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Injury/Health Notes: Britton, Oberg, Wieck

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Yankees GM Brian Cashman confirmed what most fans had already expected, telling reporters that “it’s probable you won’t see” Zack Britton in 2022 (link via Ken Davidoff of the New York Post). Cashman didn’t fully rule out the possibility that the lefty could return for a playoff push. The long-time Orioles closer and Yankees set-up man underwent reconstructive elbow surgery in September — something of a surprise at the time, as both club and player had only planned on a procedure to remove bone chips from his left elbow, but that procedure evidently revealed significant damage to Britton’s UCL.

The southpaw arrived in the Bronx from Baltimore in a July 2018 trade and had no problems shifting from closer to a set-up role, logging 25 innings of 2.88 ERA ball before posting a combined 1.90 ERA (and an elite 232 ERA+) across 80 1/3 innings between 2019 and ’20. His 2021 came off the rails, however, as his ERA ballooned to 5.89 behind a BB% spike to 17.1% (his career mark was 9.5% entering the season). Britton’s $14MM salary — which became guaranteed when the Yankees picked up his 2022 option in October 2020 — essentially becomes dead money. The news may mean a bigger role for 2021 deadline acquisition Joely Rodriguez, who re-signed with the Yankees for one-year, $2MM on Wednesday.

Some other notes on injury situations around the game:

  • Per The Athletic’s Nick Groke (Twitter link), righty Scott Oberg has undergone another procedure to further address issues arising from repeated blood clots in his arm. Though the righty reliever hasn’t seen a mound since 2019, Groke reports that the Colorado front office wants him in a Rockies uniform next year “even if he’s not able to pitch,” and Oberg has confirmed his desire to return. Oberg scouted and coached while on the IL in 2021, serving as something of a “bullpen Yoda,” per Groke. The Rockies may ask him to shift to that role more formally in 2022. Oberg has a solid 3.85 ERA (3.98 FIP) across 257 1/3 big-league innings spanning five seasons. The 31-year-old had planned to pitch in 2021 after undergoing thoracic surgery in September 2020 that doctors thought would keep the issue from recurring, but the issue returned following a March 2021 Spring Training appearance. As Danielle Allentuck of the Denver Gazette explained last month, Oberg spent a night in the ICU earlier this year ahead of an emergency surgery after his hand went numb and trainers couldn’t find a pulse in his wrist. This more recent procedure was planned, Groke notes.
  • The Cubs announced to reporters that left-handed reliever Brad Wieck has been cleared for all baseball activities following a heart ablation procedure to address a irregular heartbeat — the second such procedure he’s undergone in two years (Twitter link via Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune). The importance of Wieck’s numbers pale in comparison to his health, of course, but he was a stellar bullpen option for the Cubs through early July, when he didn’t allow a single earned run while striking out 28 (albeit alongside 10 walks) in 17 innings. For his career, the 30-year-old Wieck has a 3.77 ERA and high-end 35.9 K% in 59 2/3 innings across parts of four seasons with the Cubs and Padres.

Coaching Notes: Royals, Cubs, D-Backs

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The Royals announced two additions to their coaching staff last night. Keoni DeRenne is being hired as assistant hitting coach, while Damon Hollins will join the staff as first base coach. DeRenne, who previously spent time in the Pirates and Cubs organizations, has spent the past two seasons as Kansas City’s assistant hitting coordinator. Hollins, who appeared in parts of four big league seasons between 1998-2006, has been in the organization for more than a decade. He served as interim first base coach in 2020.

The latest on some other coaching situations around the game:

  • The Cubs are expected to hire Johnny Washington as assistant hitting coach, reports Sahadev Sharma of the Athletic. He’ll replace Chris Valaika, who was hired as Guardians’ hitting coach last week. Washington spent a few seasons coaching with the Padres when current Cubs’ bench coach Andy Green was San Diego’s manager. Sharma notes that he spent the 2021 campaign as the hitting coach with the Hanwha Eagles of the Korea Baseball Organization. Washington also garnered some consideration during the Angels’ 2019-20 managerial search, a job that eventually went to former Cubs’ skipper Joe Maddon.
  • Former big league outfielder Peter Bourjos has moved into coaching, as Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports that the Diamondbacks have hired the 34-year-old as a minor league outfield and baserunning coordinator. Bourjos appeared in parts of ten major league seasons as a player, suiting up for the Angels, Cardinals, Phillies, Rays and Braves between 2010-19. He has spent the past two years doing advance scouting work with the Rockies.

