NL Notes: Rockies, Strasburg, Scherzer, Espada
Thomas Harding of MLB.com confirms that the Rockies have dismissed several minor league coaches, including longtime Triple-A manager Glenallen Hill (link). Double-A hitting coach Lee Stevens and Single-A hitting coach Norberto Martin will also be let go, according to assistant general manager of player development Zach Wilson.
A member of the club’s coaching ranks since 2004, Hill was previously first base coach with Colorado’s big league squad from 2007 to 2012. The 54-year-old Santa Cruz native played for the Jays, Indians, Cubs, Giants, Yankees, and Angels over the course of a twelve-year MLB career. After Hill’s dismissal, top Colorado third base prospect Colton Welker figures to suit up for a fresh face at Triple-A Colorado Springs next season.
More notes from around the National League…
- In another Rockies item, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post gives an eye toward the defensive improvements made in 2019 by catcher Tony Wolters–while also opining that the club should acquire a veteran backstop to lighten the workload of the light-hitting Wolters (link). As Saunders notes, Wolters, a former second baseman, was charged with just one error last season while throwing out 34% of would-be base stealers, a rate which trailed only J.T. Realmuto of the Phillies. Manager Bud Black, for one, told the Post this year that Wolters had turned himself into “one of the best defensive catchers in baseball”. Unfortunately, the value-added performance hasn’t translated to the plate for the 27-year-old San Diego native, as his .239/.327/.324 line in parts of four seasons would indicate. Weighted runs created plus, which discounts the effect of his offensively friendly Coors Field home, pegs Wolters with a 59 wRC+ in that same timeframe, profiling him as one of the weakest-hitting regulars in the sport. For this reason, Saunders posits that finding a platoon partner for the lefty-swinging Wolters will be a high priority for Rockies GM Jeff Bridich this winter.
- Two notes on Nationals players, one bullet point–efficiency reigns here at MLBTR. First up is a piece from MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince, who, in creating a list of eight potential opt-out candidates this offseason, posits that any possibility of Stephen Strasburg opting-in to the remaining four years and $100MM on his contract has been “totally erased” this postseason (link). This seems a good time to supply a standard public service announcement regarding small sample size caveats, as recent history would suggest that postseason performance does not affect free agency decisions as frequently as many would expect. Still, Castrovince might not exactly be going out on a limb RE: Strasberg. While the pitcher’s injury concerns–evidenced best by his team’s decision to hold him out of the 2012 playoffs–have loomed over him for most of his career, Strasberg’s 1.64 ERA across 22 postseason innings this year has arguably gone some way toward ameliorating that fragile rap.
In a piece with fewer implications on the forthcoming hot stove, every baseball fan would be well-served to check out Rustin Dodd’s oral history regarding the college days of one Max Scherzer, published on The Athletic this morning (link). For Nats faithful feeling the afterglow of an NLCS sweep, hearing tales of some of Scherzer’s collegiate habits–including his ravenous affinity for Cici’s Pizza–should provide a giddy laugh. - A Houston source tells David Kaplan of NBC Chicago that Astros bench coach Joe Espada gave a “sensational” interview for the open Cubs manager job (link). Espada gave executive Theo Epstein and GM Jed Hoyer “a lot to think about”, per Kaplan’s source, but the question still remains if Espada can surpass franchise favorite David Ross in consideration for the managerial opening. For the time being, Espada’s ‘Stros will square off with the Yankees in New York this evening for the fourth game of the ALCS.
Cubs Announce Player Development Changes
According to a release from the club’s media department, the Cubs have constructed a new player development leadership structure within their baseball operations department.
Matt Dorey, formerly Chicago’s director of amateur scouting, will serve as senior director of player development. 2020 will mark Dorey’s ninth year in the Cubs organization and 13th in professional baseball. Dorey previously coached at Washington State before entering the pro ball, PD side of the game.
Bobby Basham will be working with Dorey as director of player development. Formerly a pitcher in the Reds and Padres minor league ranks, Basham has worked in a variety of roles since gaining employ with the Cubs in 2012, including time spent as a major league scouting coordinator, assistant director of advance scouting and major league strategy, and assistant director of minor league operations. It stands to reason that Dorey and Basham will be combining to handle some of the tasks Jason McLeod vacated when the latter moved into a senior vice president of player personnel role this offseason following several years in Chicago’s player development area.
