with the Mariners went well, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. However, the Mariners’ other candidates also fared well and Valentine isn’t necessarily the favorite. As Rosenthal reminds us, Cecil Cooper, Eric Wedge, John Gibbons, Lloyd McClendon and Daren Brown are also options for Seattle.
Brewers
The Brewers have asked the White Sox for permission to interview Joey Cora, but Cora hasn't heard from Milwaukee yet, according to Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com. Bob Melvin remains the favorite to manage in Milwaukee, according to Levine.
Cubs
The Cubs have continued interest in Yankees manager Joe Girardi, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. Several insiders tell Wittenmyer that they expect an announcement before the World Series begins, unless Girardi becomes a serious candidate. Rival teams have not asked the Cubs for formal permission to interview Mike Quade or Ryne Sandberg, according to the Sun-Times. As we heard yesterday, Quade has become the favorite for the Cubs job.
Meanwhile, Chris De Luca of the Sun-Times calls Eric Wedge a "bland tactician" and says Sandberg is the man for the job. The Hall of Fame second baseman tells De Luca that he is more qualified to manage in the majors than he was the last time the Cubs considered him.
Marlins
Red Sox coach DeMarlo Hale, a candidate for the Blue Jays and Mariners, may also be a candidate to manage the Marlins, according to Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald.
Bobby Valentine turned down an offer to manage the Marlins, according to Sunil Joshi and Joe Frisaro of MLB.com. Dave George of the Palm Beach Post says "some other Type-A scrapper still could be the ticket, someone whose ego is a match for Hanley Ramirez and whose confidence allows room to tell everyone in the organization, including the owner, to back off."
Edwin Rodriguez, who managed the Marlins to a 46-46 record after taking over midway through the season, told Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald that he'd accept a one-year deal to have a shot at managing the team for an entire season.
Manager Roundup: Cubs, Pirates, Brewers, Blue Jays, Mariners, Marlins
Rounding up all the latest manager talk by team:
Cubs
Owner Tom Ricketts has met with candidates Mike Quade, Ryne Sandberg, and Eric Wedge, reports Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. Bob Melvin is expected to meet with Ricketts, and Sullivan hasn't ruled out the Cubs entertaining Joe Girardi after the playoffs. Sullivan assesses the pros and cons of the five candidates, while Larry Stone of the Seattle Times puts Don Wakamatsu's name in the mix. Quade is the "surprise heavy favorite" for the job, according to SI's Jon Heyman.
Pirates
They interviewed Brewers hitting coach Dale Sveum today, according to MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch. She notes that the Bucs have also interviewed Wedge, Bo Porter, John Gibbons, Ken Macha, and Jeff Banister. Heyman adds Juan Samuel to that list, but sees Wedge as the favorite. The Toronto Sun's Bob Elliott says the Pirates have also interviewed Valentine.
Brewers
Wedge and Tim Wallach have interviewed so far, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. He says they plan to interview about ten people in total, including Melvin. Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel adds today via Twitter that he believes they've also interviewed Ron Roenicke. Heyman views Melvin as the favorite here. Cecil Cooper would like to interview, he told Haudricourt.
Blue Jays
Beyond long shot Bobby Valentine, who's already interviewed, they're looking at Don Baylor, Brian Butterfield, Samuel, Rob Thomson, Tim Bogar, DeMarlo Hale, and others according to Heyman. Stone mentions Rick Renteria, Nick Leyva, Ron Roenicke, and Luis Rivera as other candidates.
Mariners
Valentine is a strong candidate, says Heyman. He says they also have Ted Simmons, Gibbons, Joey Cora, Hale, Bogar, Bryan Price, and many others on their list. Larry Stone of the Seattle Times has more on this search, while also includes Wedge, Lloyd McClendon, and Cecil Cooper.
Marlins
Earlier this evening Valentine removed his name from consideration for the job, just days after Joe Capozzi's source named him the leading candidate. Heyman says Porter, Wallach, Tony Pena, and Jim Fregosi are also in the running. Don't forget Edwin Rodriguez, according to Stone.
Braves
They officially hired Fredi Gonzalez today, signing him through 2013 with a club option for '14.
Mets
Heyman feels that it's tough to guess their candidates until they hire a GM. Meanwhile, Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com tweets that Mets officials aren't concerned with other teams conducting interviews or making hires. Updated at 6:30pm CST.
Manager/GM Notes: Pirates, Jays, Cubs, Mets, Listach
Let's check out the latest updates from a handful of manager and GM searches….
- The Pirates interviewed Ken Macha and Jeff Banister today for their managerial opening, according to the team's official Twitter feed. As Chuck Finder of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette notes, both men have local ties.
- Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun tweets that Bobby Valentine interviewed with the Blue Jays for Cito Gaston's old job.
- According to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat, Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts has interviewed four managerial candidates: Mike Quade, Ryne Sandberg, Bob Melvin, and, as we heard earlier today, Eric Wedge.
- ESPN New York's Adam Rubin says (via Twitter) the Mets are awaiting permission to interview "a couple more" GM candidates, besides the five we already know, though it doesn't sound like Jerry Dipoto is one of them (Twitter link). At least one figures to be a minority candidate, according to Rubin.
- Pat Listach tells Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he hasn't heard from the Brewers or any other teams looking for managers.
Arbitration Eligibles: Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pirates are next in our arbitration eligibles series…
- First time: Joel Hanrahan, Lastings Milledge, Andy LaRoche, Delwyn Young, Jeff Karstens, Ross Ohlendorf
- Second time: Wil Ledezma
- Third time: Zach Duke, Ronny Cedeno
The Pirates have three locks to be tendered contracts: Joel Hanrahan, Ross Ohlendorf, and Ronny Cedeno. They're all penciled into key roles for 2011 and none will be expensive.
Position players Milledge, LaRoche, and Young are on the bubble. Milledge probably doesn't have an everyday role on next year's club, but he's cheap enough to keep around as a fourth outfielder. LaRoche and Young would fill less prominent bench roles, but it's possible the Pirates could trade or non-tender one or both.
Karstens was designated for assignment in November of last year and went unclaimed. He's probably still expendable. Despite a 6.86 ERA in 19.6 innings (inflated by one outing), there was a lot to like about Ledezma's stint with the club. He averaged almost 94 mph on his fastball, his peripherals were strong, and the team is light on lefty relievers. He may still be non-tendered, but I expect the Pirates to try to retain him.
Duke, 28 in April, is likely to be non-tendered if there's no trade interest. A month ago, 88% of MLBTR readers predicted the lefty will be cut loose. Duke needs a good defense behind him, but if healthy he has his moments.