David Bote Expected To Miss Six Months After Undergoing Shoulder Surgery

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NOVEMBER 11: Bote seems unlikely to be ready for the start of next season. His surgery comes with a six-month recovery timeline, Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago was among those to relay (Twitter link). Depending upon when he went under the knife, that’d seemingly keep him out until late April or early May if his recovery goes as planned.

NOVEMBER 9: Cubs utilityman David Bote recently underwent surgery on his left shoulder, president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer told reporters (including Jordan Bastian of MLB.com) this evening. The extent of the procedure and a timetable for his recovery aren’t yet clear.

Bote separated that shoulder during a game in late May, an injury that cost him nearly two months of action. Largely because of that injury, Bote was limited to 327 plate appearances, slumping to a career-worst .199/.276/.330 line with eight home runs. He’d gotten off to a tough start even before the shoulder issue, but his .197/.273/.320 mark in 165 trips to the plate after returning from that IL stint marked a bit of a downturn even relative to his poor early-season numbers.

If he’s healthy heading into Spring Training, Bote figures to assume a utility role off the bench for manager David Ross. As things stand, the Cubs look likely to enter 2022 with a starting infield of Frank Schwindel, Nick Madrigal, Nico Hoerner and Patrick Wisdom. All those players hit right-handed, as does Bote, who’s likely to back up at multiple positions around the dirt. The 28-year-old is under contract through at least 2024 under the terms of the extension he signed in April 2019.

Offseason Outlook: Chicago Cubs

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The Cubs traded away their core rather than extend them, and now the club is light on financial commitments as well as good MLB players.  Is this winter the time to strike?

Guaranteed Contracts

  • Jason Heyward, RF: $44MM through 2023
  • Kyle Hendricks, SP: $29.5MM through 2023.  Includes $16MM club option for 2024
  • Wade Miley, SP: $10MM through 2022
  • David Bote, 2B/3B: $13MM through 2024.  Includes $7MM club option for 2025 and $7.6MM club option for ’26

Arbitration-Eligible Players (projections from MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)

Option Decisions

  • Wade Miley, SP: exercised $10MM club option after claiming off waivers from Reds

Free Agents

When the dust had settled after the July deadline, the Cubs had completed eight trades.  Of the nine players sent packing, seven are currently free agents, Trevor Williams might be non-tendered by the Mets, and the White Sox picked up Craig Kimbrel’s option.  Seeing Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, and Javier Baez in different uniforms marked the end of an era, and now the Cubs have a bunch of extra prospects and a clean financial slate.  They’ve also got a new second-in command in the front office behind Jed Hoyer in Carter Hawkins, hired from Cleveland.  The Cubs went on to hire Ehsan Bokhari from the Astros as assistant GM and Greg Brown from the Rays as the new hitting coach.  Furthermore, longtime executive Jason McLeod is leaving, and Randy Bush is moving into an advisory role.

Hoyer said in late September, “We plan to be really active in free agency.”  Trying to decode GM-speak is always difficult, but Hoyer elaborated a few weeks later, saying, “We have money to spend this winter. But it’s really important that we do that in an intelligent way.”  Furthermore, “We need to be active in a way that we feel like we’re getting the right value for the dollars we’re spending, and we’re also making sure that we’re not hindering ourselves going forward with expenditures for right now.”  Hoyer went on to caution against “winning the offseason.”

MLBTR projected its top 12 free agents to each receive contracts of at least five years, with the exception of record-setting three-year deal for Max Scherzer.  When I try to translate spending money “intelligently” and “not hindering ourselves going forward,” I take it to mean that the Cubs won’t sign any of those top dozen or so free agents.  Hoyer has stated that the Cubs “have a lot of holes to fill on this roster,” which is a euphemism for a lack of present MLB talent.  The Cubs will shop at the top end of the free agent market again, but I don’t think it will be this winter.

So what will the Cubs do?  Hoyer made it clear that adding pitchers, particularly those with strikeout ability, is the team’s top priority.  So why, then, did the club commit $10MM to 35-year-old lefty Wade Miley, who the payroll-cutting Reds cast off after a fine season?  Miley possesses a 90 mile per hour fastball and the sixth-worst strikeout rate in baseball this year among those with at least 160 innings.  The answer is that Miley is still a solid pitcher, the only cost was his salary, and it’s a one-year commitment.  For a team with no rotation locks beyond fellow soft-tosser Kyle Hendricks, the Cubs took the opportunity that fell into their lap.  Miley’s best attribute is his ability to generate weak contact, as he ranked fourth in baseball in average exit velocity.