Other notable changes this morning include the naming of former big league Craig Breslow as the club’s new director of pitching–a title similar to the one the Orioles gave Chris Holt recently, as notes Joe Trezza of MLB.com (link). While Breslow’s Yale background would likely position him as the most intelligent person in many a room, the club’s new director of hitting, Justin Stone, cuts an impressive intellectual figure in his own right. Stone is the founder Elite Baseball Training in Chicago, a “technology-infused baseball and softball instructional company”. He has been working with the organization since 2018 as a biokinematic hitting consultant–a modern baseball job title if ever there was one.
Additionally, Jeremy Farrell has been promoted from minor league field coordinator to a new role as Chicago’s assistant director of player development, where his years of experience as an infielder in the Pirates and White Sox systems should come in handy. Jaron Madison, who, like McLeod, worked with Cubs GM Jed Hoyer during the latter’s time as San Diego’s GM at the turn of the decade, has been named as special assistant to the president/GM.
Although the men and women working in player development are not always appreciated by fans for their efforts in fostering, honing, and instructing organizational talent, hires like these are often critical in a team’s quest for continued, year-over-year success. These moves are likely pointed toward re-positioning Chicago’s farm as a top-shelf feeder system after recent rankings tagged the Cubs with bottom-third organizational evaluations; Fangraphs pegged the club with a 20th-ranked system, while only two Chicago youngsters, Nico Hoerner and Miguel Amaya, landed inside MLB.com’s “Top 100” list.
Managerial/Coaching Notes: Mets, Giants, Bucs, Brewers
Let’s round up the latest managerial and coaching news from around the majors…
- The Mets’ previously reported managerial interview with their quality control coach, Luis Rojas, has taken place, Tim Healey of Newsday tweets. They’ve now discussed (or will discuss) the position with at least six candidates, with Rojas, Mike Bell, Carlos Beltran, Joe Girardi, Eduardo Perez and Derek Shelton comprising the group of known possibilities. Meanwhile, although longtime manager Buck Showalter has expressed interest in the role, his chances have “stalled,” Mike Puma of the New York Post reports. The Mets have some concerns about the way Showalter interacted with front offices during his previous runs as a manager, according to Puma.
- Add Cubs first base coach Will Venable to the list of managerial possibilities for the Giants, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports. The Giants are interested in Venable, though it’s not clear whether they’ll interview him. A former major league outfielder, the 36-year-old Venable finished his career in 2016 as a member of the Dodgers, whose general manager was Farhan Zaidi. He’s now the president of baseball operations for the Giants.
- The Pirates have reached out to Athletics quality control coach Mark Kotsay to gauge his interest in managing the Bucs, Nubyjas Wilborn of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette relays. The 43-year-old Kotsay was a major league outfielder/first baseman from 1997-2013 who has since worked in coaching and front office roles between San Diego and Oakland. He interviewed for San Francisco’s managerial opening last week.
- The Brewers are parting with first base coach/infield coach Carlos Subero, per Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Subero, the lone member of manager Craig Counsell’s staff who won’t return in 2020, spent four seasons as a major league coach with the Brewers. He previously managed in the minors with the organization.
Sam Fuld Declines To Interview For Managerial Vacancies With Cubs, Mets, Pirates
Former big league outfielder Sam Fuld, currently serving as the Phillies’ Major League player information coordinator, declined the opportunity to interview with the Cubs, Mets, and Pirates for their managerial vacancies, MLBTR has learned. The 37-year-old Fuld, who had developed a bit of a cult following as an all-out player for the Cubs, Rays, A’s, and Twins from 2007-15, is quickly gaining a reputation as a future managerial candidate. The Stanford graduate was hired by the Phillies two years ago shortly after they hired Gabe Kapler to manage.
The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Matt Breen profiled Fuld last season, examining the manner in which he serves as a liaison between the club’s analytics department and the clubhouse. “I think a lot of the times, the information can get overwhelming. It’s hard to sift through and pick ‘OK, what’s important for this game?” Rhys Hoskins said at the time. “To have Sam, he’s recently out of the game, kind of act as that bridge just makes it so much easier on us players.”
Given his Stanford degree in economics and his work both within the clubhouse and interacting with the Phillies’ analytics and baseball operations departments, there’ll likely be multiple paths for Fuld to consider as he determines what trajectory best suits him. Kapler, meanwhile, is set to interview with both the Giants and the Cubs after being dismissed as the Phillies’ manager. The Phillies, Mets, Cubs, Angels, Giants, Padres, Royals, and Pirates all have managerial vacancies at present.