The Cubs may yet add two or three starting pitchers to the rotation.  As far as potential free agent targets, let’s cross off those seeking five-plus years or an immediate shot at a championship.  We’re left with Carlos Rodon, Eduardo Rodriguez, Alex Wood, Yusei Kikuchi, and Jon Gray atop the strikeout leaderboard.  We believe Rodriguez may require a four-year deal, plus Boston’s qualifying offer means the Cubs would sacrifice their second-round draft pick.  Noah Syndergaard comes with that same draft pick problem, if he even reaches the open market.  Rolling the dice on Rodon makes some level of sense, in that the Cubs wouldn’t be hampered by a deal anywhere from one to three years, and he offers possible ace-like pitching without a $100MM commitment if the club rolls the dice on his health.  Rodon is the moon shot option, while Wood, Kikuchi, Gray, and James Paxton are safer choices.  Free agency also offers pitchers with decent velocity if not the strikeout rate, like Steven Matz, Garrett Richards, and Anthony DeSclafani.

The trade market is also an option for the Cubs, who could offer one year of Willson Contreras, deal away some of their prospect capital, or just take on an unwanted contract.  Strikeout pitchers who could be available in trade include Blake Snell, Yu Darvish, Tyler Mahle, Pablo Lopez, Sonny Gray, Frankie Montas, Zac Gallen, Sean Manaea, Chris Paddack, Chris Bassitt, Caleb Smith, and Luis Castillo.  The Rays’ Tyler Glasnow makes sense for the Cubs, even though he won’t be recovered from Tommy John surgery until the 2023 season.  Indeed, such a trade was considered back in July.   The Tigers’ Matthew Boyd, who underwent flexor tendon surgery in September, may be non-tendered by the Tigers and also makes sense for the Cubs.  Back when the Cubs had some money to burn, they signed Drew Smyly to a two-year, $10MM deal off Tommy John surgery with an eye entirely on the second season.

Three of the best trade targets are on the Reds, who may be reluctant to trade a starter to the division-rival Cubs in addition to Miley.  The idea of the Cubs reacquiring Darvish one year after his trade somewhat kicked off their rebuild is too amusing not to mention.  After the Cubs shipped Darvish and backup catcher Victor Caratini to San Diego for four low-minors prospects and Zach Davies, Darvish went on to post a 2.44 ERA through the season’s first half.  He got blasted (mostly by home runs) in the second half to the tune of a 6.65 ERA.  Darvish is owed $37MM over the next two years, and the Cubs suddenly have the payroll flexibility the Padres desire.  Just saying, it’d be fun to see.

The bullpen is another clear need for the Cubs, who are left with guys like Codi Heuer and Rowan Wick atop their depth chart.  A few cheap free agent investments make sense here.

The Cubs’ infield is mostly set, with Willson Contreras at catcher, Frank Schwindel at first, Nick Madrigal at second, Nico Hoerner at short, and Patrick Wisdom at third.  While Schwindel (age 30) and Wisdom (29) aren’t likely long-term solutions, they’ve at least earned at-bats in 2022.  The Cubs also have to see if a Madrigal-Hoerner double-play combination has staying power.

With one year of control remaining on Contreras, the Cubs enter into the familiar “extend or trade” territory that led to their July sell-off.  The free agent market is weak at the position, and teams like the Yankees, Guardians, Rangers, Marlins, and Giants might be seeking catching help.

Ian Happ avoided a possible non-tender by posting a 147 wRC+ over the season’s final two months.  He figures to hold down left field, while Rafael Ortega can keep center field warm until the Cubs deem top prospect Brennen Davis ready.  In right, there’s Jason Heyward and the $44MM owed to him over the next two years.  After a brutal 68 wRC+ in 2021, the Cubs probably can’t justify a roster spot for Heyward through all of ’22 unless he manages at least league average hitting.  While the Cubs could explore a potential bad contract swap, they’re in more of a position to take on dead money as a means of accumulating yet more prospects.

One outfield addition that could make sense for the Cubs is right fielder Seiya Suzuki.  It’s nearly impossible to project what level of contract Suzuki will require if he’s posted by the Hiroshima Carp, but he’s only 27 years old and is one of the best players in Japan.  Signing him would be akin to the club’s $30MM deal for Jorge Soler, which occurred about eight months into Jed Hoyer’s tenure with the team.

We’re about to embark on a free agency experience unlike anything we’ve seen in recent years, with a probable lockout followed by a compressed signing period.  If some players fall through the cracks in that scenario, the Cubs are well-positioned to make opportunistic strikes with one-year offers.  With Heyward, Hendricks, Miley, David Bote, Contreras, and Happ, the Cubs have an estimated $63.7MM committed for six players.  As a team capable of sustaining a payroll in excess of $200MM, the Cubs are a sleeping giant right now.  In reference to the Giants, Hoyer said, “They certainly didn’t win the offseason last year. They won the season.”  While I can say with certainty the Cubs won’t win 107 games in 2022, it’s clear that the team would prefer to avoid the top end of free agency this winter, become a surprise contender, and then look to flex its financial muscle.

Rex Brothers Elects Free Agency

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Cubs left-hander Rex Brothers elected free agency after he was outrighted off Chicago’s 40-man roster earlier this week, The Chicago Tribune’s Meghan Montemurro reports (Twitter link).  Since Brothers has been outrighted multiple times in his career, he had the right to become a free agent rather than accept the Cubs’ assignment — in fact, Brothers also opted for free agency almost exactly a year ago, after another outright off the Cubs’ 40-man.

Brothers has inked minor league deals with the Cubs in each of the last two offseasons.  After tossing only 3 1/3 innings in 2020, he received a much longer look this season, with 53 innings out of Chicago’s bullpen.  The first 27 1/3 of those innings were stellar, as the southpaw posted a 2.63 through June 27, but things then started to decline for the veteran.  His final 25 2/3 innings resulted in an 8.06 ERA, giving Brothers an overall 5.26 ERA for the season.

Home runs (nine), hard contact, and especially walks were the biggest problems for Brothers, as his 14.8% walk rate was one of the highest of any pitcher in the league.  These issues outweighed some very impressive strikeout numbers, as Brothers’ 31.8 K% and whiff rate both fell in the 92nd percentile of all pitchers.  While the home runs have been a more recent problem for Brothers, he has long struggled with his control, even dating back to his 2011 rookie season with the Rockies.

Brothers posted some very solid numbers with Colorado from 2011-13, but the team cut ties with him following the 2015 season, dealing him to the Cubs for Brothers’ first stint in Wrigleyville.  The Cubs released Brothers that spring, however, and he didn’t play anywhere in 2016 before catching on with the Braves organization for two more seasons.

Brothers turns 34 in December, so time may be running out for the left-hander to show that he can finally harness his control and take full advantage of his ability to miss bats.  It seems likely that another team (maybe even the Cubs again) will give Brothers another look on a minor league contract.

Cubs Claim Wade Miley Off Waivers From Reds

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Nov. 7: The Cubs have announced that they have officially picked up Miley’s option, securing his services for the 2022 campaign.

Nov. 5: The Cubs announced Friday that they’ve claimed left-hander Wade Miley off waivers from the Reds. Cincinnati general manager Nick Krall said just two days ago the the team needed to “align our payroll to our resources,” and the surprising decision to waive Miley, who has an eminently reasonable $10MM club option for the 2022 season, further foreshadows the team’s direction this offseason.

Wade Miley | Ray Acevedo-USA TODAY Sports

By placing Miley on waivers rather than declining his option, the Reds spared themselves a $1MM buyout (while also strengthening a division-rival club’s rotation). Given the fact that Miley was claimed at that $10MM price point, it stands to reason that the Reds could have exercised the option and found a trade partner later in the offseason.

Krall tells reporters that he explored the market for Miley over the past couple of weeks and found no interest (Twitter link via the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Bobby Nightengale). That said, we saw last offseason that Brad Hand went unclaimed on waivers at $10MM, only to eventually land a $10.5MM guarantee in free agency. It’s certainly plausible (if not likely, based on the Cubs claiming Miley with the No. 7 waiver priority) that a team would have eventually shown interest once the option was exercised. However, it seems the ownership wanted no part of either paying the buyout on the option, paying down any of Miley’s would-be salary, or simply being “stuck” with a $10MM left-hander who pitched 163 innings of 3.37 ERA ball in 2021.