Cubs To Interview Joe Espada, Gabe Kapler
The Cubs are interviewing Astros bench coach Joe Espada for their managerial opening today, tweets Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune tweets that they’ll also interview recently dismissed Phillies skipper Gabe Kapler this week. Espada’s Astros, of course, are still very much alive in their chase for a second World Series crown in three years, but today is a travel day for both remaining American League clubs.
Espada had a 10-year minor league career as an infielder but never cracked the big leagues. The Puerto Rican-born 44-year-old began coaching not long after retiring as a player, working with the Marlins organization as a minor league hitting coach and field coordinator. He eventually moved up to become the team’s third base coach for four seasons and served another three years in that same capacity with the Yankees.
Espada has also spent time as a special assistant to Yankees GM Brian Cashman and has currently been in his position with the Astros for two seasons. He received quite a bit of managerial interest last offseason and seems increasingly likely to ultimately lead his own club, given recent interest and the general manner in which coaches from successful, analytically inclined coaches are coveted by other teams. He’s already been tied to the Angels’ vacancy and was involved in the respective managerial searches conducted by the Orioles, Rangers and Blue Jays last offseason.
Like Espada, Kapler is 44 years of age. He played parts of a dozen seasons at the MLB level before becoming a minor league manager with the Red Sox and, eventually, the director of player development for the Dodgers. Kapler was recently cut loose two seasons into a three-year deal to manage the Phillies, though owner John Middleton seemingly went through a painstaking deliberation before making what he characterized as a difficult decision. Middleton said that he and the club are “indebted to Gabe for the steadfast effort, energy and enthusiasm” at the time of Kapler’s dismissal. Kapler is also set to interview with the Giants.
The Cubs are also known to be interested in Joe Girardi, David Ross and internal candidates Mark Loretta and Will Venable as possible successors to Joe Maddon, who was not brought back for a sixth season after his initial five-year deal to manage the Cubs expired. Notably, ESPN’s Jesse Rogers suggests that Kapler and Espada “should be” the final two candidates to receive interviews (Twitter link), so it seems that the next Cubs skipper will come from this batch of names. Chicago had interest in Carlos Beltran, as well, but Beltran declined the opportunity to interview with the team.
Quick Hits: Cubs, Dominguez, Beer
Some stray items from around the Show….
- Can Theo Epstein’s front office get the Cubs back on track? Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times explores the question in a detailed look at the challenges facing the team this winter, as the team’s overhaul has already led to the end of Joe Maddon’s managerial tenure but seemingly no major shuffles coming to the baseball operations department. The Cubs’ lack of success in 2019 had arguably less to do with Maddon and more to do with the team finally paying the price after several ill-fated acquisitions clogged the roster and the farm system failed to produce much high-impact talent (especially on the pitching side). Wittenmyer wonders if Epstein and top lieutenants Jed Hoyer and Jason McLeod can guide the Cubs through this reload period now that “the industry has caught up” to some of the roster-building strategies deployed by Epstein and company in rebuilding the Cubs, or in building the Red Sox into World Series winners last decade. To Epstein’s credit, his post-season remarks to reporters included several admissions that mistakes were made by his baseball ops group, and more significant change is on the way to the big league roster. “If you want to say we were stubborn with this group, I think that’s fair. We had a real belief in this group. That’s an area where I need to do a better job as a leader, letting go of the past and focusing on the future,” Epstein said.
- “It’s never an easy thing to drop $5.1MM on one player, but he made it pretty easy,” Yankees international scouting director Donny Rowland told Baseball America’s Ben Badler (subscription required) about Dominican prospect Jasson Dominguez. The 16-year-old Dominguez’s $5.1MM payday matched the highest bonus given to any player in this year’s international draft class, and his stock has only continued to rise now that he has seen some action in the Dominican instructional league. Badler’s piece details how the Yankees’ international scouting staff first came across Dominguez, and how the youngster is already showing potential as a five-tool center fielder (not to mention a sixth tool of plate discipline).
- While playing in the Arizona Fall League, Diamondbacks prospect Seth Beer is focusing on answering questions about his defensive future by improving his first base glovework, Baseball America’s Bill Mitchell writes. The Astros selected Beer with the 28th overall pick of the 2018 draft, though he is best known for being part of the prospect package Houston sent to Arizona in the Zack Greinke trade deadline blockbuster. Beer has carried the hitting prowess he displayed at Clemson into his pro career, but since sticking as an outfielder may not be feasible, Beer has seen a good deal of first base time in order to establish a position for himself. Playing in an NL organization, he also doesn’t have the future comfort of a designated hitter spot. On the plus side, Beer is “excited” to have a clearer path to the big leagues with the D’Backs than he did in Houston, calling the trade “a great opportunity for me in my career.”