It’s the second straight season that the Reds are signaling a clear intention to reduce payroll. The Reds’ $126MM Opening Day mark in 2019 took the team to a new franchise-record, and ownership committed to an even larger sum in advance of the 2020 season, when the Reds would’ve had a payroll north of $150MM were it not for the Covid-19 shutdown and the eventual prorating of salaries.

Last offseason was punctuated by a series of Reds moves designed to reduce expenditures, most notably dumping Raisel Iglesias’ salary on the Angels and non-tendering both Archie Bradley and Curt Casali. The Reds spoke of “reallocating” those resources at the time of those moves but largely sat out the free-agent market despite needs at shortstop and (due to the Iglesias/Bradley decisions) in the bullpen. The early-offseason decisions to waive Miley and trade catcher Tucker Barnhart (who had a club option of his own) pair with Krall’s comments to date to portend a rough winter for Reds fans.

With Miley now out of the rotation in Cincinnati, starting roles will fall to Sonny Gray, Luis Castillo, Tyler Mahle and Vladimir Gutierrez. Krall listed lefty Reiver Sanmartin and prospects Nick Lodolo and Hunter Greene as candidates for the fifth spot in the rotation (Twitter link via C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic), at least indirectly suggests the team will first look inward to replace Miley’s innings. Of course, given the mounting context associated with these moves, it stands to reason that any of Gray, Castillo or Mahle could be moved this offseason.

As for the Cubs, the sudden acquisition of Miley no doubt qualifies as a highly unexpected but extremely welcome surprise to begin their offseason dealings. President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer has made no secret that the team will seek out veteran innings this winter, and Miley provides just that in bulk — at a highly affordable rate. While the lefty’s career looked to be on the downswing back in 2016-17, he’s enjoyed a stark turnaround over the past several seasons, culminating in a brilliant 2021 showing.

Since signing a minor league deal with the Brewers in 2018, Miley has amassed 425 1/3 innings of 3.53 ERA ball with three different clubs. He carries a below-average 18% strikeout rate in that time but a solid 8% walk rate and a well above-average 50.2% ground-ball rate. This past season was his best since way back in 2012. Miley’s 163 frames ranked 37th among the 909 players who pitched in the Majors this season, and that 3.37 ERA ranked 18th among qualified hurlers. His 49.8% ground-ball rate, meanwhile, ranked 10th.

The Cubs lacked any real form of certainty beyond Kyle Hendricks and, to a lesser extent, Alec Mills in next year’s rotation. Miley joins Hendricks as veteran anchor pair with the less-established Mills and younger arms like Adbert Alzolay, Justin Steele, Keegan Thompson and Brailyn Marquez. It’s quite likely that Hoyer & Co. will remain in the market for additional rotation help this winter, but securing Miley this early on affords both cost certainty and the luxury to perhaps pursue a younger free agent with a bit of upside.

Guardians Expected To Hire Chris Valaika As Hitting Coach

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The Guardians are expected to hire Chris Valaika as their new hitting coach, reports the MLB Network’s Jon Heyman. Valaika had been serving as the assistant hitting coach for the Cubs.

A former infielder, Valaika appeared in the big leagues with the Reds, Marlins and Cubs from 2010-14. (His younger brother Pat Valaika still plays in the majors and spent the 2020-21 seasons with the Orioles). Chris Valaika wrapped up his playing career after 2015 and moved into an administrative role with the Cubs not long after. He spent a few seasons as the team’s minor league hitting coordinator before becoming Chicago’s assistant hitting coach over the 2020-21 offseason.

After just one season on a big league staff, Valaika looks set to land the Guardians’ hitting coach position. Should a deal ultimately come to fruition, he’d replace Ty Van Burkleo, who served as Cleveland hitting coach from 2013-21 but was let go last month.

Cubs To Hire Greg Brown As Hitting Coach

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The Cubs are planning to hire Greg Brown as their next hitting coach, report Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma of the Athletic. Brown has spent the past two seasons as the Rays’ minor league hitting coordinator.

This will be Brown’s first job on a big league coaching staff. The 41-year-old spent a few seasons in minor league and independent ball in the early-mid 2000’s before transitioning into his post-playing career. Brown spent two seasons scouting with the Astros before taking over as head coach at Division II Nova Southeastern University. He held that role for nine years, with his club winning the D-II national championship in 2016, before departing to join the Rays.

Brown replaces Anthony Iapoce, who was let go after four seasons as Cubs’ hitting coach last month. He’ll be tasked with overseeing a Chicago offense that’s in transition, much like the roster in general. Having shipped out much of the core of their 2016 World Series winner over the past year, the Cubs leaned heavily on minor league veterans down the stretch. The front office will presumably bolster the lineup externally somewhat this winter (although catcher Willson Contreras might be a trade candidate), but it seems likely they’ll also take another look at players like Frank Schwindel and Patrick Wisdom to see if they can find a potential late-blooming regular or two.

Cubs Hire Ehsan Bokhari As Assistant General Manager

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The Cubs’ reshaping of the front office continued Monday, as they announced the hiring of Ehsan Bokhari as an assistant general manager. Bokhari, 38, has spent the past four seasons in the Astros’ front office — first as their director of R&D in 2018 and, more recently, as their senior director of player evaluation from 2019-21.

With the Astros, Bokhari contributed to player evaluation at the amateur, professional and international levels in addition to overseeing the entirety of the team’s research and development projects. He was one of the original members of the Dodgers’ research and development staff, serving as a senior analyst with Los Angeles from 2015-18. Bokhari holds a PhD in quantitative psychology and an MS in Statistics from the University of Illinois, in addition to undergraduate degrees in psychology and mathematics from the University of Arizona.

Bokhari will replace longtime Cubs executive Randy Bush as assistant general manager, as the 63-year-old Bush transitions into a consultant/advisory role with the Cubs, per Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago (Twitter link). The Cubs’ front office has seen a good bit of turnover throughout the past calendar year, beginning with Theo Epstein’s decision to step down as president of baseball operations. Longtime GM Jed Hoyer was elevated to that vacant title, and earlier this month Hoyer announced the hiring of Cleveland assistant GM Carter Hawkins as the team’s new general manager.

Coaching Notes: McLeod, Dozier, Hillman, Rodriguez

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Cubs senior vice president of player personnel Jason McLeod is departing the organization, according to Patrick Mooney of The Athletic. Mooney says that McLeod, whose contract is up at the end of the month, “declined an offer to remain with the Cubs.” McLeod may not be a household name, but he’s been an instrumental part of baseball’s recent history. Theo Epstein was hired to be the Cubs’ president of baseball operations in October 2011, with McLeod and Jed Hoyer coming along two weeks later. The trio, who had all previously worked together in Boston, helped build the recent Cubs dynasty that broke the century-old curse with their 2016 World Series championship. The triumvirate was broken up with Epstein’s resignation a year ago. Hoyer was then promoted from general manager to take Epstein’s place as president. Although Hoyer delayed naming a replacement GM because of the pandemic, it was recently announced that it would be Carter Hawkins, who had previously been with Cleveland. In past years, McLeod has been frequently connected to other general manager positions in rumors but had stayed in his senior VP role with the Cubs until now.

Other coaching notes from around the league…

  • It was less than a year ago that Brian Dozier announced his retirement from playing, and now he wants to get right back into a dugout as a manager. In a conversation with Robert Murray of FanSided, Dozier discusses his ambitions and says, “Even though I don’t want to play anymore, I feel as if I have a lot more to give in the sense of managing. For me, I’ve always taken a lot of pride in being a leader on and off the field and learning from managers that I’ve had on things to do and not to do. I’ve always had a desire to manage.” Dozier goes on to discuss various topics related to managing, such as analytics and communication. He says that he has not yet talked to any teams about managing but wanted to put his intentions out in the open. Dozier is 34 years old, turning 35 in May, and would easily be the youngest manager in the league, if hired. (Rocco Baldelli and Luis Rojas were the youngest this year at 39.) However, there’s at least some recent precedent for a manager getting hired in his mid-30s. Baldelli was 37 when he was first hired. Kevin Cash was hired just before his 37th birthday. A.J. Hinch and Eric Wedge were both approaching their respective 35th birthdays when their hirings were first announced, Hinch with Arizona in 2009 and Wedge with Cleveland in 2002.
  • The Marlins are losing a couple members of their coaching staff, per Craig Mish of the Miami Herald. Third base coach Trey Hillman and assistant hitting coach Robert Rodriguez are both leaving to pursue other opportunities. This concludes a three-year term in the organization for Hillman, who was hired before the 2019 campaign. He has some managerial experience, having been the bench boss for the Royals, as well as the NPB’s Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters and the SK Wyverns of the KBO. Rodriguez previously managed the Gulf Coast League Marlins and was promoted to the big league club prior to the 2020 season.
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