Latest On Carlos Beltran
Former star outfielder Carlos Beltran has emerged as a popular candidate in managerial searches around the league, though Beltran has only one particular destination in mind. Speaking to reporters (including Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe and Newsday’s Anthony Rieber) today, Beltran said that he was only interested in managing in New York, to the point of turning down interview requests from other teams. It was already known that Beltran declined to speak to the Padres about their managerial vacancy, and he revealed today that he had also passed on a chance to interview with the Cubs.
This leaves the Mets as Beltran’s only potential landing spot if he does indeed make a move into the dugout. He reportedly interviewed for the position last Thursday, though he didn’t officially confirm this during today’s media session. SNY’s Andy Martino notes that the lack of confirmation could have to do with the Mets “putting high priority on secrecy” during their managerial search (though several names have already been linked to the Mets job).
Though Beltran has long expressed an interest in continuing to work in baseball after hanging up his cleats, he has been particular about which opportunities he has pursued. It’s clear that his particular interest in remaining in New York has influenced those decisions — beyond his current connection to the Mets’ job, Beltran interviewed for the Yankees’ managerial vacancy after the 2017 season that was eventually filled by Aaron Boone, and has spent the last year working as a special advisor in the Yankees’ front office. Obviously, Beltran has longstanding ties to the Big Apple after playing for the Mets from 2005-11, and then for the Yankees in 2014-16.
Though Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein has indicated he would “have a greater comfort for someone” with past managerial experience, Beltran is one of several potential first-time managers who have been on the Cubs’ radar during their own search. Mark Loretta, David Ross, and Will Venable have never managed at the Major League or minor league levels before, though the Cubs are also slated to meet with a very experienced former MLB skipper in Joe Girardi.
Cubs Face Decision On Kendall Graveman
It was easy to forget since he did not pitch in 2019, but the Cubs inked righty Kendall Graveman to a fairly unique contract last winter. Now, the team will soon face a decision on his future with the organization.
Graveman’s deal promised him $575K for 2019 and included a $3MM club option (sans buyout) for the season to come. The team will soon have to decide whether to exercise that option. While he’s still within the limits of arbitration eligibility, Graveman can’t be kept by that method. MLBTR has learned that his contract includes a provision requiring the club to release him if it does not pick up the option.
The whole reasoning behind the Cubs’ signing of Graveman was to open this possibility. Indications are that his work this year was relatively promising. The 28-year-old former Jays and A’s hurler was never expected to make it back to the majors this year while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. But he was able to ramp up to the point that he made two minor-league rehab starts, totaling six innings of action. And he performed all of his efforts under the watchful gaze of the Cubs organization, giving them a close look at the progress and (nearly) end results.
In weighing the decision, the Cubs will no doubt be closely considering how best to construct a cost-efficient 2020 rotation. There are several other soon-to-be free-agent candidates for buy-low/bounceback contracts. But those might end up being more expensive. And the players in question haven’t been under a Cubs microscope all year long.
There are some other factors to consider here as well. Graveman’s 2020 contract would include a $2.5MM incentive package. The Cubs would likely gladly pay that if he’s healthy and effective enough to earn it. Plus, the team would still be able to control him via arbitration for the 2021 campaign if all goes well, effectively creating another option year.
It’s arguable that the Cubs would be in decent shape in the rotation if they hang onto Graveman, even without further action beyond some depth moves. A resurgent Yu Darvish would front the staff along with Kyle Hendricks and Jose Quintana, with veteran lefty Jon Lester trying to finish out his contract with a bang. Graveman would be looking to get his career back on an upward trajectory. He had been a sturdy rotation piece for the A’s from 2015-17, turning in 407 frames of 4.11 ERA ball, before running into elbow troubles. There are also some younger options in the Cubs system, not that any appear to be sure things at this point.
Of course, that isn’t exactly an imposing staff to carry into a season in which your team is trying to break a two-year string of disappointment. The Cubbies might well prefer to chase a different arm. Even then, picking up Graveman’s option might be worthwhile. The club could still utilize him as a swingman or even put together a trade to another team that would love to take a shot at him for that rate.
Cubs Launch Managerial Interviews
Oct. 8: Girardi will interview tomorrow, Gonzales further reports, with Ross slated to interview later in the week. Venable, meanwhile, interviewed for the position yesterday.
Oct. 4: The Cubs have begun formal interviews as they seek to identify their next manager, the team informed reporters including Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter). First-round interviews will carry into next week, at least.
First up for a chat was Mark Loretta, who served as the club’s bench coach under departing skipper Joe Maddon. Loretta had his interview yesterday. As previously reported, first base coach Will Venable will also get a chance to petition for the job. He’s slated for a sit-down next week.
Another previously reported candidate for the position, David Ross, will also get his first formal managerial interview next week. The veteran backstop-turned-analyst has long been speculated as a candidate.
Ross is not far removed from being an in-uniform veteran presence, but has never held a coaching or managing position. Loretta and Venable each have coaching experience, but neither has ever managed.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Cubs will also look at more experienced candidates. President of baseball operations Theo Epstein has said he’d “have a greater comfort for someone handling the role before.”
Joe Girardi is about as experienced as any managerial candidate, having helmed the Marlins for one season before a decade-long stint with the Yankees. He’s also slated to chat with Epstein and company next week.
Indication has been that the Cubs will look far and wide for candidates. If so, it would stand to reason that other names will still pop up for first-round interviews. The existing slate, after all, isn’t exactly an exotic group in terms of background. Two are former Chicago catchers while the others were in Cubs uniforms in the just-completed campaign.
Cole Hamels On Impending Free Agency
In a post published for The Athletic this morning, reporter Patrick Mooney relayed quotes from Cole Hamels that indicated the pitcher’s openness–if not downright interest–in pitching for an NL Central club next season, regardless of whether or not the Cubs elect to re-sign him (link).
While the main substance of Mooney’s piece, on the whole, attempts to recap an uneven 2019 that saw Hamels in both dominant (pre-All-Star break) and floundering (post-All-Star break) forms, the most interesting takeaway may have been the hurler’s comments regarding his pending free agency. While Hamels was straightforward in saying he would “love” to be a Cub, he pointed out to reporters–and, perhaps, by extension, Cubs president Theo Epstein–that the NL Central has been a comfortable pitching environment for him during his time in Chicago.
“I obviously do very well at Wrigley,” Hamels said in Mooney’s piece, speaking of his free agency options. “Hopefully, that’s what they think about. Otherwise, I know the other teams in the division are going to think about it. If you have to come to Wrigley three different times, I don’t pitch bad there…I know I do very well in the NL Central.”
While this ultimately may amount to little more than a bit of lighthearted dialogue between a veteran pitcher and a beat reporter with whom he has developed rapport, it seems noteworthy that Hamels may already be imagining himself in the uniform of another NL Central club. Certainly, it would be painful for Cubs fans to see Hamels defect after establishing himself as something of a club rival killer during his time on the North Side.
As Mooney points out, Hamels has posted sterling career numbers against NL Central teams in his career, dating back to his time in Philadelphia:
• Hamels vs. Cincinnati: 11-2, 2.30 ERA (20 starts)
• Hamels vs. Milwaukee: 8-5, 3.53 ERA (20 starts)
• Hamels vs. Pittsburgh: 5-4, 2.52 ERA (13 starts)
• Hamels vs. St. Louis: 5-6, 2.21 ERA (17 starts)
Hamels, of course, just concluded the final season of a 6-year/$144MM extension signed with the Phillies in the midst of the 2012 campaign. The burnished 35-year-old lefty was in the midst of a vintage season in 2019, compiling a 6-3 record and 2.98 ERA up until the night of June 28, when he was afflicted with an oblique strain that, presumably, curtailed his availability and performance moving forward; Hamels missed all of July following that injury, before ultimately posting a 1-4 record with a 5.79 ERA in the second half amidst a team-wide Cubs collapse.
Among NL Central teams that could be a factor in luring Hamels away from Chicago, St. Louis could certainly be in play if they lost their own veteran leader in Adam Wainwright (though it’s worth noting that the Cards still have Alex Reyes recovering on ice). The Brewers should be looking for improvement after a one-game playoff ouster, but they may feel ultimately more comfortable in pursuing a re-up with Gio Gonzalez, the lefty veteran they already have in hand. The Reds, meanwhile, have a rather stacked dance card when it comes to 2020 starting pitching, whereas the Pirates don’t figure to be in the market for near-term, high-AAV veteran free agents like Hamels.
Looking ahead to free agency, Hamels may join an interesting caste of experienced, mid-30s veterans who should comprise something of an open market second-tier for clubs that sit out the Gerrit Cole sweepstakes. Like Dallas Keuchel, Rich Hill, and Wainwright, Hamels should offer a cocktail of experience and clubhouse leadership, dashed with a fair amount of risk for injury and regression.